Top 9 Best Sunscreens for Acne-Prone Skin in 2018 Reviewed

If you’re suffering from acne, you probably know that finding skincare products that won’t aggravate your breakouts can be challenging.

Choosing the right sunscreen is no exception.

We bet you’ve tried several sunscreens by now, but all of them failed to meet your expectations.

They either felt too heavy on your skin, or they aggravated your existing acne.

Here’s the deal — when you’re suffering from breakouts, you need to choose skincare products which are specifically designed for acne-prone skin.

To make your life easier, we’ve shortlisted the Top 9 best sunscreens for acne- prone skin — based on their efficiency, ingredients, formulation, and safety.

Short Overview

We’ve chosen the Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunblock as the best sunscreen for acne-prone skin.

It clears skin while effectively protecting it from the sun.

The sunscreen is also free from oil, fragrances, and PABAs, which makes it the best choice for people suffering from breakouts.

Banana Boat Natural Reflect Baby Sunscreen Lotion is our #2 pick because it only contains naturally sourced ingredients — that won’t do any harm, even to very sensitive skin.

Another great thing about this sunscreen is that it was initially formulated for babies, which means there’s a guarantee that it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 45 Ultra-Light Sunscreen successfully passed tests for efficacy and safety on sensitive skin.

This sunblock is lightweight and can be easily worn under makeup.

But most notably, it’s waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about reapplying this sunscreen on the beach.

MD Solar Sciences Mineral Tinted Crème is a great choice, thanks to its ability to soothe blemishes and provide clearer skin.

Aside from being able to conceal and heal red spots, this sunscreen offers UVA/UVB protection.

And it can blend well with pretty much any skin color.

SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense rounds out our list of the Top 5 best sunscreens for acne-prone skin, thanks to its ability to repel sebum and oil while leaving a matte finish.

How to Choose the Best Sunscreen for Acne-Prone Skin

If you’re suffering from acne, your skin requires a different approach for protecting your skin from the sun.

You’ve probably heard that certain medications that treat acne can make your skin more vulnerable to sunburns.

So your skin requires even more potent protection from the UV rays of the sun, compared to normal skin.

Acne-prone skin is almost always accompanied by oily skin.

So if you put just any sunscreen on your face, you’d add extra shine and grease to your skin.

And you definitely don’t need that extra ‘baggage.’

There are two key things to keep in mind when choosing a sunscreen for acne-prone skin – ingredients and foundation.

When you’re looking for the sunscreen that suits your skin most effectively, make sure you check its list of ingredients before applying it to your face.

If you have oily skin, it’d be a good idea to look for a sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Both of these ingredients help treat acne on oily skin.

You might find one thing annoying about these sunscreens – their tendency to leave your skin feeling greasy.

But that’s essential, because grease acts as a barrier that protects your skin from the sun.

A white residue often occurs after using a sunscreen containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

If that’s too much of a problem for you, try another sunscreen with similar ingredients.

Foundation can also do the trick when protecting your skin from the sun.

While it’s still recommended to use a sunblock in addition to makeup, a foundation can add a dose of protection from the skin.

Opt for a foundation that comes with at least 15 SPF.

It’s also recommended to apply an oil-absorbing powder after such foundation to prevent extra oiliness on the skin.

Top 9 Best Sunscreens for Acne-Prone Skin

Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunblock

We’ve chosen the Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunblock as the best sunscreen for acne-prone skin.

It’ll leave your skin clear and radiant.

In addition to clearing the skin of acne and blemishes, this sunblock doesn’t appear heavy on the skin, even if your skin is super shiny and oily.

This lightweight sunscreen with an SPF of 30 offers both UVA and UVB protection.

It can be used both for the face and body, as it allows the skin to breathe and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Non-greasy
• Allows your skin to breathe
• Offers UVA and UVB protection
• Helps clear out acne while protecting skin from the sun
• Quickly absorbs into the skin
• Doesn’t contain any oils, fragrances, or PABAs

Cons:

• Some users with sensitive skin complain about a slight burning sensation after applying this sunscreen
• Others complain about a messy application, due to this product’s thin texture

Banana Boat Natural Reflect Baby Sunscreen Lotion

The fact that this sunscreen lotion was designed for babies means that it’s very gentle, which makes it a perfect option for people with sensitive skin.

Without any harsh chemicals in its content, this sunscreen easily absorbs into the skin without leaving any burning sensation behind.

It also doesn’t appear heavy on acne-prone skin.

This sunscreen is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

And it provides a long-lasting effect because it’s resistant to both water and sweat.

Pros:

• Perfect choice for sensitive skin
• Contains naturally sourced ingredients
• Comes in a convenient, portable tube
• Easily absorbed into the skin
• Tear-free
• Doesn’t leave any burning sensation
• Resistant to water and sweat

Cons:

• Some users complain that this sunscreen leaves a white residue after application
• Others complain that this product can dry out the skin a little too much

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 45 Ultra-Light Sunscreen

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 45 Ultra-Light Sunscreen provides potent protection from the sun and safety for sensitive skin.

