Every May, Sephora puts together a Sun Safety Kit that contains an array of sunscreen products. I grabbed one this year and road tested each to see if I like any better than my current favorite – bioelements spf 50 FaceScreen.
bioelements | spf 50 FaceScreen | spf 50
I’ve been wearing this (almost) daily for two years.
PROS: Doubles as a daily moisturizer. Feels really light and great under makeup. Cruelty-free.
CONS: Comes in glass jar (which I like in my land-based life, not so much in my boat life). Expensive (not the most, but it’s up there).
PRICE: $58 | 2.3 oz ($25.22 per oz)
BIOSSANCE | SQUALANE + ZINC SHEER MINERAL | spf 30
PROS: The price is right and it comes in a large size! They claim this can double as a moisturizer and on humid days for me it would. The fact that it contains zinc makes the sun protection feel substantial. Cruelty-free.
CONS: It has a bit of a chemical smell when it first goes on and it felt a little heavy and greasy throughout the day. Not sure I would want to put makeup on over this.
PRICE: $42 | 3.38 oz ($12.43 per oz)
CAY SKIN | Isle Glow Face Lotion | spf 45
PROS: The texture and color of this sunscreen is like chocolate mousse. It goes on super light. It also has a subtle shimmer that is quite nice. Minority/woman by Winnie Harlow. Cruelty-free.
CONS: It’s a bit pricy and I noticed my eyes burning a little at the end of the day after I was rubbing my eyes–maybe it’s the glowy stuff that irritated me?
PRICE: $32 | 1.5 oz ($21.33 per oz)
Clinique | Pep-Start Daily UV Protector | spf 50
PROS: Has a subtle tint that helps even out redness which is nice if you are having a no-makeup day. Goes on light and has no fragrance, which I like when it comes to face products. And SPF 50 is good in the intense sun.
CONS: Clinique indicates that this product also moisturizes, but it was not enough for me. I did my daily moisturizer under this sunscreen. Not cruelty-free.
PRICE: $23 | 1 oz ($23 per oz)
dermalogica | dynamic skin recovery | spf 50
PROS: Light texture and high SPF.
CONS: It has a bit of a strong smell right as it goes on, but is goes away quickly. Expensive. Demalogica is cruelty-free, but is owned by Unilever which is not. So, this is a bit of a gray area.
PRICE: $77 | 1.7 oz ($45.29 per oz)
Dr. Dennis Gross | All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense | spf 30
PROS: A really great applicator tip on the bottle. No chance of pouring out too much. Went on evenly and no scent. I could use this as both sunscreen and moisturizer except for the very, very dry winter days. Cruelty-free.
CONS: Kind of pricy and wish it was higher SPF.
PRICE: $42 | 1.7 oz ($24.70 per oz)
Dr. Jart+ | Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment | spf 30
PROS: I love a face product in a tub. Cool that it does two things– sunscreen and color correcting– especially if you don’t wear foundation.
CONS: Does not double as a daily moisturizer and at that price, it should. Felt kind of heavy all day. Not cruelty-free.
PRICE: $52 | 1.7 oz ($30.59 per oz)
FENTY SKIN | Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer | spf 30
PROS: Light texture, but not runny — went on evenly. Cruelty-free. (Note, Fenty was created by Rhianna, but is owned by LVMH, so does not fall into the minority-owned business in my book, but I like that a company as big as LVMH is getting behind an amazing black artist.)
CONS: This might be a feature for some people, but it has a pink tone which I don’t like. Partly because I try to get Tim to wear sunscreen, and not sure he’d like a pink tint. Could be enough of a moisturizer for some, but not for me. Kind of pricy.
PRICE: $38 | 1.7 oz ($22.35 per oz)
GLOW RECIPE | Watermelon Glow Niacinamide | spf 50
PROS: This sunscreen went on very smooth, light, and even. And, I love the fact that it’s 50 SPF. Did not feel greasy at all. Has a scent, but it was light. Minority/woman owned. Cruelty-free.
CONS: Kind of expensive. Does not double as a moisturizer.
PRICE: $34 | 1.69 oz ($20.11 per oz)
innisfree | Daily UV Defense | spf 36
PROS: Lightweight. Very light, clean scent. You could probably use it as a daily moisturizer if it’s not too dry outside. Great price.
CONS: SPF is not high enough for big sun. Not cruelty free.
PRICE: $15 | 1.69 oz ($8.88 per oz)
Kiehl’s | Ultra Facial Cream | spf 30
PROS: As I’ve mentioned for other products, I like products that come in a pot–and nice that it comes in a 4+ ounce container. This product has a great texture and can double as a moisturizer and sunscreen. The price is right!
CONS: I wish it was a higher SPF. Not cruelty-free.
PRICE: $62 | 4.23 oz ($14.65 per oz)
LANCÔME | UV Expert Defense | spf 50+
PROS: Light application and I like that it is 50+ SPF.
CONS: Has a bit of a heavy scent (for me) that hangs around. Expensive. Not cruelty-free.
PRICE: $40 | 1.0 oz ($40 per oz)
Shiseido | Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion | spf 50+
PROS: It’s a good price and I like that it’s a high SPF.
CONS: This sunscreen has an oddly runny consistency and the scent is too heavy for me. It lingers for quite a long time. Not cruelty-free.
PRICE: $49 | 5.07 oz ($9.66 per oz)
SUNDAY RILEY | Light Hearted | spf 30
PROS: Goes on evenly and feels light, hence the name. Lightly minty fragrance (although, that might just be me). Cruelty-free.
CONS: Kind of runny when the container is inverted. That would not be great on the boat. I think it would be easy to squeeze out too much.
PRICE: $35 | 1.5 oz ($23.33 per oz)
Supergoop! | Unseen Sunscreen | spf 40
PROS: The texture of this product is really great and it’s fragrance free. It’s almost like a primer and it’s one of the few in this line up that is water and sweat resistant. I did not put that to the test yet, but if that proves to be true, that would be a great feature! I will definitely be buying some of this. Cruelty-free.
CONS: Kind of pricy, but cheaper than my current favorite. Does not double as a moisturizer.
PRICE: $36 | 1.7 oz ($21.18 per oz)
MY CONCLUSION
I’m going to purchase Supergoop! first, and I am going to try their whole body sunscreen as well. Then, maybe Glow Recipe will be next. I like how they both went on and they are both a little cheaper than my current brand. But first, I’m going to use all these little samples up! I’m going to give Cay Skin more of a look as I finish the samples.
Sidebar, it’s a bummer that Kiehl’s is not cruelty-free because I really liked it and the price is so good–but, I like critters better than my dollars.
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