In this blog post, I’m going to be sharing the 10 best lightweight SPFs for oily skin to ensure you’re protected from the sun but non-greasy.
Wearing SPF every day is vital to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays and it helps prevent your skin from becoming wrinkly. There are plenty of SPFs on the market but some of them can leave your skin feeling sticky or can leave a horrible chalky cast. And we don’t want that.
To help tackle this dilemma, I’ve rounded up the top 10 lightweight and non-greasy SPFs to keep your skin healthy. These SPFs are also ideal for underneath makeup as they’re not heavy. If you’ve got drier skin, use a nourishing moisturiser under these products to keep your skin moisturised throughout the day.
Keep on reading to see the best lightweight SPFs on the market currently.
Important: You should always wear a dedicated SPF. If your moisturiser or foundation has SPF in, for instance, that’s better than nothing but it’s going to be a more diluted version. Opting for a dedicated SPF, like the ones listed here, will ensure vital protection from UV rays.
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1. Dr. Ceuracle Cica Regen Anti-Dust Sun Gel SPF50+
£26
Type of sunscreen: chemical
Kosame Beauty kindly gifted me the Dr. Ceuracle Cica Regen Anti-Dust Sun Gel SPF50+ and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
This lightweight broad-spectrum Korean SPF doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s one of my personal favourites.
This sunscreen sinks into the skin quickly, which means you can apply makeup over the top immediately. On the skin, this SPF never feels sticky or heavy. In fact, it’s one of the most undetectable SPFs I’ve ever used and it doesn’t have a mattifying effect.
It also doesn’t leave a horrible ashy cast on your skin and once the SPF has absorbed into your skin, you wouldn’t know it was there. Admittedly, I’m not sure if this would leave a white cast on deeper skins as I’m pretty fair.
But for my melanin-rich girls, don’t worry, there are some tried and tested SPFs in this list that won’t leave a chalky cast on your skin!
2. Glossier Invisible Shield
£20
Type of sunscreen: chemical
The Gossier Invisible Shield is well known for being an excellent choice for darker skins due to its transparent formula. This means no ashy casts on the skin and great sun protection at SPF30.
The SPF has a gel-like consistency and protects the skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Yet, this lightweight sunscreen never feels sticky on the skin.
As well as being a great option for darker skins, this excellent formula is non-comedogenic, vegan and cruelty-free. However, it does contain sweet orange peel oil, so people who dislike fragrance in skincare might want to opt for a different formula.
3. The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF 50+
£18-£22
Type of sunscreen: chemical
The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF 50+ is a brilliant, fuss-free and lightweight facial sunscreen.
Fast-absorbing and non-greasy, this SPF offers broad-spectrum coverage against UVA and UVB rays. Although not quite as undetectable on the skin as the Dr. Ceuracle sunscreen, The Body Shop option is slightly cheaper and, in my experience, a bit more moisturising.
This is the first SPF I tried that made me realise that there are non-greasy options out there. Years of sticky and heavy sunscreens had put me off applying it on my face but The Body Shop’s formula totally changed my mind.
It’s a great option for oilier skin types as well as people with sensitive skin.
4. Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Sun Cream SPF50
£18
Type of sunscreen: chemical
The Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Sun Cream SPF50 made an appearance in my April beauty faves last year and is one of the cheapest options in this list.
This K-beauty pick is very lightweight but still provides enough moisture to the skin. Offering high levels of coverage, this sunscreen feels more like an SPF-moisturiser hybrid and provides a gorgeous, dewy finish. Although I think this SPF would be suitable for oily skin, I also think drier skin types would enjoy the comfortable and moisturising feel of the sunscreen.
I personally like the added glow this SPF gives my skin but particularly oily skins might find this a bit on the heavy side.
5. Krave Beauty The Beet Shield
$20/£14.38
Type of sunscreen: chemical
Although you can’t get hold of Krave Beauty’s The Beet Shield in the UK *cries*, I’ve heard nothing but stellar reviews of this SPF50.
Promising to leave the skin grease- and cast-free, The Beet Shield doesn’t leave a sticky finish, something which is a nightmare for anyone with oily skin. Containing high levels of beetroot and some vitamin C, this chemical sunscreen is antioxidant-rich and will give you a stunning glow.
It also works as non-oily makeup primer and who doesn’t love a multi-tasking skincare product?
Edit: At the time of writing this update 21/04/2021, Krave Beauty stopped producing this SPF due to manufacturing/reliability issues. However, the brand has said in a statement that it intends to produce new SPFs in the future
6. REN Clean Skincare Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30
£32
Type of sunscreen: mineral
The REN Clean Skincare Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 is the only mineral SPFs in this list and one of the pricier options.
Mineral sunscreens are often regarded as safer options as they don’t sink into the skin and cause a chemical reaction but instead sit on top of the skin’s surface and work to block and reflect the sun’s UV rays. However, they tend to be thicker formulae and have more potential to leave a white cast for this reason.
