17-07-2025
27 Things To Make Daily Sunscreen Application Easier
First off, if you any questions about SPF, check out our sunscreen Q&A with dermatologists. But if you're too impatient to read that, know that 1) you should aim for SPF 30 or higher 2) no one is safe from sun exposure — even if you have melanated skin and 3) SPF has expiration dates so be sure to check it before you slather it on for the day.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizing Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50 glides on and soaks in without leaving behind a greasy feel. Yes, you KNOW you need to wear sunscreen, but you have oily skin and sometimes you skip for texture reasons. Here's your solution.
And its cousin, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizer, also has SPF 50 to protect from UV rays and keep your skin (looking and feeling) in top-top shape. Plus, it's fragrance free so it can play nice with sensitive skin.
Colorescience Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50 is a splurgey investment that just might completely replace foundation in your daily routine. (It has for one of our writers!) And it giving tinted coverage is *also* a good thing because you can tell where you put it and where you didn't. No more random little slivers of sunburned cheek!
And if you're into tinted protection, also consider La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 40 Tinted Sunscreen. This is tinted enough (while blending beautifully!) to give you coverage on both fronts. I've used this in several locales, including during a July vacation in Grand Cayman when it stayed PUT even though I all but ate and slept in the saltwater pool.
A set of sunscreen reminder stickers pair well with your body sunscreen so there's someone besides you and your pal who're wading in the waves to remind you that, uh, yes, you do need to reapply! Oh and they last for 12 hours. Once a sticker turns colors, it's time to reapply.
Vacation Classic Whip SPF 30 is a fun sunscreen you'll want to reapply even before it's time! Oh and it'll also remind you that your pal owes you an ice-cream sundae.
A SPF 50 Airy Sunstick Smoothing Bar is a quick K-beauty sun fix you can safely throw in your bag and then reapply on the go. It has a slightly curved bar for easier application (like in the GIF!) and matte effect, and won't leave a white cast in its wake.
And if you're sold on a solid SPF, this Neutrogena SPF 50 sunscreen really sticks to your skin on your tropical (or just plain sweaty) vacation. Oh, and because it's a solid, it's carry-on friendly! (I love to keep this in my purse all the time.)
Lanolips SPF 30 lip balm gives you a nice, light, pineapple-y treat so you don't end up with fried lips. Your lips needs sunscreen too! But with this, it doesn't taste like you're wearing sunscreen.
Coppertone Glow with Shimmer Sunscreen Spray in SPF 30 gives you that been-outside-all-summer glow — even if the most light you've basked in has been the light of your phone three mere inches from your face as you scroll through TikTok at 3 a.m.
A refillable sunscreen sponge applicator with a rollerball inside makes reapplication SO much easier. Even for your family members (especially kids!) who always complain later after they avoided reapplication OR "reapplied" but somehow still have an extremely sunburnt stomach.
Black Girl Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 beloved by reviewers with melanated skin for good reason. It rubs in (like, actually rubs in) and doesn't leave any ashy white effect.
Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Spray SPF 50 comes in a two-pack so you can know you'll be covered without FEELING like you're covered in greasy sun protection. Have you even SEEN how expensive aerosol sunscreens are in drugstores lately? True highway robbery.
Milani Make It Last Sunscreen Setting Spray / Primer with SPF 30 helps you combine three beauty products into make your makeup waterproof for up to 16 hours. After all, if you're going to bother putting on makeup during the blistering heat of summer, you might as well make sure it stays PUT.
If you're feeling splurgey, Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow Gel SPF 45 delivers on some major glitz while blocking the sun's harmful rays. In case you've always thought, "I love how people look all glowy while oiled up!" but have gone for traditional SPF for obvious reasons, here's your sign to try this.
A sand removal bag filled with talc-free, reef-friendly powder brushes off the scratchy stuff when it's time to reapply your sunscreen. Exfoliation scrubbing is happening LATER in the shower, not in between SPF layers on the beach, OK? Also, it'll be fab when it's time to leave the beach and you don't want to track a bucket's worth of sand into your car.
Sun Bum SPF 30 Scalp and Hair Mist makes sure that your precious hair part doesn't get burned while you're doing whatever you're doing outdoors. This also doesn't turn your roots or scalp a different color!
Or if your scalp is a bit oily, Hawaiian Tropic's SPF 30 Mineral Powder Sunscreen Brush covers your face like a setting powder on top of makeup, but reviewers especially love it for scalp coverage. They also call out that it's a cheaper alt for both the $35 Supergoop and $36 Brush On Block!
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Moisturizing Face SPF 60 Serum, which reviewers ADORE as a priming moisturizer. Because sometimes, when you're doing a full face and your SPF isn't built into another product, even the BEST sunscreen users can forget it! Oh, and there's zero white cast!
Vacation Chardonnay *Plumping* Lip Oil SPF 30 provides some intense moisture in a yummy caramel-vanilla flavor because maybe your signature red lipstick has zero SPF in it. Layer this on!
Or if you want some more *clear* protection Black Girl Sunscreen's Make It Pop Sungloss with SPF 50 works beautifully on bare lips or on top of another color.
Naked Sundays SPF 50 Glow + Go Lip Oil in watermelon swipes on so quick and easy — whether or not you wear it solo or layer on top of lip liner.
CeraVe Tinted Sunscreen with SPF 30 is a sheer formula to make you glow without feeling like you put on an extra layer or drying you out. Because sometimes you forgo SPF because it doesn't blend in so great. Enter: this.
Kate Somerville Soft Focus Makeup Setting Spray that — ya' guessed it — has SPF 50 in it for when you've got a full face for your boat day and don't wanna layer a sunscreen with a cast on top of your look. And it smells really nice!
Dr. Loretta SPF 40 Urban Antioxidant Sunscreen layers RIDICULOUSLY well under a full face of makeup WITHOUT any pilling (which apparently is still a big ask in 2025)?! And it has a lovely pearlescent sheen for anyone who loves highlighter.
An 18-ounce jug of Supergoop Everyday SPF 50 Lotion in an obvious-enough size and shape that you can park by your door as a reminder to apply before you leave your home. Oh, and there's no white cast!
Mixsoon Bean SPF 50 Sunscreen has an "airy" texture in case you're in the nongreasy sunscreen camp. (Aren't we all?) If you're looking for something that works well with a full face of makeup, this might just be it!
