Guys, I am SO excited to be writing this post. This is the culmination of literally months of sunscreen hoarding, testing, and note-taking. I can’t wait to share with you my loves and duds…and to finally clear the ones that didn’t work out for me from my skincare drawer. As with everything I write, and really anything in the skincare world, your mileage may vary with these products– just because something works for me, doesn’t mean that it will work for you and vice versa.

For reference, I have mostly dry, acne-prone skin with sensitivity sometimes to products that have high alcohol content. I prefer my sunscreen to be invisible on the skin, and to layer well over my skincare and under foundation. Pilling under foundation is a total deal-breaker for me, but there were sunscreens that worked well otherwise– so keep that in mind if you don’t use liquid/cream foundations (most would be fine under a light dusting of powder). Also, I have fair skin. Some sunscreens that don’t have a white cast on me may have one that shows up on other skin tones. I tried my best to mention when I suspect that a sunscreen may leave a white cast.

I’m going to discuss them in alphabetical order…so here goes! Please feel free to skip around as you like and leave your personal faves in the comments. I might not check them out right away since I have enough sunscreen to get me AT LEAST through the end of the year, but I still want to know 🙂 I hope to do another sunscreen round up for next year, so feel free to place some requests.

Edit: June 7th, 2017– I have no added a “scent” section under each sunscreen since many people report being sensitive to certain fragrances. Note that I am not a super smeller or anything, but this is what I get from the products! I also plan on adding details on the presence alcohol in the ingredients list (and how far down) to each sunscreen.

**This post contains affiliate links. The brands have not paid me, nor have they requested me to include these links. If you do click or purchase an item from these links, I may make a small commission. If this makes you uncomfortable, by all means feel free to read my reviews and google the products– they should be relatively easy to find. No hard feelings!

Bare Minerals Prep Step Mineral Shield Daily Prep Lotion Type : Physical Sun Protection: SPF 50 Price/oz: $22.22/oz ($30 for 1.35 oz) Description : White, watery consistency that smooths very easily into the skin. It definitely has a smoothing effect on the texture of my skin. Layered well over skincare and under makeup. May leave a subtle white cast on darker skin tones but should work for fair-medium for sure– it is a white-colored liquid but seemed to blend in seamlessly. I found it very slightly hydrating– almost like a dry oil. Did not prolong the wear of makeup on me, may have contributed to some makeup breakdown towards the end of the day (after 8 or so hours). Oily skin types beware. Scent: I couldn’t smell anything, but fiance who is sitting next to me said very light floral Other Notes : Contains coconut alkanes high on the ingredients list (an acne trigger for some) Where to purchase : Amazon (currently on sale for $25), Ulta

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence 2015 version Type : Chemical Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA ++++ Price/oz: Not readily available Description: This sunscreen is really the standard that I have held all other sunscreens against. It dispenses as a gel cream that upon contact turns into a watery texture. After about two minutes on the skin, you can no longer tell that anything is there. Layers impressively well with pretty much anything. No white cast. Neither prolongs nor shortens makeup wear time. Scent: lightly citrus scented, with a slightly apparent alcohol smell Other Notes: Contains alcohol relatively high on the ingredients list (likely contributing to how fast it absorbs). The alcohol does not irritate my skin, but others have reported sensitivity and dryness. Where to purchase: I have purchased this on Amazon recently and have been sent the 2017 reformulated version in its place. Some Ebay sellers may have it, but purchase at your own risk as not all sellers are reliable. There was a rose-scented limited edition version released of the 2015 version, so if you see that it is probably the right one.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence 2017 reformulation Type : Chemical Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA++++ Price/oz: $5.39/oz ($9.50 for 1.76 oz) Description: Like its predecessor, this sunscreen dispenses as a gel cream and melts into what feels like water. However, unlike its predecessor it feels more present on the skin even after the dry-down. No white cast. It layered completely fine over skincare but seemed to pill “randomly” with foundation. Obviously it isn’t random, but I haven’t been able to find a particular type of foundation that it consistently works with or pills with. I’ve tried multiple bases on different occasions and had varying results. It did not prolong nor shorten makeup wear time when it didn’t pill up. However, those with oilier skin types have noted that it breaks down their makeup faster. Scent: lightly citrus scented, with a slightly (more) apparent alcohol smell than the 2015 version Other Notes: Contains alcohol relatively high on the ingredients list (likely contributing to how fast it absorbs). The alcohol does not irritate my skin, but others have reported sensitivity and dryness. This formula also seemed to leave me with a few more whiteheads/clogged pores than usual. I’m not 100% sure that it was this sunscreen, but it did seem to correlate to the days when I was trying it. Where to purchase: Amazon

Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense (newer reformulation) Type : Physical Sun Protection : SPF 30 Price/oz: $11.33/oz ($34 for 3 oz) Description: This dispenses as a white cream. It is a bit pasty in texture but spreads without difficulty. It definitely requires some rubbing to get it all the way blended out. The white cast is pretty bad on this and shows slightly even on my skin. It doesn’t feel bad on the skin, but you definitely know that it is there. I would call it hydrating and somewhat heavy feeling– I don’t mind it with my dry skin. Leaves the skin appearing slightly shiny. It layers well under foundation that is spread gently…however, if I have to rub at my makeup over it I find that it will sometimes pill up. This is one that I prefer to wear when I am having an acne prone/sensitive skin day and will only be wearing concealer and powder products (vs foundation/BB cream). Scent: Vaguely clay-like? This one was hard to place but not strong Other Notes: Contains several oils (Marula, Jojoba, Raspberry Seed) to hydrate, Aloe, as well as a handful of antioxidants. I really appreciate Drunk Elephant’s commitment to using “good” ingredients– though this isn’t their most graceful formula. If you don’t have fair skin, I would recommend the formula of Umbra Tinte over this one (see below). Where to purchase: Drunk Elephant Website (clicking takes you to 20% off offer), Sephora, Dermstore

Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense Type : Physical Sun Protection : SPF 30 Price/oz: $18/oz ($36 for 2 oz) Description: This dispenses as a tan colored mousse-y cream. It spreads out very easily and almost feels like a lightly hydrating silicone-y primer. There is no white-cast, but on me it left a reddish-brown tint. I wouldn’t say that this sunscreen adds any real coverage from a makeup perspective, but the coloration is merely there to counteract the typical physical sunscreen white cast. It should work well, color wise, for light- dark skin tones. I am not sure how well it would work if you have very dark skin, and would not recommend for very fair skin. There are subtle flecks of golden shimmer in the formula. Leaves a natural finish to the skin, neither dewy nor matte. It layered well under foundation and didn’t seem to change the wear time of makeup at all. Other Notes: Like the regular Umbra, it contains several oils and antioxidants and was formulated with Drunk Elephant’s ingredient philosophy. Again, would not recommend for very fair skin. I did an arm swatch of it on my instagram a few weeks back if you are looking for color reference. Scent: I’m afraid that I returned this product a few weeks back and forgot to take notes on the smell. If anyone else has this and wants to let me know I will happily add it in! Where to purchase: Drunk Elephant Website (clicking takes you to 20% off offer), Sephora

Earth’s Recipe Waterful Sun Gel Type : Chemical Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA+++ Price/oz: $14.70/oz ($25 for 1.7 oz) Description: To me, this is the closest in consistency that I have found to the 2015 Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence. It dispenses as a white gel cream texture but when you go to rub it in becomes like water and turns clear. I find it to be hydrating, unlike the 2015 Biore; however, it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy at all. Oily skin types may be able to get away with wearing this in place of moisturizer. There is no white cast. I haven’t had any problems layering it with skincare or makeup and it has never pilled on me. It does not seem to affect the wear time of my makeup. However, I have dry skin– if hydrating ingredients tend to reduce wear time on you this may. Scent: smells lightly like cucumber-scented lotion Other Notes: No alcohols in the ingredients list. Yay!!! Where to purchase: Amazon, Glow Recipe (Following link gives you 15% off code)

