Shopping for the best sunscreens for acne-prone skin is no simple task. This skin type often needs a facial sunscreen that’s lightweight yet simultaneously stable and long-lasting—something that doesn’t melt down your cheeks and forehead the second you sweat or get greasy, but is still gentle enough to not aggravate your complexion even more.
As someone who falls into the acne-prone, greasy, and sensitive trifecta of skin types (I know, I’m #blessed), I’ll be the first to admit that finding that perfect match can feel exhausting. You can’t just saunter into Sephora and choose whichever sunscreen bottle or stick looks best on the shelf. Fortunately Glamour editors have done extensive testing so you don’t have to. We asked leading dermatologists which types of sunscreens they recommend for patients with acne-prone skin—plus exactly what to look for while shopping for them.
The best sunscreens for acne-prone skin
- Best Overall: EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen SPF 46, $43
- Best Color-Correcting: Kosas DreamBeam Silicone-Free Mineral Sunscreen, $40
- Best Drugstore: Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30, $12
- Best Gel Formula: Dune Suncare Mug Guard Invisible Gel Face Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $28
- Best Luxury: Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF, $49
- Best Mineral: Isdin Eryfotona Actinica Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, $46
- Best Skin Tint: Supergoop! Protec(tint) Daily SPF Tint SPF 50 Sunscreen Skin Tint, $44
What sunscreen is good for acne-prone skin?
“For oily and/or acne-prone skin, choose noncomedogenic, oil-free, fragrance-free, and lightweight sunscreens,” Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, board-certified cosmetic and medical dermatologist at Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, tells Glamour. Additionally, the ideal sunscreen for acne-prone and oily skin will have acne-fighting and anti-inflammatory ingredients, like lactic acid and niacinamide, Dr. Murphy-Rose adds.
Azadeh Shirazi, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist at and founder of La Jolla Dermatology in California, stresses niacinamide as a hero ingredient for acne-prone skin, since it helps with regulating oil production and calming inflammation and breakouts.
As for what to avoid? Dr. Shirazi points to thick ingredients like coconut oil, mineral oil, beeswax, and silicones. “These ingredients are more likely to clog pores and flare up acne breakouts, particularly in warmer months. Instead look for hydrating ingredients like glycerin or hyaluronic acid in sunscreens,” she says. “I favor mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide for acne-prone skin, since zinc is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and less likely to cause a reaction disruption of the skin barrier.”
Whether you need SPF to wear under makeup or a lightweight tinted moisturizer with SPF, we’ve got you and your skin covered—and protected from UV rays. Ahead, see dermatologists’ and Glamour editors’ top picks for the best sunscreen for acne-prone skin.
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Best Overall: EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen (SPF 46)”,”dek”:[“div”,[“p”,[“sub”,”Original photo courtesy of “,[“em”,”Glamour”],” contributor Brigitt Earley”]],[“p”,”Two dermatologists and one esthetician recommend EltaMD’s cult-favorite Clear SPF as their top choice for acne-prone skin, so you know it’s good. “My absolute favorite SPF for acne-prone skin is Clear by EltaMD,” says “,[“a”,{“href”:”https://www.instagram.com/beauxmedspa/?hl=en”,”target”:”_blank”},”Kristin Gunn”],”, a celebrity esthetician and owner of “,[“a”,{“href”:”http://halcyonskin.com/”,”target”:”_blank”},”Halcyon Skincare”],” and “,[“a”,{“href”:”https://beauxmedspa.com/”,”target”:”_blank”},”Beaux Medspa”],”. “With an SPF rating of 46, it uses micronized zinc oxide to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. It also contains high-purity niacinamide (vitamin B3) to help reduce the appearance of blemishes and discoloration on your skin.””],[“p”,”Dr. Murphy-Rose and “,[“a”,{“href”:”https://www.mdcsnyc.com/provider/brendan-camp-md”,”target”:”_blank”},”Brendan Camp, MD”],”, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, agree. “I frequently recommend Elta MD UV Clear to my acne-prone or oily-skin patients for excellent sun protection that won’t promote breakouts, and my patients love it!” says Dr. Murphy-Rose. “Formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E, this daily moisturizer offers SPF 46 protection is fragrance-free, dye-free, and noncomedogenic,” she says.”],[“p”,”Oh, and yes, our testers agree: “I like the creamy consistency of this facial sunscreen, since lightweight options can be kind of goopy and hard to work with,” says “,[“em”,”Glamour”],” contributor “,[“a”,{“href”:”https://www.glamour.com/contributor/brigitt-earley”,”target”:”_blank”},”Brigitt Earley”],”. “Still, this one doesn’t leave any sticky residue behind. It also has a higher SPF than most, plus is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.””],[“ul”,[“li”,[“strong”,”Active ingredients:”],” Zinc oxide, niacinamide”],[“li”,[“strong”,”SPF:”],” 40″],[“li”,[“strong”,”Size:”],” 4 fl. oz.”],[“li”,[“strong”,”Pros:”],” Lightweight; layers well; noncomedogenic; fragrance-free”],[“li”,[“strong”,”Cons:”],” On the expensive side”]]],”functionalTags”:[{“name”:”_commerce”,”slug”:”commerce”}],”id”:”6630197aeb0ce6fb9ab24eda”,”isHedClickable”:false,”isPromotion”:null,”name”:”EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen”,”offers”:[{“offerUrl”:”https://www.amazon.com/EltaMD-Acne-Prone-Mineral-Based-Dermatologist-Recommended/dp/B002MSN3QQ/r”,”price”:””,”currency”:”USD”,”purchaseUri”:”https://cna.st/p/2h8zKZvUAqv9ZBD2LWAJSVZJMZo3t1Xwzf8DPWfmzpvRZ1XHbRhU3656csa6TafB95dBNz4WA7jdReJTfDor1uoggaBLCzUAXb26K16qAczEdt632L4djhFbErohWhXfrfw7fNKebpVGffi3e5z4mfzvpqXFnPcJDvnm6kh9Ekx2sqPnHC”,”sellerName”:”Amazon”,”countryCode”:””,”reducedPrice”:””}],”promotionHed”:null,”promotionText”:null,”socialIconsProps”:{“links”:[{“network”:”Pinterest”,”label”:”Post to Pinterest”,”url”:”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.glamour.com%2Fgallery%2Fbest-sunscreen-for-acne-prone-skin&media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.glamour.com%2Fphotos%2F66301982eb0ce6fb9ab24edc%2Fmaster%2Fw_1200%2Cc_limit%2FEltaMD%2520UV%2520Clear%2520Face%2520Sunscreen.jpg&description=EltaMD%20UV%20Clear%20Face%20Sunscreen”}]},”itemSocialSharesProps”:{“showBookmark”:false,”links”:[]},”showLocalisedOffers”:true,”isUpcEnabled”:true,”index”:0,”showClampedProductDescription”:false,”order”:0,”totalCount”:20,”preHeaderOne”:”1/20″,”showOrderedGallery”:false,”hasAffiliateLinkDisabled”:false,”layout”:”ProductEmbed”,”component”:”unified_product_card”}”>
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Best Overall: EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen (SPF 46)
Original photo courtesy of Glamour contributor Brigitt Earley
Two dermatologists and one esthetician recommend EltaMD’s cult-favorite Clear SPF as their top choice for acne-prone skin, so you know it’s good. “My absolute favorite SPF for acne-prone skin is Clear by EltaMD,” says Kristin Gunn, a celebrity esthetician and owner of Halcyon Skincare and Beaux Medspa. “With an SPF rating of 46, it uses micronized zinc oxide to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. It also contains high-purity niacinamide (vitamin B3) to help reduce the appearance of blemishes and discoloration on your skin.”
Dr. Murphy-Rose and Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, agree. “I frequently recommend Elta MD UV Clear to my acne-prone or oily-skin patients for excellent sun protection that won’t promote breakouts, and my patients love it!” says Dr. Murphy-Rose. “Formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E, this daily moisturizer offers SPF 46 protection is fragrance-free, dye-free, and noncomedogenic,” she says.
