Top Picks for North American Sunscreens

When I say “top picks” here, I suppose I really mean “ones I would actually pay money for and use on my own skin (if I don’t have access to other stuff)”. Because you can get all sorts of different American and Canadian sunscreens — many of them still use terrible formulas from the bygone flip-phone era; some of them feel like lard or cling wrap on the skin; some of them are not crappy as I thought; few of them give the Japanese brands quite a run for their money.

I’ve been testing loads of non-Japanese sunscreens, all at different price-points and with different UV filters, and here is a quick round-up of a few that I have discovered and liked. (Hover over images below for ingredients.) Also I’m trying out a new review format below. It won’t replace dedicated reviews, but I do hope that you’ll find these very short to-the-point lists useful.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen Lotion SPF50

<strong>UV FILTER(S):</strong> Octocrylene 6%, Oxybenzone 4%, Avobenzone 3%. <strong>OTHER INGREDIENTS:</strong> Water, Ethylhexyl Benzoate, Glycerin, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diisopropyl Adipate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Phenethyl Benzoate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polyethylene, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone, Coco-Glucoside, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Paraffin, Silk Amino Acids, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Silk Amino Acids, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Colocasia Antiquorum Root Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnatea Fruit Extract, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract, Psidium Guava Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum, Mica, CI 77163, CI 77492, CI 77491.

Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF30

I featured this in a Best Pick review back in June so this will come as no surprise. To save me repeating myself, you can read the full review by clicking on the link above.

bareMinerals Prep Step Mineral Shield Daily Prep Lotion SPF50

This was actually released in Japan a year before North America back in April 2015. Same stuff inside, just slightly repackaged and renamed.

<strong>UV FILTER(S):</strong> Titanium dioxide 4.1% & Zinc oxide 23.8%. <strong>OTHER INGREDIENTS:</strong> Coconut Alkanes, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Water, Squalane, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Silica, Glycerin, Propanediol, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Isostearic Acid, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Triethoxy-caprylylsilane, Gentiana Urnula Flower Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Magnesium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Polyester-1, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Disodium Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF46

<strong>UV FILTER(S):</strong> 9.0% Zinc oxide, 7.5% Octinoxate. <strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Niacinamide, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactic Acid, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane.