16 best sunscreens for your face 2024: Daily SPF protection, from sensitive to non-greasy formulas

La Roche-Posay is a go-to for great beauty products, and its sunscreen is no exception. Ticking every box we could create, including UVA, UVB and long UVA protection, being suitable for sensitive skin, non-greasy and lightweight, it more than delivers in every area. Incredibly easy to apply, the thin neck tube dispenses just the right amount to cover every area of the face, and the lightweight lotion instantly absorbs into the skin. Reducing shine, we found you’ll still get a fresh-faced glow minus any sticky or oily sensation, and it keeps you safe from the sun no matter how strong. Trust us when we say it’s a true standout star.

For many of us, the bigger, the better, but that’s not always the case with sunscreens – especially when considering we need to top-up every two hours. In a perfect pocket size, this Garnier option is great for on-the-go and can be taken almost anywhere.

Small size aside, the lightweight lotion instantly absorbs into the skin, while hyaluronic acid and vitamin E give that hit of hydration. The smell is certainly your typical sunscreen, but it all but disappears after a couple of minutes once fully absorbed into the face with no greasy, shiny residue. Protecting from both UVB, UVA and long UVA rays, it really has your back at every corner. And, coming in at less than £15, it’s a true bargain buy.

Boots has just launched a range of skin-boosting SPFs, and it’s safe to say we’re incredibly impressed. Niacinamide, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid make up the collection of bargain beauty buys, each tailored to a different skin need. We reached for niacinamide, to help support the skin barrier, boost moisture levels and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and we loved the skincare-sunscreen hybrid. It’s a little thick, so can be used in place of your morning moisturiser, although no chalky white residue will be found on the face. So, if you’re looking for a sunscreen that goes one step further than protecting from those UV rays, look no further.

Medik8’s philosophy is based on only three ingredients: vitamin C, sunscreen and vitamin A, meaning sun protection truly is in sharp focus. High factor with SPF 50+ and PA++++ protecting against UVA rays, it shields skin from all elements of sun damage. Although expensive, each tube is said to last around two months if applied every day, which makes the cost come down to quite a reasonable amount.

The ingredients list is also incredibly impressive, boasting squalane and hyaluronic acid for moisture, DNA repair enzymes to boost the skin’s ability to repair, blueberry seed oil to shield against blue light and carnosine to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. So, using it only alongside a vitamin C serum in the morning and a moisturiser and vitamin A sometimes at night, our tester has found it to be one of the simplest and most effective skincare routines they’ve ever tried.

In our review of the best mineral sunscreens we’ve explained exactly what they are, but, in short, mineral sunscreens have particles that sit on the skin’s surface to shield it from the sun rather than chemicals that help to protect it from within. While that may sound a bit heavy and greasy, we promise it’s not, and Supergoop! is here to show us why.

In a semi-dry-like lotion that looks a little bit like a powder, this sunscreen feels more like a make-up primer. Leaving the skin silky soft, it sits on the skin surface (either alone, under or over make-up) like an invisible shield helping to keep sweaty faces at bay. Protecting the face from both UVA and UVB rays, it’s a great all-rounder that also helps to reduce shine and smooth skin, and our tester was incredibly impressed.

Applying sunscreen every two hours is rarely an enjoyable task. In fact, sometimes the thought of rubbing your dirty hands over your face is enough to make us not want to do it. Enter Hello Sunday’s the take out one, and our problem has been solved, as this invisible stick glides onto skin effortlessly, providing an invisible shield of SPF.

Our tester loved how easy it was to apply, and although it can shift make-up slightly, it’s a much easier option than your regular lotion. We’ll be keeping ours in our handbags for on-the-go applications no matter if we’re on a beach, at a park or even on public transport. It really couldn’t be easier.

Last year, we were incredibly impressed by Chanel’s sunscreen and, this season, nothing has changed. Of course, it’s one for the material girls, the boujee beauty buffs and anyone who loves life’s little luxuries, rather than an everyday essential. But if that sounds like you, be sure to snap up this sunscreen. Not only does it look incredibly chic, with both the Chanel logo on the front and interlocking C’s on the lid, its formula and function are equally as impressive. Blue ginger and Tahitian gardenia extract are the two standout ingredients, strengthening the skin barrier while a whole host of others help hydrate, illuminate and protect from both UVB and UVA rays.

