Facial Sunscreen Review: 4 Products Worth Trying
Ahhhh the sun! I love it, yet I hide from it. Are you like me? You can find me a lot of days of the summer actually on the beach, yet searching out shade under an umbrella, a hat, or frankly anything that casts a shadow! A few family members of mine have had skin issues, so I am exceptionally aware of my length of time in the sun, sunscreen application times and how much sunscreen is needed daily between the adults and kids in our family. In the summer we literally go through one spray can a day, it’s crazy! However…every day is not the same as summer use of sunscreen. Even in winter, our clothes don’t cover our skin fully, our face is exposed, and harmful rays make their way onto your skin. After a discussion with my hair dresser who suggested this post, I went in search of great spf for daily use on your face. Let’s preserve the skin we are in!
So, first off. I do not claim to be any sort of scientist, formal researcher, etc. What I do know is good beauty products based off application, how it holds up throughout the day and overall if its a homerun product or not. We all have specialized skincare needs (because that is what sunscreen is!), care about specific ingredients, and look for certain things in beauty products. I’ve always tried and tested beauty products in general, but over the past year I would say I’ve reviewed and tried A TON so I do feel specifically qualified to review these in terms of what I listed above. These four products I chose were selected because they checked these boxes:
1. Daily facial sunscreen: had to have SPF 30 or above
2. Easy to access in an Ulta or Sephora for purchase: I wanted options you could easily grab in a store or have shipped after purchasing online
3. Had great reviews, but if you walked in a store you wouldn’t necessarily be able to decipher it as the best
4. Fit in a purse without being awkward. This is facial sunscreen here, so daily use and accessibility is key.
5. Popular. Sounds crazy? Not to me! These four are popular whether it be in store or on social media…these four facial SPF products have a name for themselves. My job was to figure out why and which would be best for YOU.
So let’s dive in.
Tula: Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel Broad Spectrum SPF 30
$36
First thoughts as I go back and read the actual full title of the product, I want to mention, this one comes out of the tube as more of a mix between a lotion and a gel. Its a decent consistency and has the fainted/lightest smell of being on vacation hanging out under a banana tree. I love this product. I have found over time Tula products apply just as you expect them too, last throughout the day as you expect them to, and are just solid products in general. This product has the lowest SPF out of the four but ranks high for me. It was non-drying throughout the day and protected just as expected. My skin had a pretty glow, without feeling greasy or gross. Solid product. No surprise to me with it being Tula!
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40
$20-$34
This is a cult classic. I’d say this sunscreen is the most popular on social media between the four products. This sunscreen is a clear gel. It is nice and light and leaves no residue at all. It held up throughout the day great, but it is a tad more thin feeling than the Tula one above. I actually think this is an awesome feature of it because of putting makeup over it, it won’t get all clumpy, or oily on your face. Overall great, I get the popularity, it’s light and won’t interrupt your makeup routine being applied over it. I love that you can try this in the smaller size for $20. It’s worth it to test out for yourself. Note, this one is water and sweat resistant for up to 40 minutes!
Peter Thomas Roth Tinted Max Mineral Naked Broad Spectrum SPF 45
$34
This was the only tinted sunscreen I chose. I looked at others, but this one seemed the most popular so opted for this. I stayed away from a lot of tinted sunscreens because they are usually not matched correctly to your skin and are more broad in color matching in general. This sunscreen comes out more like a gel mousse and the color didn’t match my skin, which was irrelevant once you rubbed it in. It gave my skin such a nice luminescence which was almost like a pearl. I liked that aspect but I do know it might be too much for some with the addition of a day full of sun glow. I thought it was pretty though! At this point, I did like that the SPF was really increasing so this one was a nice option for full day coverage for someone with dry skin and likes a little sheen to give their skin life!
Dr. Dennis Gross All-Physical Dark Spot Sun Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50
$42
Ok so at this point, with the SPF 50 rating, we are in another league here. I love the fact this is so high in SPF. This does go on more white than the others…by the end of the day I felt like I was a shade whiter (it also had a blue-ish tint) or two than my normal skin color. If I were a lifeguard doing my shift, I would grab this one. It is a bit more utilitarian than the others but again, its a heavy hitter in SPF so the trade off is likely worth it to some. This is an all day at the beach type facial sunscreen. I wore it all day at the pool and I had ZERO sunburn or even pink tint to my face. Its very full coverage.
You will find these products are also available at either Sephora (Supergoop, Peter Thomas Roth) or Ulta (Tula)!
So there is my review of some of the most popular daily facial sunscreens out there. Shop everything below and reach out via email or Instagram with any questions!
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