How To Choose the Best Face Sunscreens

Updated March 11, 2023.

We all know that we need to wear sunscreen, especially on our faces. There are so many different face sunscreens out there that I thought I would have a little visit with my dermatologist’s office about this. Every time I go into Hamilton Dermatology I am reminded that I should wear sunscreen. An annual skin check is always on my calendar for preventative reasons.

So why should we wear sunscreen EVERY day on our faces? Face sunscreens are the easiest and best ways to protect your skin’s health and appearance regardless of your age. Yes, that means wearing sunscreen in the winter or on a rainy day. It should just be automatic when you are getting dressed for the day. If you use it regularly it will help prevent sunburn, skin cancer, and premature aging.

Before we look at the best face sunscreens that we should add to our daily routine there are a few other posts that I have written that you might want to check out. These posts will also help you keep your face looking its best.

Choosing The Best Sunscreens for Your Face

Each of us has our unique skin type and issues. Madison is going to help us navigate the things that we should look for in suncscreen and why. So, let’s see what the ladies at Hamilton Dermatology recommend for us.

Madison Hamilton, PA Answers My Questions About the Best Face Sunscreens

What is the difference between sunscreens and face sunscreens?

There isn’t really much of a difference. Facial sunscreens are more cosmetically elegant.

What SPF and ingredients should you look for when choosing a facial sunscreen?

ZINC!!! I tell all of my patients that they should pick a sunscreen with at least 7% zinc or more. Other things to look for in a good facial sunscreen are labels that say “non-comedogenic”. That means that it won’t clog your pores. Getting a facial sunscreen that contains iron oxides is also helpful in preventing sun damage from the visible light spectrum such as computer screens.

Should you use a different facial sunscreen on a daily basis versus when you are going to be in the at outdoor activities or at the beach/pool?

If your facial sunscreen has enough zinc, then you are fine. However, don’t forget to reapply every 2 hours when you are out and about!

When you are at outdoor activities how often should you reapply your facial sunscreen? Sometimes that’s not always easy if you also have makeup on. Is the Colorscience Brush on powder a good touch up?

Yes, you always need to reapply every 2 hours when out!

Yes, I love the Colorscience brush! I take it everywhere with me. What’s nice is that it comes in multiple colors so you can match it to your complexion. It is made for sensitive skin so it is good for ALL skin types.

Other Areas That Need Spcial Sun Protection

Yes, it doesn’t stop at our faces. There are a few other areas that need a little extra TLC when it comes to sun protection to keep our skin looking its best.

Hands and Neck/Decollete are the 2 areas of our bodies besides our faces that show our age. What type of sunscreen should we use on these areas?

You should use the same sunscreens that you use on your face. These areas show the most sun damage. However, seeking shade and wearing clothes to cover the sun is going to be the number one method for prevention. A great hand lotion to take with you when you are out and about or to keep in your car is the Supergoop Handscreen which you can find at Amazon or Sephora.

Last but not least, what do you recommend for our lips?

You can use your facial sunscreen, but chapsticks with zinc that I like are EltaMD, Supergoop, and Tizo. So easy to reapply as needed.

Recommended Face Sunscreens

So what, we have all been waiting for….. what her favorite face sunscreens are for all of us to have in our bathrooms, beach bags, and handbags. Hamilton Dermascience Emollient Intensive (Hamilton Dermatology is happy to ship to you).

Sunscreens

Cerave

Cerave is a brand that we all know and dermatologist recommend. They have a wide rande of products including sunscreens. The Hydrating Mineral sunscreen is an SPF. They also have a SPF 30 tinted Hydrating Mineral sunscreen.

EltaMD

EltaMD is a comapny that is obsessed with sun and skin care. They are the #1 Dermatologist recommended professional sunscreen brand. Many times you will even see their products for sale at your dermatologist’s office. You can find their products at Dermstore and on Amazon. They have a great clear broad spectrum SPF as well as a tinted SPF.

Supergoop Mineral

Supergoop’s mission is to bring suncare knowledge and protection to adults and children. Their products are also eco-friendly. They have the Unseen Suncreen and the Glow Screen that are both SPF 40. The difference is that the glow skin is tinted and can act as your makeup primer. You can find Supergoop products at Sephora, Amazon, and Dermstore.

Makeup/Foundations/Tinted Moisturizers

Isn’t it great that so many beauty care companies are also suncare for us. Here are three companies that do a great jog of providing a 2 in 1 product for us.

It Cosmetics

IT Cosmetics products are known as problem solving products that give you real results. Their products are formulated with clinical insights from plastic surgeons and skincare expertise from dermatologists. Their infamous CC cream now comes in two formulations. The Color Correcting Full Coverage cream comes in 22 color options. Thers is also a Color Correcting Illuminating formula that comes in 12 color options. Both foundations have SPF in them. You can find them at Sephora, Ulta, or Amazon.

Ilia

Ilia is a clean baeuty brand that has a full line of beauty products. It is a makeup that is infused with skincare. The company uses a mix of natural and organic botanics as a base for their products. Their Super Serum Skin Tint has SPF 40 and is an award winning product. It is available in 30 different shades to match your complexion. You can find it at Sephora, Dermstore, and Amazon.

Erborian

Erborian is a Korean skin therapy product line. The goal of their products is to give you the most for your complexion in the least amount of steps. They have a BB cream that is buildable coverage with a matte finish and SPF 20.

Erborian also has a CC cream that is much more than a color corrector. It somehow matches perfectly to your skin tone once it is on your skin and protects with an SPF 25. I use the CC cream daily and my skin just glows.

You can find their products at Erborian, Amazon, or Ulta.

THANKS

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post. I hope that Madison Hamilton, PA and I were able to help you navigate the best face sunscreens for your face, neck/decollete, and lips year-round. If you are in the Atlanta metro area, I would highly recommend the practice. Mark and I have gone there for years. I also use their medical-grade spa regularly for all sorts of treatments to keep my skin looking its best.

The text that is underlined and shows up in a different color is usually a link to another blog post that I have written, another site, or a product. The links to a product are affiliate links. What that means is that if you click on a link to a product and make a purchase, Serious About Styling (a.k.a Beth) gets a small commission at no extra cost to you. The same goes if you click on any of the pictures to get more information about a product. I really appreciate you supporting the brands that make it possible for me to keep this blog going!