You should wear sunscreen every day, especially in the summer. Even on the cloudy, overcast days, the gloomy days where you don’t see the sun all day, the harmful UV rays still manage to break through the clouds. The FDA reports that even on overcast days, up to 80% of the UV rays penetrate through.
Now it’s time for the good news: We’ve found the best sunscreens at all price points to have you protected for this summer. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about any of the potentially harmful ingredients that can, unfortunately, be found in pretty much every drugstore and name-brand sunscreen. We broke it down by category, so whether you’re looking for a one-size-fits-all product or something more specific, you’ve come to the right place. Sit back, relax, and keep reading! If you’re curious about the potentially dangerous ingredients in conventional sunscreen, check out our blog post on that here.
Tinted Sunscreen ($29.00)
Unsun Cosmetics specifically formulated their tinted mineral sunscreen to end all the main problem usually associated with mineral sunscreens (especially for people with darker skin tones): whitecast. The founder of Unsun, Katonya Breaux, designed the product for exactly this reason, formulating a sunscreen with a built-in tint that works for all skin tones, so you never have to worry about covering up that white residue. The blendable, sheer formula applies flawlessly for invisible protection.
The sunscreen comes in 2 shades: check out the light/medium shade and the medium/dark shade.
Face Sunscreen
We all know the perils of a greasy sunscreen that clogs your pores and leaves a gross residue on your face. The only trade-off with using mineral sunscreens over chemical is that they tend to be slightly heavier than the harmful chemical sunscreen alternative. But that doesn’t matter, because we found face sunscreens that will blend seamlessly under makeup and provide more sheer coverage than some of the more heavy-duty body sunscreens.
Caribbean Sol Faces Only SPF 20 ($20.99): This sunscreen not only fights sun damage and protects from UV rays, but it is formulated with special anti-aging ingredients derived from tropical plants to lock in moisture and condition your skin.
Mad Hippie Facial SPF ($24.99): This Mad Hippie sunscreen is designed for strong UV protection and is also packed with some other amazing ingredients like antioxidant oils, vitamin C, avocado oil, shea butter, and more.
Multipurpose Sunscreen
Caribbean Sol Sol Guard SPF 30 ($19.99) is the water-resistant, biodegradable, reef-friendly sunscreen for all occasions. Added ingredients like aloe and cucumber extract hydrate and condition the skin as you soak up the sun.
Kids’ Sunscreen
Babo Botanicals Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen ($19.95): Going into summer with a little one at home? Sunscreen for babies and kids is critical to protect from the sun’s harmful rays. The Babo formula is strong, gentle, and allergen-free, perfect for their sensitive skin!
After Sun Care
Caribbean Sol Kukui Body Silk ($18.99): If you happen to spend too long enjoying the sunshine or forget to re-apply, you may need a little something to help your skin recover. Caribbean Sol’s Kukui Body Silk can be used every day to moisturize and prevent sunburns and peeling.
Annie Fannies Sunshine Fragrance-Free Oil ($17.99): Vitamin-rich, nourishing body oil will help give you a natural glow and protect your skin after too many long hours in the sun.
Happy summer!
The Think Dirty Ultimate Sunscreen Guide was originally published in Think Dirty on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.