EltaMD UV Clear Type : Mixed Sun Protection : SPF 46 Price/oz: $15.29/oz ($26 for 1.7 oz) Description: This is a cosmetically elegant sunscreen and probably the only one on this list to have other clear skin benefits outside of sun protection and light moisturization. This applies as a white cream that spreads easily to a silky finish. It may have a subtle white cast which blended in to my skin, but may be more apparent on darker skin tones. It leaves my skin with a slight sheen, but not necessarily dewy. It has a “dry touch” feel and isn’t sticky at all, though it doesn’t have a total absence of feel like the 2015 Biore. Makeup applied just fine over it so long as I gave it 5-10 minutes to sink in prior to foundation. If I applied foundation immediately after the sunscreen, it did pill up. I did not find that it affected makeup wear time. Scent: traditional sunscreen scent but much lighter than usual, also subtle “play dough” notes (hahaha there is a reason I don’t do too many in depth perfume reviews) Other Notes: This is a dermatologist brand sunscreen that has been formulated specifically for acne-prone skin. It contains Niacinamide and Lactic Acid– both which can be beneficial in fading acne marks. Lactic Acid has other benefits as a gentle exfoliant– see my post on AHAs for more information. EltaMD makes a tinted version of this sunscreen for darker skin tones, I haven’t tried it though so I can’t vouch. Where to purchase: Amazon, Dermstore, EltaMD

Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Type : Physical Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA+++ Price/oz: $6.32/oz ($11.70 for 1.85 oz) Description: This is the most lovely-to-apply physical-only sunscreen I have ever used. It is a very thin, white milk that rubs clear and absorbs quickly (like within seconds) to a smooth, matte finish. It feels weightless on the skin with no visible white cast on me, though I do think it is possible that it may give a white cast on darker skin tones. It layered easily over skincare and under makeup without any pilling. I think it does prolong the wear-time of my makeup and seems to control oil in the small areas around my nose/cheeks where I will get a bit oily. The downside is that if I haven’t applied a more hydrating skincare routine that morning, it can make my skin itch– this is likely due to the high alcohol content. I still prefer it to most of my other sunscreens– I just have to conscious. I think it would be a really great fit for non-sensitive normal to oily skin types. Scent: like a lemon tart Other Notes: Ingredients include anti-inflammatory Aloe and Centella asiatica. However, it also includes small amounts of Bergamot, Lemon, and Lime peel oil and this may be irritating to those sensitive to essential or citrus oils. Where to purchase: Amazon

Glossier Invisible Shield Type : Chemical Sun Protection : SPF 35 Price/oz: $34/oz ($34 for 1.0 oz) Description: The product pumps out a tiny amount of a clear gel which melts into a clear watery-feeling liquid when rubbed. There is no white cast. The sunscreen dries to a fairly matte finish and feels like it isn’t there– definitely similar to the Biore 2015 version. It layers easily over skincare and also underneath makeup without pilling. It doesn’t seem to prolong the lasting power of makeup, but it definitely doesn’t reduce it. Overall, really pleasant formula. Scent: It supposedly smells like lemonade, but to me this has that classic “beachy” sport sunscreen smell, just lighter Other Notes: I did a full review of the sunscreen here. Ingredients include small amounts of Sweet Orange extract which may be irritating to those sensitive to essential or citrus oils. This is the most expensive in price/oz out of this entire list. Because the bottle only contains 1oz of product, you will likely need to repurchase fairly frequently if used daily. Where to purchase: Glossier (link gives 20% off first purchase)

Missha All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk Type : Chemical Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA+++ Price/oz: $7.20/oz ($17 for 2.36 oz) Description: This is another water cream formula that feels very similar to the 2015 Biore formula in my opinion. It has no white cast and melts into the skin in a very “watery” way. It feels very light and is nearly imperceptible after it absorbs which just takes a few minutes. It layers just fine over skincare. Unfortunately, no matter how long I waited and which foundations I used this always pilled up. Literally every time. This may work for you if you are a powder-only person, but this just didn’t work for me. My fiance wears it now as his “daily use” sunscreen and says that it is neither drying nor greasy throughout the day when he wears it. Scent: Smells very similar to the Biore– a watery citrus with a bit of alcohol Other Notes: Like many of the other sunscreens, this sunscreen contains alcohol. Getting repetitive now, so yada yada yada use caution if sensitive to alcohol. Where to purchase: Amazon

