Before you dive head first into summer, like a cool teen in a Target commercial, please listen to these two important public service announcements: 1) Never, ever, shop for sunscreen anywhere other than the drugstore or your neighborhood big box retailer. The best drugstore sunscreen always trumps a fancy one (if only because you can leave it in the trunk of your friend's car and not bat an eye). Should you find yourself wandering through Saks’ grooming department, drawn to the siren song of anti-aging sunscreens that cost as much as a week’s worth of groceries, stop!!!!!!! Everything you need is at Walgreens already, and they also sell candy and fashionable eyewear. 2) Do not forget to put sunscreen on the tops of your feet, unless the agony of walking in sneakers makes you feel alive. In fact, use one of these—we went around and tested all the best drugstore sunscreens out there.
Best Chemical Sunscreen
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Sunscreen formulas can be sorted into two camps: Physical and chemical. The former use minerals that act as a barrier to reflect the sun’s rays off of your precious skin—these are the chalky, hard-to-rub-in sunscreens of your youth—while the latter use chemical filters that absorb UV rays. Both are equally as effective and totally safe, but chemical sunscreens are popular for their ease of use (they dry down easily and aren’t greasy) and their democratic finish (mineral sunscreens appear chalky on medium and deep skin tones, whereas chemical ones don’t). Neutrogena Beach Defense spray version is everything you want out of your sunscreen: Simple application, works well, and that’s it. Anything more than that is asking too much of your sunscreen.Best Physical Sunscreen
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Dermatologists tend to recommend physical/mineral sunscreens for intense sun exposure, like if you’re a pale person sitting on the beach for eight hours, or if you find yourself stranded in the desert. The best physical sunscreens come from Australia, where the sun is hot and unrelenting and where cosmetic regulations are tight. Blue Lizard is an Australian classic—probably one of the only titanium dioxide/zinc sunblocks that doesn’t leave an unfortunate, pallid cast on skin. The preferred sunscreen of Australian surfers, according to my imagination.Best Skincare/Suncare Hybrid
Dermstore
Please try not to have an aneurysm when contemplating the existence of a $40+ drugstore sunscreen. La Roche-Posay has been a European pharmacy staple for years, and their stellar suncare line, Anthelios, has been steadily creeping into American drugstores like Walgreens and CVS over the past few years. The plain sunscreen is pretty good, but I want to take a moment for the brand’s skincare, which is unfussy and effective and delightfully French: Their antioxidant serum is actually a daily vitamin C serum with added sun protection, as a gesture of kindness to your face. Antioxidants are important in your overall sun protection routine, for reducing oxidative stress and preventing sun damage from showing up later on.Best for Dry Skin
Amazon
According to Allure Executive Beauty Editor Jessica Chia, Coppertone Whipped is “the best drugstore sunscreen, bar none.” She is wrong—Neutrogena Beach Defense is, I’m afraid—but the Whipped feels incredible on dry skin. And the texture does feel like whipped cream, which is a decadent experience.Best for Oily Skin
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For a sunscreen that looks like it is exclusively sold in gas stations, Bullfrog Water Sport Sunscreen is as formulaically sophisticated as sports sunscreens get. It dries down so quickly, you might forget that you applied it in the first place; a vaguely citrusy scent serves to remind you that you are protected from the elements.Best After Sun
Amazon
You don’t think you need an after-sun lotion until it’s too late. Hawaiian Tropics makes a jelly aloe lotion that isn’t emollient or greasy, a trademark of other jelly aloe lotions. After-sun won’t heal your sunburn—only time and complaining will do that—but it will mitigate some of the damage by hydrating the affected area(s). It is self-compassionate to keep one on hand at all times, preferably in your refrigerator, for maximum cool relief.Best Natural
Amazon
It’s a physical sunblock infused with lavender, so it smells delicious. Anything else?Best Tinted
Amazon
Maybe your skin is perfect and requires no presentation help at all. If so, congratulations, and are you kind of full of yourself, just a little? If not, allow me to advocate for Australian Gold tinted sunscreen—a creamy SPF with a wash of color that serves to even out your skin tone while shielding you from the sun. It blends seamlessly into skin, and is virtually undetectable, I promise. How many other sunscreens make your skin look better immediately after application?Related Stories for GQSkincare