Have you ever seen your friends walking around looking like a ghost? You ask if they’re ok, and they tell you that they tried out a new sunscreen. Please, do not be that friend. And if you happened to have been that friend before, let me give you my best suggestions to look your best while staying protected from the potential dangers of the sun this summer. Besides just protecting your skin from the blazing summer sun, dermatologists recommend sunscreen to be a critical step of your everyday routine. Wearing sunscreen is very important to reduce the risk of skin cancer, rapid aging, and sunburn, and with record-breaking temperatures it is crucial to wear, especially this summer. What we don’t want is the horrid, ghostly white cast, so here are the best recommendations for sunscreens that are suitable for any need:
Mineral Sunscreens
Mineral sunscreens protect the sun by literally creating a physical barrier between your skin and the UV rays which causes them to reflect, but oftentimes leave the awkward, pale white cast. The reason behind the white casts is how the thick particles are grouped together to help create that layer of protection. These sunscreens can come in tinted versions that blend in with your skin tone to avoid the white cast, which gives you nice coverage while still protecting you from the harsh sun. Here are the best mineral sunscreens according to multiple customer and product reviews:
La-Roche Posay Sunscreen – $39.99
4 flexible shades
La-Roche Posay sunscreen is a notable and reliable skin care brand with a more reliable, if not the most reliable, science and technology infused formulas across all skin care brands.
Fenty Sunscreen – $49
10 shades
Fenty is a more makeup/beauty centered brand, so the skin tone matches and appearance are better suited for those looking for a dual-purpose base for their makeup.
Cerave Sunscreen – $13.99
3 shades
An affordable alternative to the La-Roche Posay is the CeraVe Tinted Sunscreen Lotion.
If you are looking for a sunscreen that can offer instant protection and an even skintone, these sunscreens can be applied as a base to make up while still protecting your skin barrier, then one of these mineral sunscreens are ideal for you. But they are not the most suitable if you just want plain sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.
With mineral sunscreens, you get maximum protection because it is immediately effective and creates the physical barrier around your skin, but you can’t be too picky dealing with what you’re looking to get out of a mineral sunscreen because you either have a white cast or a light layer of makeup. Tinted mineral sunscreens give you the same protection as a regular mineral sunscreen but provides a skin-tone matching color to prevent the white cast. This skin tone match can be perfect if you’re looking to cover up hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and acne scars. This works perfectly for these skin issues because most times, sunscreens are perfect for people with discoloration to keep the sun from making them darker, so with tinted mineral sunscreen you get physical, immediate protection with an even skin tone.
Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical sunscreens protect your skin from the UV rays from the complex formula of chemicals and active ingredients. In contrast to mineral sunscreens, chemical sunscreens do not leave a white cast on your face. These sunscreens don’t contain the white, pasty ingredients that mineral sunscreens do, but contain active ingredients that absorb into your skin. Oftentimes, chemical sunscreens provide a glowy, everyday look for people who just want a moisturized and bright overall tone. While this sunscreen provides you with the glow, they often appear oily because of how fast the products absorb into your skin. Here are the best chemical sunscreens for the summer and everyday wear:
Black Girl Sunscreen – $10.99 – $18.99
Black Girl Sunscreen was created to be a sunscreen where girls of color could utilize sunscreen as a part of their routine without the distracting bright contrast between the melanated, tan skin, and thick white formula. This sunscreen is said to be a bit on the oiler side by some reviews, but they also create sunscreens that provide a matte finish.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – $38
While Black girl sunscreen has many sunscreens specifically for strictly sunscreens, Supergoop has daily lotions, body mists, and lip gloss all containing SPF. This sunscreen is uniquely formulated because not only does it not leave a white cast, the product itself is a transparent, gel-like consistency, meaning it goes onto the skin clear.
Both Black Girl Sunscreen and Supergoop are renowned sunscreens that are quite notable in the cosmetic world. Both sunscreens cost a pretty penny, but the quality is absolutely worth it.
