Because it’s really damned important.
To be completely honest, I haven’t always been the hardcore sunscreen proponent that I am now. I didn’t start wearing sunscreen on my face regularly until I was in my early 30s, and somehow, miraculously, I’ve managed to escape having any noticeable sun damage on my face. I’m still not as strict about it as I should be, but I’m working on it.
Because I have oily skin, finding a sunscreen that works in the summer, especially if I plan to wear makeup, is a challenge. I’m being generous; it fucking sucks. It’s the rare sunscreen that doesn’t make my makeup slide off my face the second I start to sweat or get a little oily. So here are three sunscreens I recommend, and one I’d advise all my oily brothers and sisters to avoid.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Oil Free Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion
I only discovered this brand a year or so ago, and their Effaclar system has saved my skin from more than one heinous summer breakout. Because of that and a recommendation from my favorite Aussie beauty channel I picked up this sunscreen last summer, and it’s so nice. It soaks into my skin really quickly and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy, which is my biggest complaint about sunscreen. It also doesn’t smell like a typical sunscreen. Not that I’m totally opposed to that smell; it reminds me of my grandma, and that’s kind of nice. I was worried to wear this under makeup at first, but it acted more like a mattifying primer than a sunscreen, and that’s awesome. I’m not crazy about the price ($19.99), but it’s worth the money.
Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Oil-Free Sunscreen Lotion with SPF 30
I was wandering around Walgreens a few weeks ago for no apparent reason, and I remembered that I had run out of face sunscreen. My heart sank; being oily means that finding a sunscreen for my face on the cheap is nigh on impossible. I’m pretty sure I looked at every sunscreen on the shelf, and I settled on this one because of the “protect + hydrate” aspect. I figured this means I don’t have to also wear moisturizer, and I generally like Aveeno products. It’s pretty good. It’s not groundbreaking and I haven’t worn it in extremely hot weather yet, but I like that it comes in SPF 30 or SPF 50 so you can choose how much coverage you need. I’ll need to wear it a little longer to know for sure what I think, but so far so good.
JULEP No Excuses Invisible Sunscreen Gel
I really love this sunscreen. I love most of the things I’ve gotten from Julep, and this feels light and isn’t greasy and doesn’t leave any weird white residue. It’s more like a gel than a cream and my skin appreciates it. I’d really like to repurchase it but I can’t justify spending $28 for just over 1 oz. of product. That just seems insane. Unfortunately, this stuff rarely goes on sale, so I keep looking for something I like as much that doesn’t cost a big pile of money.
TARTE Tarteguard 30 Vegan Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30
This is the one I’d highly recommend avoiding if you have oily skin.
I like Tarte and their products typically work well for my skin. This isn’t one of them. I wore this while we were on vacation in Florida last year, in early May. It was in the mid-80s with 50%-60% humidity all week, which isn’t that bad for Florida, and my face looked wet all week from the oil. I broke out like crazy and my face didn’t feel clean the entire time I was there. I couldn’t have worn makeup even if I’d wanted to. There’s something about having a dirty, oily face that makes me feel generally gross, and I didn’t enjoy walking around like that for an entire week with my family.
If you’re oily like me, which sunscreen do you use on the regular? Do you know of a great, cheap option? Let me know!
Teresa's Big O(pinion) 
I also have oily skin and am bad about using sunscreen per se…and that’s horribly embarrassing to admit as an Avon lady. I’ve always been blessed with a skin tone that doesn’t burn, it just browns, which is deceptive. I do have sun damage by way of freckles, which are awful cute when you’re young and just plain awful when you’re middle aged. Thus, I rely on my moisturizer and foundation (if I use it) to provide all the SPF I need for the day. For a few years in my late 30s and early 40s, I skipped using a moisturizer altogether because I couldn’t find one that didn’t cause my face to break out and, instead, I ended up using actual sunscreen. I know, I know…a shock. The one that actually worked for me was Banana Boat Sport SPF 50 – it’s stupid cheap and it, shockingly, didn’t plug up my pores. My makeup generally stayed on until I exercised – who can really expect makeup to stay on when you’re intentionally sweating?
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I agree, though working out in makeup seems to be a thing now. I don’t get it and personally would never do it, but to each their own.
I haven’t tried Banana Boat in a long time. I have oily skin too and it seems like just about everything has broken me out lately. I might give it a shot.
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I do it, but only when I’m working out after work and I’ve had my makeup on all day. I really ought to get better about washing my face BEFORE working out AND after, but hey – at least I do one of them, right?
If you do, let me know how it works out for you!
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