I Hated Sunscreen On My Oily Skin—Until I Tried These (2024)

I own about 30 different sunscreens (and have tried hundreds over the years—hey, it’s my job, okay?), and this is genuinely one of the only bottles I’ve ever had to squeeze out every last drop. It’s filled with dimethicone, a silicone that makes my skin feel silky-smooth, which gives the formula a gel texture that’s completely clear (it has no color on deep skin too, per TikTok, fyi). I spread it on my skin in the morning before foundation, and I sometimes don’t even feel like I need to pat on setting powder because it gives me such a natural, matte finish.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Dimethicone
• SPF: 46
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I absolutely love this stuff. It’s legitimately THE ONLY facial sunscreen I’ve ever used that didn’t cause me to break out. If you’re sensitive or acne prone, try it!”

Thick, goopy creams simply don't inspire me to slather on sunscreen every day. But ya know what does? This majorly lightweight serum-based SPF from Coola. It's loaded with the lightest hydrators (aloe vera and hyaluronic acid, hello) that quickly sink into my skin, leaving me feeling plump and fresh without all the heaviness. It's the dream canvas for foundation too, since it doesn't add any extra dewiness or slip that makes my products melt.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Aloe vera, hyaluronic acid
• SPF: 30
• Oil-free? No

If you've been on TikTok recently, you know legit everyone is obsessed with K-beauty sunscreens. And I get it! But they're generally way too moisturizing for my oily skin...except this version from Biore. This watery lotion feels so refreshing on my skin, adding a very light bit of hydration without any heaviness whatsoever. It absorbs immediately, too, leaving behind zero residue or stickiness on my face. Legit, I've gone through two tubes of this and don't plan on stopping.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Glycerin, arginine, hyaluronic acid
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: "I absolutely love this stuff. It's by far the best sunscreen I've used and feels more like moisturizer. Thick sunscreens can feel like you're rubbing peanut butter on your skin but this goes on smooth and works well."

No, you don't have to spend $$$$ on a sunscreen. But (!) if a cosmetically elegant and sleek packaged sunscreen means you'll wear it every single day, that's all that matters. And if you are willing to spend the big bucks on sunscreen, I'm in love with this formula from ZO Skin Health. The invisible gel glides onto my skin and is easy af to layer throughout the day, and it's actually sweat- and water-resistant for 40 minutes. And if you want to know you're money is going places, trust that this is filled with grade-A ingredients for your skin, like antioxidant-rich vitamins A, E, and C, as well as soothing bisabolol and blue-light protecting melanin.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Vitamin A, E, and C; bisabolol
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? No

Glowing customer review: "In terms of performance, I couldn't be happier. The sunscreen offers reliable sun protection, shielding my skin from harmful UV rays. It's become an essential part of my daily skincare routine, and I can confidently say that my skin is thankful for it."

I'm obsessed with this lightweight chemical sunscreen from Eucerin on my acne-prone skin—and I'm even more obsessed with how affordable it is. For less than $16, this SPF 50 cream is loaded with dimethicone to help control my oil throughout the day and gently smooth my textured skin temporarily. And when I run out, it's so easy to quickly add to an Amazon order or pick up on a drugstore run.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Vitamin E, dimethicone
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: "I recently discovered the Eucerin Sun Clear Skin SPF 50 Face Sunscreen Lotion, and it has become an absolute must-have in my daily skincare routine. I've struggled to find a sunscreen that doesn't cause irritation, and Eucerin Sun Clear Skin has proven to be gentle and suitable for daily use. It goes on smoothly, doesn't clog pores, and feels lightweight on the skin. The non-greasy formula is a welcome relief. It absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving behind a matte finish that doesn't feel heavy or sticky."

IMO, most tinted sunscreens are not made with oily skin in mind, usually imparting a dewy glow that makes me look like the second coming of Edward Cullen. But Ciele's formula has a blurring satin finish that sits beautifully on my skin throughout the day. I just squeeze a few drops out of the dropper, then stipple it on my face with a beauty sponge. It makes my skin look smooth and soft—not glossy or shimmery—all the while imparting SPF 50 protection.

