This Supergoop Is the Only Sunscreen That’s Actually Invisible on My Skin

I’ve been in and out of dermatologists’ offices since I was 15; I don’t play about my skin. I put her through a lot: “Her skincare regimen is only sustainable if you’re a psychopath,” a friend of a friend said once. (Our mutual friend is chaotic and a gossip, so of course he showed me this text.) The secret about a skincare regimen is that all the work—the facials and peels and chemical exfoliants and spot treatments and moisturizing masks—is for naught if you’re not protecting your skin from sun damage.

A dermatologist I follow on Instagram once posted a photo from the New England Journal of Medicine that I now bring out to convert nonbelievers. The image shows a 60-something man who worked as a truck driver, with half of his face getting constant sun exposure and the other half in shadow. The right side of his face looks regularly aged; the left side, the side that got all the sun, is approaching Crypt Keeper. (I am out of my mind, so I did bring the photo out at dinner the other night to convince my friend’s boyfriend that she was right about him using an SPF product.)

Shopping for sensitive skin is one thing; shopping for Black skin is even trickier. So many sunscreens swear they won’t leave a white cast—a light film of chalky residue that makes my moisturized face look perma-ashy—and will rub in easily. I need an SPF formula that I can use with or without makeup, isn’t too thick to apply (I’m impatient), and is preferably a gel or a cream. I’ve tried luxury sunscreens from Clinique, Glossier, Josh Rosebrook, Tatcha—and none of them can compare to Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40, which checks every box. The brand’s Superscreen Daily Moisturizer is a close second and a good winter alternative. (Editor’s note: Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen is an also-great Wirecutter pick, too.)

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

No white cast whatsoever

This clear chemical sunscreen is a good choice for wearing under makeup or for those with dark skin. However, it’s on the greasier side, and it’s pricey.

Buying Options

$38 from Amazon
(1.7 ounces)

$38 from Supergoop
(1.7 ounces)

I proselytize on behalf of this sunscreen the way my Catholic-school headmistress, Sister Mary Clare, would’ve liked me to proselytize for the Lord. This gel does every single thing it’s supposed to, there’s no irritating scent, and you can’t see any evidence of its work. It’s completely invisible—not disappearing, like “Rub it in a little, and it’ll go away.” Invisible. The only work I have to do is reapply.

There’s a high you get from finding a new holy grail, the next goop or cream that becomes an anchor of your regimen. I rub in this sunscreen, and it’s like my whole future as a Rihanna-wannabe with juicy, elegant, glimmering skin unfurls in front of me. Find me a sunny rooftop this summer—I’m ready to act out.