This is a little random, but I consider myself a sunscreen expert. My obsession with sunscreen began when I was young; my parents often reminded me to wear sunscreen in the summer months, as getting a tan wasn’t exactly a desirable thing in our south asian culture. Some time during the last decade, though, people began hearing about the negative effects of sun exposure in mainstream media. The risk of skin cancer and aging started to deter people from using tanning beds and spending hours in the sun.
As a result of this new awareness, the sunscreen market also really expanded. There are now so many different formulas for sunscreen, and I’ve tried a ton of them. The sunscreens reviewed here are considered some of the best on the market. I have a very high standard for sunscreen, and I haven’t actually found a drug store sunscreen that I love, so none of these are really traditional ‘drug store’ brand sunscreens. ALSO. I have tried each of these for at least six weeks before writing this review. I think it takes at least that long to figure out if a product does or doesn’t work for you, so I’m not going to just try something twice and then write up a review.
Anyways, what I want in a sunscreen is something that doesn’t make my skin oily within a few hours, and doesn’t feel thick or greasy when it’s on. With that in mind, here are my thoughts on five of the leading ‘oil free’ sunscreens on the market.
La Roche-Posay
| Texture: 9/10 | Smell: 10/10 | Oiliness: 10/10 | Total: 29/30 |
This is very liquidy, which isn’t technically what I wanted, but it just absorbs into the skin so well. It keeps my skin matte for at least 3 hours, but I can go for up to 6 before I start to notice any oil on my skin, which is amazing for me. It’s the best sunscreen I’ve ever used. Also, even if I wear this alone without any other makeup, it has a sort of airbrushing/blurring effect on my skin. I thought I was just special, but it turns out others feel this way too 😂. I didn’t realize sunscreen could do this until I tried this formula.
Dr. Jart+ Sun Fluid
| Texture: 9/10 | Smell: 10/10 | Oiliness: 10/10 | Total: 29/30 |
I find this similar to the La Roche-Posay, but a little thicker. It doesn’t have the same nice blurring effect on my skin as the La Roche-Posay, but it does keep my skin oil free for a really long time- even longer than La Roche-Posay, maybe. I actually doubt it’s possible for a sunscreen to keep my skin oil free for longer than this one!
Julep No Excuses
| Texture: 8/10 | Smell: 10/10 | Oiliness: 7/10 | Total: 25/30 |
I like the gel texture of this sunscreen in theory, but once I’ve spread it across my entire face, it feels the slightest bit like there’s a ‘sticky’ residue on my face- it doesn’t absorb right away, I guess. It also makes my face get oily considerably faster than the thinner formulas above. I do like that it is clear, though, instead of white. Sometimes sunscreens that are super white can cast a shadow on my medium toned skin, and this sunscreen runs no risk of doing that.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
| Texture: 8/10 | Smell: 10/10 | Oiliness: 5/10 | Total: 24/30 |
This sunscreen feels just like primer. It’s almost velvety, in a really good way. However, I can tell when I put it on that my skin will start to feel oily soon. I wish my skin were drier- I would definitely use this if it were. It’s also clear, which is nice. For anyone who likes primers, you would probably love this!
Drunk Elephant
| Texture: 5/10 | Smell: 7/10 | Oiliness: 8/10 | Total: 20/30 |
This sunscreen is so hyped up and I’m not sure how I feel about that. It is so thick and feels heavy on my face. Once I apply it, I can literally feel that there is a layer of sticky/greasy cream on my skin, and it takes a long time to absorb. Once it does absorb (10 minutes later), it feels better. The benefit to this sunscreen is that it has physical sunscreen, which some research shows has less negative side effects than chemical sunscreens. For physical sunscreens to work effectively, though, you have to apply a LOT. Like..way more than you think you need. Maybe the reason my skin gets oiler more quickly with this sunscreen is also that I have to apply so much of it. Besides that, it has some glitter in it, which I don’t like at all.
So yeah, there ya have it. If you’d like for me to continue making content, please subscribe to my email list!
