We Rated 13 Sunscreens on 4 Different Skin Tones: Tested – ryan

It’s the summer of skin for us, and we’re wrapping up Sunscreen Week. We found the best mineral sunscreens and talked to experts about why it’s nearly impossible to make one without a cast, found the best UV-protection clothing, and complained about sunscreen being so mid in the U.S. (We’re patiently waiting for the FDA to change regulations.) Saying a sunscreen has no white cast is something we never claim until we try it ourselves on all different skin tones. We tried some of our favorite sunscreens and rated them on a one-to-ten scale based on the white cast, how they felt on our skin, and if they lived up to their marketing claims.

Krave Beauty’s Beet the Sun sunscreen was once banned in the U.S., but it was reformulated to comply with FDA regulations. The K-beauty sunscreen melts right into the skin, leaving no cast, and it has an all-day comfortable wear. It’s Hailey Bieber’s favorite sunscreen, too.

Carol Lee: This is one of my all-time favorite sunscreens, possibly my favorite. It goes on clear, it’s lightweight and hydrating, and it works on all skin types. There is a slight sunscreen scent, but I don’t mind. I use this under makeup all the time.
Hanna Flanagan: I like the consistency, but the smell is too sunscreen-y for me. It’s definitely lightweight, and it dries quickly.
Chinea Rodriguez: I like this. It doesn’t have a smell, it’s really lightweight, and it makes my skin feel hydrated.
Asia Milia Ware: I use this sunscreen all the time, but I never paid attention to the scent until y’all pointed it out. I like it; it’s very hydrating, and I’m used to wearing it. To me, it feels like I have nothing on because it’s so lightweight. The finish is very glowy, too.

This serum sunscreen goes on invisible but is a bit heavy on the skin, leaving a greasy finish. It’s not something we’d recommend to anyone with oily skin.

CL: The product felt greasy at first, but I think my dry skin drank it up. I wouldn’t recommend this for oily skin. It smells like vacation with a hint of tropical fruit, and it’s very glowy.
HF: I really like this. For me, it’s the perfect consistency. Feels very hydrating, like a moisturizer. It really sinks into the skin. It’s not as glowy as I would like, but other than that, I love it.
CR: I like the consistency, though it feels thick. Like Carol said, if I had oily skin, I wouldn’t use it. This is my winter sunscreen. If I were home right now, I’d go wash it off my hands.
AMW: By the end of the day, I would be a greaseball. If I were to wear this on a humid vacation, I’d look ridiculous. It’s heavy for a sunscreen labeled as a serum, but the finish is great. It absorbs into my skin quicker than a lot of sunscreens, and other products require too much rubbing.

Drugstore sunscreens were all we knew at one point, but not all of the formulations are created equal. It takes a while to rub in, and although it’s labeled oil-free, it feels pretty oily to us.

CL: It smells like a classic sunscreen. The bottle claims it’s oil-free, but it’s actually quite oily, and the product is sitting on top of my skin. People with oily skin would be disappointed.
HF: The scent is nostalgic, but not in a good way. It’s pilling on me — I would not wear this under makeup because it would disrupt my foundation. If I were on the train and I forgot sunscreen, I might pick this up.
CR: There’s a white cast for me, and I don’t know if it’s going away. This takes a lot to rub in. It also feels like a lot of product in my hand, even though I used my usual amount. I guess this sunscreen is a fine option for the drugstore, but it would be a last resort for me.
AMW: For a product labeled as oil-free, this does not feel like it was made without oil. It’s hard to rub in, and it has a slight cast. Every time I thought the cast was gone, I had to rub it in more. I could never put makeup on over this because of how heavy it feels.

Some La Roche-Posay sunscreens are beloved, but not this one. There are European formulas that leave a glowy, pearlescent complexion, but this was quite the opposite. On lighter complexions, it blends in fine, but on darker complexions, it leaves a cast — a really bad one — and it feels like it just sits on top of the skin. We’ll have to give its newer formulations a try or make a pharmacy pit stop this summer during our travels.

CL: This sank into my skin pretty quickly. I don’t know what La Roche-Posay means by “dry-touch,” because it’s not dry when I touch my skin. But it doesn’t feel uncomfortable, and it is hydrating. I’m impressed by the 60 SPF rating, but I do feel like this washed me out a little.
HF: Straight out of the bottle, it feels and looks really gloopy, but on the skin, it’s not that bad. It doesn’t spread very easily, and you do need a lot of product — which is definitely greasy — but it dries down quickly. I don’t love how it feels once it’s dry, either. I hate the way this looks; it’s so dull. It’s sucking all of the moisture out of my skin.
CR: This does not feel like it’s absorbing into my skin; it’s sitting right on top of the skin. It’s so greasy, and there’s definitely a white cast.
AMW: This is heavy — it feels like body cream. I’ve been rubbing it in for over 90 seconds. I put the amount that I’m supposed to on, yet it’s still leaving a white cast. Yikes, this is embarrassing. I know people like La Roche-Posay sunscreen, but it can’t be this one.

