The subcategory · Brands
Top brands in Sunscreen
Ranked by AI, checked by people.
Evidence behind the ranking?
Current race?
Apr 27 – Aug 3- La Roche-Posay#1 · 2-wk streak
- EltaMD#2 · held
- Supergoop!#3 · held
- CeraVe#4 · held
Power ranking
Who leads this subcategory.
Vetting this category yourself, or here
100 brands, each a ~3-hour comparison if you did it by hand.
The reviewer check
The machines rank these brands. We checked their products against the people who filmed them.
Every score is distilled from independent YouTube reviews of the products the AIs name here — then set beside the AI rank.
This week?
Eucerin's jump from 29 to 12 marks the week's biggest move in sunscreen rankings. La Roche-Posay holds the top spot while Innisfree and SkinCeuticals both fell—Innisfree dropped six places to 25, and SkinCeuticals lost five to land at 15. ThinkBaby and Anessa entered the rankings at 23 and 26, while Haruharu Wonder climbed eleven spots to 19.
The questions?
These rankings answer 6 buyer questions. Open any one for the head-to-head.
The subcategory score is an aggregate. Each question has its own AI ranking, reviewer check and weekly movement — that's where the picks actually come from.
Act one
Where the machines rank them.
The AI models rank every brand here — who just arrived, the full board, who serves each buyer type, the lineup each brand fields, who owns each trait, and who plays at which price.
Newcomers
Just arrived.
Full ranking
Every brand ranked.
as of August 3 · vs July 29 · 6 intents?
Buyer types · who serves whom — and why?
The market, through the buyer's eyes.
Value | Quality Perfectionist | Premium Connoisseur | Reliability | Simplifier | Enthusiast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ | ||||||
| ★ | ★ | |||||
| ★ | ||||||
| ★ | ||||||
| ★ |
Cell = the best archetype fit across the brand's lineup here; ★ = the highest in the column. Rolled up from each product's archetype fit — no new data.
The ★ citations — each type’s leading brand, and why
6 buyer types have a clear leader here — EltaMD takes 2, Beauty of Joseon 1, CeraVe 1, La Roche-Posay 1, Tatcha 1.
You want the smartest money in the room.
Mid-range price (~$13–17) with strong 4.1/5 rating and proven hydrating formula covers everyday needs; no premium markup for a capable mineral sunscreen.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Low-to-mid street price (~$7–13) with a strong 4.4/5 rating and proven gentle formula covers the essentials without premium markup.
Mid street price (~$17) with strong 4.4/5 rating and proven performance across key aspects; no cheaper rival covers texture, blendability, and matifying finish as well.
You want the objectively best in class.
High buyer trust (4.7/5 from 11k+ reviews), top-tier brand, and consistently praised across all key aspects—texture, finish, coverage, sensitivity—with no noted weak points.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Top-tier rating (4.6/5 from 15k+ reviews), all five owner aspects rated high, and solves the classic mineral sunscreen problem—white cast—while delivering broad-spectrum protection and a finish that…
High buyer trust (65k+ ratings), top marks across all owner aspects (hydration, no white cast, absorption), and 88/100 marketing honesty suggest a genuinely well-executed product with few weak points.
You want the badge, not just the basics.
La Roche-Posay is a tier-3 prestige brand with flagship positioning; Anthelios is their signature sun-care line, commanding premium pricing and trust.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Tatcha is an established luxury brand; this tinted mineral sunscreen is a signature offering with strong positioning and design intent in the premium segment.
Colorescience is a tier-3 brand with prestige positioning; the product is a flagship tinted mineral sunscreen with premium pricing ($46–58) and design that reflects careful attention to user…
You want proven, with broad consensus.
Nearly 62k reviews with 4.8/5 consensus, independent lab verification, and mature brand reputation make this a settled, trustworthy choice with broad agreement.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Massive rating count (65k+) with 4.8/5 consensus, established brand tier, and settled product formula signal low-risk, broad-consensus reliability that buyers depend on.
Established brand with 11k+ reviews showing broad consensus, mature product category, and no red flags—a settled, low-risk daily choice.
You want it to just work, no fuss.
Lightweight, non-greasy texture with natural finish and high blendability mean it works out of the box as a straightforward daily wear.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Lightweight, non-sticky texture that sinks in without pilling, fragrance-free, and comfortable for reapplication—minimal fuss or learning curve required.
Lightweight serum format with high marks for absorption, no stickiness, and no white cast means it works out of the box as an easy daily default without fiddling.
You want it to genuinely delight you.
Praised for lightweight, non-greasy feel and seamless blending; the tinted mineral formula and Tatcha's design ethos appeal to those who enjoy the sensory experience of skincare.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Reviewers rave about the velvety finish, invisibility on all skin tones, and primer function; the sensory experience and multi-purpose design delight beyond basic sun protection.
Praised for sensory experience—no white cast, natural finish, gentle feel—that delights beyond basic sun protection, with passionate user following evident in review volume.
★ marks each type's leading brand — its best-fitting product in Sunscreen earns the reason; runners-up ranked by the same fit. A type no brand honestly serves is left off.
Brand portfolios
What each brand fields here.
Tag champions
Who owns each trait here.
Brand price ladder · Sunscreen
Who plays at which price.
as of August 1 · 66 brand medians · Google Shopping?
Act two · ★ new
What people & press say.
Where the AI ranking and the reviewers part ways, how the street rates these brands — and which of them are making news right now.
