Meet today’s generation of sun protection heroes, with silky textures and hard-working ingredients you’ll reach for all year round
Sunscreens of old (thick, paste-like and chalky white) are but a distant memory, with today’s wave of multi-tasking formulas doubling as serums, moisturisers and even foundations. Physical sunscreens, also known as mineral or natural sunscreens, call on minerals like zinc to reflect UV rays by creating a physical barrier. These formulas are typically white but, nowadays, shouldn’t leave a cast. Chemical SPFs work differently – they behave like sponges, absorbing UV rays to convert into heat before releasing this heat from your skin. Chemical formulas are known to look invisible against all skin tones (see Naked Sundays’ CabanaClear Water Gel Serum below – it simply disappears), while physical ones might be better for ultra-sensitive types (Rosalique’s 3-in-1 Anti-Redness Miracle Formula is brilliant for rosacea sufferers). And let’s not forget hair care: swap fried strands for hydrated beach waves with a spritz of UV protective hairspray, like the Davines SU Hair Milk, which preserves hair integrity under harsh conditions.
Whatever you’re looking for – be it pleasing packaging, child-friendly formulas or make-up-ready textures – there are hordes of high-performance formulas to suit.
Forgo Foundation
Rationale’s The Brilliance Tinted Serum SPF50+ features a unique, runny texture that imparts a natural tan-like glow, gliding onto skin with the prowess of a facial oil. With skin tints, there’s a danger of not using enough product for full protection against harmful rays, but this formula is so lightweight that you can pile on the product without looking cakey. Likewise, Merit’s The Uniform (named as such because it’s an “everyday staple”) uses plant-derived emollients to give it a blurring, velvety texture that looks exquisite on skin. Ideal on balmy days that beg for lighter make-up looks, it evens skin tone without feeling or looking too heavy. For oily skin, try La Roche-Posay’s new Anthelios UVAir Tinted Serum Sunscreen SPF50+, which evens tone while controlling shine.
Then there’s Lumene’s CC Color Correcting Cream, which deposits pigment like a moisturiser (use your fingers) and looks just like skin. It plays particularly well with other base make-up formulas like concealers, blushers and bronzers, melting everything together for a filter-like finish. Though, apply too much and it will look too thick, and it only has an SPF rating of 20. So, pair it with another SPF underneath to ensure you’re properly protected.
Save Face
The perfect SPF for people who hate SPF, Naked Sundays’ CabanaClear Water Gel Serum applies like a dewy gel, hydrating and refreshing skin with hyaluronic acid and juicy kakadu plum in the process. And, without being hyperbolic, it looks and feels completely invisible on skin – like water. Comparably, Byoma’s Ultralight Face Fluid manages to flood skin with comforting moisture despite its featherlight consistency. The joyful, sherbet-hued packaging is a bonus.
Parisian brand Mimetique uses skin-identical ingredients (compounds that mimic our skins' own) to hydrate, regenerate and protect skin with a weightless, milky fluid. In packaging that resembles a bottle of eye drops, it’s great for throwing in your handbag.
Keen to keep up with the industry’s innovations, Supergoop reformulated its well-loved Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50, now lighter and with calming ingredients like chamomile and antioxidant-rich marine algae. The texture itself is much the same – a cloudy, velveteen gel that doubles as a make-up primer. Similarly suitable as a primer is the Belif Super Drops Hydrating Sun Serum, which is enriched with soothing panthenol and absorbs in a flash.
Even cosmetics brands are getting in on the action, though few are as noteworthy as Inglot’s Hydrating & Smoothing SPF 50 Cream. The exceptionally nourishing formula is made with your make-up routine in mind – it won’t slip or pill. And if you struggle with dosing, try Naturium’s new Dew-Glow Moisturizer Mineral SPF 50 – an invisible, glow-bestowing physical formula that comes with a perfectly sized measuring cap. Small-batch business Les Spritz’s Daily SPF50 also comes with a sweet little measuring spoon, and is suitable for all skin tones and types – even the easily irritated.
If you struggle with dark spots, reach for The Milky Sunscreen SPF 50 by Tatcha. The chemical formula is inspired by silky Japanese skincare and helps to correct pre-existing sun damage by repairing, hydrating and soothing skin on a cellular level.
