7 Joy-Inducing Sunscreens That Will *Finally* Get You To Wear SPF Every Day
Funscreen!!!!!
I've been a beauty editor for over a decade, which means I've talked to a lot of dermatologists about sunscreen—and the one thing they can all agree on is that the best sunscreen is the one you'll wear every day.
Obviously, that makes sense: An SPF product can only protect you from UV rays (and the skin damage and cancer risk that come along with them) if you're actually going to use it. But if you, like me, were traumatized by the goopy white paste your parents slathered all over you at the beach when you were a kid, it's fair that you may have an aversion to applying the stuff every day—and considering 1 in 10 people don't wear sunscreen at all, you're definitely not alone... and for a while, I was right there with you.
It's shameful for me to admit this (... especially given the whole "beauty editor" thing), but until a few years ago, I never wore sunscreen. Forget putting it on every morning—I didn't even apply it at the beach, where I preferred to bake myself into a bronzed goddess all summer long. But then, I turned 30, and the effects of all that sun damage started to show up on my skin. I knew that I needed to commit to the SPF life, but boy oh boy did I hate the stuff... which made it pretty unappealing to layer all over my face every morning.
Thankfully, it happened at the right time.
Sunscreen's having a moment
Skincare, in general, has been having its main character moment on social media. In the last decade, as people have started to prioritize taking care of their skin, they've started to realize that protecting it from the sun is the best way to prevent damage over time.
“This education [on social media] is changing behaviors, and peer pressure is encouraging people to wear sunscreen regularly,” Muneeb Shah, DO, who regularly shares SPF content with his 16.6 million TikTok followers, told Well+Good in 2022.
But don't just take his word for it. A 2021 analysis published by the Cureus Journal of Medical Science examined trends in sunscreen use among U.S. middle and high school students from 2007 to 2019, and found that sunscreen use in adolescents increased by 4 percent in those 12 years. Additionally, a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health determined that "social media interventions have shown promise in skin cancer prevention" largely by increasing awareness of sun damage as well as increasing the demand for sunscreen.
How sunscreen got its glow up
With more and more people shopping for sunscreen, it makes sense that brands have kick up their offerings in the category. But what started with better formulas (think: more varieties, non-chalky finishes, and more inclusive shades) has now gone one step further.
Now, you don't just need to settle for sunscreens that do their job while looking good—you can get all that from products that are actually fun to put on.
This is the exact ethos behind Vacation, one of the brands leading the fun-screen movement. Founding partner Marty Bell was lying on the beach in Mexico when he got to wondering why sunscreen—a product that's synonymous with having fun—was so incredibly boring.
After doing some digging, he discovered that sunscreen used to be fun—back in the 70s, when it was all about tanning—but as sun safety came to the forefront, brands started to shift towards a more clinical approach that basically "scared people into wearing SPF," says Bell. But now that people understand that they need sunscreen for the health of their skin, "We decided to start having a whole lot more fun with sunscreen again," says Bell.
Vacation's '80s-inspired line features a few upgraded favorites from the era—including a baby oil, a bronzing lotion, and an orange gelée, all with SPF 30—plus a whipped formula that comes in a literal whipped cream can. The brand's signature scent has earned it the title of "the world's best-smelling sunscreen," and is so popular that it's now sold in eau de toilette form. Considering the brand reported 200% year-over-year sales growth in 2023, has already launched six new products in 2024, and is always going viral on TikTok, clearly, they're onto something.
"We call that ‘leisure-enhancing’ sunscreen," says Bell. "We want to take your best day in the sun—and through incredibly fun and novel SPF products you actually look forward to applying—make it even better."
Vacation isn't the only brand putting the fun back in sunscreen. Supergoop!, Naked Sundays, Live Tinted, and Coola are just a few of the big names leading the charge with their upgraded formulas, and countless skincare brands have launched products that make the category feel far more luxurious than our good old drugstore goop ever did.
With so much good sunscreen on the market, there's officially no excuse not to wear the stuff every day.
SPF should bring you joy
As I've now confessed to the Internet, it took me a long time to realize that I really *did* need to be wearing SPF—and it took me even longer to find products that actually made me want to do it.
But now that I have, I've come to find that I am far more likely to put on a sunscreen that, well, brings me joy. Whether it's fun to apply, makes my skin look gorgeous, or (literally) add some sparkle into my day, these products have become a part of my routine simply because I love using them—the fact that they offer sun protection is just icing on the cake. Shop a few of my favorites here.