Vacation Whip is a viral sensation because it’s innovative and makes wearing sunscreen fun. The coconut-oil- and aloe-vera-formulated sunscreen is usually used on the body, but we tried it on our faces, and it rubbed in easily despite the foamy texture. For some of us, it was nourishing to the skin, but some of us felt like it was a little greasy.

CL: It has a sweet sunscreen scent, with a hint of Sharpie. The product feels like shaving cream, and it took me a bit to get the foam down to a consistency I would apply to my face. It’s hard to know how much to use, but it wasn’t hard to rub in. Hydrating, nourishing, and a bit tacky — I like that when I’m wearing makeup. I’d only buy this for the “wow” factor.
HF: The applicator is messy, and you can’t get a small amount, but it rubs in easily. This feels super nourishing and lightweight. I love the scent; it smells like coconuts.
CR: I also love the scent, even though I don’t usually like scented sunscreens. It’s a little greasy, but this is the first sunscreen I don’t want to immediately take off. If this were all I had, I would use it.
AMW: I am loyal to this sunscreen for my body, but this is my first time putting it on my face. The finish is pearlescent, which is hard to find because I have a darker complexion. It looks just as good on my face as it looks on my body, but it does have a bit of a greasy feeling, one that I don’t feel when I wear it all over. Vacation just came out with an SPF 50 version, and I can’t wait to try it.

Give Ultra Violette a trophy from us. This sunscreen is made with squalane for extra moisturization, and we feel every bit of it. It’s the sunscreen most of us would pick up daily because it’s easy to use, lightweight on the skin, and works well under makeup.

CL: When you first pump it out, there is a slight alcohol scent, but that dissipates very quickly. The pump is easy to dispense, and the product rubs in easily. This takes five seconds and leaves the skin feeling tacky, and I love how it feels under makeup — it doesn’t disrupt anything and hydrates my skin.
HF: Because of the serum consistency, this feels like an extension of my skin-care routine. I don’t have to wait for it to sink in, it blends in well, and it’s hydrating all day. The pump is convenient for traveling, too.
CR: I love this, and I use it regularly. For everyday wear, it’s not too heavy. It’s glowy, but not too oily. The scent bothers me a bit, but it goes away.
AMW: I put this to the ultimate test — working out in it — and it didn’t burn or sting my eyes or cause white streaks to run down my face like other sunscreens. This doesn’t feel like a chore, and sunscreen often does.

Youth to the People’s sunscreen is brand-new, and its team was clearly in the lab. It’s SPF 60, a high amount that we normally don’t see, and it’s made with vitamin E and jojoba to hydrate and soothe the skin. This was like velvet on all of us, and it was a fan favorite.

CL: This spreads easily, but not so quickly that it doesn’t sink into my skin. It feels like a moisturizer; my skin is soothed. This is a good, reliable sunscreen, and it’s 60 SPF. I took this on vacation because the bottle is so compact — it has a lot of product but still fits into your TSA carry-on.
HF: Applying this is a luxurious experience. I keep rubbing my skin because it feels so nice. A solid formula for all skin types. I love this one.
CR: Silky and hydrating, but a little heavy. I’ve worn this throughout the day and it does feel oily, but I’d wear it on a no-makeup day. I love how my skin looks with this sunscreen on.
AMW: This feels so silky; it’s definitely an experience. Blends in beautifully, and I’m not having to do a ton of rubbing. Impressive. We love Youth to the People.

Hyper Skin’s Sun Drops was another formula we loved. The brand was created with darker skin tones in mind, and you can tell. The texture is serum-like, featuring cactus and agave ingredients that help trap moisture in the skin. It left us with glowy, glasslike skin. If you have oily skin, it can appear a little greasy throughout the day, but it still doesn’t feel heavy.

CL: The texture is drippy, so it can get messy if you’re not careful. It takes time to sink in, so I wouldn’t put my makeup on immediately after. But, overall, my skin feels comfortable and hydrated. Plus, the applicator makes it easy to dose. My co-workers said I look very glowy, and my skin looks amazing on-camera, like there’s a filter on.
HF: This sits comfortably on the skin. It’s a nice, easy, no-fuss experience. It would be good for on the go. I don’t want to take this off.
CR: I love the consistency. It feels hydrating, like a serum.
AMW: It’s very watery, but not in a bad way. Definitely leaving the skin with a glow. This is my go-to no-makeup sunscreen. If it’s too hot to wear makeup, I’d put on a little blush and this.

This stick is simple and easy to use, but because it’s a stick, it’s something we’d ideally pick up for reapplication. It’s not as oily as many other sticks.