If you prefer something richer, Stil’s Daily Face SPF 30 is a strong contender for daily use. Like a buttery moisturiser, it’s perfect for dry or sensitive skin and is 97.8% naturally derived. The cast-free finish is particularly impressive when you consider its thick, physical layer of protection. Equally decadent is U Beauty’s mineral-based Multimodal Defender Balm – a deliciously creamy treatment that cushions skin with plant oils, shea butter and soothing vitamin E (and is perfect for face and dry elbows alike).
To help even tone without a make-up tint, colour-correcting SPFs will soothe redness or enliven ashy complexions. Take Rosalique’s 3-in-1 Anti-Redness Miracle Formula, for example, which cancels red tones with a soft green hue. Happily, it’s suitable for hypersensitive skin types, working to conceal, protect and even heal concerns like rosacea and keratosis pilaris. If green isn’t your bag, Aussie brand Mecca Cosmetica’s To Save Face Superscreen revitalises complexions with a peachy-pink colour.
Pharmacy brands are not to be ignored: CeraVe’s new Invisible Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 50+ is enriched with ceramides for long-lasting comfort. South Korean brand MediCube has released No Cast Just Glow, which calls on collagen and peptides to lend a bouncy, juicy complexion. Mediheal’s Madecassoside Moisture Sun Serum Blemish Repair SPF50 cushions irritated, blemish-prone skin with soothing ingredients like panthenol and niacinamide.
Body Beauty
Kopari enlivens otherwise-boring body rituals with its Golden Sunglaze Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen SPF 50. While it’s enriched with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to hydrate and soothe, the real fun is in its nostalgic gleam, juicy guava scent and non-aerosol mist, which makes it easy to glaze skin like a doughnut without leaving an oily film. If you crave a creamier formula, look no further than Beauty of Joseon’s new Hydra Shield Body Sun Lotion SPF 50+. Packed with K-beauty favourites like fermented rice and ceramides, it shields skin with a soft, non-greasy glow – no matter how many times you reapply. Gun Ana’s water-resistant Body Milk SPF30 soothes, protects and smells like a cucumber and mint spritz. Try Alta Marea’s La SETA Sheer Sun Silk SPF50 if you prefer the scent of figs – it coats limbs in a weightless sheeny formula inspired by real silk.
Lip Service
Nobody wants to smear SPF atop lips, lest they taste like chemicals or sport a chalky tint. Enter: SPF lip balms that are specifically formulated for that delicate area. Raybalm’s buttery Lip Screen locks in moisture with a vegan blend of plant oils to prevent premature vertical lines, with a nostalgic scent and scrumptious flavour to boot – it’ll remind you of boiled orange sweets.
Happy Hair
When it comes to hair, we all know that heat equals damage – especially to bleached or dyed strands. Yet, it’s easy to lay the blame on styling tools and forget about the sun. To protect your tresses and prolong the life of your colour, get acquainted with a UV heat protectant like Davines’ new SU Hair Milk (vegan, lightweight and preserves hair integrity), or Olaplex’s recently launched Shine Serum Oil Mist (a shake-to-combine serum and oil that protects against heat, reduces breakage and adds shine).
For wriggly kids
If squirmy children are in the picture, sunscreen is a constant battle. Entice them to stay safe with Le Rub’s eye-catching and user-friendly Sunscreen Mist. The spray nozzle makes it easy to reach nooks and crannies without adult attention – though adults can also delight in its transparent, lightweight formula that’s packed with calming ingredients like niacinamide. Darling’s Shield-Me SPF 50+ clear stick is a winner with kids and parents alike: easy to apply, it comes with a rubber karabiner clip that makes it instantly findable. Bask’s SPF 50 Sun Stick meanwhile, comes in a nifty roll-on suitable for face, lips and body – housed in cutesy yellow packaging with a chubby roller-ball that makes application fun and swift. Though, if you’d rather a roller-ball applicator for your own favourite sunscreen, look to Solar Buddies: easy-to-grip, brightly hued, refillable SPF applicators made just for kids. Otherwise, EVY Technology’s Sunscreen Mousse SPF50 Kids comes in a cloud-like mousse texture, forming a protective osmotic membrane that doesn’t rub off and protects little limbs for up to six hours – even after sweating, swimming and copious amounts of mischief.