Vacation Classic Whip SPF 30 Sunscreen + Air Freshener Bundle, $23
One look at this whipped SPF makes it easy to understand why it's so much fun to put on. It looks like whipped cream (so much so that my sister won't buy it for her kids because she doesn't want them to eat it, which is fair), but happens to be infused with SPF 30. In addition to offering a derm-approved level of sun protection, the formula's also packed with skin-loving ingredients like coconut oil, shea oil, and vitamin E, which work together to deliver hydration and leave behind a moisturized, natural-looking sheen. It gets its summer-in-a-bottle scent from banana leaf extract, which smells *amazing.* It looks good enough to eat, but what it does for skin is somehow even better.
Kosas Dreambeam SPF 40, $40
I've spent years wishing for an SPF product that offered the same goddess-like glow as my favorite bronzing drops, and Kosas finally came through. I'm a longtime fan of the original, peach-hued dream beam, so when I found out the brand was launching a bronze-tinted version, I damn near lost my mind. It's a mineral formula, which means it's safe for people with sensitive skin or anyone who's pregnant or breastfeeding, and has the most stunning finish. It evens my skin out so beautifully, I rarely ever wear makeup on top of it—which makes reapplication totally seamless.
Kopari Sunglaze Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen SPF 42, $39
Though I may now have the sun-care practices of a Gen Z'er, I'm still a millennial at heart—so naturally, I went wild when I found out that SPF body glitter is a thing. It's like they made it specifically for me. It's got the prettiest shimmery finish that leaves me glistening at the beach, so much so that I've found myself applying it to my arms and legs on my non-beach days, too (which, BTW, is something that dermatologists recommend, but that I've never done until now). The spray-on format makes it so easy to use, and that—combined with the sparkle, of course—has me re-applying more regularly than I ever have before.
Coola Face Mist, $32
I can't remember the exact moment when facial spritzes entered my life, but I do remember thinking, "Now this is luxury." I have that same thought every time I spray on Coola's Face Mist, which feels like one of those fancy Evian sprays but comes with the added bonus of sun, pollution, and blue-light protection. It's got a glorious cooling effect that's helped it earned a permanent spot in my summer purse, and the aloe and coconut oil in the formula offer an added boost of hydration (plus, it's an SPF 50). It goes on clear and dries in a non-greasy way that makes me feel okay about layering it on top of my makeup, and is the only product I've ever owned that can *actually* get me to reapply regularly.
Supergoop Shimmershade SPF 30, $23
Never in my life would I think to put sunscreen on my eyelids (because, who would?!?), but apparently, that's not right. The skin around your eyes is suuuuper delicate, which makes it more prone to sun damage. And, well: Hello, crow's feet. Obviously, there's no chance any of us are rubbing a goopy lotion on our lids, but Supergoop!'s thankfully got a fix. The brands "Shimmershade" eyeshadows offer SPF 30 protection in the most gorgeous pearlescent shades—namely rose gold, champagne, and brushed gold—that integrate SPF into your makeup routine without you even realizing it. Plus, they finish is pretty sheer and understated, so you won't feel totally ridiculous showing up to the beach in full glam.
Vacation Orange Gelée, $23
Vacation's joy-inducing SPFs are a gift that keeps on giving, so much so that there's another product from the brand that feels worth mentioning. With its Orange Gelee, the brand reimagined OG French tanning lotion Bain De Soleil into something so much better. Like many other BDS die-hards, my friends and I used to slather our skin with the stuff every summer while we baked on the beach, and were totally obsessed with the glisten it gave us. While the original's been discontinued (... likely because it only had SPF 4 in it and turned your skin into a reflective surface), it doesn't matter—I'd be buying Vacation's version anyway. It's got the same signature jelly texture and bright orange shade, and gives skin the same mirror finish. What sets it apart, of course, is the fact that it has SPF 30.
YSE Skin Glow SPF 30 Primer, $48
I call this my rich lady sunscreen. The chic black-white-and-gold packaging screams quiet luxury, and the radiant, even skin tone it delivers makes me feel like Sofia Richie Grange. It's got a champagne-y tint that enhances my natural glow, and most of the time I wear it on its own with a little concealer. I love it so much, though, I also find myself using it as a primer under makeup all the time—as in, at night, when I have no business putting sunscreen on my skin. Is it the most "fun" product on this list? Nah. But the level of bougie it makes me look and feel makes it joy-inducing nonetheless.