20 Best Sunscreens for All Skin Types: Dry, Oily, Sensitive, & More!

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Good morning everyone ! In today’s article, we’re going to do a full comprehensive roundup of sunscreens, As summer approaches, it’s time to dive into all things SPF. And I see you on Facebook skincare groups or on Reddit posting images of nasty sunburns pleading for help and asking, “How do I take care of this?” Well, fear not, the sunscreen nerd is here, and I am here to save your skin from those painful burns.

Keep reading to discover how to pick the perfect sunscreen for your skin type and explore the best sunscreen out there for all skin types. Let’s make sure everyone’s covered – literally!

If you don’t have time to read this post right now, why not save it for later?

20 Best Sunscreens for All Skin Types: Dry, Oily, Sensitive, & More!

how to choose the right sunscreen for your skin

moisturizer with SPF Vs moisturizer without SPF?

When it comes to sunscreen, the most important thing isn’t whether it’s chemical or physical. It’s about finding what’s safest and works best for you. The ideal sunscreen is the one you’ll use every day, rain or shine.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who’s engaged to a cosmetic dermatologist—a person who deals with reversing sun damage, getting rid of sunspots, and performing laser treatments—I can’t stress enough how important it is to start using sunscreen regularly. It’s not just about saving money and avoiding future dermatologist visits, but also about safeguarding your skin and preventing issues down the line.

Not to even mention the big scary “C” word—skin cancer—which is directly linked to sun exposure. Surprisingly, it’s not just people who get sunburned often who are at risk; even those who occasionally get really bad sunburns during summer are at high risk. So, wear your damn sunscreen consistently to keep your skin healthy and reduce the chances of future problems.

dry Skin:

Let’s jump in and talk about sunscreens that work great for people with dry skin. Starting with my absolute favorite: the Beauty of Joseon. This sunscreen is incredibly silky and smooth, and believe it or not, it retails for just $10! It’s a mix of physical and chemical sunscreens, which is pretty impressive. It’s fragrance-free, packed with 30 rice extract, and feels light and non-greasy. I can’t get enough of it , I absolutely love it – it’s easy to use every single day and layers perfectly over moisturizer.

Another one that I really like is the Purito Daily Go-To Sunscreen SPF 50. It’s also a hybrid sunscreen and fragrance-free. This one has a much sheerer finish, making it really easy to layer over moisturizer.

Quick tip: as you transition from dry winter to hot and humid summer, adjust your moisturizer accordingly. you might want to adjust your moisturizer accordingly. If you’re someone with very dry skin, layering these two sunscreens over a moisturizer can be a great option. And that’s why it’s always important to keep a good moisturizer on hand.

Oily Skin:

Now, If you have oily skin, you might not need to use moisturizer, unlike those with dry skin. For oily skin types, The sunscreen that I would recommend for oily skin is La Roche-Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer . Although it may seem counterintuitive, this moisturizer works well in the winter for people with dry skin because it’s a bit heavier compared to other sunscreens like Purito SPF and Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun. However, for oily skin, you can skip the moisturizer altogether and just use La Roche-Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer during the summer months.

***La Roche-Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer***

This moisturizer is a broad-spectrum SPF 30 and costs around $20. It’s a chemical sunscreen that may seem lightweight but actually contains ceramides to help restore your skin barrier and give it a healthy shine, especially for oily skin. During hot and humid weather, you can skip your morning moisturizer and rely solely on this product to replenish your skin barrier and protect it from the sun. It’s versatile, working well for both dry skin in the winter and oily skin in the summer.

Sensitive Skin:

Moving on to the sensitive souls out there, we have three options in the lineup.

First up is Dr. Jart with their Every Sunday Mineral Sunscreen, boasting SPF 50 . This one retails for $50. It’s a weightless, water-resistant SPF, but let me clear up that the “water-resistant” means nothing to me. While it can withstand water exposure and activities like swimming for a bit longer, I definitly don’t count on it to last all day and still reapply it very regularly if I’m at the beach or pool. So don’t be misled by the false sense of security that it’s water-resistant and will last throughout the day—it will not. You do need to constantly reapply, especially if you jump into the pool and it’s less than two hours apart.

Next, we have SkinCeuticals with their Physical Fusion UV Defense priced at $40. It contains titanium and zinc. I actually prefer their tinted version over the white one as it tends to leave less of a white cast behind. Unfortunately, it’s not great for every skin tone, but that’s the problem with zinc and titanium—it’s very hard to create a physical blocker that suits every skin tone.

Lastly, Vanicream is a great brand if you have sensitive skin. You’ll notice that they’re very proud of being free of dyes, fragrance, masking fragrance, lanolin, parabens, and formaldehyde releasers.