• Type: Mineral (titanium dioxide)
• Other key ingredients: Dimethicone, bisabolol, niacinamide
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “So far, amazing. I am obsessed with this product. It’s so lightweight yet provides the right amount of full coverage that it still looks natural. And leaves a nice, soft texture to my skin. Not oily."

I keep my vanity stocked with this sunscreen for whenever I’m dealing with a particularly angry breakout. It has a light-green tint that helps neutralize some of the redness on my skin, along with loads of anti-inflammatory ingredients, including ectoin, bisabolol, and green tea extract. But don’t worry—the tint fully disappears into my medium skin once I blend it in (though it may leave a slight white cast on deep skin tones), leaving behind a velvet-y, sheer finish with absolutely no tacky residue.

• Type: Mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Ectoin, bisabolol, green tea extract
• SPF: 30
• Oil-free? No (raspberry and moringa seed oils)

Glowing customer review: “I layer this right over my day cream as a double moisturizer and SPF. The green tint is just enough to dull redness—because my pimples be gettin' angry at me—but when I spread it over my face, it sets as colorless. It would take a lot for me to switch to another SPF now because I am simply so obsessed.”

I recently brought this SPF with me on ~vacation~ (hehe), and by the end of the trip, I’d convinced everyone else to order one for themselves. The sunscreen spray has a super-fine mist to give you even coverage and protection without leaving your skin dewy at all. It does contain alcohol, which can be irritating and drying for some skin types, but for me and my oily skin, I find that it helps keep me shine-free longer. With a blend of soothing aloe vera and bisabolol, as well as moisturizing shea butter, it also leaves my skin feeling refreshed. Of course, it features the ‘80s sunscreen scent Vacation is known for, which makes this a delight to spritz on.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Aloe, bisabolol, shea butter
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? No (shea butter, maracuja oil, and cucumber seed oil)

Glowing customer review: “It's not greasy at all. It has a relaxing smell and no white cast. Doesn’t leave my face with grease spots after a few hours either.”

I’ve tested a handful of clean sunscreens for oily skin, and they often leave a white cast or a strong glowy finish that my oily skin simply despises. But one of my favorite clean beauty brands, Cocokind, essentially developed the antithesis of that. This sunscreen is a hybrid of chemical and mineral filters (see: homosalate and zinc oxide) that protects my skin but blends out with a sheer, lightweight finish on my medium skin tone (and also on deeper skin tones, based on TikTok reviews). TBH, I completely forgo my morning moisturizer in the summer in favor of this sunscreen, because the lightweight banana flower extract is just moisturizing enough for my oily skin but doesn’t leave my makeup slippin’ and slidin’ all over my face.

• Type: Chemical (homosalate) and mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Banana flower extract (moisturizes)
• SPF: 30
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I'd been using Cocokind's other sunscreen for years and loved it, but the Silk Spf is a total game changer. [It] makes my skin look so dewy, goes on super smooth, and doesn't irritate my sensitive/acne-prone skin at all.”

Waiting for your sunscreen to set is basically the adult version of your parents making you wait 30 minutes to swim after you scarfed down a poolside hot dog. But I’ve found the solution in this lightweight chemical formula from La Roche-Posay. The creamy, thin texture (from a combo of smoothing silicones and ultra-lightweight moisturizers) immediately absorbs into my skin the second I start massaging it in, leaving behind a natural finish that looks like I’m not even wearing anything. I brought this on a trip to Aruba with me, and I loved the ease of just quickly swiping it in in the mornings or throughout the day at the beach.

FYI, though: The UV index was high af in Aruba, which led me to getting a little sunburnt on my nose. And because this formula contains alcohol, it stung a little bit as I rubbed it onto my burn. I ended up swapping for the La Roche-Posay Anthelios AOX Daily Antioxidant SPF Serum on my nose while my skin healed and slathered this everywhere else.

