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Bookmark this list, in the name of skin (your largest organ, btw) health.
"You know how everyone is always on your case about wearing sunscreen EVERY SINGLE DAY? And maybe you're wondering how you could possibly fit yet another item into your packed skincare routine? The solution is simple: a moisturizer with SPF 30. This lazy and economical option means you can continue your usual routine and just sneak in the SPF, kinda like how parents sneak vegetables into their kids' food. There are lots of options on the market, but I always opt for the cult-favorite basic: CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM! It's oil-free, fragrance-free, absorbs easily, and boasts MVP ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides (1, 3, 6 II). I wear this every single morning, and probably will for as long as the pharmacy will sell it to me. The hyaluronic acid hydrates and the ceramides help restore the skin barrier and increase moisture levels. In other words, it makes your skin silky soft.
I have ultra-sensitive skin — like truly diva-level, gets-red-from-everything kind of skin — and I have never had a problem with any CeraVe products. In conclusion, this is a non-irritating, affordable option for non-fussy people who just wanna tear through their skincare routine and get out the door." —Rebecca O' Connell
Get it from Amazon for $13.47.
"I absolutely love this Dr. Jart color correcting treatment. It has SPF 30, and I use it as the last step in my skincare routine to help cut through the redness on my face. I'm pretty fair and get some mild rosacea on my upper cheeks. This combo sunscreen/color corrector is a great one-stop-shop for my skin. Especially when I use AHA/BHA exfoliators, I make sure to use this product with SPF before I put on my makeup to protect my sensitive skin.
It goes on slightly green, so I usually just apply with my fingers or a Beautyblender. It works great as a spot treatment too — if I just have some redness I want to eliminate, instead of doing my entire face. I usually put it over my serum, moisturizer, and anything else I'm using in the morning. After I apply, I touch things up with some concealer and my skin is ready to go for the day. It neutralizes some of the harsher tones on my face and protects me from further sun damage or irritation. I would highly recommend for anyone who is looking to help red skin, with the added bonus of a strong SPF." —Sam Tomaszewski
"Not to sound melodramatic here, but this would be the one beauty product I'd take to a deserted island. That'd be perfect because it has SPF 30! I've been using this magical potion for ~1.5 years (it took me about a year to go through a full-size jar). I follow up after serum with this, let it work its color-cancelling powers, and then put on medium-to-full-coverage foundation.
I took Accutane 15 years ago and saw a dramatic improvement in my skin, but have had rosacea ever since. (Thankfully the flat kind that my derm points out is easier to cover with makeup, so therefore a lot of my friends don't realize I have it until I mention it.) Sometimes it's lighter and sometimes it's not! Basically it looks like I'm sunburnt if I'm not wearing makeup. There are worse things, but it keeps me from going bare-faced unless I'm just at home. Cue this cooling stuff that, as you can see in the pic, I applied to the left set of my face and set for a few minutes. And I'm not wearing foundation! It's honestly just from this powerful green goo. I love it, I love it, I love it!!!!!" —Elizabeth Lilly
Get it from Sephora for $18+ (available in two sizes).
I usually prefer my SPF separate from my other skincare products/steps — yet somehow, from the first time I used this Neutrogena moisturizer + SPF many months ago, it quickly became one of my fave sunscreens. And I take sunscreen very seriously! I just give the container a lil' shake (to ~mix~) and it absorbs quickly, doesn't leave a white cast, and gives my skin a boost of hydration, brightening, and most importantly, a well-rounded layer of SPF 30 protection. (I appreciate the fact that it's not just SPF 15, which a lot of moisturizers + SPF products seem to cop out with.)
And when it says it's a moisturizer, it really does the job right. The key ingredients include neoglucosamine, a skin-resurfacing and brightening ingredient that's also a building block of hyaluronic acid, moringa seed oil extract, a collagen production booster, and vitamins C and E for more brightening and nourishment. If I feel like my skin needs *extra hydration*, I'll apply a separate moisturizer, but (most) days when I feel like my nighttime skincare routine really did its job well, I'll just slap this on and call it a morning! My face becomes even more fresh 'n' dewy, and for that I am grateful.
Get it from Amazon for $15.88.
"A few years ago I went to a 'super-dermatologist' at Memorial Sloan Kettering who told me, in no uncertain terms, that I have the absolute highest chance of getting skin cancer. This made me realize two things: 1. That my family background was probably more Vampiric than Slavic. 2. That I'd better find a sunscreen I like because I'll need to wear it every damn day.
After trying so many stinky, greasy, smelly, skin-breaking-outy brands, I finally discovered Supergoop! — in particular, their Antioxidant-Infused Sunscreen Mist with Vitamin C and SPF 50. I hate slathering on the screen and this spray goes on cool, clean, and clear and smells a bit like licorice (tolerable because I hate licorice). The best part? No sunburns since I started using it regularly, thus keeping me a healthy (but still ghoulish) shade of office paper white. —John Mihaly
Get it from Amazon for starting at $15.
And if you want *another* Supergoop! option, check out my review for their City Serum in this post!
"When it comes to skincare I'm pretty lazy and basic, aka a cleanser and sunscreen only type of gal. When I went to HeyDay a couple of weeks ago, I received some lecturing for not properly moisturizing and exfoliating. Whoops! Growing up, my mom always told me that if I wanted to stay young forever like the Tuck family from Tuck Everlasting, then sunscreen would have to be a vital part of my daily routine. No matter how late or tired I am, sunscreen is something I always make time for — even if the weather is rainy, gloomy, and there is no sun in sight. I'm so extra that I'll even put on sunscreen if I go out at night. Who knows? I could possibly come back when the sun's coming up.
