{"id":19620,"date":"2022-05-25T14:48:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T21:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=19620"},"modified":"2022-06-01T11:52:20","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T18:52:20","slug":"sunscreens-for-acne-prone-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/sunscreens-for-acne-prone-skin","title":{"rendered":"The Best Sunscreens for Acne-Prone Skin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even in 2022, sunscreen still has a hard time shaking its reputation of being thick, unblendable, and greasy—we’ve all got a bit of residual trauma left over from our mothers slathering us head-to-toe in the pasty white stuff that came out of the old-school, pink Coppertone bottle. But formulas have come a long <\/em>way, and it’s no longer a challenge to find lightweight, high-quality options that work for every skin type, tone<\/a>, and need. If breakouts and clogged pores are your primary complexion concerns, there are a few key things to pay attention to when shopping for SPF, say dermatologists.<\/p>

Keep reading for their advice, as well as the best face sunscreens for acne-prone skin.<\/p>

What causes acne breakouts from sunscreens?<\/h2>

“Certain ingredients, such as isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, ethylhexyl palmitate, and acetylated lanolin, are more likely to induce comedones—pimples—in persons with acne-prone skin,” says Dr. Lorrie Klein<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in Laguna Niguel, California. If you don’t have acne on your body, you may feel comfortable using products with these ingredients, but they should be avoided on the face. <\/p>

Dr. Janet Allenby,<\/a> a board-certified dermatologist in Delray Beach, Florida, points out that oils were once heavily used in sunscreen formulas in the past, to enhance spreadability—which was definitely not acne-friendly. “Micronized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are used more routinely now in our mineral sunscreen, which are much more cosmetically elegant and not as likely to cause breakouts,” she says. <\/p>

The magic word to look for on any sunscreen label is noncomedogenic<\/em>, and if you can’t find that, oil-free<\/em> is your next best bet. Noncomedogenic<\/em> is a fancy way of saying that the product will not clog pores. “If skin-care products, including sunscreens, have ‘noncomedogenic’ on their label, it usually means they have been tested not to induce acne. Facial sunscreens are usually noncomedogenic,” says Dr. Klein. Oil-free<\/em> doesn’t automatically mean a product won’t clog pores, but more often than not, that’s the case.<\/p>

Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

Should you choose a chemical or physical sunscreen for acne-prone skin?<\/h2>

Physical sunscreens, also called mineral sunscreens, contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and work by sitting on top of the skin and creating a barrier that blocks UV rays from penetrating the skin at all. Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, are absorbed into the skin and convert UV rays into heat, which they then release. <\/p>

So which is better for acne-prone skin? “Both physical and chemical sunscreens are effective at blocking harmful UV light rays,” says Dr. Allenby. “But I recommend mineral sunscreens, which are physical blockers. They’re more gentle on the skin and less likely to cause breakouts [and are] also coral reef–friendly,” she says. Dr. Klein agrees and says physical sunscreens are generally recommended over chemical ones for people battling any sort of sensitive skin issue, whether it be acne, rosacea, or eczema. <\/p>

\n