• Type: Chemical (Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Dimethicone, vitamin E, glycerin
• SPF: 60
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “One thing that really sets this sunscreen apart from others I've tried is how easily it blends into my skin. It doesn't leave any white residue or greasy feeling, which makes it perfect for wearing under makeup or just on its own. I also appreciate that it doesn't clog my pores or cause any breakouts.”

“Mineral-based sunscreen tends to be better for oily skin,” says dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD, “because these minerals are typically less irritating to your skin than chemical SPF filters are, making them a bit more tolerable for acne-prone and sensitive skin.” However, these formulas often get a bad rap for being thick and heavy on your skin and leaving behind an unsightly white cast. But I’ve found this new mineral sunscreen from Lightsaver (which was developed by dermatologist David Kim, MD) to feel nothing like the rich, milky formulas I’m used to.

Instead, this sheer sunscreen has a light tint that essentially disappears as I blend it into my skin (though it might take a little effort to blend into deep skin). Its lightweight moisturizers, squalane and glycerin, leave behind a satin, skin-like finish, which layers really well under my tinted moisturizer, because it helps but also gives my skin a nice glow on its own too without adding too much shine. Plus, it’s also formulated with niacinamide, which is basically a do-it-all ingredient that soothes and brightens over time.

• Type: Mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Squalane, glycerin, niacinamide
• SPF: 33
• Oil-free? No (sunflower seed oil)

Glowing editor review: I’m fully impressed with this mineral sunscreen. There’s no white cast on my medium skin tone, and it doesn’t feel goopy or heavy on my oily skin. I can load this on my face in the morning without having to worry that my skin will become a grease machine in a few hours.

“Lotion and creams provide the best SPF coverage,” notes Dr. Shamban, “but powder sunscreens are still great for fast, no-fuss, no-mess touch-ups.” Which is also why I love this translucent mineral sunscreen for reapplying sunscreen to my oily skin, because it’s essentially a setting powder and a sunscreen top-up all in one.

Seriously—even dermatologist Divya Shokeen, MD, is a fan: “It absorbs excess oils, which leaves your skin with a matte finish,” she says. I start with a liquid sunscreen underneath (like, any of the others on this list), but instead of trying to blend another layer of sunscreen over my oily skin, I just dab this powder over my face with the included brush.

• Type: Mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Ceramides, papaya and mango fruit extracts
• SPF: 30
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “This is such a holy grail for my skincare. I put this on in the morning and my face stays matte the entire day.”

This SPF 40 chemical sunscreen is so invisible and ~low-key~ that I barely even notice I have it on. It has a transparent, gel-like consistency that blends into a silky, matte texture (hi, dimethicone, ily). My skin feels so smooth and hydrated too, thanks to the shea butter and jojoba esters in the formula. Dr. Shamban also loves this sunscreen for oily-skin patients because it has a “super-lightweight formula that leaves no white cast on any skin tone and glides on smooth and stays put but does not have a heavy feel or finish.”

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Dimethicone, shea butter, jojoba esters
• SPF: 40
• Oil-free? Yes* (but contains shea butter, which can be heavy for some)

Glowing customer review: “As a Person of Color, I don’t have a lot of sunscreens available to me,” one tester says. “Most of them create an ugly white cast. This product does not do that. It feels so smooth and clear on your skin.”

Lemme intro you to my current favorite tinted SPF 50 by Kinlò, the brand created by four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka (nbd). The formula dries down to a natural, skin-like finish that doesn’t feel greasy yet also doesn’t totally mattify your face like a mask. And, thanks to the fact that the formula is slightly tinted (making it great for light to tan skin tones), I can either layer it under my full-coverage foundation when I'm going out, or just wear it on its own with a few dots of highlighter and a wash of cream bronzer.

• Type: Mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Dimethicone, niacinamide
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? No (safflower seed oil)

Glowing customer review: “This sunscreen is protective and has no white cast! Has a tint to it that is very forgiving and gives a natural finish.”

