The 8 Best Sunscreens for Your Face That Protect Mile After Mile

For days spent out in the sun, this face and body sunscreen takes the cake. It is fragrance-free, fast absorbing, and packs 60 SPF—but won’t have you looking like a ghost or feeling like you rolled around in butter. It is water-resistant and lasts up to 80 minutes before needing to be reapplied, so it’s great for the beach or a sweaty workout. Apply this to your face 15 minutes prior to heading outside into the sun and you’ll be ready-to-go.

Reviewers love this sunscreen because it feels like it absorbs quickly, which is nice as the last thing you want when you go outside in the heat is to feel a greasy product weighing you down.

If affordability is a major concern for you, you can’t go wrong with CeraVe's hydrating mineral sunscreen. It has an SPF level of 30 and the mineral-based formula is irritation-free. Since it uses zinc, it can have a bit of a white cast, but the tinted option works well for many skin tones. If you have sensitive or easily irritated skin, this is a great option for you.

However, if you plan on spending a day at the beach or pool, this may not be the sunscreen to bring since it is not water resistant. CeraVe’s products are known for being super gentle on sensitive skin, and this sunscreen is no exception.

Invented by surfers two decades ago, these face sticks stand up to water and, as we found in testing, sweat. But, best of all, there’s no chalky white residue when you apply it. The sticks come in an invisible option but also a few other shades to better match skin tones.

On an 80-degree day, one of our testers found he had to reapply the sunscreen to his face a couple of times—he was testing the SPF 35 version—bur reported that it was effortless and didn’t leave him with any oily or sticky sensations like you get with some other sunscreens. All of our testers loved the fact that the stick is small enough to jam into any shorts pocket or waist belt and have for the second half of a long run or marathon race.

This mineral-based sunscreen is great if you have sensitive, acne-prone skin. It’s hydrating, fragrance-free, and uses hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to help keep your skin clear, moisturized, and looking healthy. It’s transparent, packs SPF 46, and you can also buy it in a pack with Elta MD’s SPF 50 sport sunscreen for the body, which is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.

Although this bundle’s price tag is on the higher end, reviewers say it’s worth it. One user says this sunscreen “never clogs my pores and makes my skin feel and look great”—what else could you ask for?

If you want a mineral sunscreen without too much of a white cast, this Sun Bum sunscreen is a great choice. It has a matte finish, which leaves your skin feeling clean and soft, and it’s lightweight, so you won’t feel greasy even after reapplying. Since this uses zinc instead of a chemical formula, it’s also a great option for sensitive skin. Plus, it is water-resistant, so you can wear it at the beach or at a pool party for 80 minutes at a time, and has that delicious banana scent.

If you’re looking for a sunscreen that’s easy to apply without getting all over your hands, this one is a great choice—and the one I wear every day because it’s clean, looks good under my makeup, and doesn’t get everywhere. It’s also relieving to know that I’ll be protected if I happen to make an impromptu trip to the beach or the pool, since it’s water resistant.

With SPF 50+ protection, you can rest assured that your skin will be shielded from the harshest of UV rays. Since this sunscreen is sold in stick form, it’s small enough to fit in most bags to be carried when on-the-go.

This Supergoop primer not only helps protect your skin, but it also leaves you with a beautiful, luminous glow. While not technically tinted, it does have a pearlescent sheen that looks great when worn alone or under makeup. This formula also packs hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and niacinamide, all of which help keep your skin clear and bright. As an added bonus, it protects from blue light, which is especially helpful if you spend a lot of time in front of your computer or on your phone during the day.

If you prefer a lightweight face sunscreen, you'll love this one from ZitSticka. It has SPF 50, protects from both UVA and UVB rays, and it's a serum, so you can wear it under moisturizers and makeup without it getting cakey and heavy. This one is specifically designed for sensitive and acne-prone skin, making it a particularly great choice if you're concerned about breaking out. If you plan on exercising outdoors, this sunscreen is sweat-resistant so you can spend more time enjoying your workout and less time worrying about whether or not your sweat is wiping off your sunscreen.

This Ilia skin tint wears like a mix between a serum and foundation. It provides medium coverage, so it looks light and natural while also helping to even out your skin tone. With more than 30 shades to choose from, it is unlikely that you won’t be able to find one that will best suit your skin tone. It has SPF 40 and includes ingredients like niacinamide to improve texture and discoloration, and hyaluronic acid and squalane for hydration. This sunscreen is also a clean one, as it’s vegan and cruelty-free.