This isn’t about scaring you away from certain ingredients but rather acknowledging that people with sensitive skin often react badly to them. That’s why these ingredients are left out. It’s not about being “clean” or trying to frighten you (I don’t have any shares or sponsorship with them), but this is a great brand if you are sensitive. Their formula is a combination of zinc oxide & ceramides, It’s relatively a relatively lightweight option. While it may not be the most cosmetically elegant, this is a safe bet for sensitive skin types.

anti-aging:

For anti-aging, Isdin Photo, a Spanish skincare brand, offers the Erythema Actinica Daily SPF 50 that retails for 70 bucks(My mom use this one) . It’s a zinc oxide sunscreen that needs to be shaken before use.. It’s also very watery, kind of like the SkinCeuticals, what sets it apart for anti-aging is its patented DNA repairasomes, which help to repair sun damage. So if you have a lot of pre-cancerous lesions, also known as actinic keratoses, or a lot of sun damage on your face, this is not only protecting but also being proactive in helping you fix your skin in the process.

Darker Skin Tone :

Now we’re going to switch gears and talk about finding the right sunscreen for different skin tone. Unfortunately, for skin tones when it comes sunscreens containing zinc and titanium, often called mineral sunscreens, it is very hard to find one that doesn’t leave a whitish residue. So If you are somebody who is darker and you’re not sensitive, I will tell you, go get the Beauty of Joeson. This is a great, easy one. It will definitely melt into your skin. It is very, very elegant. Or get the Double Repair. These are great sunscreens that are chemical sunscreens that will be leasy to apply and blend well without leaving a cast.

But If you have darker skin and sensitivity, I’ve found that Peter Thomas Roth’s mineral sunscreen works well. My dad, who also has darker skin, has had good results with it.

I will also add that theTatcha, their Silk Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50, which is a zinc oxide sunscreen suitable for all skin tones. It’s quite very liquidy. It does blend in rather seamlessly, and they’ve done a really nice job in the formulations what I also love is them listening to their custumorers and changing the old packaging .I was not a fan of their previous flimsy design and the peeling was unsuportable , so I’m so happy they got their shit together and repackaged this because it is by far the best sunscreen I would recommend to someone with a darker skin tone.(That’s my own thing with it tho).

Tatcha’s sunscreen contains hyaluronic acid (HA), so if you’re trying to limit HA in your skincare routine, keep that in mind. However, using this sunscreen alone should suffice , you don’t need additional HA serum. You definitely do not need the HA serum going into summer. Please, you don’t.

Live Tinted is another brand offering SPF 30 protection. It contains zinc oxide. I recently learned about this product from a coworker who has been using it for a few months (she’s Indian, by the way). I found it to be quite pleasant, but it can give the skin a slightly orange tint.

So, if you have a very dark complexion, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Instead, consider trying Tatcha or Peter Thomas Roth. However, After doing some research and asked my fiancé if he ever heard of it, turned out that I was living under a rock , Live Tinted has received positive reviews from both online sources and dermatologists. So, it’s not a bad sunscreen; it just might not work for everyone due to its texture.

Makeup Wearers sunscreen

For those of you who wear makeup, let’s discuss sunscreen options to wear underneath. You can stick with the sunscreens I’ve mentioned earlier without any issues. However, if you’re looking to add a little something extra, I sometimes like to use Supergoop’s Glow Screen. I dab a bit onto the high points of my face like the cheekbones for a subtle glow.

It costs $36 and is a chemical sunscreen, so I use it sparingly due to my sensitive eyes. Once, I got some in my eyes while driving, and I had to pull over because I couldn’t see. So that was a scary moment. So, now I just use it sparingly for that extra glow, while ensuring I’ve applied regular sunscreen first , so that’s how I use the Supergoop Glow Screen. I might note that you guys can use it all over their face( and I’m envious) it just me who can’t again because of the sensitivity of my eyes.

If you’re searching for a sunscreen that can double as makeup while still providing the protection you need, here’s a tip: make sure you use the right amount. Personally, I find this approach handy, especially during winter when I’m mostly working the graveyard shift. My routine involves minimal exposure to sunlight I go from my house to the airport before the sun is out, and I go home once the sun is down.

I’ve been using Laura Mercier products, particularly their Tinted Moisturizer, which has been a lifesaver for me. Recently, they released an Illuminating version, which I prefer over the original. It gives a subtle glow without feeling too heavy. I apply two full finger lengths, one on each cheek, and blend it evenly across my face. This sunscreen is chemical-based, priced at $48, and comes in 20 shades. When using it, I skip foundation altogether. It’s perfect for achieving a natural, no-makeup look for everyday wear.

The other one that I’ve never tried or bought before, I’m very transparent, I just found it on my finacé’s desk the other night. It seems to belong to one of his patients. Curiosity got the best of me, especially since I’ve noticed many people discussing it on TikTok. So, being the sunscreen enthusiast that I am, I decided to buy one for myself.

