If you’re anything like me, you’ve maintained this idea that wearing sunscreen is this thing you have to do, not the thing you want to do—which understandably makes the draw to the best new sunscreens minimal. Unlike luxurious serums and creams that oftentimes are more meditative than anything, the sunscreen market leaves a lot to be desired. Honestly, we wear it because we want to ward off harmful sun rays and do what we can to avoid skin cancer; we do not wear sunscreen because it’s an inherently pleasurable part of a morning routine. Clearly, there’s a disconnect, which is why Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained dermatologic surgeon at MCDS Dermatology, says there’s plenty of room to innovate. She lists eliminating white cast, limiting irritation, and reducing environmental impact as concerns worth addressing in order to take an SPF from good to great. Celebrity esthetician Joanna Czech believes the biggest gap is the lack of education between a chemical versus mineral SPF, so brands can not only provide guidance on which to use, but address their respective challenges. “Sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide can leave a white cast,” she says, adding that you will also need to rub in mineral sunscreen more. “Chemical sunscreens can sometimes be irritating to sensitive skin.”
For New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, MD, FAAD, sunscreen innovation prioritizes an improved user experience—listing “texture, ingredient combinations, and factors like tints, organic and vegan options, clean ingredients, and cruelty-free certifications” as worthwhile considerations. “What I love may not be what someone else loves,” she says. “That said, all great sunscreens should provide broad spectrum protection with an SPF of 30 or higher.”
All of this to say, founders and R&D teams have clearly been working overtime because the best new sunscreens of 2024 have hit the nail on the head. As I began to test the SPF launches that arrived in the beauty closet, I was shocked at how good they were—so much so I decided to give them there own spotlight in this month’s new arrivals. There’s a completely clear, niacinamide-infused sunscreen by Glow Recipe that I nearly spilled the secret about on multiple occasions. There’s a mineral sunscreen stick by Avène that applies shockingly smooth sans white cast. There’s even a completely clear gel by Allies of Skin all skin tones can appreciate. All of these and more, below, making the case for trying a new sunscreen this year.
