12 Best Sunscreens for Glowing Skin
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One of the marks of healthy skin is a radiant complexion—and the best sunscreen for glowing skin is key to achieving next-level luminosity. After all, multi-step skin-care routines, facials, and even dietary changes won't make a difference if you aren't protecting your skin against UV damage.
Over the years, we've witnessed constant innovation, with South Korean formulas at the forefront, continually challenging chemists to incorporate cutting-edge filters that provide heightened protection against UVA and UVB rays and greater stability. As a bonus, some of these formulas leave dewy finishes that rival our favorite highlighters and skin tints.
With so many sunscreens to choose from (thank goodness, because we're picky about our SPFs), we've made it our mission to help you determine the best sunscreen for glowing skin for you.
Supergoop!
Supergoop Glowscreen
Bluemercury
Why It's Worth It: Supergoop Glowscreen won a Best of Beauty Award in 2020 but it's still an Allure editor favorite to this day. This lightweight sunscreen effortlessly blends into all skin tones and leaves a subtle pearlescent finish—originally available in just one champagne shade called Sunrise, we're now blessed with a suite of four shades after Pink Pearl, Bronze, and Deep Bronze joined the sun-protection party. All Glowscreens are infused with SPF 40 protection as well as hydrating hyaluronic acid, skin-plumping vitamin B5, and nourishing niacinamide that helps diminish the look of hyperpigmentation. At Allure, we obviously don't condone tanning so Glowscreen is our preferred means of mimicking the effects of being out in the sun. The proof is in the name!
Tester Feedback: Shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis says she "fell in love with how this sunscreen looked on [her] skin alone" and often skipped foundation to get the full glowy goodness. Commerce editor Sarah Han, who loved the original Sunrise and wanted to see how Golden Hour would look on her lighter Asian skin tone, had this to say: "I've always shied away from self-tanners but this SPF warms up my skin tone beautifully, and produces similar results without any commitment." Hello, beauty hack.
Sunscreen Type: Chemical | Key Ingredients: Avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, hyaluronic acid, sea lavender, vitamin B5 | Fragrance-Free: Yes
Why It's Worth It: Opulent, delightfully smooth, and giving off a distinct "lit from within" glow, Dr. Loretta's Universal Glow Daily Defense SPF 40 doubles as a hydrating, barrier-protecting moisturizer and features a pinky tint that transforms skin from dull to radiant. It also fights free radical damage and environmental stressors, like blue light, with the antioxidant lipochrome and ectoin. For those unfamiliar, ectoin is an amino acid found within and derived from several types of bacteria—to be precise, "it's an extremolyte, which is extracted from extremophilic microorganisms, and helps protect cellular integrity in extreme weather conditions," board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idriss, MD, previously told Allure.
Tester Feedback: "I've been a long-time user of mineral sunscreen, but no formula is as elegant as this," says shopping director Shanna Shipin, who's been using Dr. Loretta's Universal Glow since it launched in 2023. "It has an amazing light-reflecting luminosity that blurs the skin while providing straightforward zinc oxide protection," she adds. There's a pink-peach tint to the formula that Shipin was initially skeptical of; she tends to use medium-tan formulas and thought it may be better suited for those with lighter skin tones. "I was so wrong; it melts in instantly, leaving nothing but a beautiful veil of glow behind," she attests.
Sunscreen Type: Mineral | Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide, lipochrome, ectoin | Fragrance-Free: Yes
Dr. Loretta
Dr. Loretta Universal Glow Daily Defense Mineral Sunscreen Fluid SPF 40
Dermstore
Revolve
Why It's Worth It: The luxurious feel sets Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50 apart from traditional SPF formulas, boasting a silky texture reminiscent of those found in premium K-beauty brands—and with a PA++++ rating, it performs like one, too. PA ranges from PA+ to PA++++ and "the greater the number of plus signs, the better the level of protection against UVA rays (which visibly ages us)," Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the director of cosmetic and clinical research of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, previously told Allure.
By Aliza Kelly
By Marci Robin
By Marci Robin
Dew-Glow contains skin-loving ingredients like squalane for hydration, niacinamide to even tone, and vitamin C to help brighten and fend off free radicals. This combination of moisture and protection leaves skin with the prettiest sheen that wears well alone or as a makeup primer. Fun fact: The cap can be used to measure 0.25 teaspoons of product, which is the dermatologist-recommended amount for the face. (If you're also covering your neck, double that to 0.5 teaspoons or two capfuls.)
