Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
By clicking the links in this post you will be taken out of The Crow’s Nest blog to another site. These links are tracked by the companies I affiliate with and I may be eligible for a commission on any purchases you make from them at no additional cost to you.
A note on how I rate items:
Ratings are broken into overall product rating and budget friendliness rating. Overall ratings are in yellow, budget friendliness ratings are in green.
Product ratings work from lowest to highest, with a 1 star rating being the lowest- not recommended, and a 5 star rating being the highest – highly recommended.
Budget friendliness ratings work from lowest to highest as well, with a 1 star rating meaning very budget friendly – usually under $25, and a 5 star rating being more budget unfriendly – depending on the product, usually more than $150 – $200.
Rating blocks will always look like this, with the stars filled varying based on the specific product:
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Interested in learning more about any of these items? Tap on the photos, or use the buttons below each section to learn more!
My husband and I are both fair-skinned redheads with an increased risk for skin cancer, so SPF is a huge must for us. Despite being someone who has known firsthand the aches associated with a bad sunburn, however, I still hate the smell of sunscreen if I’m not going to be outside for an extended period of time or at the beach.
With that in mind, I’ve made it a little side mission of mine to find a moisturizer that (1) won’t make me breakout, because of course I have super sensitive skin as well, and (2) doesn’t have an overt sunblock scent. I think I’ve finally narrowed it down to a handful that really work for me and that I can handle the smell of on a daily basis – I know it’s such a minor problem, but I can’t be the only one who isn’t a fan, right?
I tend to use something different on my face, so I’ve pulled together recommendations for both face-specific options and whole body solutions.
Note: All images included in this post were taken from the Amazon listing.
Face:
Olay Complete UV365 Daily Moisturizer, with SPF 15
This is my current day-to-day SPF moisturizer. I haven’t come across another brand or product that has worked as well for me, and I hope hope hope this never leaves the shelves. It has no discernible scent and goes on lightly and evenly. I’ve been using this for a few months and haven’t had any issues with breakouts or other sensitivity. A small amount goes a long way here as well, so I’m not worried about running out quickly.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Face:
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer, with SPF 30
This does have a slight floral scent to it, but it’s not so heavy that it irritates my allergies or my skin. The Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer goes on a bit oily/greasy at first, but sets quickly and feels weightless the rest of the day. I appreciate the higher SPF on this and, while it’s not my current daily use SPF, it’s a close second.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Face:
CeraVe Tinted Sunscreen, with SPF 30
I love this sunscreen for when I need a bit of extra coverage – acne, am I right?… It applies very well and works well as a coverup on those days when a little something extra is needed. My main note on this is start with the smallest possible amount and work up from there. It is pretty thick and the tint is quite dark, especially if you have a lighter skin tone – I’ve started off too eager and ended up orange. It does start to feel cake-y if you use too much as well, so again, start small and work up.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Face:
Neutrogena Clear Face, with SPF 50
Recommended by my dermatologist years ago, Neutrogena has become my go to for pretty much all SPF. I’ve never had a problem with breakouts using Neutrogena, and it’s what I typically use on my face and body. This does have a traditional sunscreen smell, so I don’t use it on a daily basis, but especially on days when I’ll be out in hot weather, sweating a good bit, I know I can wear this and not have to worry about breaking out by the end of the day.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Face:
Isdin Photo Eryfotona Actinica, with SPF 50+
Admittedly, this is used more by my husband than by me, but he does recommend it. Recommended by our dermatologist specifically for helping to repair sun and actinic damaged skin, this lotion does have a slightly floral scent to it, but nothing so heavy that I am able to notice it when my husband is wearing it. Always check with a doctor and/or dermatologist before trying something like this out, but if you have sun damaged skin, this might be worth asking about. Because it is more specialized, it does come with a heftier price tag, but you do get a fair amount of product for that price.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Full Body:
Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch, with SPF 50
I think the first time I came across Hawaiian Tropic as a brand was in the early- to mid-2000s after a nasty sunburn at the beach. My mom and I got their after sun lotion (it’s kind of a teal/green-ish color) and it was so cooling and soothing and smelled so wonderful that it’s become a staple in my skincare routine even when I don’t have a burn. This sunscreen has not disappointed either. It has a light coconut smell that works really well with the other scents I typically wear and makes it much more pleasant to wear on a daily basis than something that has an overt scent of sunscreen. They offer a variety of SPFs but if I can, I tend to go as high as possible, which is why I’m bringing an SPF 50 recommendation to you today. This goes on smoothly and doesn’t feel oily or greasy. It hasn’t bothered my skin and the scent is very subtle and pleasant.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Full Body:
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch, with SPF 70
Just like the Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen, this line comes in a variety of SPF levels. Since I tend to go pretty high, I usually end up with 50-70 if it’s available. This does have the traditional sunscreen scent to it, but it does go on very smoothly and doesn’t feel oily or greasy. When comparing it to brands like Coppertone, I don’t notice as strong a scent, but it is still there, which makes it slightly less appealing to me for regular daily use. I’ve used this a few times on days when I’ve been outside for long periods of time and walked away without any red, so it does what it’s meant to do, and that’s high praise from me.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Full Body:
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist, with SPF 70
For days when I’m in a bit more of a hurry or when I don’t feel like my hands smelling like sunscreen the rest of the day, I’ll use the spray version of the Neutrogena lotion above. I’ve had the same overall success with this that I’ve had with the lotion and, like the others above it comes in a variety of SPF levels, so you can adjust a bit based on your needs.
My Rating:
Budget Rating:
Have I missed anything that you love? Feel free to drop me a note in the comments to offer your suggestions!
As a reminder, this is by no means a comprehensive list, and it is solely based on what I have used and what has worked for me. Not all skin types are the same, so what has been great for me may not work for you. I am not professionally qualified in any medical field and any information contained on this blog is purely for review and entertainment purposes and should not be used or interpreted in any other way.
As an additional reminder, this post contains affiliate links that, when followed, have the potential to pay me a commission if an item is purchased. I do not collect, store, or use any personal data for my site, but if you choose to follow links to affiliate sites, I do not have control over how your information may be collected or used. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I will answer to the best of my ability or forward you to whichever entity I believe is most likely to have the answer.