Once you know what you’re looking for, finding the best sunscreen stick isn’t too difficult. If you have sensitive skin, a mineral option that prioritizes soothing ingredients is key. And if you’re trying to avoid a white cast at all cost, a sheer chemical formula is the way to go.
What all sunscreen sticks have in common is their compact packaging that’s easy to take with you on the go, for mess-free reapplications. These formulas aren’t gloopy (like some lotions) or a pain to travel with (like sprays). They’re just…good. Bonus: Our picks are all at least SPF 30, the minimum recommended by dermatologists for protecting your skin from the sun’s rays.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: EltaMD UV Stick Sunscreen SPF 50+, $38
- Best Without a White Cast: Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+, $32
- Best Moisturizing: Kopari Pure Protect Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+, $29
- Best Soothing: Dearcloud Sunny Defense SPF Stick SPF 50+, $18
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Blue Lizard Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+, $10
- Best Cooling: Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Stick SPF 50, $25
- Best Glowy: Naked Sundays Clear Glow Sun Stick SPF 50, $30
- Best Plastic-Free: Attitude Sunly Plastic-Free Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 30, $18
- Best for Babies: Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral SPF 50, $12
In this article
Shop the best sunscreen sticks
Ahead, you’ll find your new skin care BFF.
Best Overall: EltaMD UV Stick Sunscreen SPF 50+
EltaMD is known for its top-notch SPF formulas, so if there’s a great place to start on your sunscreen stick journey, it’s here. Recommended by Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, this mineral SPF uses zinc oxide to physically block UV rays. It’s also a safer option for anyone with easily irritated skin.
Need a boost of moisture? Hydrating cocoa and shea butters help the formula glide across your skin. Our tester calls it a “grown-up version of the face stick we all grew up with. It rolled on smoothly and my face enjoyed the process of applying sunscreen—often a rarity!”
SPF type: Mineral | Size: 1.3 oz | Other notable ingredients: Sunflower seed butter (an emollient), soothing bisabolol
Best Without a White Cast: Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
Shiseido
Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
Not a fan of the white cast that so many sunscreens leave behind? Us either. Dr. Garshick says this stick really goes on clear, as its name suggests, thanks to avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene. Rather than sitting on top of your skin and reflecting UV rays, these ingredients absorb them before they can cause damage.
My friend, an avid hiker who spends as much time outside as possible, carries this on her as soon as temps start to spike. I’ve snatched this stick out of her bag in a pinch, and I can vouch for its thin, silky formula that leaves behind a healthy, clear sheen.
SPF type: Chemical | Size: 0.7 oz | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing mineral oil and hydroxystearic acid, calming licorice root extract
Best Moisturizing: Kopari Pure Protect Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
Kopari
Pure Protect Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
It’s no small feat to find an SPF that won’t sting your eyes or make your makeup slide. Enter the Pure Protect Mineral Sunscreen Stick: “I was skeptical about sunscreen sticks before I tried this one, but Kopari made me a believer,” SELF’s senior commerce editor, Sarah Felbin, says.
The difference? “The formula is super thin and lightweight, plus it goes on without a white cast and sinks into my skin in seconds,” she says. It also packs some mega hydrators, like vitamin E and argan oil, while feeling weightless.
SPF type: Mineral | Size: 0.7 oz | Other notable ingredients: Bisabolol, shea butter, jojoba esters (an emollient)
Best Soothing: Dearcloud Sunny Defense SPF Stick SPF 50+
Dearcloud
Sunny Defense SPF Stick SPF 50+
This Korean sunscreen is loaded with soothing ingredients, like allantoin and centella asiatica, to help red or irritated skin chill out. Plus, it has hyaluronic acid—a hydrating powerhouse—anda moisturizing formula that also gives your skin a soft blurring effect.
SELF’s food writer, Caroline Tien, became a sunscreen stick convert after trying this one. “It glides on super smoothly, feels barely there, and the stick form makes it incredibly quick and easy to apply in the mornings,” she says. “With a few quick swipes over my face and neck, I’m on my way out the door.”
SPF type: Chemical | Size: 0.68 oz | Other notable ingredients: Vitamin E
Best for Sensitive Skin: Blue Lizard Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
Blue Lizard
Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+
This mineral SPF is perfect for adults and kids with very sensitive skin, according to Dr. Garshick. Its zinc-based, fragrance-free formula is exactly what easily irritated skin needs. Plus, ultra-moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin E, and squalane all come together to nourish and soften any dry patches.
SPF type: Mineral | Size: 0.5 oz | Other notable ingredients: Aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, castor oil, jojoba seed oil, cocoa butter
Best Cooling: Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Stick SPF 50
Round Lab
Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Stick SPF 50
Round Lab’s SPF contains a patented ingredient complex that feels cool to the touch on your skin—a real treat in the summer. Its other star ingredients include glyceryl glucoside, a humectant that boosts your skin barrier to prevent dry patches, and birch tree sap, which can relieve redness.