Fun fact: Sunscreens in the U.S. are actually only required to protect against skin-cancer-causing UVB rays, not wrinkle-causing UVA rays—so it’s v special when a sunscreen actually offers broad-spectrum protection (meaning it has at least some protection against UVA rays). Which is why I love this mineral SPF 50 from Isdin. It shields you from the full UV spectrum, as well as free radicals and pollutants, helping to prevent everything from skin cancer to premature fine lines, melasma, and dullness.

Plus, the formula is majorly light, thanks to its emulsion-like texture. Dr. Shamban recommends these thin sunscreens to patients with oily skin because “they’re a great way to add a light layer of hydration to your skin without loading up on a heavy cream.” Translation: You can essentially double this as your moisturizer and sunscreen to cut down on products that could just make you greasy throughout the day.

• Type: Mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Dimethicone, panthenol
• SPF: 50
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “Finally, a daily sunscreen that I can wear under makeup. It isn’t heavy, sinks right in, and provides just the right level of moisture.”

Every dermatologist I've ever met—including Dr. Shokeen and Jeannette Graf, MD—has raved about this ultra-lightweight sunscreen from EltaMD. Why, you ask? Because, along with chemical and mineral SPF, it uses niacinamide and lactic acid to help exfoliate dead skin that can cause breakouts, smooth any bumpy texture you have on your skin, and slowly fade acne scars. I’m partial to the clear formula, but I did order the tinted version pretty much immediately after Hailey Bieber used it in a GRWM TikTok and love it for my medium skin as a skin tint.

• Type: Chemical (octinoxate) and mineral (zinc oxide)
• Other key ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
• SPF: 46
• Oil-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I have acne-prone skin and very sensitive skin, which sometimes gets irritated from even high-end brands, but this sunscreen is a game changer. All good ingredients in one product.”

If I put this sunscreen on my oily skin in the morning, my face will stay completely shine-free until I’m ready to take my makeup off. The clear-on-all-skin-tones, silicone-based gel leaves skin smooth and imparts matte finish, which makes it especially great under makeup. And because it’s so smoothing and mattifying, it works double-duty as my makeup primer, since it doesn’t pill or get greasy no matter how much I layer on.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Aloe vera, shea butter, squalane
• SPF: 45
• Oil-free? No (coconut oil and shea butter)

Glowing customer review: “It applies so smoothly with minimal smell, and it’s completely matte. I’ve been wearing it every day since I purchased it a week ago and experienced no additional breakouts, and it remains matte throughout the day!”

Dr. Shamban recommends this stick sunscreen from Shiseido for oily skin because it goes on with a smooth, matte finish. Stash this cute lil bb in your makeup bag and glide it directly over your skin to reapply your sunscreen on the go. Because it goes on completely clear (for all skin tones) (!), you don’t even need a mirror to smooth it on, making it essentially mess-free. You can massage it all over your skin every two to three hours, or use it to touch-up the high points of your face that are prone to sun damage, like your nose and forehead.

• Type: Chemical (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene)
• Other key ingredients: Triethylhexanoin (moisturizing), licorice root extract
• SPF: 50+
• Oil-free? No (mineral and castor oil)

Glowing customer review: “I love this SPF and the convenience of having it in a stick is amazing. It goes on so smoothly and so easily—no white cast, no color, not even much blending or moving around necessary. This is so perfect for days on the go.”

You can skip moisturizer and just use sunscreen for your oily skin, but experts suggest incorporating both into your routine. “It’s important to use moisturizer and sunscreen separately, as each serves a different purpose for the skin,” says Dr. Shokeen. “Moisturizer hydrates and plumps your skin, while sunscreen protects your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation.”

But there definitely are options out there if you want to skip a step in your routine, like moisturizing sunscreens and moisturizers with SPF (of 30 or more, remember!). “There are hybrid sunscreens with ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid that can work as both,” says Dr. Shokeen. “But ideally, you should use two separate products to achieve optimal skin health,” she says, especially because you’ll need to use a ton of SPF moisturizer to get adequate protection against the sun (kind of like drinking two bloody margs instead of taking a shot of tequila).