I love their little packaging. I like that it’s small. It’s slightly wider than Tatcha’s, so it does hold better. This one retails for $40. It’s the Dream Beam sunscreen. It’s a mineral sunscreen with 21 non-nano zinc oxide along with peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid (although, I wish brands would stop promoting HA in every new product). Despite my skepticism about its compatibility with darker skin tones, I found that it blends quite smoothly on my own. It does have a slight yellowish tint. Overall, I think it’s worth giving a try, so I plan to purchase one this weekend and test it out.

Body sunscreen

Now that we’ve covered all types of sunscreen, from forehead to chin (though, truth be told, I usually use it on my neck), let’s talk about protecting the rest of our body. Sometimes, we tend to forget about our body’s skin and only remember it when we hit the beach. I’m guilty of that too because, honestly, I don’t always use body sunscreen daily. I’m always covered in my uniform and I’m hardly outside.But if you’re out running errands or rocking tank tops and tees, definitely make sure to cover your arms and go down to your chest, because that is where a lot of sun damage happens and it will get creepy over time.

Supergoop has their Play sunscreen. It is the chemical sunscreen. If you have sensitive eyes and you get this in your eyes, it will burn. So that is why I love it for kids. I use it on my niece all the time. I don’t necessarily love it for me because of my eye sensebility.

Another option I love one by Color Science is Color Science’s mineral sunscreen, which is rare to find for the body , but it is a really nice one and it comes in different shades as well. They also have a bronzed version. So if you’re at the beach aiming for that beach-goddess look the Color Science bronzed body sunscreen is an interesting one to go for.

Lastly is another popular option is Glow, with SPF 50. It’s affordable and a favorite among many, including my fiancé who loves its shimmering effect.This one is water-resistant up to 80 minutes, but again, you’re going to have to reapply if you jump in the water. They also offer a spray version for easy reapplication on the body, But don’t use this for your face also you’re going to need much more than you think to get enough coverage also – A good tip is if the floor is relatively slippery, you’re probably good and you’ve applied enough, But don’t think that one little spritz is going to give you all the cover that you need.

Scalp sunscreen

When it comes to protecting your scalp from the sun, not everyone has thick hair to shield it. If you’re not a fan of wearing hats, SPF powders are a great alternative. One option I recommend is Super Goop’s Resetting Mineral Powder SPF 35, which I personally like. It also doubles as a dry shampoo if you’re trying to avoid washing your hair. If you need to cover your scalp, this powder is a good choice.

***Super Goop’s Resetting Mineral Powder SPF 35***

Another option is Sun Bum’s Scalp and Hair Mist SPF 30, and when I tell you it transports me and takes me away to a tropical island, you will feel the same way too , I absolutely adore this one . it’s a budget-friendly vacation you will ever take in your brain.

reapplication sunscreen

When it comes to reapplying sunscreen, the Super Goop’s Resetting Mineral Powder SPF 35 is also a great option especially for busy city days. During the summer, it’s handy for managing any extra shine caused by sweat. It comes in four shades—translucent, light, medium, and deep—making it versatile for different skin tones and even hair colors. I like how its design with a cap that allows for easy access and the option to purchase refills for the powder and save the brush. Just make sure you clean your brush between uses because that can become very unsanitary.

When it comes to reapplying sunscreen on your body, we mentioned the Coppertone glow Shimmer earlier. But if you’re after a mist that’s mineral-based for your body, EltaMD has your solution with their UV aox Mist, which I personally adore because it’s white. This makes it super easy to see exactly where you’re spraying it, ensuring no missed spots or false sense of protection. Despite its slightly tricky cap, the white mist allows for clear application all over the body, leaving no doubts about coverage. Surprisingly, it rubs in quite smoothly without leaving a noticeable white residue. I’m a big fan!

Side tip: never spray a spray sunscreen on your face. You don’t want to inhale it, so you want to make sure that you spray it on the palms of your hands and then go to work.

Kids sunscreen

For kids, I might sound evil, but I’m all about making them look like little ghosts. It doesn’t matter what their skin color is; I just want to see that sunscreen layer, ensuring their skin’s safe for the long haul and that’s what I do to my little niece all the time. She may grumble about it now, but hey, she can blame me in her therapy sessions years later.

Thinkbaby sunscreen isn’t the most elegant choice—it’s mineral-based and can leave a white cast. It takes some effort to rub in, but it’s not meant for fancy occasions. If you’re okay with your kids having a high therapy bill in the future but healthy skin, Thinkbaby is the go-to. It’s SPF 50, containing 20% zinc oxide, perfect for the little ones.

Remember, if your baby’s under six months old, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against sunscreen use. I really hope to God you’re not putting your little babies underneath the sun anyway, and that you’re protecting their skin with UPF clothing, hats and UV-filtered sunglasses, as their skin and eyes are extra sensitive at this age.