10 Best Sunscreens for Your Face 2024 (Tested and Reviewed)

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Having been working as a beauty blogger/ creator in the industry for over 6 years, if there is one thing I have learnt that I wasn’t aware of before is that sunscreen is a non-negotiable when it comes to skincare. It’s up there with the most important things to do in the morning as eating breakfast, brushing your teeth and getting dressed!

There is no point spending money or time on a skincare routine if you do not finish it with SPF!

Sunscreen is very responsible for helping prevent many prominent skincare concerns such as hyper pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles and acne. Most importantly a broad-spectrum SPF protects against UVA & UVB rays which are responsible for causing burning and damage to the skin which can then lead to skin cancer.

A broad-spectrum SPF should be applied evenly, generously and daily, rain or shine (it doesn’t have to be hot for a UV ray to penetrate your skin). As long as you can see daylight and you are outside or near a window then damage can be caused.

The two-finger rule helps know how much to apply.  The length of your pointer and middle fingers worth of product. The protective barrier the SPF creates deteriorates after 2 hours so the product should be reapplied throughout the day if you are exposed to UVA/ UVB.

Now there are so many SPFS on the market that’s it’s a minefield of choice. I have tried and tested many over the years and also some new launches from this year to help narrow it down for you.

For me there are a few important factors I look for in an SPF

• Lightweight texture that easily absorbs.

• No white cast

• High Protection SPF30 or SPF50

• Non sticky or greasy formula

Let’s get down to the reviews and the products that impressed me the most.

Best Budget Sunscreen – Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Brightening Fluid Invisible

SPF - 50+

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - Vitamin C, Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 40ml

Price - £13.00

Why I love it

Love the lightweight texture of this SPF. It’s instantly brightening and absorbs into the skin leaving a dewy finish and no white cast. The value of the Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Brightening Fluid Invisible really impressed me, and it has been one of my most favourite skincare launches of this year. This SPF also comes in a glowy finish and a matte version to fab for oily/ blemish prone skin! For £13.00 It’s on par with some of the higher end SPFs I have reviewed below and I can’t fault it. I even have my 13 year old daughter taking this to school with her!

Best Luxury High End Sunscreen – Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen

SPF - 50

Mineral or Chemical - Mineral

Key Ingredients - Zinc Oxide, Niacinamide & Hyaluronic Acid

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 50ml

Price - RRP £65.00

Why I love it

I didn’t want to like this SPF as I feel it’s a tad overpriced compared to others I have tried but if it’s in your budget then I would not hesitate to snap this up. Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen is instantly hydrating and really leaves the skin looking incredible. Super light weight milky texture with a glowy finish and sweat resistant which helps reduce breakouts. Slightly tinted and no white cast which is difficult to find in a mineral SPF. They really did tick all the boxes. Mineral SPFs are particularly good if you suffer with prickly heat as they deflect heat rather than absorb like a chemical SPF.

Best SPF For Over Makeup – Ultrasun Transparent Face & Scalp Mist

SPF - 50

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - InfraGuard® a power anti oxidant complex

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 75ml & 150ml

Price - RRP £22.00 - £32.00

Why I love it  

Its really hard to keep your SPF topped up if you have makeup on. Lotions cannot be smeared over makeup without moving the makeup underneath creating quite frankly a mess! The mists allow you to spray over your makeup protecting your skin without disturbing your makeup. Winner! I also loved that the Ultrasun Transparent Face & Scalp Mist had a transparent finish and can be used on your scalp as I am forever burning my poor parting! Another big plus was the two sizes its available in, a handy handbag size and also a bigger size which is great for topping up the whole family. Especially kiddies that won’t stay still.  A quick spray and all done. This one’s water resistant, fragrance and alcohol free to.

Best Sunscreen for Outdoorsy people – Clinique Superdefense City Block

SPF - 50

Mineral or Chemical - Mixture of both

Key Ingredients - Titanium Dioxide, Zinc and Octinoxate

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 40ml

Price - RRP £28.00

Why I Love it

Mid-priced, so still affordable. Another lightweight milky textured SPF. It layered really well with my other skincare products and acted like a primer pre makeup application. Clinique Superdefense City Block is really hydrating with a sheer finish. Has an energising feel and a good SPF if you are to be outside for extended periods as its chemical and mineral hybrid formula gives a super defence against harmful rays.

Best K Beauty SPF – Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-cica Water-fit Sun Serum

SPF - 50+ PA++++

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - Centella Asiatica & Hyaluronic Acid

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 50ml

Price - RRP £18.00

Why I loved it

Korean skincare is really big on SPF. In Asia it is said that the lighter your skin tone the more beautiful you are so protecting against hyper pigmentation is important. Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-cica Water-fit Sun Serum has been viral on social media due to it’s super hydrating, moisturising and plumping formula. I love how it leaves the skin looking dewy and juicy! A white milky texture that absorbs transparent leaving no white cast.

