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The Best Face Sunscreen for Ultimate Protection

Last updated: 17 Jan 2023
The skin on your face can often be more sensitive than other parts of your body, and this is especially true when that skin gets burned. Facial sunburns are no fun to deal with, and you want to take special care to ensure that your face is protected whether you’re at the beach, on a hike, or simply planning to spend more time outside than normal. Facial sunscreens are specially designed to protect your face from harmful UV rays, and, as you’ll learn as you continue to read, they also offer your face other benefits in terms of health and comfort. If you’ve never purchased facial sunscreen before, you’re probably unfamiliar with the different types of facial sunscreen and what benefits they each provide. We’ve taken stock of some of the top options on the market, and we’re going to review each one of them below. Our team has chosen these particular face sunscreens based on the SPF count in each one, what ingredients are used (or not used) in each one, what types of skins they might be the best match for, as well as several other important factors. Not all face sunscreens are created equally, but we’re confident that you’ll be able to find one on this list that’s the right fit for you.
Helps Calm and Protect Sensitive Skin
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Best for Sensitive Skin
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Maximum Protection at 60 SPF
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Best for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin
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Packed with Vitamin E
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Highest SPF
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Both a Sunscreen and a Lotion
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Best Moisturizing Sunscreen
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Keeps Your Face Safe for 12 Hours
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Longest Lasting Protection
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Leave Your Skin with a Healthy Glow
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Best Tinted Sunscreen
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Show Contents
Compare the Top Face Sunscreens of 2023
  • 1 Best for Sensitive Skin – Helps Calm and Protect Sensitive Skin
  • 2 Best for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin – Maximum Protection at 60 SPF
  • 3 Highest SPF – Packed with Vitamin E
  • 4 Best Moisturizing Sunscreen – Both a Sunscreen and a Lotion
  • 5 Longest Lasting Protection – Keeps Your Face Safe for 12 Hours
  • 6 Best Tinted Sunscreen – Leave Your Skin with a Healthy Glow

Compare the Top Face Sunscreens of 2023

Best for Sensitive Skin – Helps Calm and Protect Sensitive Skin

1
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Key Features

This 46 SPF sunscreen contains zinc oxide to provide broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays from the sun.

This sunscreen is unscented, so you won’t have to worry about strong or distracting scents on your face when you apply.

Pros

  • Fragrance-free, paraben-free, and does not clog pores
  • Recommended by dermatologists

Cons

  • Needs to be reapplied every two hours
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Best for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin – Maximum Protection at 60 SPF

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Key Features

This sunscreen is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, and is especially recommended for users with acne-prone and oily skin.

This sunscreen is formulated with cell-ox technology, and absorbs pore-clogging oil even in climates with high heat and humidity.

Pros

  • Oil free and oxybenzone free
  • Contains antioxidants to protect skin from free radicals

Cons

  • Sometimes pills up on the initial application
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Highest SPF – Packed with Vitamin E

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Key Features

This sunscreen will provide maximum protection for your face at 70 SPF. If that’s too much, there is also a 50 SPF option available.

This sunscreen is designed to quickly absorb into your skin and provide easy, invisible protection with a matte finish.

Pros

  • Hypoallergenic and oxybenzone, octinoxate, gluten, cruelty, and paraben free
  • Comes from the well-known and trusted brand of sunscreen products

Cons

  • Can be hard to control how much comes out of the tube
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Best Moisturizing Sunscreen – Both a Sunscreen and a Lotion

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Key Features

This sunscreen will not only protect your face, but will leave your face feeling better after you’ve worn it.

This sunscreen is fast-absorbing, fragrance-free, and non-greasy. It is lightweight and it won’t clog pores.

Pros

  • Contains Edelweiss flower extract to nourish and repair skin
  • Designed to be effective yet non-irritating, making it a great choice for sensitive skin

Cons

  • Pump becomes difficult to operate once the bottle is at a low capacity
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Longest Lasting Protection – Keeps Your Face Safe for 12 Hours

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Key Features

You won’t have to worry about reapplying this sunscreen throughout the day. You’ll be protected for nearly the entire day after just one application.

This product is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective UV sunscreen.

Pros

  • Tropical-scented and infused with this brand’s classic coconut fragrance and mango fruit extract
  • Blended with exotic island botanicals to help keep skin radiant and glowing
   

Cons

  • Low SPF (30) compared to other options on this list
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Best Tinted Sunscreen – Leave Your Skin with a Healthy Glow

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Key Features

While most sunscreens typically leave a white cast on your face, this product will help you appear more tan while also hydrating your skin in the process.

This sunscreen is oxybenzone-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, and chemical filter-free. It can be worn alone or under makeup as a tinted primer.

Pros

  • 100% mineral-based sun protection
  • Contains three essential ceramides to lock in moisture

Cons

  • Can sometimes feel heavy and sticky on the skin
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Buying Guide: Face Sunscreen

How Is Face Sunscreen Different?

So, is face sunscreen really any different from regular body sunscreen? Well, the truth is that there are often some big differences between a good quality facial sunscreen and a standard all-body sunscreen product.

