If you’re here, you already know how important it is to wear sunscreen every day to protect your skin from harmful rays. But people with sensitive skin need one that also won’t leave it looking and feeling as raw as the worst sunburn. Luckily, the best sunscreens for sensitive skin have all the UVA and UVB protection your skin is begging for, without the irritation.
“Sensitivities to sunscreen can fall under a few categories,” Dr. Erum Ilyas of Schweiger Dermatology Group tells Bustle. “There can be an actual allergy or sensitivity to one of the active ingredients in the sunscreen. There can be an actual allergy or sensitivity to one of the inactive ingredients, i.e., the preservatives or fragrance, in the sunscreen. Some people experience burning in their eyes once they start sweating from the sunscreen product actually running into their eyes.”
Sensitive skin types tend to react more to chemicals in products, so it’s easy to see why certain chemicals should be avoided at all costs and the simplest way to address this is to focus your search on brands that use zinc and/or titanium as their active ingredients and avoid preservatives, fragrances, dyes, and formaldehyde.
“Zinc and titanium tend to be ‘inert,’ meaning that they are less likely to cause true allergic reactions,” Dr. Ilyas says. “If there are still sensitivities to these sunscreen products, patch testing patients to determine the true cause of the reaction can be helpful. Routinely these results have indicated that the preservatives and/or fragrances added to sunscreen products are often the true cause of the reactions. By seeking products that minimize preservatives and fragrances, the chances of feeling burning or stinging in the eyes with sweating is also less likely.”
The good news is there are more amazing sunscreens for sensitive skin out there than ever before and they aren’t all the same goopy, white cream formula from the past. These nine are designed for sensitive skin that needs that little bit of extra TLC, plus they offer optimum protection.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.