Trust Me—These Are the Best SPFs for Dark Skin

Everyone has a complicated relationship with SPF, right? Some formulas feel way too heavy and leave a white cast. Add skin tone in to the mix, and you’re unlocking a whole new level of complexity. The majority of facial SPFs can leave a ghostly white tint when applied to darker skin tones. However, I have searched high and low for the best SPFs for darker skin tones, and things are looking up. No more white casts; hello, gorgeous, gorgeous glowing skin

Enter a new wave of SPFs that are lightweight, absorb like a dream into the skin and even have added skincare benefits. Best of all, they are all totally or near invisible. Since there is no getting out of using SPF daily, come rain or shine, the new generation of upgraded formulas make using SPF a lot easier for everyone regardless of skin tone. Despite common skincare misconception that darker skin tones don't need sun protection, experts have said over and over that everyone, even those with the palest skin to those with the darkest of skin tones, benefit from using SPF every day. UVB and UVA rays affect everyone and ultimately result in skin damage as a result of exposure to sun, regardless of skin tone. If you’ve been searching for that perfect invisible SPF to conveniently slot into your skincare routine, look no further than our tried-and-tested SPFs for darker skin tones.

The Best SPFs for Dark Skin

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(Image credit: @lefevrediary)

1. Best for Budget: Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV Anti Dark Spots & Anti Pollution Face Fluid SPF50+

2. Best for Hydration: Korres Cucumber Hyaluronic Splash Sunscreen SPF50

3. Best for Underneath Makeup: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 30

4. Best Total Clear Protection: Hello Sunday’s The Take-Out One Invisible Sun Stick SPF30

5. Best for On-the-Go Use: Decree Day Shield SPF 30

6. Best for Sensitive Skin: Typology SPF50 Face Sunscreen With Aloe Vera 

7. Best for Beach Days: Shiseido Expert Sun Protector Face and Body Lotion SPF50+

8. Best for Top-Ups: Kate Somerville Uncomplikated SPF50 Soft Focus Makeup Setting Spray 

9. Best for Every Day: CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion 

10. Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Zitsticka Megashade Breakout-Proof SPF Serum

11. Best for Tinted Protection: Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 30

12. Best for Mineral Protection: Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50

Next up, If You Hate Heavy Facial SPF, These Tinted Formulas Are Worth Knowing About

Freelance Beauty Journalist

Zeynab Mohamed is a London-based freelance beauty journalist, covering beauty, wellness, lifestyle and identity-related content. Her background in psychology and her identity as a Black woman has influenced a lot of her writing and has become a driving force to create engaging content that touches on a perspective that is often neglected and speaks to other Black women who love beauty as much as she does. She is inspired by how individuals engage with beauty and how beauty can make you feel but also how beauty holds the power to connect individuals across the globe to form communities. She began her career in beauty journalism with the British Vogue team, where she discovered that beauty isn’t just frivolous but can be a tool to empower individuals and give them a voice which they were not afforded.


Zeynab is currently a beauty contributor to Who What Wear. She has also written for Stylist, Elle, Refinery29 and Byrdie, building on her freelance portfolio and expanding on the type of content she creates in the hope of reaching diverse communities. When Zeynab is not writing and hunting down her next story, you can find her travelling the globe and tucked away with a good book.