I Tested 20 Buzzy SPFs To Find the Best Ones

From heavy hitters like Beauty of Joseon and Ultra Violette to newer releases by Sofie Pavitt and Eadem, these are the ones worth buying

Jul 21, 2026

Shitters!!! It feels like I’ve been sent every buzzy new SPF under the sun over the past few months, so I figured I would put them to the test and report back on what’s worth trying and buying!

To me, a good SPF needs to do a few things:

Provide solid protection*. Duh. Daily SPF use is the single most effective way to protect against skin cancer and premature signs of aging. I’m not a stickler for mineral vs. chemical, but I look for broad spectrum and at least SPF 30.

Blend easily with no white cast. It’s 2026—your sunscreen can’t just work for white people to be considered a good product.

Feel GOOD on the skin. This one is harder to quantify exactly, but you know it when you feel it (or when you don’t). My ideal SPF feels hydrating and lightweight, and can replace moisturizer as the last step in my AM skincare.

*Some quick context: The sun has two kinds of rays. UVB is the more superficial kind that burns skin and causes skin cancer. UVA is deeper penetrating and ages the skin. SPF is the measure of protection against UVB rays. The difference between SPF 30 (97% of UVB rays) vs. SPF 50 (98% of UVB rays) sounds minimal, but most people don’t wear the recommended amounts of sunscreen, so higher SPF can make a difference. Broad spectrum means that a product protects against both UVA and UVB rays (all of the following products are broad spectrum). There’s a lot of hoopla about mineral vs. chemical formulas—the difference is in the ingredients and how the product works. Chemical formulas use chemical filters to absorb and release UV rays, while mineral formulas use zinc or titanium oxide to physically block them. Mineral is known to cause less irritation for sensitive skin and work immediately, but many can be thick and leave a white cast. Chemical is known to be lighter weight, easily blendable, and water-resistant, but they take 15 minutes to kick in. One isn’t better than the other—according to dermatologists, the best SPF is one you use consistently.

My New Favorites 🏆

Sofie Pavitt (chemical)
Sarah Creal (mineral)
Live Tinted (tinted mineral)
Eadem Sunsuede (chemical, stick)

Best of the Chemical Formulas

Chemical sunscreens are my personal favorite—they offer great protection, blend and wear super easily, and I tend to reach for them first for day-to-day wear.

Sofie Pavitt Screentime, SPF 30 (chemical), $38/50ml (Code: PRIYANKA15)

My daily driver. This has been my new favorite SPF since the day I tried it. It’s hydrating without looking or feeling greasy, has zero white cast or tint (makes it easy to reapply/share with the boys), won’t break you out, and wears beautifully on its own or under makeup. Could the SPF be higher? Sure. But the texture makes this one a standout and everyone I’ve shared it with has been head over heels.

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun, SPF 50 (chemical), $18/50ml

My OG. Before Sofie, this was my MVP (I’ve been known to buy four tubes at a time to stock up). It’s hydrating, lightweight, inexpensive, KOREAN (you don’t need to be an expert to know that they’re doing it so much better than the rest of us). My sister prefers this lightweight version, but the OG will always be my favorite. It feels hydrating and gentle on the skin, takes the place of moisturizer in my AM routine, and SPF 50 is the cherry on top.

Eadem Sunsuede Stick, SPF 50+ (chemical), $32/20 grams

An easy-to-use new formula and godsend for reapplication. This looks like a mini deodorant stick, which originally baffled me, but I LOVE it for reapplication. It’s just so easy. The texture is soft and suede-like (not greasy at all), it goes on colorless without any white cast or rubbing in required, plus it fits easily into purses or beach/sport bags to reapply on-the-go. The only downside is that it’s tough to know if you’ve applied enough with a solid formula, which is why I typically only use this for reapplication, but it’s a great pool/beachside companion.

Best of the Mineral Formulas

A mineral sunscreen without a crazy white cast is harder to find (especially if you prefer ones that don’t double as foundation), but I’ve been really impressed with some of these new options!

Sarah Creal Brilliant Repair Shield, SPF 50 (mineral), $64/30ml (Code: PRIYANKA15)

My new favorite mineral SPF! This REALLY impressed me! It has a thinner, serum-like consistency, and comes out slightly tinted (I was originally nervous that it only came in two shades, but it seems like the tint is there to mitigate white cast rather than requiring an exact shade match). Unlike most other tinted SPFs, it’s not makeup-y and full coverage, which I really liked, and it blends into the skin SO easily (RARE for a mineral formula). It’s on the pricier side, but if you’ve been struggling to find a mineral formula you like, this is worth a try.

Live Tinted HueGuard Tinted, SPF 50 (mineral), $42/40ml

A mineral SPF that looks like the best makeup of your life. WOW. This is genuinely a beautiful product! I put this on and couldn’t stop looking at my skin—I looked airbrushed! It has coverage and a flawless, gorgeous finish. I could wear this and nothing else and feel made up enough for a night out. Texture-wise it’s perfect—not too thick or too thin, and the finish is very pretty and makeup-like. If you want a barefaced style product, this probably isn’t for you, but I could see this simplifying a LOT of daily makeup routines. The shade range is incredibly inclusive, and in the voice memo I recorded of myself first trying it on, I said the word “beautiful” no less than six times. Shoutout to founder Deepica Mutyala on this one—it really does feel on par with higher end cosmetics.

