Sunscreen’s An Essential, So Here Are The Best Ones

Please, for the love of god, use protection when you’re frolicking out in the sunshine!!! You and your skin will thank me.

But if we’re being honest, there are just too many dang formulas out there, each promising something different. If you just wanna be pointed to a fab option, stick around and read on.

So let’s break it down! For every product, I’ll share the pros and cons (of real testing!), along with a price point. No gatekeeping here— I’ll tell ya the truth, so you can find what’s best for YOU.

$ - Under $30

$$ - Under $50

$$$ - Under $100

Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen

One of (if not the definitive) best sunscreen I’ve ever tried. No chalky smell or finish. Lightly tinted and leaves no white cast. Feels like skincare, keeping my face hydrated and happy all year round.

Pros: Can be applied with one hand, when you’re running out the door, or when you don’t have time for things to absorb. It’s sheer tint makes it a dream for no-makeup days, especially since the formula is mega smoothing. It’s also reef-safe and packed with antioxidants!

Cons: Has a light mineral-y smell, though it’s not surprising considering it’s a mineral sunscreen. It’s also a pretty small bottle, so I’d recommend saving this for your face.

$$

Consonant The Perfect Sunscreen

An SPF 30 formula that melts into skin, while being plush enough to feel wherever you’ve missed a spot. It’s 100% natural and has a blend of oxides to help it go on sheer. Translation: no! white! cast!

Cons: Has the texture of a cream (rather than a serum or milk), which means it takes a smidge longer to apply.

$$

Larkly Mineral Powder Sunscreen

It’s a powder! It’s a sunscreen! It’s complexion-perfecting makeup! I tested this during our honeymoon and it made chillin’ at the beach a lot less stressful — no more reapplying sunscreen with sandy fingers, or having beach debris stick to your tacky skin after.

Pros: The packaging is genius! Hidden in the top is a pop-out brush that dispenses the powder with every sweep. Instead of a white case, it left a luminous finish and looked amazing dusted over my collarbones and shoulders, too.

Cons: It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out the dispensing brush situation.

$$