I was always switching and testing out different sunscreens — Neutrogena, Chanel, Shiseido, Elta MD, etc. — to find the right one for me. Because my face gets so oily by midday, I was on the search for a sunscreen with a gel-like consistency. Enter Glossier Invisible Shield. The texture of Glossier's sunscreen is very light and watery that it never left my face feeling like I had dunked it in a pan full of bacon grease by midday. Instead my skin looked refreshed even as I'd be leaving work to go back home. Long gone were my oil blotting sheet days! And the best part though is the smell! I used to loathe the lingering smell of sunscreen on my face, but Glossier's is more citrusy (and oranges are my favorite fruit). Lastly, although I am lazy, there are days when I do dress up and I'm able to wear the Invisible Shield under my Laura Mercier foundation without having to deal with any piling. It does state on their website that it can act as a primer as well! No matter how lazy you are in the morning, sunscreen is the one thing that should definitely not be forgotten, and Glossier's sunscreen won't even feel like a sunscreen! It'll protect your skin from the sun but also act like a hydrating serum and a makeup primer! That's three-in-one just from one small bottle!" —Sarah Lee
Get it from Glossier for $25.
"Having sensitive skin means that I can't just slap on any ole moisturizer or SPF on my skin and hope for the best. Sunscreen is essential for everyone on this planet, but I'm porcelain-complected and have a pretty bad case of rosacea. So walking outside without SPF is a major no-no. I'm a pretty big fan of La Roche-Posay (h/t to my derm) and this Toleraine Double Repair with SPF 30 has become my go-to daily moisturizer.
Now that I'm in my 30s, my skin is dry and I need something that's super moisturizing — but not to like, emollient levels of moisture. This is a perfect balance for that. I've been using it for a little over a year and it hasn't failed me yet! Plus, one bottle of it lasts a really long time. Ugh, I love this brand." —Elizabeth Lilly
Get it from Amazon for $20.
If you ask me to choose between Papa Recipe Honey Moist Sun Essence and Bioré Rich Watery Aqua Essence (see #1), don't bother. They are my two SPF children and I love them both equally. When I was in Seoul last year, I snatched up it up without a second thought. Why? It contains SPF 50+ PA+++, it was on sale, and as soon as I saw “essence” in its name, I knew it would be a winner. (Do you see a pattern in my faves? It's the essence part!)
Spoiler: I was totally right, because this texture is SO lightweight and fast-absorbing, doesn’t leave a white cast at all, doesn’t affect makeup/provides the perfect base, and overall feels super hydrating and nourishing — hellooo, honey extract, propolis extract, and royal jelly extract! Just look at my photo. That's my post-suncreen face, and I swear I don't like an ounce different from my pre-sunscreen face. I’m so glad they sell it at Soko Glam here in the States, so I can immediately re-up once I run out!
Get it from Soko Glam for $19.
"I am very afraid of the sun and very careful when I go out in it. I don't just burn — I rash-burn, and it is deeply unpleasant. But I *also* have super-sensitive, acne-prone skin, and finding a non-pore clogging formula that also protects is super hard. So when I was working on a roundup of the best products for adult acne, I happened upon this Tatcha sunscreen. They're known for great skincare, a seriously cult-fave primer, and with all the glowing reviews I knew I NEEDED to try this sunscreen. All the benefits of SPF plus a whole slew of other skincare benefits? Sign me up.
It's formulated with silk extract, Japanese wild rose, and other skin-friendly ingredients that magically transform into a super-soft, smooth, matte canvas you can feel confident in. And boy, is it great as a base for makeup. And it REALLY protects your skin from the sun. Yesterday I went to the beach, bringing a giant sunhat, renting a large umbrella, and never venturing into the sun. BUT, ladies and gentleman, I made one fatal mistake: I TOOK THE FERRY THERE! I couldn't wear my hat (it would blow all the way off my head), so I stood in the sun — with *extra* sun reflecting from the water onto my skin — for 45 minutes. My non-Tatcha body sunscreen FAILED, resulting in the boiled-lobster arm you see above. But my face?? Not one little hint of burnage. My skin stayed smooth and protected all day. And I know, I know, $65 is a lot! I really do — but this is truly, far and away the best facial sunscreen I have ever worn. And the bottle definitely goes a long way. I've been using mine for a few months, and I have a lot of sunscreen left to go." —Maitland Quitmeyer
Get it from Sephora for $65.
Just be sure to give it a good shake!
"As somewhat of an oily-skinned person, I really love Supergoop's mineral matte sunscreen. It's the only sunscreen I've used that doesn't leave my skin feeling slick and greasy. The texture is so soft, lightweight, and provides a tiny bit of coverage with the tint. I use this every single day and have no complaints." —Farrah Penn
Get it from Nordstrom for $17+ (available in two sizes).
"The one beauty tip my mother ever gave me was to wear sunscreen every day and, since I was about 11, that is exactly what I have done. Oil of Olay is a staple in my household — it's lightweight, scentless (for those of us who are sensitive), and functions as a moisturizer *and* a source of SPF. This one only has SPF 15, but sometimes I will splurge on the SPF 30 too!" —Briana Heard
Get a two-pack (each bottle is 6 oz.) from Amazon for $14.98.
Editor's note): Granted I'm not a dermatologist or healthcare professional, but I ~personally~ recommend a SPF of 30 or more, and so does the American Academy of Dermatology (The FDA tends to be a little more ~lenient~ with their regulations, let's be real) *and* so do the real-life dermatologists I interviewed (see myth #3).