How to Choose the Right Sunscreen for You

If there’s one piece of skin care advice that is truly universal, it is to wear sunscreen on a daily basis. Sensitive skin needs sunscreen. Acne-prone skin needs sunscreen. Aging skin needs sunscreen. Young skin needs sunscreen.

The tricky part is figuring out which of the countless brands and varieties of sunscreen is the best choice for you. No need to have a breakdown in the drug store or to close your eyes and point to a random tube. We’ve got the tips you need to find the sunscreen that will become your skin’s best friend.

1. Select a Brand You Can Trust

Great sunscreen always starts with a great brand. Not all sunscreens are the same – the way a sunscreen is formulated will affect how well it blocks sun damage along with how it looks on your skin, whether it enhances your skin’s health (or could cause problems for your skin’s health), and so on.

It’s important to choose a brand that has a long-standing reputation for excellence in skin care and, ideally, in sun care specifically. Take EltaMD for example – this upscale skin care brand is respected and recommended by dermatologists and skin care professionals everywhere and it is particularly known for its outstanding sun care.

2. Consider Your Use Area

Many people are used to using one sunscreen for their full body and face. If your goal is to minimize your number of products, there are some sunscreens that work well for both your face and body, like EltaMD UV Lotion.

Most sunscreens, though, are formulated more for either the face or the body. There are even some sunscreens for more specialized areas, like EltaMD’s UV Lip Balm. While any of these sunscreens can do a great job of protecting your skin from the sun, facial sunscreens are formulated for the more complex and varying needs of facial skin.

3. Know Your Skin Type

As you shop for sunscreen, especially if you’re looking for a facial sunscreen, you’ll notice that high-quality sunscreens specify which skin types they are best suited for. That’s the beauty of a quality sunscreen: it doesn’t just block sun damage. It can hydrate dry skin, and it can be designed to be non-acne-causing (or non-comedogenic) for skin that is acne-prone. Be sure to choose a sunscreen that is best for your skin type.

4. Choose the Tint or Transparency

There’s a particular complaint about sunscreen that leads many people to skip it altogether: the look it leaves behind. Some sunscreens leave a white caste behind…yes, the ghost look no one loves. That might not be a concern for a day on the beach, but for many, it’s enough to make them forego sunscreen in their morning routines.

Fortunately, there are solutions if you know where to look. EltaMD offers several sunscreens that are formulated to be transparent and not leave a white caste behind. They also have many sunscreens that are available in a tinted version. These sunscreens have a slight brown or tan color to them so that not only do they avoid that dreaded zombie look but they actually give your skin a light coverage to slightly even out your skin tone. They don’t provide enough coverage that you need to match your skin tone; the tint simply blends into your skin color.

Many of EltaMD’s sunscreens offer each of these options so you can choose which one you prefer. For example, the popular EltaMD UV Clear comes in tinted or untinted, and the same is true with EltaMD’s UV Daily, UV Glow, and UV Restore.

5. Think About Your Plans

You might have several different sunscreens for different occasions and purposes based on each product’s properties. For example, some sunscreens are more water-resistant than others. That’s important if you’re heading out to lounge in the pool or going out for a workout so you plan to get sweaty (or even if you have particularly active sweat glands on a daily basis, no shame).

For this reason, your plans for the day could play into the sunscreen you choose. EltaMD UV Sheer, for instance, is rated for 80 minutes of water resistance, so it would be a better choice for a pool day than a sunscreen that isn’t water-resistant.

Finding Your Sunscreen Perfect Match

You don’t have to sacrifice your skin’s appearance for sun protection, and in fact, the right sunscreen can help to improve other issues you have with your skin. It’s all a matter of choosing the right sunscreen, and our handy chart can help you see which products are the best fit. To have your perfect fit delivered to your door, explore our EltaMD sunscreens.