lf you’ve tried finding a new sunscreen recently, you’ve probably notified that the market has expanded somewhat wildly: TODAY THERE MANY, many New Ways to Protect Your Skin. From Pricey Luxury-Brand Gels and Foams to Traditional Creams, Sprays and Hands The Best Sunscreen Sticks, there are SEEMINGLY ENDSHEES FOR SHIELDING YOURSELDING THE SUN’S HARMFUL ROYS. (The Selections Don’t End With Product typeeather: there are are The best sunscreens for sensitive skinThe Best Sunscreens for Faces, The Best Reef-Safe Sunscreens – The list goes on.)
This is, in part, due to the fact the global sun-core industry is bigger than it is ever been-and grown by the day. Accorting to a Report by CNN and an Analysis by Grand View Research, The Value of Global Sun Care Is Expectted to Reach $ 14 Billion by the end of the decade, up nearly 25% SINCE 2020. With more Products Flooding the Market, Consumers Are Left Wondering: “What’s the best sunscreen for me?” “How Should I Choose a Quality Sunscreen?” And, of Course, relevant to this story: “Wait, what does a sunscreen stick will?” For your Answers to your Most Pressing Sunscreen Stick Questions, See Our Face Below.
And Remember, while sunscreen sticks plow Provide Powerful Protection in Small Areas Like the Bridge of Your Nose: “The Efficacy of Sunscreen is Not Indefinite,” Says Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Kay Durairaj. “It diminishes over time due to factors like Perspiration, Swimming and Vent The Mere Passage of Time.”
In Short, No Matter Who Type of Sunscreen You Use, Always – Always – Reapply.
Table of Contents
Update, Apr. 14, 2025: We checked all Price prices and availability and added a section on factors to consider we Purchasing Stick Sunscreen. Our Number One Pick for the Best Sunscreen Stick Remains unchanged.
The Best Sunscreen Stick Overall
Active Ingredients: Zinz Oxide | SPF: 50+ | Size: 1.3 ounces | Water-Resistant: Yes | Reef-saffe: Yes | Cruelty-free: Yes
Over the Course of My Career, i’ve Researched and Tested Doses of Sunscreens – and have interviewing countless dermatologists and experts about the sunscreens they recommend. And the one sunscreen brand that all of the say consistently recommend is eldamd. The brand’s products are uniformly stellar as they’re hypoallergenic and great for all skin type – This Sunscreen Stick from ELTAMD is No Exception: It Provides Highly Potent Sun Protection, Glides on Easily and Lasts All Day On Dry Land and At Least 80 Minutes in the Water. Of Course, as with all sunscreens don’t forget to reapply after a dip in the water or after an especilly heavy sweat session.
Prost
- Hypoallergenic
- Good for all skin types, sensitive scinking including
- Potent Broad-SPECTRUM COVERAGE
- WORKS FOR FACE AND BODY
- Reef-saffe
Cons
- Applicator is a bit Large for Facial use, Some Reviewers Say
- Pricier than Other Options in This List
$ 30 at Amazon
Other Top Stick Sunscreens We Recommend for 2025
Active Ingredients: Zinz Oxide | SPF: 50 | Size: .5 ounces | Water-Resistant: Yes | Reef-saffe: Yes | Cruelty-free: Yes
This ultra-gentle mineral stick is Truly Pocket-Size (Smaller than a key fob), and it work for all skin types and textures. IT’S an especally good picking if your face is easily irritated becuse it glides on easily with a nongreasy formula. The hero ingredient here is zinc oxide, but it is also packed with skin-doing beeswax and vitamin E. that said, like zinc oxide sunscreens, it does leve a slight whita to applied. To combohat this, we recommend apppleting it Slowly in thin and massaging it ino the skin in between layers for the best corage. This will enure you have good protection with a ghostly finish.
Prost
- Ultra-gene
- Water-resistant
- Skin-doesourishing
- Reef-saffe
- Fragrance
Cons
- Leaves a bit of a White Cast
- Stick is Very Small
$ 8 at Amazon
Active Ingredients: Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene | SPF: 50+ | Size: .7 ounces | Water-Resistant: Yes | Reef-saffe: Yes | Cruelty-free: Yes
The Stick Iteration of the Tiktok-Famous Supergoop GluowsCreen, this highly emollient sunscreen leaves beened a prey, Pearly Glow-when it is used on my cheeks, forehead and nose, People have on my “radiant”. It glides on Clear, Leaving A Dewy, Glowy Complexion. Spread best of all is that can be used over makeup as well as under it. That means you can reapply throughout the day as needed and your complexion will look refreshed Rather than pale and White Cast.