Merit The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 45 (mineral), $38/50ml

A mineral SPF that replaces your daily skin tint. This was one of my favorite new discoveries of the past year—it’s a mineral SPF with a soft matte, tinted finish that makes your skin look even and perfected. Tbh it’s as good of an SPF as it is a makeup product, and I’ve turned so many people in my life onto it for this reason! If you want an all-in-one product, this (and the previous version from LiveTinted) are the ones to check out.

Other Good Recs

Tatcha The Milky Sunscreen, SPF 50 (chemical), $50/50ml

This has a very thin, liquid-y consistency, as opposed to the thicker texture I’m used to. It blends in and absorbs super easily, has no white cast, smells refreshing and vaguely botanical, and has a finish that’s glowy, but not greasy (I would definitely feel comfortable wearing this barefaced). I typically prefer a thicker texture myself, but if you like a lighter feel, you should try this.

Dr. Idriss Major Fade Disco Block, SPF 50 (chemical), $38/50ml

This chemical sunscreen has a super unique, whipped texture that blends in easily. If you run on the oilier side, it might not be for you, but if you have drier skin or like to glow, this is definitely worth a try. I fall on the former side myself, but I have a few friends who really love this one. Extra points for high SPF!

Colorescience Face Shield Flex (tinted), SPF 50 (mineral), $58/55ml (Code: PRIARIBI)

This was one of the most interesting sunscreens I tried. It comes out of the bottle an off-white color with lots of tiny dark flecks, but as you rub it in you can literally see it change color and become a tinted SPF. It blends easily (no cast), and has a perfected, makeup-like finish similar to Live Tinted’s. Plus SPF 50 is great! I’m not a tinted SPF person personally, but if you are, this is worth considering.

Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream, SPF 30 (mineral), $50/30ml (Code: PRIYANKA15)

This is technically a tinted sunscreen, but it’s not makeup-y (again, feels like the tint is there to mitigate white cast instead of replacing makeup). It took me about a minute to work it into the skin, but the cast dissipated well and it dried down to slightly matte finish. The only issue to me is that it did feel a little heavy. That might take a minute to get used to (and maybe means it’s better for fall/winter), but it’s a solid option for people looking to switch to a mineral formula.

Skips

These got plenty of buzz, but IMO they didn’t stand up to the wear test.

Live Tinted Hue Guard, SPF 30 (mineral), $36/50ml

I know this is a line formulated for people with darker skin tones, but I still thought the white cast was more noticeable than I wanted it to be (I much preferred their tinted version above). The cast dissipates a little more quickly than many other mineral brands as you rub it in, but my skin did look and feel a bit chalky still. I would wear it under makeup, but likely not on its own.

Le Prunier Plumscreen, SPF 31 (mineral), $80/60ml (Code: SIBAL15)

When I first tried this SPF, I LOVED it. It feels nice and hydrating on the skin, like a cream rather than a traditional SPF, blends into the skin nicely, and smells like marzipan thanks to the line’s hero Plum Beauty Oil (I use that and this from the line regularly). BUT my issue is that SPF isn’t a “little goes a long way” kind of product—if you use the recommended amount here, it feels like way too much product and will pill on your skin/under makeup.

Ultra Violette Future Screen, SPF 50 (mineral), $40/50ml

This wasn’t bad—it just wasn’t my favorite. It’s actually one of the better mineral sunscreens out there. It’s pretty lightweight, you still have to work it into the skin, but the cast does dissipate, and it comes out of the bottle looking slightly tan, which makes it easier to blend in. It felt a little greasy on me, and I looked slightly paler than normal, but it would likely be fine under makeup.

Lesse Every Tone, SPF 30 (mineral), $60/50ml

This looks crazy when it goes on (VERY white/purple), but within 30 seconds of rubbing in, it dissipates a lot. You really do have to work it in there though, and for skin tones like mine, it still had a bit of a cast (my skin tone isn’t even that deep, so I can’t imagine it on deeper tones).

Good Weather Skin The One Daily Sun Cream, SPF 30 (mineral), $48/30ml (Code: PRIYANKA15)

This is a classic mineral sunscreen—it takes a while to rub in, and you really have to work it into the skin. They pride themselves on leaving the skin dewy and hydrated, which is true (it’s definitely not chalky or drying), but it still had a little cast, and the protection level is relatively low. This was ultimately better than I expected, but I still wouldn’t reach for it first among other choices.

Tower 28 SOS Faceguard, SPF 30 (mineral), $32/50ml

This comes out of the bottle a pale, orange-y color, and definitely needs some time to work into the skin (still had mild cast around my temples, mouth, etc.). Texture-wise, this felt normal—a little greasy around the nose, but you can get better protection elsewhere with less of a cast.

Ultra Violette Supreme Screen, SPF 50 (chemical), $36/50ml

This is perhaps my least favorite chemical sunscreen. The main issue is that it smells like chemicals in the way that none of my other SPFs do, and I get a weird taste in the back of my throat when I use it. I LOVEEEE this body sunscreen by the brand, but this one was a skip from me.

Shiseido Urban Environment Mineral Clear, SPF 50 (mineral), $39/30ml

This was VERY thin and liquid-y out of the bottle. It goes on white/purple like you might expect from a mineral sunscreen, and for something that’s oil-free, it still feels pretty oily. The cast didn’t dissipate as well as some of the others (it was still very noticeable IMO), and it was just not a winner in my book.

UBeauty Multimodal Sheer Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 25 (mineral), $98/50ml (Code: PRIYANKA15)

I love most things UBeauty, but I gotta be honest—this was impressively bad. Chalky, white cast, low SPF, and more expensive than any other option on this list. This, this, and this from the line are far more worth the splurge.