Oh, and yes, our testers agree: “I like the creamy consistency of this facial sunscreen, since lightweight options can be kind of goopy and hard to work with,” says Glamour contributor Brigitt Earley. “Still, this one doesn’t leave any sticky residue behind. It also has a higher SPF than most, plus is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.”
- Active ingredients: Zinc oxide, niacinamide
- SPF: 40
- Size: 4 fl. oz.
- Pros: Lightweight; layers well; noncomedogenic; fragrance-free
- Cons: On the expensive side
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Best Drugstore: Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer (SPF 30)”,”dek”:[“div”,[“p”,[“sub”,”Original photo courtesy of “,[“em”,”Glamour”],” associate beauty editor Danielle Sinay”]],[“p”,”You don’t have to break the bank to find an amazing face suncreen, according to Dr. Camp. “With a mattifying finish, this SPF 30 daily moisturizer helps control shine while protecting skin from the damaging effects of UV radiation,” he says. It also “,[“a”,{“href”:”https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-sunscreens-under-makeup”},”works well under makeup”],” and doesn’t irritate sensitive skin: This is this author’s choice for long walks outside and frequent touch-ups.”],[“ul”,[“li”,[“strong”,”Active ingredients:”],” Avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene”],[“li”,[“strong”,”SPF:”],” 30″],[“li”,[“strong”,”Size:”],” 4 fl. oz.”],[“li”,[“strong”,”Pros:”],” Affordable; lightweight; mattifying”],[“li”,[“strong”,”Cons:”],” Might be too drying for non-oily-skin types”]]],”functionalTags”:[{“name”:”_commerce”,”slug”:”commerce”}],”id”:”663018b8ea13d10b8a247242″,”isHedClickable”:false,”isPromotion”:null,”name”:”Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30″,”offers”:[{“offerUrl”:”https://www.amazon.com/Cetaphil-Absorbing-Moisturizer-Spectrum-Sunscreen/dp/B07GDT961B?”,”price”:”$18″,”currency”:”USD”,”purchaseUri”:”https://cna.st/p/2h8zKZvUAqv9ZBD2LWAJSVZJMZo3t1Xwzf8DPWfmzpvRZ1XHbRhU3CGoPW6Q1SjHH99XmLChDgcdBMQCZcFa9JfRRpTSQnwHShoyqGcEvr8XG57PWCqUmWGReRijcC3zoVXHP3Ax9EBZVecV5yb1NSbZZa9xUsWnUQiDEUUNGkdErUChj4″,”reducedPrice”:”$14″,”sellerName”:”Amazon”,”countryCode”:”US”}],”promotionHed”:null,”promotionText”:null,”socialIconsProps”:{“links”:[{“network”:”Pinterest”,”label”:”Post to Pinterest”,”url”:”https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.glamour.com%2Fgallery%2Fbest-sunscreen-for-acne-prone-skin&media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.glamour.com%2Fphotos%2F66301b32edfc7f1b155cc0b8%2Fmaster%2Fw_1200%2Cc_limit%2Fcetaphil.jpg&description=Cetaphil%20DermaControl%20Oil%20Absorbing%20Moisturizer%20SPF%2030″}]},”itemSocialSharesProps”:{“showBookmark”:false,”links”:[]},”showLocalisedOffers”:true,”isUpcEnabled”:true,”index”:1,”showClampedProductDescription”:false,”order”:1,”totalCount”:20,”preHeaderOne”:”2/20″,”showOrderedGallery”:false,”hasAffiliateLinkDisabled”:false,”layout”:”ProductEmbed”,”component”:”unified_product_card”}”>
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Best Drugstore: Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer (SPF 30)
Original photo courtesy of Glamour associate beauty editor Danielle Sinay
You don’t have to break the bank to find an amazing face suncreen, according to Dr. Camp. “With a mattifying finish, this SPF 30 daily moisturizer helps control shine while protecting skin from the damaging effects of UV radiation,” he says. It also works well under makeup and doesn’t irritate sensitive skin: This is this author’s choice for long walks outside and frequent touch-ups.
- Active ingredients: Avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene
- SPF: 30
- Size: 4 fl. oz.
- Pros: Affordable; lightweight; mattifying
- Cons: Might be too drying for non-oily-skin types
