After having skin cancer, one of the most common questions I get on Instagram seems to be what my favorite sunscreens are. I’m no stranger to them these days – I wear it every day! Keep reading for the sunscreens that I like!
I’m going to break out sunscreens into 2 categories: mineral and chemical. Mineral suncreens physically block the sun from your and are the ideal kind of sunscreen that every dermatologist will recommend. Since they are physical blockers, they tend to be a little thicker but the ones I’ve found are actually pretty darn good (maybe only slightly thicker than chemical sunscreens). If you have skin cancer in your family history, are fair skinned, or have melasma and dark spots, you’ll probably want a mineral sunscreen! Chemical sunscreens are exactly what they sound like: they use chemicals to block the sun from your skin. Generally, they’re lightweight formulas that require little to no rubbing in if you’re using a mist!
A few more sunscreen tips before I dive in! Always look for broad spectrum, UVA and UVB protection. You’re also supposed to reapply every 2 hours as well. When you’re wearing makeup, this can be challenging but keep this in mind and wear a cute hat if you’re going to be out in the sun all day. Here are some of my favorites!
I’m also a coverup wearer 99% of the time especially after my skin cancer journey! Here are some of the brand I go back to year after year!
All of the sunscreens below are really good and you can’t go wrong with either! I’ve broken the out just for your knowledge and caveated performance where necessary!
Best Mineral Sunscreens
The Beautycounter Countrsun Mineral Sunscreen SPF Stick is my personal favorite sunscreen for on the go. It smells like chocolate and is super easy to apply in stick form which is also why kids love this sunscreen. I never go anywhere without it and always keep one in my purse in case. You can use it on your face but it’s a little small for on your body so that’s why it’s a great on the go option. You can also use this as a chapstick which makes it a great multipurpose product. Seriously, it’s amazing.
For an everyday face sunscreen, I’ve been using the REN Mineral SPF sunscreen for almost a year. It’s not as thick as Blue Lizard is on your body and does not leave a white cast. I have demoed this on Instagram (the reviews on Sephora are inaccurate)! I have a discount code that works site wide and it’s JENNA20!
The new Beautycounter Countersun Sheer Defense for Face is also excellent and performs very similarly to REN! If you’re grabbing the Stick I linked above, grab this one for face too.
For body, every dermatologist I’ve been to has recommended Blue Lizard sunscreen for your body – specifically this SPF 50+ water resistant one! It’s definitely a mineral sunscreen meaning, you will need to rub this in and it does have a white cast. However, it’s commonly recommended for a reason so if safety is a priority, it’s one to consider!
The Beautycounter body sunscreens perform very similarly to most mineral sunscreens and do require rubbing in and do leave a little bit of a white cast. If you’re the type of person who takes comfort in that, they are a great option if Blue Lizard is not available! The Sun Bum Mineral sunscreens are very similar so grab whatever is easiest for you.
I personally skip mineral sprays or whips (although the Sun Bum Whip Mineral Sunscreen is a cool conceptually) because you end up having to rub them in anyway. You usually get more product in the tubes and they’re just easier to manager. If you’re looking for a Mineral sunscreen, chances are you don’t mind!
I also like the Sun Bum chapstick although the Beautycounter stick goes on a little less white!
Best Chemical Sunscreens
The best face sunscreen I’ve ever tried is this Skinceuticals Physical UV Defense. If you hate the feeling of sunscreen, look no further. It does not even feel like you have sunscreen on your skin!
If you’re on vacation and need to find something in a pinch, this Alba Botanica Kids Sunscreen is actually really good. We were in Florida once and we ran out. It was hard for me to find sunscreens that had cleaner ingredients but I found this one at CVS! You would never know it’s cleaner! It goes on perfectly with no rubbing required!
Coola has been another brand I get asked about a lot! Both the Coola Face Sunscreen and the body mist are really good! The mist does not require rubbing in just like the Alba Botanica one (they’re really similar). There are some fun scents available at Sephora too. Both of these are demoed on my Instagram highlight! Their BB Cream is also really good if you’re looking for thinner coverage!
100% Pure has a great BB cream if you’re looking for thicker coverage and your skin is normal to dry!
I’ve been on the hunt for a mineral scalp spray but can’t seem to find one so I’ve been using the Sun Bum Scalp Spray! It kind of acts like a hairspray too so you will probably have to wash your hair if you have fine hair!
Do you have any favorite sunscreens? I’d love to add more to my list to try!
Let me know what you think!