Protect your skin with these 7 sunscreens

Photo collage of two couples applying sunscreen on the beach, and an SPF lip product by Salt&Stone.

SPF comes in liquid, stick, mist, balm and powder form

(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

published 15 May 2024

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Sun protection is important year-round, but becomes even more vital during the summer months. To help shield your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, always go for broad spectrum products with an SPF of at least 30, and remember to reapply throughout the day. Here are seven SPF products — in liquid, stick, mist, balm and powder form — to add to your repertoire.

Wearing a hat, sunglasses and long-sleeved shirt is the best way to safeguard your epidermis, but sometimes you need to show a little skin. Defend yourself with the hydrating Abib Quick Sunstick Protection Bar, a lightweight formula made with ceramide and acacia peptide that glides on and does not leave behind a white cast. The wide, curved packaging makes it easy to grip and ensures an even application.

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Black Girl Sunscreen helps dispel the myth that those with more melanin in their skin are 100% safe from getting burned. The brand was created by "women of color for people of color, because we get sunburned, too," and the SPF 30 sunscreen is infused with a harmonious blend of moisturizing avocado oil, soothing jojoba oil and nutrient-rich sunflower oil. Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, it "applies easily," Parents said, but the "biggest appeal is its clear application — there's no ghostly white cast."

Perfect for touch-ups throughout the day, Brush on Block SPF 30 Translucent Mineral Powder Sunscreen contains reef-friendly ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The refillable brush provides a "seamless application that won't mess up your makeup," Oprah Daily said, and allows for even distribution on the scalp and part lines. Dermatologists advise that powders are not an alternative to liquid sunscreens, but can be used to freshen up on the go.

Your scalp is vulnerable to the sun's rays too, but in the mad dash to put on sunscreen before getting to the beach or hitting the pool, the head often gets forgotten. Put a bottle of Coola's Scalp & Hair Sunscreen Mist in your bag so you can spritz yourself whenever necessary. The non-greasy formula ensures your hair will not get weighed down and as a bonus, the spray has a pleasant scent that evokes the salty ocean air.

Cover yourself from head to toe with this face and body sunscreen. Dermatologists love the reliability of EltaMD products, and the UV Active Mineral Sunscreen with SPF 50+ is sweat and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, fragrance and oil-free, and non-comedogenic. It also received high marks from the testers at Women's Health, who like that it comes in a lotion or spray and "contains antioxidants to defend your skin against damaging free radicals."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.