No matter where you are in the world or what the weather is like outside, it’s always good to apply sunscreen to your dry skin. All skin is susceptible to the damage that UV rays can cause, including wrinkles, premature aging, and skin cancer, so slather yourself with a generous amount of SPF daily, and not just once. “Reapply every two hours, especially if you are outdoors,” says Dr. Reszko, who recommends using a hydrating sunscreen spray for added moisture and convenience throughout the day. Ahead, the best sunscreens for dry skin.
- Why We Love It: Both accessible and budget-friendly, this formula from La Roche-Posay is suitable for skin that’s sensitive as well as dry due to the inclusion of niacinamide and the brand’s signature prebiotic thermal water, both of which have soothing properties. In addition to SPF 30, it also features nourishing ceramides and thirst-quenching glycerin—“ingredients will give your skin much needed protection and hydration,” says Dr. Reszko. Though it’s proven to moisturize skin for 48 hours, it won’t weigh your skin down or leave it feeling greasy.
- Key Ingredients: Ceramide, niacinamide, prebiotic thermal water
- SPF Type: Chemical (avobenzone 3%, homosalate 5%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 7%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Best Anti-Aging: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
- Why We Love It: You’re getting a two-for-one here—this version of Elemis’s cult-favorite anti-aging moisturizer helps repair existing skin damage with firming padina pavonica (a type of algae) and antioxidants while protecting it against future concerns with SPF. Due to the inclusion of shea butter, this cream is plenty nourishing yet still absorbs rapidly, leaving a delicate rose and mimosa aroma in its wake, as well as tauter, smoother, and glowier-looking skin.
- Key Ingredients: Padina pavonica extract, gingko biloba extract, vitamin E
- SPF Type: Chemical (avobenzone 1.0%, octinoxate 1.0%, octocrylene 0.5%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Best for Acne: ZitSticka MEGASHADE Sunscreen Serum SPF 50
- Why We Love It: Finding a moisturizing sunscreen for skin that’s both dry and blemish-prone can be a challenge, but this fluid formula handles it with aplomb. The ingredient list reads more like that of a treatment serum than a sunscreen, with antioxidants green tea and ferulic acid, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and barrier-boosting ceramides. You’ll also find niacinamide, which helps keep pores clear and quell redness as well as brighten up post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Thanks to the combination of mineral and chemical filters, there’s zero white cast—just a silky, fast-absorbing formula that leaves skin looking dewy but still comfy.
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid
- SPF Type: Hybrid (zinc oxide 3%, homosalate 7.5%, octisalate 5%, octinoxate 7.5%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Dewy
Best With Vitamin C: Paula’s Choice 5% Vitamin C Sheer Moisturizer SPF 50
- Why We Love It: Studies show that sunscreen is actually more effective when paired with vitamin C, which is one of many reasons skin experts recommend applying vitamin C daily; this formula simplifies that by combining the two essential ingredients into one elegant formula. “This will help prevent future sun damage but also help with existing discoloration,” confirms Dr. Rezko. Five percent vitamin C and fellow antioxidants acetyl zingerone (derived from ginger) and algae extract protect skin and work to brighten up dark spots, while the combination of glycerin, castor oil, and dimethicone lock in hydration without feeling greasy.
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, acetyl zingerone, algae extract
- SPF Type: Chemical (avobenzone 2%, octinoxate (7.5%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 2%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Best Lightweight: Dune The Mug Guard SPF 30
- Why We Love It: The vintage-inspired styling of this brand’s packaging was what got us to try it, but it was what’s inside that got us hooked. The fuss-free gel-cream is genuinely weightless due to a strikingly fast-absorbing formula. Not only does it boast a blend of plant extracts and antioxidants to deliver up to 72 hours of hydration as well as clarify pores and smooth fine lines, but it’s water resistant, too.
- Key Ingredients: Neem extract, hibiscus sabdariffa fruit extract, bisabolol
- SPF Type: Chemical (avobenzone 2.0%, homosalate 5.5%, octisalate 4.5%, octocrylene 4.0%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Best Radiant: Kosas DreamBeam SPF 40 PA++++
- Why We Love It: This is a rare luminous sunscreen that skips the “oil slick” sensation yet still leaves skin looking glowy and feeling hydrated. The radiant formula has an elegant sheen rather than a sparkly finish as it amps skin’s moisture levels with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. It’s also not heavy, even though it’s a mineral formula with a relatively high level of sun protection. To suit a broad range of skin tones, it comes in two shades (a peachy pink and a golden glow), and is silicone-free, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides
- SPF Type: Mineral (zinc oxide 21.7%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Radiant
Best Mineral: Colorescience Total Protection No-Show Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
- Why We Love It: “I love when facial sunscreens contain SPF 50, and this is one of my favorites,” says Dr. Rezko, citing its ultra-lightweight formulation that blends in beautifully without leaving a hint of a white cast, even on deep skin tones. Though it’s lightweight, it’s deeply hydrating because of silver ear mushroom extract, a humectant that’s more powerful than hyaluronic acid. This sunscreen also protects skin from free radicals and HEV (blue light) for well-rounded defense against damage.