However, the REN mineral, and vegan, sunscreen won’t clog your pores and, due to its mattifying effect, is a great choice for people with oily skin. Dewy finishes can make particularly oily skin look greasier, so this mattifying option is a smart choice for people who are scared about looking too oily. Also, as this sunscreen doesn’t cause a chemical reaction, it’s a great choice for people with sensitive skin.
7. Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor
£32
Type of sunscreen: chemical
If you bring up Rihanna’s makeup or skincare line, you immediately think of inclusivity. And the Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor is a fantastic option for all skin tones, especially darker skins.
I love the Hydra Vizor. It’s truly lightweight on the skin and after you’ve applied it, you’d hardly know it was there. Although it’s lightweight and non-greasy, I still find it delivers enough hydration to the skin to stop me for reaching for another moisturiser. This also plays very nicely with makeup.
Also, this SPF30 gives your skin a beautiful glow. Unlike certain sunscreens that can leave a chalky cast and make your skin look flat, this sunscreen livens up the skin and makes it look healthy. From all the pictures I’ve seen across social media, this SPF is made for, and truly flatters, people with darker skin. And as I’ve said before, we stan an inclusive brand.
If you’d like to hear my thoughts on Fenty Skin, why not check out my full brand review here?
8. ARK Skincare Skin Protector SPF 30 Primer
£36
Type of sunscreen: chemical
ARK Skincare gifted me the Skin Protector SPF 30 Primer to try and considering how much I’ve loved some of the brand’s products previously (the exfoliator and cleanser are my faves so far), I couldn’t wait to try this one out.
Doubling up as a primer and SPF, this lightweight option delivers hydration to the skin while protecting you from the sun’s harmful rays. It contains skin-loving ingredients like vitamin E, shea butter and glycerin to ensure your skin is moisturised throughout the day, while providing the perfect luminous base to apply makeup over the top. This is a great option for people with oily skin that don’t want to apply a primer after their sunscreen.
If I were out in the sun for an extended period of time, I’d probably apply one of the SPF50s listed above over the top for optimal protection.
9. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF50+
£18
Type of sunscreen: chemical
Perhaps the most iconic sunscreen in this list, the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF50+ is a trustworthy and affordable option for oilier skins.
This popular SPF is lightweight and offers broad-spectrum coverage, while being suitable for people with sensitive skin as it is non-irritating. La Roche-Posay also promises that this well-loved sunscreen is water-, sweat- and sand-resistant, making it the perfect choice for when you’re on the beach.
Caroline Hirons consistently recommends La Roche-Posay’s excellent SPFs.
10. Heliocare Gel Oil-Free SPF50
£26.95
Type of sunscreen: chemical
The final product I’m including in this list of the best lightweight SPFs for oily skin is the Heliocare Gel Oil-Free SPF50.
Heliocare is recognised for its brilliant SPFs and the Gel Oil-Free version is a fantastic choice for oily skins due to its ultra lightweight and matte formula. It sinks into the skin instantly and won’t leave your skin feeling sticky, which is ideal for when you’re out in the sun for extended periods of time.
Although this formula is designed specifically for people with oily skin in mind, this lightweight gel would be fantastic for when the weather is particularly hot as there’s nothing worse than a greasy SPF if you’re a bit sweaty!
It also contains vitamin C for some added glow, which is always a bonus.
Final thoughts on the best lightweight SPFs for oily skin
These are 10 fantastic and non-sticky SPFs for people with oily skin. However, they are also fantastic options for people looking for an undetectable sunscreen or one that plays well underneath makeup as they’re not heavy on the skin.
Although my skin leans more towards normal/oily, I’d still pick these options if I had drier skin and opt for a more nourishing moisturiser instead as I think this combination works really well.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this post helpful!
What’s your favourite SPF? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below
This is such a comprehensive list, thank you! I am interested in La Roche-Posay because of it’s high protection and the price point. Plus, if Caroline Hirons recommends it, it must be unreal.
I think the LRP SPF is going to be my next pick or the Heliocare one as I hear great things!
Thanks for sharing these because I hate sunscreen but I know that it is important lol. So they have to be lightweight, non-greasy, and leaving no white cast before I’ll put it on. I really want to try the Krave Beauty one but it’s hard to get in the UK as well as Europe as you said. Also, I totally missed Glossier having sunscreen! So I think I’m going to try that one first.
I hate sticky SPFs. They make me fee so uncomfortable! I hope Krave Beauty comes to Europe soon. Fingers crossed so we can both try it! The Glossier SPF is meant to be unreal
I absolutely LOVE this list! Saving this for when we can travel again.
I’ve used the ‘Dr. Ceuracle Cica Regen Anti-Dust Sun Gel SPF50+’ and I can confirm it works on deeper skin tones!
Char xo
Thank you so much! That’s great to know about the Dr. Ceuracle SPF working on deeper skin tones. I thought that would be the case as the formula is very lightweight and seems transparent but I haven’t seen any comments from people with deeper skin tones try it out, so I wasn’t sure. Nice to see a Korean brand cater for melanin-rich girls!
“The best SPF is the one you will use”. This is a really comprehensive list, thank you so much for introducing me to some new ones. I need to try a lot of these out!