AI vs the reviewers
Where the machines and the room part ways.
Most of this subcategory is calm agreement. These are the picks where the AI ranking and the people who filmed the product disagree the hardest.
The AI
#1The room
3.5/5▼ AI panel ranks it higher than the room
The AI
#14The room
4.3/5▲ AI panel ranks it lower than the room
The AI
#20The room
4.0/5▲ AI panel ranks it lower than the room
BATTLE OF THE SUNSCREENS: ELTAMD vs DRMTLGY
Doctorly
Doctor V - Honest Review Of Elta MD | Skin Of Colour | Brown Or Black Skin
Dr. Vanita Rattan
ULTIMATE SUNSCREEN WAR: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen vs. Trader Joe's Sunscreen
Doctorly
Dermatologist Compares: Supergoop! Unseen vs Supergoop! Glowscreen
Dr. Daniel Sugai
I Tried CeraVe For A Month..! Is it worth the hype ? | CeraVe Cleansers With Ceramides Review
TheTrendDiaries
Dr. Sugai Compares: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel vs Gel-Cream
Dr. Daniel Sugai
Street standing?
The brands, as the street rates them.
5 of 10 ranked brands carry street coverage — 17 clips · 3.6M views · since Feb ’23.
White cast visible, especially on deeper skin tones without…by 1 model
No white cast, works seamlessly under makeupby 1 model
No street read yet: La Roche-Posay · Supergoop! · CeraVe · Neutrogena · ISDIN and 2 more brands — coverage grows with the collection drip.
as of July 15 · 17 clips · 3.6M views · since Feb ’23 · short-form, sponsored excluded?
In the press
Which brands are making news.
6 of the brands ranked in Sunscreen drew coverage in the last 30 days — the mood skews positive.?
EltaMDPositive
EltaMD dominated summer coverage with overwhelmingly positive Prime Day promotion stories, emphasizing dermatologist endorsement, celebrity backing, and science-backed formulations across major…
via The Hollywood Reporter, WWD, E! News · 8 stories
La Roche-PosayPositive
La Roche-Posay receives overwhelmingly positive coverage centered on celebrity endorsements, dermatologist recommendations, and major partnerships including Wimbledon, with frequent mentions of…
via Page Six, Variety, USA Today · 8 stories
CeraVePositive
CeraVe's strong product performance and viral marketing campaigns dominate coverage, but serious safety concerns over potential benzene contamination and resulting lawsuits present significant…
via Real Simple, Yahoo, Snopes · 8 stories
Beauty of JoseonPositive
Beauty of Joseon receives overwhelmingly positive coverage, with particular enthusiasm for its sunscreen products and their innovative formulations that address common skincare concerns like white…
via Marie Claire, instyle.com, Hypebae · 8 stories
NeutrogenaPositive
Neutrogena receives consistently positive coverage highlighting affordable skincare products endorsed by celebrities and dermatologists, with emphasis on value, efficacy, and sun safety initiatives.
via Real Simple, instyle.com, Kenvue · 8 stories
SkinCeuticalsPositive
SkinCeuticals receives uniformly positive coverage dominated by a major Ferrari partnership announcement and product launches, with editorial praise for efficacy and celebrity endorsements.
via Allure, Ferrari, WWD · 8 stories
as of July 26 · 6 brands?
Marketing honesty
Which brands keep their word.
19 brands in Sunscreen carry a marketing-honesty score — how their official claims hold up against owner & expert reviews. Field median 79.?
as of August 1 · 19 brands?
Act three
How the models think.
Where each brand actually competes across the buyer questions, and the running ledger of what just moved here.
Intent dominance
Where each brand actually competes.
as of August 3 · 6 intents?
Ledger?
What just moved here.
- ▼ fall#23 → #34
- ▼ fall#26 → #37
- → entersenters at #22
- ▲ climb#24 → #17
- → entersenters at #23
- ▼ fall#19 → #26
- ▼ fall#21 → #28
- ▼ fall#25 → #32
- ▼ fall#15 → #21
- ▲ climb#30 → #24
- ▼ fall#10 → #15
- ▲ climb#17 → #13
- ▲ climb#20 → #16
- ▲ climb#13 → #10
- ▲ climb#14 → #11
- ▼ fall#9 → #12
- ▲ climb#22 → #19
- ▲ climb#28 → #25
- → entersenters at #27
- ▲ climb#8 → #6
about sunscreen
Pick by what you need
- buying intents · in products →
- Best Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin
- Best Mineral Sunscreens
- Best Korean Sunscreens
- Best Sunscreens for Oily Skin
- Best Daily Face Sunscreens
- Best Tinted Sunscreens
interesting facts from sunscreen
Makers in this field split first over mineral versus chemical filters, and that choice cascades into everything else. Brands chasing sensitive-skin and post-procedure users lean on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, prioritizing barrier safety over cosmetic elegance, though white cast has long been the tax on that decision. Others build for people who want sunscreen to vanish into a routine, engineering thin, primer-like chemical bases that layer under makeup without pilling. A third group targets oily skin specifically, formulating oil-free, mattifying textures that trade richness for wearability. Tinted formulas represent makers trying to solve mineral cast and skip a separate makeup step at once.
Where makers genuinely diverge is honesty between label and formula: some treat "non-comedogenic" or "mineral" claims loosely, leaving actual ingredient lists to tell a different story.
The brand view stops here. For the individual products in this subcategory, switch to the product view.