Tester Feedback: Han frequently recommends this relatively affordable chemical sunscreen to friends who want a nourishing, dewy formula that feels weightless and wears well underneath makeup—a.k.a. the full package in her eyes. "It gives my skin an instant brightening boost and acts as an illuminating primer if I choose to wear makeup," she attests.
Sunscreen Type: Chemical | Key Ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, squalane, niacinamide, vitamin C | Fragrance-Free: Yes
Naturium
Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50
Amazon
Soko Glam
Why It's Worth It: Developed by Harvard-trained dermatologists, Lion Pose's Ghost-Buster Sunscreen has an exceptionally smooth texture, masking the typical graininess associated with mineral-based SPFs. Squalane imparts a soft and moisturizing feel, transforming it into a lightweight, nourishing lotion rather than a traditional sunscreen. It also contains glutathione, an antioxidant tripeptide that protects skin from free radicals. Ghost-Buster's universal golden tint leaves skin radiant without looking oily or greasy, no matter your skin type.
Tester Feedback: "A mineral sunscreen with a true glowy finish is hard to come by but Lion Pose rises to the challenge—and crushes it," says Han, who is also a fan of the nourishing ingredients that lie within it. "This one is my favorite for when I'm not wearing makeup," says Allure contributor Kat Suico. "It leaves my skin looking like I just had the best facial."
Sunscreen Type: Mineral | Key Ingredients: Zinc Oxide, squalane, glutathione | Fragrance-Free: No
Lion Pose
Lion Pose Ghost-Buster 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 42
Sephora
Lion Pose
Why It's Worth It: Kopari Beauty Sunglaze Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen SPF 42 is a fast-absorbing formula in a convenient non-aerosol spray bottle that makes application a dream. Shake the bottle to reveal stunning rose gold pigments that leave your skin looking like it’s golden hour, no matter where you are—it's no wonder the visually enticing formula has gone viral on social. Apart from being fun to apply, the all-over formula contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E to help keep skin hydrated and improve brightening.
By Aliza Kelly
By Marci Robin
By Marci Robin
Tester Feedback: Han is pretty picky about body sunscreens because so many feel heavy and sticky on the skin, but this one feels light and airy, even after multiple layers and rounds of rubbing. Bonus: It has a warm, sugary coconut-like scent that smells like a vacation in a bottle.
Sunscreen Type: Chemical | Key Ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E | Fragrance-Free: No
Kopari Beauty
Kopari Beauty Sunglaze Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen SPF 42
Kopari Beauty
Ulta Beauty
Revolve
Why It's Worth It: The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 is a moisturizer and SPF all-in-one. In addition to providing sun protection, the founders aimed to incorporate an ingredient that could hydrate the skin without causing pilling when layered with other skin-care products or makeup. Enter polyglutamic acid, also known as PGA. This powerhouse ingredient can absorb four times the amount of water compared to hyaluronic acid, cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobo previously shared with Allure. It instantly sinks into the skin, leaving a dewy sheen that sits well under makeup.
Tester Feedback: The entire staff was buzzing when The Inkey List revealed that they were launching a sunscreen—after all, it won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award in the Steals category and a One to Watch seal. Both Trakoshis and Sarah Kinonen, associate beauty director, attested that the formula didn't pill underneath their usual base makeup and left behind a pretty sheen. Though it should be the bare minimum for all sunscreens, former associate news editor Gabi Thorne was relieved that she "didn't have to rub it endlessly to make sure it blended into [her] brown skin" and said that it absorbed quickly without residual stickiness.
Sunscreen Type: Chemical | Key Ingredients: Avobenzone, ensulizole, octisalate, octocrylene, polyglutamic acid | Fragrance-Free: Yes
The Inkey List
The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30
Sephora
The Inkey List
Iris & Romeo
Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow
Credo Beauty
Sephora
Why It's Worth It: Available in three shades (Universal, Warm Glow, and Bronze Glow), Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow seamlessly merges into your skin to enhance your natural glow, regardless of tone. Bonus: It's packed with skin-care gems like vitamin C, vitamin E (which helps stabilize the former), and niacinamide—hardworking ingredients you don't find in your typical sunscreen. As such, this multitasker consolidates the essential steps of an ideal morning skin-care routine—think brightening serum, hydration, and sunscreen—with just a few pum
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30 of April 2024
