Dermatologist-tested best sunscreens of 2020 (and my personal picks)

Written by Jenny Wu
Jenny Wu

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  1. iarshinta says:

    Waw..suprisingly the trusted Pa plus plus sunblock listed above are not my fav. Isispharma n bioderma alhv white cast😭on me. La roche posay untinted is ok…but not my fav..well layering with the best foundation is the solution. Thank you🙏💕

    • Jenny says:

      Oh no, that’s a bummer! There are a lot of other tested but more elegant sunscreen solutions, I have them all documented in my sunscreen database :)

  2. Élise says:

    Yikes. I have 2 Biore sunscreens in my stash – the Aqua Rich watery gel and Barrier Me mineral milk – and now I’m worried if they’re not protecting me as much as I want to. Thankfully, due to the pandemic, I don’t go out and get much sun exposure, so I only use them indoor. I don’t really get sunlight in my room either, but I still slather some SPF50 regardless. (I’m so scared to tan and/or burn!)

    I have never tried any French brands when it comes to sunscreens. I’ve been eyeing La-Roche Posay, but not sure which one to choose. All this time I’ve been in love with Asian (especially Japanese) sunscreens, but now… now I’m not so sure? Lol. I’m also surprised to find that the Shiseido Anessa only receives 2-stars, yikes. For such an expensive price, I think I’d rather allocate my budget to trying EU brands instead.

    (Thank goodness Kanebo Allie is a good one, because I’ve been meaning to try that.)

  3. Sunny B says:

    Wow, just came across this really interesting post. Thank you for taking the time to put together something so detailed. Like others, I’m disappointed by the Biore results, as I was just about to go back to it after Klairs. I wonder if you have a view on why these results for the well-known Japanese brands are not being talked about in the way that Purito, Klairs, etc. are being discussed?

    • Jenny says:

      I think people were suspicious about the Klairs and Purito ones due to the low number of filters. Most Japanese chemical sunscreens have at least 3-4 filters, so it was surprising to see these new sunscreens with the same protection level only use 2. Plus they’re both really popular on social media and a lot of influencers have recommended them, so they’re under a lot more scrutiny than other brands unfortunately. I do think Japanese brands need to be discussed as well, because even though they may pass the spf test (the Biore one did), their uva protection level is still questionable.

  4. Trish says:

    Interesting results. I’ve read other skincare formulators’ posts and they all tested different sunscreens. The highest ranking ones are Asian sunscreens.

    • Jenny says:

      Hi Trish, these test results are purely based on numbers without considering the texture, finish, and general user experience of the product. If you take those into consideration Asian sunscreens are definitely more elegant. It all depends on the testing method :)

  5. Naya says:

    Your reviews are such a pleasure to read, always! So informative and educational. I feel like running to the nearest drugstore to get my paws on that Avene sunscreen hah! It seems perfect. I also love La Roche Posay. Their formulas work so well for my sensitive and dry skin xx

    Naya
    http://www.nayatilly.com

  6. BeautiliciousD says:

    La roche posay by far, my favorite but thank you for this great detailed review xx

    https://beautiliciousd.blogspot.com/

  7. Lisa Autumn says:

    So many great ones! I always wear Avene or La Roche Posay so I am glad they are on the list x

    Lisa | lisaautumn.com

  8. Lenafevral says:

    Thank you for such an informative post. I’m so saddened to learn that biroe got such a low score since that’s one of my faves. I haven’t tried any from the top 11 yet ????

    • Jenny says:

      I think for everyday use it’s still ok as long as you apply enough, but it’s definitely not one you’d want to wear to the beach ????

  9. Melanie says:

    This was such an educational read! Thank you for taking the time to put this all together! I was surprised honestly that the European brands ended up beating out a lot of the Japanese ones :O

    • Jenny says:

      Thanks for reading! I was shocked when I found out too, but I still think for everyday use Japanese/Korean sunscreens might be a better fit due to their more elegant textures ☺️

      • Melanie says:

        Ok, well it’s been a long day and my eyes are doing things. Guess I didn’t misspell what I thought I had???????? don’t mind me losing it over here

        • Melanie says:

          And by Asian I mean Japanese/Korean. Gotta be more specific. Ok I’m done now????

      • Melanie says:

        Phew just looked at that and I’m glad you got it despite my horrible misspelling, yikes???? I agree! I think the few European sunscreens I’ve tried haven’t held a candle to the lightness/comfort of the Asian formulations.

  10. Anne says:

    I am disappointed to see the Biore one only getting 2 stars in this testing, as I love it for everyday use.
    But on the other hand both the LRP and the klairs one are staples for me when I am outdoors, so I can continue with them.

    Anne from Doctor Anne

  11. Jennifer says:

    I have not tried any of these sunscreens. I really like Beautycounter and ThinkBaby.

    Jennifer
    Curated by Jennifer

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