- Key Ingredients: Silver ear mushroom extract, bisabolol, allantoin
- SPF Type: Mineral (zinc oxide 10%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Best Tinted: Laura Mercier Long-Wear Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy Broad Spectrum SPF 30
- Why We Love It: If your complexion is very fair or very deep, chances are that the average tinted SPF just won’t work for your skin tone, one of multiple reasons this makeup-skincare hybrid is a must-have. Available in 20 shades, this reformulated take on the original Laura Mercier formula offers 16 hours of wear, with coverage that can be built up from sheer to light. It’s also packed with skin-care benefits—ingredients like upcycled black grape pomace work to smooth texture and tone, while sodium hyaluronate and raspberry leaf extract provide more than 24 hours of hydration.
- Key Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, prebiotics, upcycled black grape pomace
- SPF Type: Hybrid (octisalate 4.5%, octocrylene 5.0%, titanium dioxide 0.84%, zinc oxide 3.04%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Dewy
Best Stick: Supergoop! Glow Stick Sunscreen SPF 50
- Why We Love It: It’s hard to beat the convenience of this Supergoop! formula, a completely clear stick that can be applied from head to toe to provide skin protection while delivering a serious sheen. There are no luminous particles in this sunscreen, just nourishing oils like buriti and meadowfoam, which “have fatty acids, specifically oleic, linoleic, and behenic, to moisturize and lock in hydration,” says Dr. Alemi.
- Key Ingredients: Calendula extract, buriti oil, meadowfoam seed oil
- SPF Type: Chemical (avobenzone 3.0%, octisalate 5.0%, octocrylene 10.0%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Dewy
Best Makeup Primer: It Cosmetics Hello Sunshine Invisible Hydrating Serum Sunscreen SPF 50
- Why We Love It: This multitasking formula acts as a hydrating serum, makeup primer, and sunscreen, making it an essential in any travel kit to cut down on beauty bag bulk. The lightweight texture actually looks and feels invisible, never pilling under any of the products we paired it with, but still leaves skin feeling hydrated and silky smooth thanks to hyaluronic acid and panthenol.
- Key Ingredients: Panthenol, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
- SPF Type: Chemical (avobenzone 3.0%, homosalate 7.0%, octisalate 5.0%, octocrylene 7.0%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Best Korean: Beauty of Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40
- Why We Love It: This K-Beauty formula goes on like a rich moisturizer to immediately quench thirsty skin with glycerin while helping to support the skin barrier with prebiotic inulin and soothing rice extract. So long as you take the time to fully massage it in so it can absorb, this cream will stay smooth under makeup and leave you with a glass skin glow.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, inulin, rice extract
- SPF Type: Chemical (homosalate 9.0%, octocrylene 5.0%, octisalate 4.5%, avobenzone 2.7%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Dewy
Best for Sensitive Skin: EltaMD UV Skin Recovery Broad Spectrum SPF 50
- Why We Love It: Walk into the office of any derm or plastic surgeon, and you’re bound to find bottles of EltaMD sunscreens—the brand’s products are recognized for their performance, efficacy, and compatibility with even the most sensitive skin. This new launch features a blend of skin barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides, amino acids, and cica to help repair, nourish, and calm sensitivity and irritation. It’s so gentle that it’s safe to use even after laser resurfacing, which is exactly how we tested it. The formula felt incredibly soothing after a particularly deep round of Clear+Brilliant; the green tinted version immediately neutralized redness to the point that we could confidently leave the house without makeup, while this untinted iteration has been a daily staple.
- Key Ingredients: Ceramides, centella asiatica, amino acids
- SPF Type: Mineral (zinc oxide 12.9%)
- Broad-Spectrum: Yes
- Finish: Natural
What to Look for in a Sunscreen for Dry Skin
There are a few things to consider here, beginning with the format. The types of sunscreens that are best for dry skin tend to be lotions and creams, which are inherently more moisturizing than sprays and powders. Dr. Alemi notes that filter type can also make a difference. “Mineral sunscreens are generally less irritating and gentler on dry and sensitive skin,” he explains. (All formulations and complexions are different, though, so don’t be afraid to test chemical and hybrid formulas—just be sure to do a swatch test if you tend to have very reactive skin.)
Perhaps the most important factor in finding the best sunscreens for dry skin is the ingredients beyond the SPF filters. Look for ingredients that will hydrate the skin, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, as well as those that will lock in moisture, such as ceramides and squalane. This will reinforce the skin barrier and protect your skin against transepidermal water loss. “Products with antioxidants, such as vitamin E or niacinamide, can also protect the skin barrier while soothing dryness,” says Dr. Reszko, adding that you shouldn’t fear the inclusion of oils: “Sunscreens infused with nourishing oils like jojoba oil, argan oil, or almond oil provide additional hydration, making them ideal for dry skin.”