Best Mineral Sunscreen – Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense

SPF - 30

Mineral or Chemical - Mineral

Key Ingredients - Non-nano Zinc Oxide, Mushroom Complex & Green Tea

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 50ml

Price - RRP £49.00

Why I love it

Dermalogica for me is a brand I always trust with my skin. At first, I was put off with how thick the Dermalogica Invisible Defense Sunscreen was, and I worried being a mineral sunscreen that it would leave me looking ashy. I was pleasantly surprised when it absorbed to leave an invisible look and no white cast. It’s very difficult to find a mineral SPF that does this! As well as protecting against the sun it also protects against other free radicals with its strong antioxidant formula really protecting the skins barrier from aggressors that cause damage and ageing. It also protects against blue light which makes this a top contender for modern day living.

Best Newcomer Sunscreen of 2024 – Elemis Pro Collagen Skin Protection Fluid SPF50

SPF - 50 PA++++

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - Lithops Stem Cell & Padina Pavonica

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Patch Test First

Size - 50ml

Price - RRP £55.00

Why I love it

I am a huge fan of the entire Elemis Pro Collagen line. Skincare that instantly gives you skin with a supple and pillow feel. The Elemis Pro Collagen Skin Protection Fluid SPF50 is a welcome addition to finish off a full pro collagen routine. Perfect for anti-ageing plumping out the skin to reduce signs of fine lines and wrinkles and helping to prevent collagen breakdown that takes the volume out of your skin. Now I agree this one is quite pricey but definitely worth it if in budget and you are a fan of the iconic pro collagen collection. The finish gives a second skin feel, completely weightless and a light sheen.

Best Clear Sunscreen – Murad Environmental Shield Multi Vitamin Clear Coat Broad Spectrum SPF

SPF - 50 PA++++

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - Vitamins C, D, E & F, Patented Bio Fermented Clary Sage, Broad Spectrum Sunscreen & Omega Packed Chia Seed

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 50ml

Price - RRP £42.00

Why I love it

OK this one is revolutionary and completely different to all the rest! Because its bloody clear! If you are ever in doubt if a sunscreen will leave you with a white cast then this new clear gel formula is your answer as its completely invisible. The Murad Environmental Shield Multi Vitamin Clear Coat Broad Spectrum SPF has a velvet matte finish which is fantastic if you have oily/ combination skin and has been designed to retain the youthfulness of your skin with its potent cocktail of antioxidant ingredients and improve overall skin health with continued use. Works like a primer making it great for pre makeup and also being clear you can use over makeup to. I suggest dabbing on with a sponge or brush to prevent disturbing or moving the makeup underneath. Another fab new sunscreen launch for 2024.

Best Sunscreen For Breakout Prone Skin – Paulas Choice Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid

SPF - 50

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - Antioxidant, Avobenzone, Green Tea Extract

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - No

Size - 60ml

Price - RRP £39.00

Why I love it

Whilst I do not suffer with breakouts I do have oily combination skin and I just feel like this SPF really keeps my skin feeling balanced and doesn’t make it extra oily or greasy. Again I love that the Paulas Choice Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid has a lightweight milky formula, probably one of my favourite formulas of all of the sunscreens I have mentioned here. It has no white cast and a non oily finish leaving a  skin like feel and finish. The formula is designed to help with Blackheads, Breakouts, ageing and brown spots as well as giving high protection from UV rays. I also really like that this sunscreen is a moisturiser and SPF in one so no need for two separate products and it was the largest size of them all to.

Best Pre Makeup Sunscreen – Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer

SPF - 50 PA++++

Mineral or Chemical - Chemical

Key Ingredients - Hyaluronic Acid, Airbrush polymers & COLLALIFT™️18

Suitable for Sensitive Skin - Yes

Size - 30ml

Price - RRP £40.00

Why I love it

Charlotte Tilbury’s Invisible UV Flawless Pore-less Primer is a primer/SPF hybrid  that sits well under makeup, protects and prepares the perfect base. With Charlottes revolutionary and patented formula it protects, hydrates and primes your skin. It’s a slightly tinted, gel like texture that really sticks to and grips the skin but also makes it look instantly hydrated, plump and dewy without it feeling oily or sticky. Its truly gorgeous! It has anti flashback and contains ingredients to give the effect of smoothing, blurring polymers to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores. Leaving your skin looking prepped and flawless before you have applied your makeup. Leaving you with a primer that contains high UV protection!

I think I just about covered all angles there and there is definitely a good SPF for everyone amongst this curated list.

Hope you find your favourite here.

Thanks so much for reading.

Kisses

Nicola XXX

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