What Are the Best Sunscreens for People of Color?

With warmer seasons coming up, it's essential to equip your daily skincare routine with a reliable sunscreen that offers great protection without leaving a white cast - especially for melanin-rich beauties like you. To save you the hassle of going through more disappointing bottles of SPFs, we've rounded up a list of tried-and-true sunscreens - whether it's a chemical sunscreen or mineral sunscreen - for dark-skinned beauties like you to give your spring skin the protection that it needs.


No. 1

COSRX - Shield Fit Snail Essence Sun SPF50+ PA+++

COSRX sunscreen snail mucin

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - COSRX

Best Organic Sunscreen for Face

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: This COSRX sunscreen features an organic UV filter that contains Snail Secretion Filtrate and moisturizing complexes with a moist essence-like texture. This sunscreen provides UV protection as well as moisturization and elasticity care for dry skin. Its non-oily, refreshing and moist formula is lightweight and glides on easily without leaving any whitecast that will turn your complexion into a hue of purple.


No. 2

Shiseido - Perfect UV Protector SPF50+ PA++++

Shiseido sunscreen

Courtesy of Japanese Brand - Shiseido

Best Mineral Sunscreen to Wear Before Day Makeup

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Shiseido's Perfect UV Protector is a solid choice if you're someone who wears makeup often and doesn't want to build a heavy layer on top of your sunscreen. This Shiseido sunscreen offers a perfectly sheer application that also allows your skin to absorb it quickly without leaving a grayish overcast. Its lightweight formula does not compromise the colors of your day makeup either while serving as a light moisturizer for your face and neck.


No. 3

Kao - Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

biore sunscreen

Courtesy of Japanese Brand - Kao

Best Chemical Sunscreen

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Not only does Kao’s Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence keep every inch of your skin protected from the sun — the lightweight, buildable texture is also a delight to your spring skin that you might actually look forward to reapplying it. And you'll definitely want to, thanks to its protective and moisturizing combination of SPF 50 and a special mixture of Hyaluronic Acid & Royal Jelly Extract. This STYLEVANA bestseller will leave your skin glowing without a trace or looking ashy, and can double as a moisturizer and a makeup base with 80-minute water-resistance for your beach dates. Get the 4-piece set to stock up for spring!


No. 4

THANK YOU FARMER - Sun Project Light Sun Essence

THANK YOU FARMER - Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - THANK YOU FARMER

Best Lightweight Sunscreen

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Hailed as a cult-favorite (and under-rated) beauty, this THANK YOU FARMER sunscreen is infused with cooling aloe extract that targets redness and calms irritation. Its rich blend of sacha inchi oil + lotus flower water also helps soften the appearance of fine lines and bolster skin’s resilience while deflecting the damaging effects of UV rays. Readily absorbed and completely non-greasy, this lightweight sunscreen hydrates without smothering your skin to maintain a smooth, semi-matte finish.


No. 5

COSRX - Aloe Soothing Sun Cream

COSRX - Aloe Soothing Sun Cream

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - COSRX

Best Sunscreen Moisturizer

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Don't let the creamy, white consistency of this COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream intimate you — once you start massaging this SPF sunscreen into your skin, it practically disappears without leaving a trace of white cast. Formulated with Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, this Korean sunscreen is a sunscreen moisturizer that keeps your skin hydrated and dewy without feeling greasy which is the last thing you want under the spring weather. It goes on super smooth and sinks in quickly.


No. 6

Logically, Skin - Professional Sun Block

Logically, Skin - Professional Sun Block

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - Logically, Skin

Best Sunscreen as Makeup Base

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Known for its powerful mineral protection thanks to the zinc oxide formula, this Logically, Skin Professional Sun Block will be the one you need on your spring radar. Made with niacinamide + glycerin, this physical sunscreen focuses on skin moisturization for dry skin type and helping skin's oil-moisture balance, while doing a wonderful job on providing a broad SPF50+ sun protection to help your melanin-rich skin prevent sunburn and sun damage. It feels equally refreshing as it is cooling on the skin which is perfect for the coming warmer seasons.


No. 7

PESTLO - Safe Recipe Sun Essence

PESTLO - Safe Recipe Sun Essence

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - PESTLO

Best Mineral Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Designed with high concentration of sun-protection ingredients like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, this PESTLO sunscreen is a mineral sunscreen that helps shield the skin from harmful UV by creating a physical barrier. It features a lightweight, physical mineral filter that absorbs quickly without leaving any white cast for dark skin tone. Not to mention this mineral sunscreen delivers a mattifying and fast-absorbing finish without triggering any skin irritation.


No. 8

SCINIC - Enjoy All Round Airy Sun Stick SPF50+ PA++++

SCINIC - Enjoy All Round Airy Sun Stick SPF50+ PA++++

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - SCINIC

Best Sun Stick for Handy Application

Stylevana Review: No longer will you need to lug around heavy bottles of sunscreen on outdoor excursions. This SCINIC Enjoy All Round Airy Sun Stick provides a hefty dose of SPF 50, and its no-whitecast, transparent protective barrier makes it an even more solid choice for dark skin tone. Formulated with Swiss Alpine herbal extract to purify skin, this multi-functional sunscreen stick also contains sebum-absorbing powder to reduce your mid-day shine with powerful UV protection for your sun-exposed skin.


It’s time to get your skincare routine spring/summer ready with the best sunscreens from our collection! Shop your most-favorite chemical sunscreen or mineral sunscreen to prep your sun-kissed skin for the sunny days ahead!