Dubbed as the “sunscreen for people who hate sunscreen”, this Glossier find really is a favourite for anti-sunscreen fiends. In an incredibly lightweight water-like gel, it instantly sinks into the skin with no signs or feeling of residue. In fact, it was our tester’s favourite go-to for when they had to get out of the door in a hurry, as it feels like you’ve got nothing on your face at all.

Sweet orange peel oil gives it a subtle fresh scent while a cocktail of potent antioxidants helps to keep skin fighting fit. And, to add even more goodness, fermented yeast helps to protect the skin barrier from both UVA and UVB rays as well as external aggravators. It is sold out on Glossier’s site at the moment, but you can sign up with your email to be notified when it’s available to buy again.

With an ingredients list that reads more like a face serum, this sunscreen is sure to impress any skincare fanatic. But while the price puts it at the luxury end of the spectrum, let’s remember it is twice the size of almost all of our other options, making it seem much less ludicrous.

Classified as a mineral sunscreen, key ingredients used to protect against the rays include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, as well as vitamin C to help heal and brighten. Also included is Omorovicza’s patented healing concentrate, which works to reduce signs of fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots, giving it even more added benefits. It is a little bit heavier than some of our other options, so our tester ended up using it in place of their morning moisturiser and hasn’t yet looked back.

For anyone who hates the feel of sunscreen or finds it aggravates acne, Bioré may be your best bet. Incredibly lightweight, this lotion is named aqua rich to highlight its water-like feel. It instantly absorbs into the skin, delivering a hit of hydration with no sticky or greasy feel, meaning it won’t clog pores. It even has a citrusy scent that our tester truly loved. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin help to make it super hydrating, and it’s even suitable for sensitive skin. Our tester found it works well under make-up, and they wasted next to no time waiting for it to dry before they could apply concealer or foundation. Really, we couldn’t ask for much more.

Combining two of our favourite products in one, this self-tan SPF truly is a standout beauty buy. While it isn’t the best face self-tanner we’ve tried – it is incredibly subtle – it does away with having to apply two separate products and can be used every day. Putting six drops directly onto a clean face seemed to be the perfect amount, giving us a faux golden glow while protecting us from the harmful sun rays.

A whole host of skin-loving ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, cocoa seed extract, coconut oil and avocado oil have also been added to deeply hydrate and nourish the face, so we actually said goodbye to our regular serums too. Incredibly easy to apply, it’s our go-to for the winter months to help keep our glow year-round.

Similarl to the La Roche-Posay anthelios UVmune 400 oil control fluid (£20, Boots.com), this sunscreen seriously impressed. In fact, this could have been named the best for any number of things, from best SPF spray to best over make-up, but being water-resistant and so easy to apply, we settled on it being best for swimming.

In a very fine mist, it instantly coats the face with an SPF50 coverage, so keeping sun damage at bay really couldn’t be easier. Our tester loved its compact size and ease of application, so best believe this one will be in our beach bags, swim bags and handbags for regular fuss-free top-ups.

We’ve already stressed why a high SPF is incredibly important, but for those who still prefer a lower number on their label, Aēsop is your answer. With a rich botanical scent, this fresh-smelling sunscreen is like a spa treatment in a bottle. A cocktail of skin-loving ingredients, including green tea, panthenol and tocopherol gives it many more benefits aside from just sun protection, including boosting moisture levels and brightening the face.

In a thicker, creamier formula than some of our other options, it feels more like a rich face cream, which our tester loved when their skin was dry, using it in place of their morning moisturiser. Of course, if you’re out in the sunshine, a high SPF is preferable, but for pottering from home to the office and back again, it’s certainly better than nothing at all.

This Sun Bum sunscreen is surprisingly tinted, although the light beige shade becomes almost immediately invisible once rubbed in. Although, whether this will work on darker skin tones, our tester is yet to find out. With a thin nozzle, it’s incredibly easy to apply and the lotion delivers a non-greasy, non-shiny hit of hydration. Kakadu plum is one of the core ingredients, which is high in vitamin C, so your skin will be illuminated from the inside while enhancing the SPF 30.

Sensitive-skinned folk can sometimes really struggle with sunscreen, and the last thing you need when trying to stop your skin from burning from the sun is a burning feeling from a formula. With clean screen, the clue is in the name, as Ultra Violette has created a formula free of many irritants, so your skin can stay protected, hydrated and happy. With no added fragrances or alcohol, it uses titanium dioxide as a mineral SPF and plant-derived pentavitin for a hit of hydration. Suitable for anyone with acne-prone, sensitive or even combination skin, we loved how it instantly absorbed into skin, with no greasy residue, and it even worked well under make-up.