We’ve also added a budget pick in a big bottle: Equate Sport Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50.
And for those seeking a reef-safe sunscreen, the lightweight Thrive Bodyshield SPF 50 is an excellent option.
Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ formula spreads relatively quickly and absorbs easily for a sunscreen containing only physical UV blockers, which tend to be chalky and difficult to rub in. Formulated with both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, this sunscreen contains no added fragrance.
SPF: 50+
Type of protection: physical
Active ingredients: zinc oxide (10%) and titanium dioxide (8%)
Broad spectrum: yes
Reef safe: no
Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $2.85 per ounce in the largest bottle size (8.75 ounces)
Our pick
Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+
This easy-to-apply lotion lives up to its name, as it rubs in with a dry, transparent finish and appears colorless on most skin tones. It has added fragrance, but not an overpowering sunscreen-y scent.
Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 is our favorite chemical sunscreen that doesn’t contain oxybenzone (a common active ingredient that some advocacy organizations have expressed concern about). It’s lightweight, nongreasy, and blends seamlessly into a variety of skin tones. Although it contains added fragrance, testers weren’t put off by its fruity scent. It costs less per ounce than our physical sunscreen picks—although much more than our budget pick.
SPF: 50
Type of protection: chemical
Active ingredients: avobenzone (3%), homosalate (9%), octisalate (4%), octocrylene (5%)
Broad spectrum: yes
Reef safe: no
Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $1.67
Budget pick
Walmart’s oxybenzone-free Equate Sport Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Value Size SPF 50 was very popular in our brand-concealed panel testing, during which many testers rated its translucence and skin feel as highly as sunscreens that cost 10 times as much. However, some found its medicinal odor to be insurmountable, and it only comes in an enormous, cheap-looking 32-ounce pump bottle.
SPF: 50
Type of protection: chemical
Active ingredients: avobenzone (3%), homosalate (15%), octisalate (5%), and octocrylene (7%)
Broad spectrum: yes
Reef safe: no
Price per ounce (at the time of publication): 39¢
Also great
Thrive Bodyshield SPF 50
This lotion is formulated with non-nano zinc oxide, an active ingredient known to be safer for marine life. It leaves a minimal white cast, but it’s pricey, and has a strong scent.
Thrive Bodyshield SPF 50 is easier to rub in than our physical-sunscreen pick from Blue Lizard, and its feel and transparency on all shades of skin is better, too—on par with most chemical sunscreens. In our testing we found that it leaves less of a white cast on skin than any of the other 15 reef-safe formulas we’ve tested. But this sunscreen is much more expensive than our other picks and contains a strong added fragrance.
SPF: 50
Type of protection: physical
Active ingredient: non-nano zinc oxide (23.5%)
Broad spectrum: yes
Reef safe: yes
Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $4.30
