13 Best Sunscreen Sticks We Tested 2025, Dermatologist-Reviewed

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We’d argue the most annoying part of slathering on sunscreen is getting your hands all goopy—this is where the best sunscreen sticks come in. They’re also compact, so you can easily toss them into a giant beach bag or the tiniest work tote for reapplication throughout the day (no possibility of leaks!). And spoiler alert: They’re just as effective as any face SPF or body sunscreen, says Debra Jaliman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York. “They’re particularly desirable for an intense concentration of sunscreen in small and sometimes hard-to-reach areas like the nose, ears, and jawline,” she says.

After testing dermatologists’ top recommended sunscreens of all kinds for the better part of a year, we have no doubt that these are some of the best sunblock sticks you can buy. Our top overall pick is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 because it dries down invisible, is not greasy and is able to cover a large areas with only a few swipes. We also found other great options that are clutch for acne-prone and oily skin types, and ones that are great for hard to reach areas (we’re talking on the ears and legs).

The best sunscreen sticks, at a glanceBest Overall: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50, $15Best Value: CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen Stick for Kids & Adults SPF 50, $9Best with No White Cast: Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50, $32Best for Acne-Prone Skin: EltaMD UV Stick Face and Body Sunscreen SPF 50+, $38Best for Sensitive Skin: Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Stick, $8Best for Oily Skin: belif Aqua Bomb Korean Glow Sunstick SPF 50+, $28Your sunscreen stick questions, answeredWhat should you look for in a sunscreen stick?

Look for a high SPF formula with humectants to hydrate and support the skin barrier, says Hadley King, MD and board-certified dermatologist based in NYC, (think: moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides and shea butter) when shopping for a sunscreen stick. “Antioxidant ingredients can also be helpful to increase protection from free radicals,” she says. It’s also key to look for formulas that are non-comedogenic (so they won’t break out you) and a sheer finish (so no white cast is left behind).

During our evaluations, we looked for sticks with key features that make a sunscreen stand out: consistency, absorption rate, finish, and efficacy (i.e., a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher that’s, ideally, water-resistant). The best sunscreen sticks had a clear, no-white cast finish and sunk into the skin quickly upon contact. They also paired well under makeup and didn’t pill, even if we layered makeup primer and foundation on top. The best sticks were easy to reapply throughout the day too, on hard to reach areas on the face and body.

Best Overall Sunscreen Stick: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50Original photo from Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50

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Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50

For those who want to preserve a fresh face of makeup, it’s important to pick a clear formula—which can be surprisingly hard to come by when trying to get the sun protection you need, especially if you’re on the hunt for a mineral SPF. But this one can give you the best of both worlds, says Vladyslava Doktor, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Skin Center Boston. The mineral-based SPF 50 is powered by a whopping 21.6% zinc oxide, but goes on entirely sheer for layering purposes.

“It’s extremely lightweight, sinks right in and doesn’t leave any white cast behind,” says Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary. “I like to apply this all over my face, neck and ears when I’m tanning or spending a lot of time outside, and it does a great job of giving me full coverage in these areas after just two to three swipes which makes it stand out from other sticks on this list—a little goes a long way. It plays well with makeup too, and I love that it didn’t make my foundation and other products pill at any point.

Type: Mineral | SPF: 50 | Size: 1.5 oz. | Water-resistant: 80 minutes

What we love: High concentration of zinc, goes on clearWhat could improve: Not as smooth as we’d hope