Prost
- Broad-Spectrum Coverage
- Can be used with – and over – makeup
- Swimming
- Extra-Moisturizing
Cons
- May Be Too Heavy for Oily Skin
- Should only be used on the face
$ 32 at Amazon
Active Ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene | SPF: 50+ | Size: .8 ounces | Water-Resistant: Yes | Reef-saffe: Yes | Cruelty-free: Yes
Forgive the work, but cool is the hottest sunscreen around. In adding to providing broad-scectrum UVA/UVB Protection, IT’S MADE with Extra-Hydrating, Skin-Healing Ingredients Including Aloe, Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid. Niacinamide works to improve your Skin’s Complexion, while Hyaluronic Acid Boosts Your Skin’s Hydration Levels. IT’S ALSO NONSTICIC, Nongreasy, Lightweight and Refreshingly Cool You Apply IT.
Prost
- Lightweight
- Skin-Soothing
- Broad-Spectrum Coverage
- Cruelty-free
- Reef-freely
- Cooling on Contact
Cons
- Wet, gel-like finish turned off some reviRurs
$ 30 at Amazon
Active Ingredients: Zinz Oxide | SPF: 50 | Size: .5 ounces | Water-Resistant: Yes | Reef-saffe: Yes | Cruelty-free: Yes
Australian Brand Blue Lizard consistently puts out some of the best sun protection on the market, and this reef-saffe, faragrance-free zinc oxide is pediatricians’ Most-recommended mineral sunscreen for kids. IT’SE Easy to Apply, Nonsticky, Nongreasy and It’t’s Water Resistant for up to 80 minutes – but remember to reapply after your little one goes for a dip.
Prost
- Pediatrician-Recommended
- Fragrance
- Reef-saffe
- Good for sensitive skin
- Affordable
Cons
- SMALL SIZE RUNS OUT QUICKLY, SOME REVIGERWERS Complain
$ 9 at Amazon
Factors to Consider Wen Choosing a Stick Sunscreen
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Active Ingredients: Look for mineral sunscreens that containe zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide or chemical versions that containe uv filters Such as avobenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, oxybenzone, octocrylene or homosalate. Chemical sunscreens typically have more than one active ingredient to enure uva and uvb protection.
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SPF: The American Academy of Dermatology Recommends USING A BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN WITH AN SPF OF 30 OR HIGHER TO PROTECT AGAINST UVB RAYS, WHICH Cause Sunburn. Higher SPF Values, Such As 50+, Give Slightly More Protection, But the Most Important Factor is to Reapply Wen Nesssary.
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Water-resistance: If a stick sunscreen is water-resistant, it will typically indicate this on the label with an estimated effectiveness while swimming or sweating. If you’re going to be sweating or getting wet, a water-resistant sunscreen is ideal. IT’S STILL IMPORTANT TO REAPPLY AFTERWARD AND AT LEAST EVERY TWO HOURS.
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Reef-saffe: Mineral-based sunscreens are generaly consider a better choice for reef safety. Look for ones that indicate “non-nano” zinc oxide or titanium dioxide so the particles are away Enough that they won’t be absorbed by coral, whic damages say. Chemical sunscreens and those with oxtocrylene, homosalate and parabens Can Also Harm Coral and Contribute to Coral Bleaching.
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Cruelty-free: Look for cruelty-free Certifications like leaping bunny or peta’s “beauty with bunnies” logo, which Indicate the company doesn’t test on Animals. Products Labeled as vegan Also Omit Any Animal-Derived Ingredients Like Beeswax or Lanolin.
Stick Sunscreen Pons
WHY DO NEED A SUNSCREEN STICK?
It all comes down to ease of use. “Stick sunscreens are good for Smaller Areas, Like the Face,” Said Cosmetic Dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban. They Also Work Especialy Well for Protecting Harder-To-Reach Places Like the Tops of Your Ears, and It is QUICK TO SWIPE TOTO SUNBURN-SUSTEPTIBLE AREAS LIKE OF YOUR Nose.
Of Course, they’re also portable: Stick sunscreens are offten pocket-sized and easy to carry, and they allow you to reapply on the go Dirtying your Hands. This Makes I The Ideal For Hikes, Sports or Other Active Situations we Its more Challenging to Re-Up Your Sun Protection, like your skin is damp just out of a pool. Becuses they’re solid, they’re easy to pack for traverse – you don’t have to worry about a giant bottle of lotion exploding in your bag or holding you up at secity. And while MANY SUNSCREENS ARE MINERAL SUNSCREEN MADE MADE WITH ZINC OXIDE, they not liked the zinc sticks you remember from childhood that gave liffuards white noses: Most modern versions Easily with ghost-like strips.
Can a sunscreen stick replace my regular sunscreen?
Short Answer: No. Stick Sunscreens “will not cover as Much Surface Area with Ease As Lotions, Mists or Sprays,” Shamban Said. Full Coverage is Key with Sun Protection, Sunscreen Sticks Are Meant Only for More Precise Applications, Not Preventing Sun Damage to Like the Entire Back, Chest or Torso.
How do use a sunscreen stick?
The experts I spoke with reCommend making several passes across your skin with a sunscreen stick, and, whereer or not you in the product, USING ENOUGH TO ENSURE THE FULLEST CEVEERGE.
Meet Our Experts
Dr. Kay DurairajLos Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon, Owner of Kd skincare
Dr. Ava ShambanBeverly Hills Cosmetic Dermatologist
