Dr Rosenberger’s Sunscreen Update and Recommendations for 2026
HOW DO I CHOOSE A SUNSCREEN?
1 – Check the Active Ingredients – I particularly like sunscreens containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide ONLY. Zinc and titanium are physical mineral barriers that work much better and last longer than the chemical sunscreens. Zinc has a slightly more complete and broader coverage than Titanium. Some chemical sunscreens have now been shown to penetrate into the blood stream and may damage the coral reef, so I recommend to avoid them. A FEW YEARS AGO I NOTICED A NEW TRICK! Some sunscreens say “mineral enriched” or “mineral based” or “sensitive” or “baby” but also contain chemicals. Always thoroughly read the active ingredients and THINK ZINC!
2-Check the Water Resistance- At least 80 minutes water resistance is optimal. This means that no matter the SPF if you are in the water we need to reapply every 80 minutes.
3-Make sure it is Non-Comedogenic if you plan to use it on your face or other acne prone areas. Do not assume that just because it is a “good brand” it is non-comedogenic. Always check the label. If it doesn’t say non-comedogenic or doesn’t clog pores, it WILL clog your pores.
4-Decide if you will actually use it! In dermatology we call this “Elegance” if it feels and smells nice. Pick one that you like the smell, feel and look of and one you can easily toss into a bag so it’s there when you need it. I work hard to find ones that meet individual needs. We carry things that are not easily commercially available in our Spring Boutique where you can try them out.
NOTICE – I didn’t mention SPF. What? In my opinion the things listed above are more important than SPF. If you’re stuck on that though, shoot for an SPF>30. It’s rare to find a zinc based sunscreen with an SPF<30, so if you follow step number one you should be good!
One additional thing I noticed on sunscreens last year was the “PA level” rating indicated as PA+++ on the label. SPF is a measure of UVB protectiveness, PA level refers to UVA protection which is most important for aging and brown discoloration. The highest level is PA+++ or PA++++. Most of these are ones I would still recommend due to containing Zinc, but you can see a lit below of ones with additional PA ratings.
HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES FOR 2026!
After a trip to Walmart and checking online, here is what I recommend for this year. To see pictures of these, check out our social media posts. I’m sure there are others out there that meet the qualifications above as well, this is just a suggestion.
Tinted Chemical Free For the face (Zinc and Titanium): Colorescience all varieties and ISDIN Eryfotona Ageless are my favorites. These are available in our Spring Boutique at the office. The ZO Skin Health and Colorescience products also protect against blue light HEV and Infrared Radiation. Available OTC are Cerave Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen with Sheet Tint, Eucerin Tinted Sensitive Mineral Face, LaRoche Posay Anthelios Tinted Mineral, ELF Halo Glow Skin Tint, Supergoop Mineral Glow Screen and Matte Screen . This category has come a long way over the years! Most of these go on very nicely and can double as a light foundation.
Untinted Chemical Free for the face: Cerave Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 30 for Face, Vanicream Moisturing Lotion Sunscreen, Cetaphil Sheer Mineral SPF 50, Blue Lizard Sheer Face, LaRoche Posay Mineral UVAir (NEW!) all available at Walmart and online. ISDIN Eyrfotona Actinica Available at the Spring Boutique.
Untinted Chemical Free for the Body: Cerave Body Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 50, Neutrogena Pure & free Baby, Neutrogena Mineral Ultra Sheer and Beach Defense, Blue Lizard Sensitive and Sport, Coppertone Pure and Simple all varieties. Banana Boat has a number of new entries including Mineral Spray and Lotions including Sport, Baby and Kids. Aveeno Continuous Protection Kids and Baby. These are the ones I found on my recent trip to our local Walmart.
Bronzing Chemical Free for the Body: Colorescience Total Protection Sunforgettable Body Shield and Face Shield Bronze SPF 50. These can be used alone or added to another sunscreen to find the color you desire. These are great at the beginning of summer to give some extra color. Just be careful to not get these on your clothes.
Zinc Sticks for KIDS (and lazy Mommas) – My kids used to love being able to put on their own sunscreen with sunscreen sticks. I like that I can tuck it into a purse or bag easily. Examples containing only Zinc and Titanium include… Neutrogena’s Pure & Free Baby Sunscreen Stick, Neutrogena Mineral Ultra Sheer and Beach Defense, Babyganics pure mineral sunscreen stick, Coppertone Pure and Simple Baby Stick, Blue Lizard Stick, Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Stick, Cerave Mineral Stick and SunBum BabyBum Mineral Stick. All are available at Walmart.
Spray Sunscreen WITH Zinc – Coppertone Pure and Simple Spray, and Banana Boat Sport Mineral, Babyganics Mineral Spray, SunBum Mineral and Blue Lizard Sprays are all good this year. I like these for tops of feet, legs, scalp, ears and the back of the neck. They usually still need rubbed in a bit though. I have tried LOTS of these sprays and the problem is the nozzles get clogged. I have found that the only one I can finish before the nozzle clogs is Coppertone, so I stick to that one.
Lip Balms and Glosses –Colorscience and Coola LipLux Trio in fun scents, colors and flavors. Available in tons of colors at the Spring Boutique. Available OTC and in the Boutique I like the SunBum Mineral Lip Balm and EltaMDs lip balm is quite nice as well.
Brush on Sunscreen – Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush Available in the Spring Boutique. While there are a few more of these available, Colorescience comes in a variety of shades and tends to have the best applicator of them all.
Pressed Powder and Compacts – Colorescience pressed powder in tons of shades. Available in the Spring Boutique. My girls and I love these for on the go and for touch ups. The powder compact can be left in a car without worry of it spoiling. Plus it travels well on a plane!
PA rated sunscreens – * Indicates products I have tried myself and recommend and # Indicates products we sell in the Spring Boutique.
*#Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Products are all PA++++
Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer and Tint PA+++
*Skin Better Science Tinted Sunscreens are PA++++ and non-tinted are PA+++
EltaMD indicates on their site that all of their sunscreens are at least PA+++
To learn more about Sunscreen from a Dermatologist’s Perspective. Check out my other recent blog posts…
