The 12 Best Sunscreens For The Whole Family, According To Scary Mommy Editors
Summer is upon us, which means it’s time to stock up on some essentials — popsicles for the freezer, bug spray for the patio, and sunscreen for all the outdoor adventures your family will take in the coming months. If you are tired of lugging around multiple types of SPF because everyone in your family likes something different, or the bottle you bought last year just didn’t do a great job keeping UV rays at bay, look no further. These are the best sunscreens for the whole family, as well as a few that are especially great for Mom’s face, according to Scary Mommy editors. Because yes, we too want to look glowy without getting fried to a crisp at the beach.
Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
I have lived in Florida my entire life and feel like I’ve worn 90% of the sunscreens on the market. I was a Neutrogena Sheer girl for the longest time, but a few years back, all chemical sunscreens started making my eyes burn. Even if I wore them on the rest of my body and not my face, it’s like the fumes still affected my eyes.
Anyway, I tried a bunch of new mineral formulas, and I can say the Blue Lizard Sensitive is far and away my favorite. It never burns my eyeballs, and I’ve never gotten a sunburn while wearing it. It rubs in fully and leaves no white cast. It’s not super greasy (a little, but in the way I kind of want from an SPF so I know it’s actually water resistant). I love that I can use this on myself and my 5-year-old instead of toting around multiple SPFs. It’s just reliable and always what I throw in my cart. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Tula Protect + Go Sunscreen Stick
Nothing makes me feel more like an actual adult woman than keeping this Tula sun stick in my bag. I swipe it on before runs, before park days, at the pool — it’s the best. It's super light and clear and so easy to glide on — no catching on the skin around your eyes, IYKYK — and it gives the most perfect dewy glow. It's also been used on my kids when they need extra, and not one child of mine has ever cried or said it stinks or that it's stinging their eyes (and I have very sensitive children who love to whine). — Samantha Darby, Senior Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
ALAB Anti-Pollution UV Sunblock SPF 50
Calling all sunscreen haters! I highly recommend ALAB’s anti-pollution SPF; whatever you don’t like about wearing sunscreen daily, this product probably eliminates it.
It sinks into the skin like a moisturizer and doesn’t feel greasy or smell like sunscreen at all. It’s specifically designed not to pill (which so many face SPFs do on me) so it can be worn under makeup, and I find that it really lives up to that promise. It doesn’t leave a white cast behind either, so you can wear it bare-faced too — it leaves you with a lovely, hydrated glow. It’s just really good stuff that’ll make wearing SPF daily so much more enjoyable. — Katie McPherson
Banana Boat Kids Sport Sunscreen Spray SPF 50
Spray sunscreen is better than no sunscreen at all, and the Banana Boat Kids Sport version is the best way to make sure my kids are completely covered and safe. It’s easy to use, doesn’t take a whole lot of product to work, and is super easy to apply. We’ve even impatiently sprayed it on before the kids are fully dry, and it doesn’t bead up and run off their bodies like other sunscreens. I’m pretty proud of the fact that my three kids have never had a sunburn like I had every summer as a kid, and this is the stuff we always use. Pool, playground days, soccer games — it works for everything. — Samantha Darby
Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
This sunscreen is genuinely one of my favorites. It goes on smoothly, absorbs quickly without that heavy or sticky feeling, and leaves your skin looking healthy rather than chalky or white. It’s reef-friendly, vegan, hypoallergenic, and enriched with vitamin E to protect against free radicals. But that classic coconut scent is honestly half the reason I reach for it every time. — Katie Garrity, Social & News Editor
Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50
To say that I’m obsessed with this stuff is quite possibly an understatement. I’ve long loved a tinted moisturizer moment, but too often they don’t come with built-in SPF protection. This does, plus it gives you a nice glow. It goes on very smoothly, hydrates, and is kind to your aging skin (read: it blurs nicely). I think I’m in love. — Kate Auletta, Editor in Chief
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50
I recently went on a vacation in the Southwest with a bunch of friends, one of whom brought a big bag of sunscreen samples for us all to try out while there. Out of all the options, this was the clear winner and crowd favorite! It’s just perfect in every way. It does its job, it feels great going on, the bottle design is great, and it works as a primer under any makeup. Yes, it’s more expensive than some of the other options out there, but this is a case where you can tell why and the value is there. My brand loyalty to Supergoop! continues. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social
Evie & Kay Neroli Nourishing Sunblock Body Oil
Body oil with SPF feels extremely counterintuitive at first, but I promise I have had every opportunity to burn to a crisp wearing this one and it has protected me fully every time. I love that this product feels hydrating and nourishing rather than sticky, and it smells so light and pretty. It’s just an interesting product category and, for $15, is totally worth a try if you don’t love the feel of traditional sunblocks. — Katie McPherson
Banana Boat Sheer Sensitive Body Lotion, SPF 50
My whole family recently used this entire line — they have a nice spray and face lotion, too — on vacation, and none of us got burned. It went on smoothly without any cast, and for the first time in like forever, I didn’t break out from face sunscreen. Highly recommend. — Kate Auletta
Cove Suncare Mist Me SPF 40
If you’ve been skipping daily SPF because every sunscreen feels greasy or heavy, Cove’s Mist Me is the one that will actually change that. It’s a zinc oxide mineral spray that goes on light, absorbs fast, and feels like skincare. It’s reef-safe, Leaping Bunny certified, free from parabens and chemical actives, and gentle enough for sensitive and acne-prone skin. — Katie Garrity
Naturium Dew-Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50+
This is my go-to, everyday face SPF. The tint is barely there, but it’s just enough to even out my skin tone. It definitely adds some glow, and I like that it has a higher SPF than many other face sunscreens, which hover around 30. Plus, one tube lasts a really long time, even putting it all over my face and neck each day. — Katie McPherson
Tula Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel
I’ve always been an SPF moisturizer gal, but now the Tula Protect + Go gel is my absolute must-have for my face. Not only is it super light and not greasy or white cast-y, but it also has this magical, almost glitter-like glow to it that makes my whole face feel bright and fresh and lovely. Sometimes I wear this with no makeup on top during the summer and just a little mascara, and I feel like a sunshine fairy. No stinging, no watery eyes — just the perfect dewy face. — Samantha Darby
If you’re not happy with the occasional burns of last year’s sunny season, we hope one of our holy grails will help you protect your skin this summer.
source https://www.scarymommy.com/shopping/best-sunscreens-for-whole-family
Comments
Post a Comment