The 4 Best Sunscreens of 2026
Any sunscreen you’ll use is better than one you won’t. So it’s worth trying several to find the one that’s best for you. Our picks stand apart for their superlative look and feel (or their value price).
Mineral sunscreens
Alba Botanica Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 contains no added fragrance and is generally less expensive than other nanoparticle-free mineral sunscreen lotions we considered, but most of our testers did not like it because it was difficult to rub in and made skin feel sticky.
We found that Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 took significantly longer to rub in compared with most other mineral sunscreens we’ve tried, and it consistently left a white cast. Aveeno’s Kids Continuous Protection Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 offers the best value among mineral sunscreen sticks we’ve considered. This Aveeno stick is larger than mineral sunscreen sticks from Blue Lizard and Thinksport — more like the size of a stick of deodorant — yet still impractical for full-body coverage.
Babo Botanicals Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 feels and smells good. But it’s almost double the price of our pick from Thrive.
Badger Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 is a reef-friendly, unscented formula that looks and feels nice on skin but is rated water-resistant for only 40 minutes.
All Good Mineral Sport Sunscreen SPF 30, Banana Boat Sensitive 100% Mineral Sunscreen, Banana Boat Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+, Banana Boat Kids Mineral SPF 50+, and Equate Kids SPF 50 all left more of a white cast than our pick from Thrive. However, they are well priced and, in general, highly rated by customers.
We previously recommended Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, a fragrance-free mineral sunscreen that was runnier than most and absorbed easily. In January 2025 the company reformulated, and while the active ingredients, zinc oxide (10%) and titanium dioxide (8%), remain the same, this sunscreen now includes aloe extract and the SPF booster butyloctyl salicylate, among other inactive ingredients. We’re continuing to evaluate this reformulated favorite and will update this guide with our complete findings.
Many of our testers found Coppertone Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 to be goopy. Although its zinc oxide percentage is among the highest of the sunscreens we tested (over 24%), most testers found that the runny formula made complete absorption nearly impossible.
Hawaiian Tropic Mineral Skin Nourishing Milk SPF 50 is a nice-feeling, near-odorless mineral sunscreen that comes in a convenient pump bottle. But it’s available only in a 3.4-ounce quantity, and leaves more of a white cast than our pick from Thrive.
We like Hello Bello Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 for its price and skin feel. But it’s frequently out of stock, and several of our testers actively disliked this sunscreen’s scent.
Kōkua Sun Care Hawaiian Natural Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50, which contains the same concentration (25%) of active ingredient non-nano zinc oxide as our reef-safe pick from Thrive, looks and feels as nice on skin. But it costs around twice as much.
Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Kids Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ felt nice but left more of a white cast than our top picks.
Pipette Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 has been reformulated: It is now rated water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. It is available only in quantities of 3 ounces or less. Several customer reviewers have reported that this new version leaves a white cast and that the lotion can easily clog in the tube.
Supergoop Mineral Play Lotion left more of a white cast and is more expensive than our top picks. Somewhat confusingly, the Supergoop Play SPF 50 stick is also a mineral sunscreen. (Another Supergoop Play formula we recommend is a chemical sunscreen lotion.) We found it a bit more difficult to spread and it took longer to dry down on the skin when compared with other sunscreen sticks we liked.
Thinksport Clear Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50 (active ingredient: non-nano zinc oxide 23.4%) is a serviceable reef-friendly sunscreen. Compared with our picks from Thrive and Badger, Thinksport Clear Zinc is more difficult to rub in and appears slightly chalkier on skin. Thinksport also sells a 0.64-ounce SPF 30 stick, which contains 20% non-nano zinc oxide. Due to the applicator’s size, though, it’s practical to use only on small patches of skin.
Test panelists generally like the Vanicream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+, made with 12% non-nano zinc oxide. But this formula is frequently out of stock.
Chemical sunscreens
Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Sunscreen Broad Spectrum Body Lotion SPF 60 felt watery and difficult to rub in, with many panelists noticing a white cast after application.
The deodorant-stick-size Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sun Stick SPF 50 is among the least expensive and most user-friendly sunscreen sticks we’ve tried, but it is still difficult to use and apply anywhere other than small swaths of skin.
Neither Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 nor Neutrogena Beach Defense Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70 ranked as well as our chemical picks in terms of translucence, skin feel, and ease of application.
Coppertone WaterBabies Lotion SPF 50 is easy to apply and wear, but the flowery scent of this fragranced formula isn’t for everyone.
Our testers loved the smell, feel, and shimmery look of mica-infused Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Ultra Radiance SPF 70. The fragrance evokes a classic sunscreen smell — in a good way. But if you don’t like your skin to have a little sparkle, this is not the sunscreen for you.
The Equate Ultra Light Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 left a noticeable white cast (which is unusual for a chemical sunscreen).
Early on in our testing, we eliminated one chemical sunscreen lotion, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen Weightless Face SPF 30, because of its bottle. With one drop on the floor, the pump broke, making it difficult to dispense.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 is a much-revered chemical sunscreen lotion. Per ounce, it tends to cost more than 10 times as much as our picks. In a practical sense, each hour spent wearing this formula on a full body costs a few dollars. For use on just the face, though, we think it’s a worthwhile investment: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt in Milk Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 is one of our favorite face sunscreens.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 45 comes in a bottle that’s small enough to toss in a purse, but despite the marketing, the feel was not significantly drier than that of other sunscreens we tried.
Our testers did not rate the No Ad Sport 50 Sunscreen and No Ad 85 Sunscreen nearly as highly as the less-expensive Equate Sport Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Value Size SPF 50.
Combination sunscreens
CVS Health Clear Zinc Broad Spectrum Sun Lotion SPF 50 is a fine choice, but it leaves a white cast on darker skin.
Coppertone Pure & Simple Baby SPF 50 took longer than most sunscreens to fully absorb into our skin.
Panelists generally liked EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50, rating its feel and appearance highly. But at $7.50 an ounce, it’s costlier than any of our picks.
Shannon Palus contributed reporting. This article was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.