CL: Feels like nothing on my skin, it’s easy to apply and spread, and there’s a light citrus scent. The bottle seems easy to travel with. My skin looks great.
HF: Smooth, healthy, glowy, texture-free. I would never gravitate toward a stick because it’s easy to miss spots, and I hate getting sunburnt. But this would be easy to blend out (even though that defeats the purpose of the stick). This is not as greasy as most sticks I’ve used. Plus, this product would last a long time — good bang for your buck.
CR: Smells good, but it feels like deodorant. I would use it to reapply sunscreen throughout the day because it feels like I could apply it over makeup, and it’s small enough to fit in a bag.
AMW: It’s easy to use when I’m in a rush. I don’t have time for all that rubbing.

Oil sunscreens can be tricky. This one leaves our skin looking like glass, and although it’s an oil, it didn’t leave us feeling excessively oily. It has ingredients like rosehip oil to brighten the skin, too.

CL: This smells like when you go to a museum and it has a life-size diorama of what a 17th-century library would’ve looked like — vintage in the best way. The product is slippery because it’s an oil. I don’t think I would wear this under makeup, but maybe if I wanted to be extra glowy on vacation. My skin looks like glass.
HF: I was scared when I saw “oil,” but this is lightweight, and it doesn’t feel greasy on the skin. It dries quickly and the scent is nice.
CR: It’s an oil, so it’s obviously oily, but not in a bad way. I wouldn’t wear it under makeup either. But I do really like this oil — it smells nice and it’s lightweight.
AMW: This is not something I wear on humid days, since it’s an oil. I wear it a lot in the winter for glowy skin and on a not-so-hot NYC day. When I’m wearing a tinted SPF in the summer, sometimes I like to dab a bit of this on my cheekbones for a sun-kissed glow when the light hits me.

For a mineral sunscreen, we were beyond impressed. Like other mineral sunscreens, Good Weather Skin is made with 100 percent zinc protection, but on darker skin tones, it doesn’t leave a cast. We’re also really into the chic packaging and comfortable wear.

CL: I don’t usually like mineral sunscreens, but this one is good. It’s the most comfortable mineral sunscreen I’ve ever tried. I’d wear it under makeup and as an everyday sunscreen.
HF: The packaging is so chic, and it looks very expensive, like something I’d want to display on my counter. I would not gravitate toward a mineral sunscreen, but this feels easy to use, apply, and wear under makeup.
CR: It doesn’t feel mineral-y. I don’t know if I’d wear this every day or under makeup; maybe I’d wear it in the winter.
AMW: Most mineral sunscreens leave a white cast on me — this isn’t giving me a crazy white cast either, and it’s shockingly sheer. Is it the first sunscreen I’d pick up? Maybe not, but a mineral sunscreen looking like this on me is unheard of.

Tower 28’s sunscreen had its viral moment — of looking awfully bad on darker skin tones, although the brand claimed it would have zero white cast on everyone. On some of us, it looked fine, but on darker skin tones, it had a horrible cast, although the formula felt great on the skin. It’s made with ceramides to protect the skin’s barrier and it claims to be acne-friendly.

CL: Two mineral sunscreens have surprised me today. It’s supposed to be eczema-, rosacea-, and acne-friendly, and I can tell they worked hard on that — this is soothing. I’m disappointed my colleagues cannot use it, but I know Tower 28 is working on reformulating. I would 100 percent use this under makeup.
HF: It’s blurring, leaves you with a smooth complexion, and it’s also glowy, which I love. I won’t use this until they reformulate it because the white-cast controversy is unacceptable, but it does look good.
CR: Obviously, the white cast is a problem, but I can’t see the cast that much on me. Otherwise, it doesn’t look bad, so when they reformulate, I would try it again. Until then, I don’t want to get caught in a picture looking like a ghost.
AMW: This cast is so bad on me. The worst part is that the formula feels good, and I’d want to wear it as a moisturizer, but the finish is really bad on my complexion.

Unseen Sunscreen is a classic. It’s extremely blurring, so it’s something we’d probably pick up as a primer because we like to look glowy. The gel shows up sheer on the skin and promises to lock in hydration with meadowfoam seed oil. We can feel the hydration, but we wish we could see it a bit more.

CL: This is thick — it’s not greasy, but silicone-y. My skin looks like I have a blurring filter on. It would be good if you want a no-makeup makeup look, but if you want a glowy finish, it’s not for you. Personally, I love the way it looks.
HF: Because it’s so blurring, my face looks flat. It took away my glow and natural shine, which I hate. I look very one-dimensional.
CR: Once you get over the initial ew, it’s not that bad.
AMW: I used to wear this all the time, especially under makeup, before the other sunscreens came out. It’s a cult favorite, but because of its texture, it’s no longer my go-to. I haven’t worn it in years, but this formula feels updated, something I’d reach for more.