Missha All Around Safe Block Soft Finish Sun Milk Type : Mixed Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA+++ Price/oz: $8.47/oz ($20 for 2.36 oz) Description: This is a pale pink milky liquid that spreads very easily upon application. The color is meant to have a “brightening” effect– it doesn’t show up on my skin color at all but I think it might create a white cast on darker skin tones. It is one of those that absorbs almost immediately into the skin and is pretty much undetectable after that– neither hydrating nor drying. It did not pill up over skincare or under makeup. This one seems to help the staying power of my makeup, but it isn’t drastic enough that I am positive on that one despite wearing it pretty frequently. Scent: VERY light, hardly noticeable. Vaguely “fresh” smelling Other Notes: Like many of the other very liquid-y sunscreens, this sunscreen contains alcohol. However, it is not as “high up” as many of the others on the list (#12). Where to purchase: Amazon, mini version available also

Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen Type : Chemical Sun Protection : SPF 50+, PA++++ Price/oz: $4.39/oz ($7.73 for 1.76 oz) Description: This is an off-white lightweight cream that spreads easily on the skin. There is no white cast. It takes about 3-5 minutes to fully absorb onto my face, but after that point my skin doesn’t feel greasy or like there is anything heavy on it at all (other than maybe a very lightweight moisturizer). It feels lightly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling bouncy and looking slightly dewy. It layers easily over my skincare and under foundation. It didn’t pill up, even when I applied my BB cream over it before it had fully absorbed. It doesn’t seem to effect the wear time of my makeup in any way. It does feel like a slightly more hydrating formula, but since it is not heavy at all I think it would still work for oilier skin types (maybe just with a more lightweight moisturizer/no moisturizer). Other Notes: Like many of the other very liquid-y sunscreens, this sunscreen contains alcohol. I was surprised to find that it was the fifth ingredient as it feels quite hydrating. However since it is in such a high concentration, I would stay away if you have very sensitive skin. Worth noting, I am sensitive to cosmetics with lots of alcohol but this one doesn’t bother me. Also worth noting– this is the least expensive on the list in terms of price per oz…and its really good! And it is one of the few that is PA++++. Scent: vaguely soapy with a hint of play dough and alcohol Where to purchase: Amazon



So…you made it through the whole list! That was a lot. I can’t tell you which ones are “the best” but I can tell you which ones I will be repurchasing once I run out of my favorites:

Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish: I love wearing this under makeup, and I feel like it is a reasonable price. Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen: The least expensive on the list and the one I am most likely to grab when my skin is feeling dry but I still want to wear makeup. EltaMD UV Clear: A little more expensive and the application requires a bit more time…but this is what I reach for when my skin is upset. It never clogs my pores and I love the inclusion of niacinamide and lactic acid.

There are lots of other great sunscreens on the list that I am enjoying but would not repurchase because either the price, or because I like something just a little bit more. That being said, there are a few that I will be definitely be passing on:

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence 2017 version: Who has time for sunscreen that makes you break out? Drunk Elephant Umbra: There are other physical sunscreens on the list that are easier to spread and don’t give me a white cast. That being said, I have a friend with very sensitive skin who can’t handle alcohols or chemical UV filters who I think will love this. Missha Essence Sun Milk: Because there is no place in my drawer for sunscreen that ruins my makeup.

Thank you guys for allowing me this place to nerd out about sunscreen! I’d love to know what you are using on a daily basis. Remember that in the end what you use doesn’t matter as much as that you are using UV protection. That being said, you are going to use it every day, so it is worth finding a sunscreen that you love!

<3 Haley

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