Sunscreen Rec

[Pipe2r44]

What’s the best sunscreen for a dark skin? 

[ShidaMay]

I have mostly given up on US sunscreens because they either burn my eyes or give me a white cast. The only one I know of that does neither is the Black Girl Sunscreen Kids. The chemical one for adults burns, and the hybrid one leaves a white cast. Otherwise I use Korean or Japanese sunscreens. I like the Isntree Hyaluronic Sunscreen, the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen (someone said it had a white cast and would definitely settle in lines, but I've gone through multiple tubes and never had an issue), and the Can make Mermaid Skin Sunscreen in clear. I also want to try the Skin1004 hyalu-cica water-fit sun serum and the  innisfree Daily UV Defense Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 36 Sunscreen. That last one is the only one available at Sephora, but the others can be found on Amazon. Black Girl Sunscreen is even available at Target.

[WinglessOne]

@Pipe2r44  "The best" depends a lot on your personal preferences, such as: 

1. Finish - matte, dewy/glowy, super glowy/glass skin, or natural skin finish. 
2. Skin sensitivity, if any - some UV blockers in sunscreens irritate some people's skin. Other folks are skin-sensitive to certain ingredients found in some sunscreens and other skincare products. 
3. Budget - I usually say "if you can splurge on just one skincare product, make it sunscreen." But if you do have a price cap, it's good to stay under it. 

For zero white/grey/lavender cast, your best bet among US sunscreens is a chemical (non-zinc oxide) sunscreen. If your eyes are sensitive to chemical sunscreens (mine are), consider using a mineral (zine oxide) sunscreen around your eyes and a chemical sunscreen everywhere else. 

I'm in the "medium deep to deep" skin tone category. Here are a few of my favorites, plus a few others to consider. 

Chemical: 

• Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ - one of my go-tos. Can feel greasy siliconey upon application but, on me, always settles to a comfy feel and natural skin finish. Also works well as a makeup primer. 
• Trader Joe's Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40 - if you have a local Trader Joe's that stocks this (mine apparently don't, so I've never tried it), it's famous as an Unseen Sunscreen dupe with a much lower price tag. 
• Bondi Sands SPF 50 Fragrance Free Sunscreen Lotion - I use the body version on my face and body. 
• Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 - it's been a long time since I used this one, but I don't recall having issues with it. 
• La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 100 - leaves a rather heavy greasy finish that's too much for my skin in hot weather but works well in winter (I'm in Chicago). LRP also has other sunscreens worth considering. 
• Eucerin Age Defense Sunscreen SPF 50 - another one I prefer to use in cold weather. 
• Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF 50 - a Korean sunscreen that uses updated chemical UV blockers unavailable in US sunscreens. One of those is a tinosorb, a type of UV blocker that can leave a white cast—and this sunscreen will definitely settle into any prominent lines/wrinkles and make them white, so I don't use it under my eyes or on my neck (where my wrinkles are). 

Mineral: 

When applying any mineral sunscreen to a deep skin tone, don't apply a big glob all at once. Apply it in several thin layers, a bit at a time. I mean, still apply a generous amount overall (there's no such thing as "a little goes a long way" with sunscreen), just apply it such that you can blend out thin layers to reduce white cast. This won't solve the cast issue with all mineral sunscreens, but it helps with the ones I'm about to list. 

• Dermstore Collection Daily Mineral Sunscreen Sheer Tint SPF 40 - matte finish, but not super matte. Feels silky, and I'm surprised the tint masks any white/grey cast on my skin tone. Sold only at Dermstore [dot] com. 
• Native Unscented Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30 - leaves almost no white cast on me. I sometimes use this around my eyes and a different sunscreen on the rest of my face. But I also love using it on my whole face. 
• CoTZ Sensitive Non-Tinted Sunscreen SPF 40 - very thick and greasy, so I don't use it in warm weather. But it's 100% invisible on me. 

Hybrid: I'm looking for a new favorite in this category of sunscreens that use both chemical and mineral UV blockers. My old favorite is discontinued and my second fave's been reformulated to something I can't use due to skin sensitivity. Both of those were Japanese sunscreens. 

[kristenyhan]

Hi @Pipe2r44! Hopefully, I can give you some good recommendations in this post. I often struggle to find a good sunscreen for darker skin tones, since so many sunscreens on the market leave a white cast - maybe it's because skincare companies think that people with darker skin don't need as much sun protection (which is just simply false). 

One well-priced recommendation would be the Alba Botanica Sensitive Sheer Shield Sunscreen (around $15 for a 2oz bottle) - it's really great in that it just melts into your skin, and is good for even those with the most sensitive skin! It also feels nice and moisturizing without being greasy, which are qualities that I love in sunscreens. 

If you're willing to splurge a little more, there's a reason Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ ($36 for 1.7oz) sells so well year after year; something about the formulation of the product (I believe it's antioxidant-rich) really helps it blend in seamlessly with your skin, and it can also serve as a makeup primer, providing a matte finish! 

Lastly, if you're looking for a sunscreen that also doubles as a skin tint, the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation Roque ST18 is a great option. Yes, at $48 for 1floz, it's very pricey, but a little goes a long way, and it comes in a plethora of colors, especially for a skin tint with SPF in it. It also has ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid (which is super hydrating) and Niacinamide (helps to lessen redness and improve overall skin tone), and according to the Ilia website, the product is "silicone-free, fragrance-free, chemical screen-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, and safe for sensitive skin." 

So those are a few of my recommendations - I hope this helped!