SELF’s lifestyle writer, Jenna Ryu, says this is one of the few sunscreens she’s tried that didn’t break her out. “I can’t go anywhere without this, as someone with acne-prone skin,” she says. “It’s really creamy, and what I love most is that it feels like a moisturizer, so I don’t need to do much skin care underneath. There’s no white cast, no weird scents, and it spreads really nicely.”
SPF type: Chemical | Size: 0.67 oz | Other notable ingredients: Smoothing dimethicone, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, allantoin
Best Glowy: Naked Sundays Clear Glow Sun Stick SPF 50
Naked Sundays
Clear Glow Sun Stick SPF 50
Naked Sundays’s SPF stick is loaded with emollients and watermelon extract (a good source of vitamin C), for a smooth application and a dewy sheen that just might give you that eight-glasses-of-water-a-day glow.
It’s also SELF editor-approved: “This sunscreen is a long-time resident in my walking fanny pack and my beach bag,” says Lexi Herrick, SELF’s senior director or audience. “It glides on beautifully and is super compact, making it perfect for hiking or reapplying while out in the elements. It’s also very lightweight and doesn’t inflame my acne-prone skin in the way that many other sunscreens do.”
SPF type: Chemical | Size: 0.67 oz | Other notable ingredients: Dicaprylyl carbonate, medium chain triglycerides, ceresin (emollients)
Best Plastic-Free: Attitude Sunly Plastic-Free Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 30
Attitude
Sunly Plastic-Free Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 30
This deodorant-sized sunscreen tube is all biodegradable cardboard, so you can feel a little bit better about what’s in your makeup bag. It’s also a great value: You get about double the amount of product for around half the price of some of our other picks.
As for the SPF inside: “This zinc sunscreen is the future of sunscreens,” one SELF Healthy Beauty Awards tester said. “The mineral formula looks truly transparent if you rub it in, feels hydrating, and leaves my skin feeling super soft. And no surprise—because it’s zinc—but it did a great job protecting my skin from the SoCal sun.”
SPF type: Mineral | Size: 2.1 oz | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing grape seed oil, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, castor seed oil, shea butter
Best for Babies: Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral SPF 50
Sun Bum
Baby Bum Mineral SPF 50
“If I could, I’d have one of these little sticks in every one of my many bags,” SELF’s commerce director, Shanna Shipin, says. Its mineral formula leaves a slight white cast, but that’s actually why she likes it. “When applying sunscreen on days out at the park, on a hike, or at the beach, I genuinely don’t mind having a bit of cast on my skin—or my kids’ skin. In fact, I actually want to see the coverage on them, so I know I haven’t missed a spot!”
“Still, for my medium skin tone, this doesn’t leave a super noticeable cast, rolls on like a dream (no skin tugging!), and is fragrance-free, which is a plus for my eczema-plagued family,” Shipin says. Another major plus: It’s made with moisturizing coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter.
SPF type: Mineral | Size: 0.45 oz | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing avocado oil, meadowfoam seed oil, and linseed oil, vitamin E, bisabolol
How we chose the best sunscreen sticks
SELF editors are constantly testing the latest and greatest skin care products, including SPF. Staffers shared their favorite sunscreen sticks that hydrate, feel silky, and of course, protect against UV rays. We also combed through previous Healthy Beauty Award winners and spoke with a dermatologist to find tried-and-true options that SELF testers and experts have loved for years.
Are sunscreen sticks actually effective?
Yes! As with any sunscreen, as long as you apply it properly, a stick can be effective. Dr. Garshick recommends swiping back and forth four times over the same area of skin. It’s also a good idea to rub the product in after, to make sure you don’t miss a spot.
What should you consider while looking for a sunscreen stick?
Dr. Garshick suggests looking for a sunscreen stick with a minimum of SPF 30 that offers broad spectrum protection—meaning it blocks UVA (associated with aging) and UVB (the kind that give sunburns) rays.
Whether you go with a mineral or chemical filter is up to you. Mineral formulas are generally better for sensitive or acne-prone skin, but are also more likely to leave a white cast. On the other hand, chemical options tend to blend better into skin, but can be irritating. Plus, certain chemical sunscreen ingredients are banned in some countries because of their harmful effects on marine life. (Looking for a reef-safe option? All of the mineral SPFs on this list meet the criteria.)
It’s always a good idea to look for moisturizing ingredients in your sunscreen formulas. Dr. Garshick likes soothing, hydrating aloe vera and nourishing shea butter. But many of our top picks also have moisturizing hyaluronic acid, squalane, cocoa butter, and vitamin E—all good options.
If you’re planning on hitting up the beach or pool, look for a water-resistant formula and make sure to reapply often (usually after 80 minutes of sweating or swimming). We also recommend checking the product’s instructions to see how long you should wait after each swipe before going for a dip.
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