Well+Good SPF Awards: Best SPF Skin Care

Best SPF serum for dry skin

Get a lightweight dose of hydration with this serum SPF. It’s made with water-loving hyaluronic acid and watermelon to hydrate and plump your skin. The formula is vegan and free of potential irritants like dyes and mineral oils.

What dermatologists say

What testers say

“This serum is super lightweight yet hydrating, and my skin just soaks it up. It smells like Bath & Body Works cucumber melon, giving me a hit of nostalgia every time I reapply.” — Kara Jillian Brown, beauty writer

Active Ingredients

Obenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Hyaluronic acid, Watermelon fruit extract

Best SPF moisturizer for dry skin

Drench your skin with hydration while adding a veil of protection with this water-cream foundation from Coola. It’s made with hyaluronic acid and coconut water to boost your skin’s water content while protecting your skin from the effects of UV light, blue light, visible light, infrared light, and pollution.

What dermatologists say

“Containing hyaluronic acid and coconut water, this sunscreen boosts moisture making it a great option for those with dry skin. I especially love that it absorbs easily and won’t leave the skin feeling greasy.” —Dr. Garshick

What testers say

“I usually have super dry skin, but didn’t at all while using this. I was hydrated and glowing.”—Alexis Reliford, director of social media

Active Ingredients

Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Hyaluronic acid, Coconut water

Best for dullness

Two forms of vitamin C, Moroccan argan oil, and hyaluronic acid come together in this formula to brighten, moisturize, and hydrate dull skin while fading hyperpigmentation over time. It also has a blend of antioxidant-rich botanicals to protect against environmental damage from blue light and pollution.

What dermatologists say

“Incorporating vitamin C as well as the adaptogen-based SuperBright Complex, this helps to improve dullness and brightens the skin while also helping to protect the skin from UV rays. ” — Dr. Garshick

What testers say

“Super silky and not greasy! It blended well into my brown skin. And not only did it brighten it a bit, but also made my skin feel softer after it melted in.” —Reliford

Active Ingredients

Zinc oxide, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic acid

Best SPF serum for sensitive skin

Kakadu plum has 100 times the amount of vitamin C as an orange, allowing this sunscreen to provide ultimate protection against environmental agressors. It also has a blend of nourishing oils like jojoba and squalane and soothing ingredients like marshmallow root and aloe. Thanks to Micro-Sperse Dispersion Technology that uses high pressure to create small particles, this formula spreads with ease.

What dermatologists say

What testers say

“This was one of my favorites that I tried, and the one I kept reaching for over and over again. It almost has the consistency of a gel or water based product, and glides on very smoothly and really absorbs well into the skin. While I love a classic sunscreen smell, I really appreciated that this was very lightly fragranced—it smells lightly fruity, but not in a chemical-y or fake way. My skin is super-sensitive and will break out into a rash and gets red fairly easily, but this didn’t cause any reaction—it just made my complexion feel hydrated and look wonderfully bright and glossy.” — Jen Snyder, former senior director, experiential + brand projects

Active Ingredients

Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Kakadu plum

Best SPF moisturizer for sensitive skin

Whipped marshmallow is the best way to describe Cetaphil’s Healthy Radiance Cream. The formula is powered by hydrators and antioxidants like niacinamide to combat stressors on the skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots. It’s creamy, extremely hydrating, and feels like butter on the skin. Even more, it’s free of fragrances and is designed for sensitive skin types.

What dermatologists say

“Chemical sunscreen formulation that also contains humectants like glycerin to hydrate the skin, emollients like fatty acids to support the skin barrier, and occlusives like dimethicone to help lock in moisture. Also contains 2% niacinamide, which can help improve tone and texture and increase ceramide production in the skin, which strengthens the skin barrier.” — Dr. King

What testers say

“I absolutely loved how this moisturizer felt on my dry skin. Soft and like whipped butter, this moisturizer left my skin feeling more hydrated and plump. I also loved that it does double duty as a moisturizer and sunscreen, so I can eliminate steps in my skin-care routine while protecting myself. It’s definitely going to come in handy all year, especially when the winter months strike.” — Kayla Hui, commerce writer

Active Ingredients

Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Niacinamide

Best SPF serum for oily skin

Peptides and vitamin C allow this sucnreen to protect skin from the sun and pollution while correcting signes of past exposure like dark spots and fine lines. Plus, it floods your skin with hydration—something oily skin can seriously benefit from.

