Best Facial Sunscreens of 2024, Tested and Chosen From 50 Top Brands [CNET]

We’ve tested the top sunscreens on the market to find the best facial sunscreen, which is a great way to protect against harmful sun exposure.

No matter if you have oily or acne-prone skin, sensitive skin or dry skin on your face, the best sunscreen for your face and particular needs exists — and may even be on this list. Many of these formulas are from higher-end skincare brands, with a few drugstore finds. While I’m not saying you need to buy the more expensive options, if you do you’ll usually get a better formula that caters to your skin type, feels lightweight and blends well.

Dry skin: Use sunscreens that contain moisturizing ingredients including aloe, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, coconut water, sunflower oil or various fruit extracts. The sunscreen can be added on top of moisturizer or on its own, depending on how dry your skin is.

Oily skin: Steer clear of any sunscreen that is not oil-free. You don’t want to add to the overall oil. Look for sunscreens that say “noncomedogenic” on the bottle, meaning it won’t clog pores.

Acne-prone skin: If you have oily skin, chances are you also have acne-prone skin. Similarly, pick sunscreens that are noncomedogenic, oil-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free and irritation-free. 

Sensitive skin: Look for sunscreens that have minimal ingredients and that are first and foremost, fragrance-free. It also helps if the sunscreen is dermatologist-tested, oil-free, paraben-free, irritation-free and noncomedogenic.

Whether you use mineral sunscreen formulations or chemical ones, be sure you use one with broad spectrum SPF and skin-nurturing hyaluronic acid to provide both the sun protection and breathable skin comfort you need.