Sunscreen shopping can be tough for a lot of skin types—if your skin is sensitive, acne-prone, dry, or oily, you need to find just the right formula for you that doesn’t irritate it or exacerbate any issues. Add in a skin condition like eczema or melasma on top of that, and it makes for an, ahem, interesting time trying to find sun protection. Don’t worry though, we’re here to help.
I asked a dermatologist to give us all the important info on sunscreen shopping for melasma. If you have it, there are a few things you should take note of before hitting “add to cart” on certain formulas. There’s a sneaky culprit out there that could actually be making your melasma worse if you’re not careful. For more derm insight, advice, and recs, keep scrolling.
Board-certified dermatologist Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, has a bit of advice for those with melasma who need a good sunscreen. “Generally, I always recommend to look for a broad spectrum SPF protection 30 or higher,” she shares. “Importantly, look for the active ingredients of zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide. On top of that, for melasma, it’s very important to have blue light protection. It helps to prevent hyperpigmentation from blue light, which is visible light, and is not covered by all sunscreens. An ingredient to look for is iron oxide. This won’t show up in the active ingredient list at the very top, you have to sift through the full ingredient list. Also, tinted sunscreens, just by having that tint, help protect from blue light/visible light. Overall, a tinted mineral sunscreen is the very best or one that contains iron oxide.”
If your skin is also sensitive, Murphy-Rose says there are a few things you’ll want to steer clear of. “Avoid purely chemical sunscreens. They will protect from sunburn and skin cancer, but they will not protect against melasma. You really need that mineral shield between your skin and the sun to protect against the hyperpigmentation from melasma.”
For a few of Murphy-Rose’s recs along with a few of our own favorites, keep reading below.
Pros: Mineral-only filters, helps even out skin tone, water-resistant for up to 40 minutes, helps boost skin’s natural defenses, noncomedogenic. Cons: Leaves a bit of a cast on darker skin tones. “This is my personal go-to! It offers excellent broad spectrum coverage in a tinted lightweight formula that’s great for summer and will provide protection against melasma.” — Murphy-Rose. Customer Review: “Best daily sunscreen I’ve used. Looks great with or without makeup!”
Pros: Tinted formula, mineral-only filters, antioxidants help fight free radical damage. Cons: Formula applies thick. “For sensitive skin, I love the EltaMD brand. All their products are hypoallergenic and they offer very good broad spectrum protection.” — Murphy-Rose. Customer Review: “The best sunscreen on the market! Hydrates and protects extremely well!”
Pros: Mineral-only filters, lightweight, tinted, antioxidants protect skin against free radical damage, fragrance-free. Cons: Expensive. “This gives you more coverage and I have patients who use it as makeup in the summer!” — Murphy-Rose. Customer Review: “What a beautiful sunscreen. I love the shade and the finish. So flattering. Dewy but not shiny. I also noticed that it gives me an extra airbrushed look underneath my makeup. For anyone who this is too dark for [here’s] a tip…just mix this with some mineral sunscreen that’s white until you find your right shade. That’s what I do for my daughter who is really fair and it works perfectly. 10/10 recommended!”
Pros: Mineral-only filters, provides tinted color coverage with four different shades, antioxidant-rich formula, provides blue light protection. Cons: May not be hydrating enough for very dry skin. This dermatologist-loved SPF comes in four different tinted shades that adjust to skin’s natural tone. It also provides blue light protection with patented EnviroScreen technology and protects against free radical damage. Customer Review: “This is a great product that seems to play well with other products. I’m pretty fair and have hyperpigmentation in some areas (dark circles under the eyes). I like the gentle tint and glow it provides so I generally only apply a bit of primer and, where needed, concealer and blush over this SPF. It has a nice feel and absorbs well. I have not experienced any eye sting or staining of washcloths.”
Pros: Mineral-only filters, niacinamide calms skin and fades hyperpigmentation, hyaluronic acid provides extra hydration, ceramides help repair the skin barrier. Cons: Only provides SPF 30 protection. This drugstore option from CeraVe is packed with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides to protect skin from damage and help repair the skin’s moisture barrier. Customer Review: “…It goes on smoothly, evens out discoloration, and a little bit goes a long way. I normally wear 60 or higher SPF because I have lupus. Sunshine does NOT go well with lupus! It’s great for every day use, (thus, no need to wear foundation), but if I’m going to the pool or outdoors for a long time, I put 50+ SPF on under it, let it dry, then put this product on over it.”
Pros: Oil-free, SPF 75 protection, can double as a makeup primer, contains a skin tone-adapting tint, fragrance-free. Cons: Expensive. Skinbetter Science is another dermatologist-loved brand that carries a fantastic sunscreen. It’s tinted, can double as a makeup primer, provides SPF 75 protection, and contains mineral-only filters.
Pros: Budget-friendly, mineral-only filters, hypoallergenic, gentle on sensitive skin, noncomedogenic. Cons: Leaves a bit of a white cast. Neutrogena offers another classic drugstore option that’s oil-free, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic, and only contains mineral filters. It’s also a gentle formula that works well for extremely sensitive skin or those with melasma because it’s free of fragrances and other potential irritants. Customer Review: “There is a white cast to this, but it works really well and the cast goes away after a few minutes. I do have very light skin though so it may not be as bad for me.”
Pros: Mineral-only filters, contains a firming peptide complex, DNA repairosomes repair damaged skin, provides SPF 50 and antioxidant protection. Cons: Expensive. ISDIN’s formula is a mineral-only sunscreen that also contains DNA “repairosomes” that help repair existing sun damage and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Customer Review: “I’m using this exclusively now as I love the slight tint and the thin smooth texture of the cream that you don’t usually get in zinc sun protection. My daughter also purchased it on my recommendation for her upcoming trip to Cancun.”
Pros: Contains skin-soothing ingredients like bisabolol and allantoin, niacinamide calms skin and helps correct pigmentation, water resistant for up to 40 minutes, boosts antioxidant protection. Cons: Leaves a bit of an orange finish on some skin tones. This mineral-only formula from Avène contains skin-soothing ingredients like bisabolol and allantoin. Niacinamide in the formula is also great for melasma as it helps with hyperpigmentation. It also boosts antioxidant protection and is water resistant for up to 40 minutes. Customer Review: “This has been my go to sunscreen for a while now. I have acne-prone skin so it was a challenge finding a mineral sunscreen that was oil-free, didn’t break me out, and didn’t feel thick and gross. This sunscreen is so lightweight and easy to apply. It gives my skin a really nice glow and looks great under makeup. I have fair skin so I use the untinted version and don’t get a white cast. I bought the tinted version by accident once and still liked it but feared it would stain my white shirts.”
Pros: Mineral-only filters, antioxidants protect against free radical and blue light damage, blends to a natural, skin-like finish. Cons: Only provides SPF 35 protection. Versed offers this mineral-only sunscreen that contains antioxidants that protect against environmental pollution and potential blue light damage.
