The Best Face Sunscreen for Men Began With a Sunburned Swiss Chemist

Sunscreen has a surprisingly personal origin story. In 1938 a Swiss chemist named Franz Greiter got badly sunburned climbing Piz Buin, and that burn pushed him toward making the first modern sunscreen. In 1946 he brought out Gletscher Crème, which means Glacier Cream, and named his brand after the mountain. He is also credited with inventing the SPF rating, the number on every bottle today.

I mention him because his problem is the one every man has. You know you should wear it, and you do not want to feel it. So the best face sunscreen for men is not about a special label. It is a formula that looks like nothing, dries down without a shine, and does not sting in the eyes when you sweat. I went deeper on a related idea in Best Clean Sunscreen for Face That Does Not Pill Under Makeup.

That is the logic of this first group. Youth To The People's Youthscreen is an invisible broad spectrum SPF 60 with a hydrating base. Shiseido's Urban Environment Oil-Control is made for shine control, and Supergoop's Unseen Sunscreen is the invisible one. Lancôme's UV Expert is an SPF 50+ primer and moisturizer in one, Clinique's Moisture Surge is a sheer hydrator with SPF 28, and ISDIN's Fusion Water Magic is a lightweight SPF 40 with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.

Put it on after washing your face, before a moisturizer if you use one, and give it a full minute to settle before you get dressed.

A stick is the answer for the man who says he will do it later. It lives in a gym bag, a jacket, a desk drawer, and it goes on in about as long as a lip balm.

Dr. Jart+'s Every Sun Day is an invisible Korean sunscreen stick at SPF 40, easy to swipe over the forehead, nose and tops of the cheeks. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum-In-Stick is SPF 50+ and is a serum in a stick. innisfree's Daily UV Invisible stick is SPF 50+ and made for face and body, so it doubles as an arm and neck stick. belif's Aqua Bomb Sunstick is an SPF 50+ glow stick, a good one if your skin looks dull by Thursday.

Glow Recipe's Watermelon Glow is a dew balm stick with niacinamide, and Supergoop's Glow Stick is a glowy option at SPF 50. I would keep those for weekends and the beach, since a matte skin is what most men want on a work day.

A stick works best if you go over each area more than once. One swipe looks like coverage and rarely is. Cover forehead, nose, cheeks, chin and the tops of the ears, then rub it in with your fingers until it disappears.

Do not forget hairlines. Thinning hair leaves more scalp and forehead to catch sun, and a stick is easiest to run along that edge.

Lotions and milks are for the man who wants the most dependable, plain routine. They are comfortable to put on a whole face, easy to reapply, and usually lighter than they look.

Shiseido's Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion Mineral SPF 60+ is a mineral lotion at SPF 60+. Summer Fridays' ShadeDrops is an SPF 50 daily mineral milk, and Tatcha's The Silk Sunscreen is a weightless mineral one at SPF 50. Vacation's Classic Whip is an SPF 50 sunscreen with a whipped texture that makes application feel less like a chore.

The Ordinary's UV Filters SPF 45 is a serum sunscreen with PA++++, a serum texture that suits a man who has a beard and hates a heavy feel. First Aid Beauty's Hydrating Sunscreen Milk with colloidal oatmeal is broad spectrum 45, the one I would reach for if his skin runs dry or feels sensitive after shaving.

What I would skip: shaving and applying in the same minute. Freshly shaved skin is more sensitive, so give it a moment, or put sunscreen on later in the routine. I would also skip the thin strip of product that ends at the jaw. Use enough for the neck, the ears and the back of the neck too, which is where men tend to burn.

Reapply after a long run, a swim or a few hours outside, and treat the lotion like a habit, not a favor.

The whole plan takes five seconds. Wash, apply a lotion or milk, keep a stick in the bag for the afternoon. Choose the finish you like: matte for work, glow for weekends.

Ask yourself three questions when you buy: does it look clear, does it feel light, and will you reach for it tomorrow. If the answer to the last one is no, it does not matter how good the label is. Reapply when you are outside. If a spot on your skin changes shape or color, see a doctor about it. Sunscreen is a habit worth building early.

If you are buying for someone else, pick the texture he already tolerates: a lotion for the man who moisturizes, a stick for the one who does not, and a serum for the one with a beard. Then leave it next to his razor, where he cannot miss it. Small, visible and easy wins most mornings.

The point of this edit is a sunscreen he will actually wear, so the last set is about finish and format. For the jacket pocket, I would look at the Unseen Sunscreen Stick from Supergoop, the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Clear Stick and the Coola Classic Sunscreen Stick. For a light morning layer, the Lancôme UV Expert Supra Screen serum and the Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum are the ones I would try first. The Clinique UV Solutions Hydrating Sunscreen and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream suit the man who already moisturizes, while Dune The Mineral Melt and SkinMedica Essential Defense Mineral Shield cover the mineral side. What I would skip: the Coola Mineral Body Sunscreen for your face, since it is made for the body.