This waterproof, lightweight sunscreen can be easily worn under makeup and leaves a matte finish.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Water resistant
• Easily worn under makeup
• Leaves a matte finish

Cons:

• Some users complain that this sunscreen is a little too expensive
• Others complain about this product’s rather strong odor

MD Solar Sciences Mineral Tinted Crème

MD Solar Sciences Mineral Tinted Crème protects your skin from the sun’s UV rays, soothes your blemishes, and conceals red spots.

This sunscreen blends well with a wide range of skin colors, comes with SPF 30 or 50, and does a great job at healing your acne.

With its hypoallergenic coverage, this sunblock gives your skin a powder-like finish.

Pros:

• Offers both UVA and UVB protection
• Contains only natural ingredients
• Conceals and heals red spots
• Absorbs quickly into the skin
• Dermatologist-recommended

Cons:

• Some users complain that this sunscreen feels oily to the touch when it’s first applied
• Others complain that this product leaves light streaks

SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense

With its powerful level of protection against the sun’s harmful rays and an SPF level of 50, SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense repels oil and sebum, while not feeling heavy on the skin.

This sunblock has a light tint, which can be an issue for some people.

However, its non-comedogenic content makes it a great choice for people with acne-prone skin.

This sunscreen by SkinCeuticals also evens out your skin texture while concealing your large pores.

The only major downside about this product is that it’s not resistant to water or sweat, which means you’ll have to reapply it every two hours or so.

Pros:

• Leaves a matte finish
• Effectively repels oil and sebum
• Conceals large pores
• Leaves no greasy feeling behind
• Non-comedogenic

Cons:

• Some users complain about this sunscreen’s tint
• Others complain about its lack of waterproof capabilities

EltaMD UV Shield SPF 45

This non-greasy, lightweight sunblock has an SPF level of 45.

It’s easily applied and absorbed into the skin.

This sunscreen can be easily worn under makeup, and it’s a great choice for people suffering from rosacea, due to its mild formulation.

This sunblock can be used for both the face and body.

The only major downside is that this sunscreen isn’t resistant to water and sweat, which means you’ll have to reapply it regularly.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Non-greasy
• Easily absorbed into the skin
• Easily worn under makeup
• Dermatologist-recommended

Cons:

• Some users complain that this sunscreen leaves a white cast on the skin
• Others complain that it may sting and burn the eyes
• Some users aren’t happy about it not being resistant to water and sweat

Blue Lizard Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin

Blue Lizard Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin was specifically designed for people who suffer from acne and have sensitive skin.

While it offers a powerful protection from the sun’s harmful rays, it’s still gentle enough even for very sensitive skin.

This sunblock doesn’t contain any chemicals, fragrances, and parabens.

And it soothes redness and burning.

Another great thing about this sunscreen is that it features smart-bottle technology, which changes color when it detects harmful UV rays.

Pros:

• Alleviates redness and burning
• Gentle on sensitive skin
• Doesn’t contain chemicals, parabens, and fragrances
• Smart-bottle technology

Cons:

• Some users complain that this sunscreen is difficult to absorb into the skin
• Others complain that it leaves a white cast after application

Clinique Super City Block Ultra Protection SPF 40

The lightweight, easy-to-absorb sunscreen by Clinique offers a potent level of sun protection and leaves no greasy feeling behind.

This sunscreen is non-oily and gentle to the skin.

It provides your skin with matte coverage and doesn’t clog pores.

The only major downside is that it’s not waterproof, which means you’ll have to regularly reapply it.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Easily absorbed into the skin
• Non-greasy
• Doesn’t clog pores

Cons:

• Some users complain about this sunscreen’s slight odor
• Others aren’t happy that it’s not resistant to water and sweat

Clarins Sun Care Cream High Protection SPF 30 for Sun-Sensitive Skin

Clarins Sun Care Cream High Protection SPF 30 rounds out our chart of the Top 9 best sunscreens for acne-prone skin.

With its all-natural content, this sunblock offers both UVA and UVB protection without triggering breakouts.

This sunscreen is said to be completely safe for people suffering from rosacea.

And it contains anti-aging ingredients, which make your skin appear more youthful.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Contains 100% of natural ingredients
• Safe for people suffering from rosacea
• Contains anti-aging ingredients

Cons:

• Some users complain that this sunscreen is a little too expensive
• Others complain that it may burn the eyes when applied

Conclusion

Since sunscreen is a vital part of our everyday skincare regime, it’s compulsory to make sure it perfectly suits your skin type.

People with sensitive and acne-prone skin shouldn’t be using regular sunscreens.

They may over-dry their skin and aggravate existing acne.

There are a number of sunscreens for acne-prone skin.

They offer you potent protection from the sun’s harmful rays, clear your acne, minimize the appearance of pores, make your skin appear non-greasy, and even give your skin a matte finish.