Because the skin of the face is usually more sensitive, face sunscreens typically have slightly different ingredients; they’re a little less oily, for example, and can usually absorb into the skin at a faster rate, without leaving a greasy residue behind.

Some face sunscreens also have extra ingredients to soothe, moisturize and nourish the skin of the face, like vitamin E for skin cell health and botanical extracts to fight the signs of aging.

Why Should I Use Face Sunscreen?

There are many important reasons to start using face sunscreen on sunny days. Here are some of the biggest benefits:

Cancer protection

This is arguably the most important reason and biggest advantage of all. Sun exposure is one of the leading causes of skin cancer, and if you fail to protect your skin against the sun’s UV rays, your risk of cancer rises. Face sunscreen provides a protective barrier to guard your skin against those harmful rays.

Preventing burns

Cancer isn’t the only thing you need to worry about when the sun is shining brightly. It’s also possible for your face to suffer burns if you stay out in the sun too long without protection. Burns commonly occur around the face, especially on the nose and cheeks. Face sunscreen dramatically reduces the risk of burns.

Easy application

One of the best things about face sunscreen is how easy it is to use. The finest face sunscreens absorb into your skin very rapidly, without leaving any oiliness or greasiness behind. In a matter of seconds, you’ll be ready to enjoy all the benefits of sunscreen protection, without any inconvenience or discomfort.

Skin benefits

Another big advantage of using face sunscreen is that it offers a range of other skin benefits, in addition to UV protection. Many of the top-rated face sunscreens contain natural oils, plant extracts and other key ingredients to soothe dry or damaged skin, nourish your skin’s cells and even fight the signs of aging.

Top Tips for Buying and Using Face Sunscreen

Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help you make the most of face sunscreen and enjoy all of the benefits listed above:

Consider what SPF you want

SPF stands for sun protection factor, and a sunscreen’s SPF level gives you an idea of how well the sunscreen protects against sunburn. Some sunscreens are sold at different levels of SPF, and this is because an especially high SPF may prevent skin from tanning along with burning. SPF levels in face sunscreens range from 15 SPF to 70 SPF, with 30-50 being the average SPF.

Read the label

Before you begin, check the label of your chosen face sunscreen. This should give you some important information about how to apply the sunscreen and when to re-apply.

Re-apply regularly

If you’re spending the whole day or several hours outside, or if you’re doing any swimming, one application of face sunscreen may not be enough. Remember to re-apply your sunscreen as needed for consistent protection.

Total coverage

When applying face sunscreen, don’t leave any part of your face out. Remember to apply it all over, including the most commonly-burned areas like the forehead, tip of the nose, and around the ears.

Fragrance

Another thing to think about as you shop is whether or not you want your sunscreen to have a fragrance. Many facial sunscreens are unscented, and these can be great options for regular everyday use. Occasionally, you’ll come across a sunscreen that has an added fragrance. This might be a tropical fragrance, for example, and could be something to enjoy on vacation or during a day at the beach.

Sensitive skin

If you have skin that is easily irritated, or if your skin is more oily or prone to acne than normal skin, you might be interested in some of the options on the market that are designed to be more helpful for those who have sensitive skin.

Health benefits

Many sunscreens have other health benefits as well. They might help heal broken skin or provide extra moisturization to your face. Some sunscreens double as lotions, while still containing a high SPF count. These sunscreens may cost more than your average facial sunscreen, but the added benefits make these sunscreens more versatile, and you might choose to wear them even when you’re not planning to be in the sun because of how else they can help your skin.

Appearance

As far as appearance goes, most facial sunscreens are exactly what you would expect when purchasing regular sunscreen. However, some are made to be fast-dissolving, or invisible once they are absorbed into your skin. There is even a sunscreen on this list that has a tinting factor and can be great alone or as a tinted primer for applying makeup. None of these options is better than another – it’s completely a matter of personal preference.

People Also Asked

Q: Are facial sunscreens safe for use on my skin?

A: Face sunscreens are tested and ensured to be safe for general use. Many sunscreens include guidelines about what to do in the event of skin rash or irritation. Several sunscreens are also recommended by dermatologists for the benefits that they provide. If you have more specific concerns about the chemicals used in sunscreen, you should check the ingredient list or item description of the specific sunscreen you’re looking to buy. We’ll also try to point out sunscreens that meet certain criteria (paraben-free, chemical-free, fragrance-free) as we go.

Q: How often do facial sunscreens need to be applied?

A: On average, facial sunscreens should be applied every two to three hours for maximum protection. This time frame might be shortened if you’re sweating or spending time in the water, as these conditions make it easier for sunscreen to come off. Some sunscreens can be effective for a longer time without applying and reapplying; however, it’s important to remember that you should occasionally get out of the sun and give your skin a break to prevent overexposure.

Wendy Lockwood
By Wendy Lockwood
Wendy Lockwood is a journalist based in North Carolina with over 13 years of experience covering parenting, home, kitchen, and cooking. She has two daughters, Jodie and Alexis, and a grandson on the way. When she’s not with her family, Wendy enjoys reading on her porch, cooking for her husband, Mark, and taking long walks out in nature. Even though Wendy is not much of a traveler, she loves taking trips to the ocean where she can read, walk and enjoy the sunshine.
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