How to choose the best sunscreen for your skin type

23/05/2024

It isn’t one size fits all when it comes to sunscreen (iStock/The Independent )

When it comes to daily skincare, we all know that facial SPF is non-negotiable – and with the sun’s UV rays causing us damage all year round, so sunscreen is not merely a summer staple.

Wearing a daily SPF with a minimum of SPF30 is the best way to protect our skin – but it can be tricky to know where to start, particularly with so many formulas on the market.

Just like moisturisers, serums and face washes, one size doesn’t fit all. It’s important to find an SPF that’s tailored to your skin type or specific concerns.

Whether you have acne-prone, sensitive or oily skin, the latest formulas are made using innovative ingredients that don’t clog the pores or leave a white cast over darker skin tones.

From Murad and La Roche Posay to Ultrasun and Garnier, we’ve rounded up the best tried and tested SPFs for various skin types below (you’re welcome).

Best SPF for acne-prone skin – La Roche Posay UVMUNE anthelios 400 invisible fluid, SPF 50+: £16, Lookfantastic.com

(Fani Mari)

Securing the top spot in our review of the best sunscreen for acne-prone skin, La Roche Posay’s anthelios 400 invisible fluid SPF was described as the best all-rounder for topping up during the day. “We’ve been in love with this sunscreen for a long time – in fact, it was still called ‘shaka fluid’ when we first started using it,” our beauty expert said. “Since then, this product has only gotten better, with the addition of new UV filters to protect against photo ageing (when the sun prematurely ages skin).”

Praised as being neither too oily nor too matte, they loved the formula for being very lightweight as well as being easy to apply – “it’s incredibly fluid and simply disappears on the skin.”

Best SPF for sensitive skin – Murad city skin age defence broad spectrum SPF50: £55.20, Lookfantastic.com

(Murad)

Our favourite SPF for sensitive skin, Murad’s age defence broad spectrum SPF50 formula is a daily staple. “The slimline 50ml bottle is an ideal handbag size, and when squeezing out the cream, there’s never a gloopy mess,” noted our writer. “What we love most about the midweight, pale orange sunscreen is how much it balances out an uneven skin tone,” they added. Instantly smoothing, the product absorbs quickly into the skin, “leaving gorgeous luminosity while protecting against UVA, UVB and blue light damage”.

They described the effect as “bringing just enough glow without a hint of greasiness or irritation”. Whether wearing make-up or leaving your face bare, this high-protection SPF50 buy preps the face like a superior primer. “It’s undoubtedly a splurge, but we can’t fault the incredible finish.”

Best SPF for dark skin – Ultrasun face anti pigmentation SPF50+: £25.60, Lookfantastic.com

(Lookfantastic)

The best tried and tested formula for darker skin tones, Ultrasun’s anti pigmentation SPF50 left our beauty critic’s skin “feeling moisturised, protected and healthy-looking”. People of colour are often concerned about visible hyperpigmentation, but they love this SPF for its advanced formulation geared towards treating and protecting the skin from further damage.

“We tried it under make-up, on clean skin, while working outdoors and facing a screen all day and its creamy formula not only absorbed completely with little effort, but it left our skin feeling moisturised, protected and healthy-looking,” noted our beauty expert. Powered by ingredients such as squalane and citric acid, our tester said that it mattifies “oily skin types and hydrating drier types, [with] the SPF technology working with darker skin tones rather than against it”.

Best SPF for dry skin – Aēsop protective facial lotion SPF25: Was £37, now £29.60, Lookfantastic.com

(Aesop )

Dubbed the best formula for dry skin in our round-up of the best face SPFs, our tester loved Aesop’s thick, creamy formula. “With a rich botanical scent, this fresh-smelling sunscreen is like a spa treatment in a bottle,” they said. “A cocktail of skin-loving ingredients, including green tea, panthenol and tocopherol gives it many more benefits aside from just sun protection, including boosting moisture levels and brightening the face.”

It feels more like a rich face cream than an SPF, with our tester using it in place of their morning moisturiser. “Of course, if you’re out in the sunshine, a high SPF is preferable, but for pottering from home to the office and back again, it’s certainly better than nothing at all,” they concluded.

Best for blemish-prone skin – Eucerin oil control dry touch sun spray SPF 50 for sensitive and acne-prone skin, 200ml: £24.99, Amazon.co.uk

(Amazon)

This Eucerin formula was dubbed the best for blemish-prone skin in our review of body sunscreens. Due to its unique formula – which the brand calls its “advanced spectral technology” – you’ll benefit from high UVA/UVB protection and Licochalcone A, which prevents further sun damage and stress to the skin, by neutralising free radicals.

It comes in an easy-to-use spray bottle and absorbs fast into the skin, while our tester loved the transparent formula that meant “there’s no risk of it leaving any unsightly white marks anywhere on your body”.

Best SPF for oily skin – La Roche-Posay anthelios UVmune 400 oil control fluid: £16, Lookfantastic.com

(La Roche-Posay)

Not only is this a great SPF for oily skin, but it was crowned the best face sunscreen in our round-up. “Ticking every box we could create, including UVA, UVB and long UVA protection, being suitable for sensitive skin, non-greasy and lightweight, it more than delivers in every area,” our tester said.

Easy to apply thanks to the neck tube dispenser, the lightweight lotion absorbs instantly into the skin. “Reducing shine, we found you’ll still get a fresh-faced glow minus any sticky or oily sensation, and it keeps you safe from the sun no matter how strong,” they said.

Best SPF for rosacea – Garnier Ambre Solaire super UV anti dark spots and anti pollution face fluid SPF 50+, 40ml: £8.71, Lookfantastic.com

(Lookfantastic)

It’s tricky to find make-up-friendly SPF formulas, particularly if you have rosacea. Enter this Garnier formula that secured a spot in our review of the best rosacea creams. “Though relatively affordable, this sophisticated SPF offers a factor 50 sun protection and a lightweight texture,” they praised. “As a result, you’ll achieve adequate sun protection without disrupting any make-up you may wish to wear on top.”

Best SPF for ezcema – Rosalique 3-in-1 anti-redness miracle formula SPF50: £29.99, Rosalique.co.uk

(Amazon)

This Rosalique anti-redness formula contains SPF50 and seriously impressed our beauty critic in their guide to the best eczema creams. “It’s fragrance-free and conceals redness with its green, colour-correcting hue while also soothing and hydrating skin with panthenol (also known as pro-vitamin B5), shea butter, urea and anti-inflammatory chamomile,” they said.

While it’s not made specifically for eczema sufferers (it’s made for those with rosacea or keratosis pilaris), they loved the formula “for soothing any post-flare-up redness, and it’s particularly handy for those days when my eczema is too severe for make-up.”