What dermatologists say

“Contains vitamin C, which may help to brighten skin, and it contains glycolic acid, which exfoliates and may also help to brighten and smooth the skin through exfoliation.” — Dr. King

What testers say

I’ve long been a fan of Vichy’s vitamin C serum, and was *so* excited to test the sunscreen-ified version of the formula. I love that it gives me my daily dose of sun-protective SPF and brightening-fighting vitamin C in a single tube, and the fact that I can pick it up at the drugstore simply doesn’t hurt. —Weiner

Active Ingredients

Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Peptides, Vitamin C

Best SPF moisturizer for oily skin

If you’re blemish-prone, this one-and-done moisturizer gives you protection and hydration all at once. This mattifying, oil-absorbing moisturizer is the ultimate hack for anyone trying to get sun protection while keeping their routines as simple as possible. The texture is really light, the formula plays well with makeup, and it really does work against the sun’s UV rays.

What dermatologists say

“This is a chemical sunscreen formulation that’s oil free and non-comedogenic. It contains Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate as well as other ingredients that absorb oil and provide a matte finish.” — Dr. King

What testers say

My acne-prone, oily skin loves this formula, which is super lightweight and never clogs pores. It’s oil-absorbing, so instead of leaving my complexion greasy, it leaves it matte-like (but not overly dry, either). This is my go-to whenever I’m breaking out, or just want a solid, one-and-done SPF moisturizer.” —Gina Vaynshteyn, commerce director

Active Ingredients

Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene

Best anti-aging SPF serum

Any dermatologist will tell you that wearing SPF is the best way to protect against visible signs of skin aging (which, by the way, are caused by UV exposure), but this formula goes above and beyond to treat past *and* future fine future. In addition to offering SPF 50, it’s made with CoQ10, a potent antioxidant that defends against free radical damage and promotes skin elasticity.

What dermatologists say

What testers say

“Absolutely STELLAR face sunscreen—perhaps the best one I’ve ever used. The fragrance is light but recognizable as classic SPF, the texture is silky, and after applying, my skin was luminous and bouncy to the touch. Silky-smooth and liquidy. No chalkiness or stickiness. Looks white outside of the bottle, but goes on clear! Immediately hydrated, bouncy, smooth feeling, looked Dewy and glowing with even skin texture. It might be in my head, but I feel like my skin is way more dewy after using it for a few days. BEST FACE SUNSCREEN EVER. I’ll be using it every day from now on.” —Rosie Bellon, digital designer

Active Ingredients

Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene

Best anti-aging SPF moisturizer

Crows feet, WiFi lines, sun spots—whatever you’re trying to “correct,” this anti-aging moisturizer from Roc has got you covered. It’s the ultimate multitasker, and hydrates, protects, plumps, and smooths in one fell swoop. The gel-cream is almost cool to the touch, perfect for layering over skin on hot summer days. Once it’s on, it goes to work fast, re-plumping skin and evening out its texture with both hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. As soon as you’re done blending it in (which it does seamlessly), skin feels bouncier and plumper, like it just chugged a Stanley tumbler full of water.

What dermatologists say

“This chemical sunscreen formulation provides daily sun protection, the most effective topical anti-aging option. It contains hyaluronic acid, which is a humectant which helps to hydrate the skin.” —Dr. King

What testers say

“The moisturizing gel-cream consistency of this formula is really lovely, and it left my skin feeling hydrated and bouncy and looking dewy.”—Ilona Jurkiewicz, senior vice president, people

Active Ingredients

Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Homosalate, Avobenzone, Hyaluronic Acid

Best SPF for discoloration

There’s a reason BeautyStat’s Universal C Refiner is as beloved as it is—it’s that good. True to its original formula, it’s a vitamin C rockstar and contains 20 percent of the brightening vitamin in every bottle. Only this version comes with SPF 50, too, making it a mega-multitasker everyone should have stored in their medicine cabinets. Yes, the price tag is steep, but it’s worth it—the vitamin c/mineral SPF combo work in tandem to immediately brighten your skin, slowly but surely reversing signs of aging while protecting it from even further damage.

What dermatologists say

“It contains vitamin C, which can help to brighten skin, as well as EGCG, which contributes additional antioxidant properties.” — Dr. King

What testers say

“This sunscreen serum is so creamy (but not thick) that I often don’t feel like I need to wear moisturizer on top of it. I love that it’s packed with discoloration-fighting ingredients to diminish the appearance of my old dark spots while protecting me against future sun damage.” —Weiner

Active Ingredients

Zinc Oxide, Vitamin C