11 Best Sunscreens for Your Face

Practice safe sun with these top-rated facial skin care products

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Not to rain on your sun-filled, summer parade but here are a few facts that should make you wake up from your margarita-and-sun-induced comma and smell the sunscreen: The incidence of melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer) is on the rise, and an estimated 8,600 people in the U.S. died from melanoma last year. And about 80 percent of the aging that dermatologists see is due to excess sun exposure since it can break down the collagen and elastin in your skin and cause more wrinkles.

Ouch. Okay, enough of the doom and gloom-y news report, let's talk safe sun. Luckily, there are a slew of facial skin care products that have SPF in 'em and our readers have put them to the test. Shelve bad memories of your parent's smearing white (or pink or blue if you were lucky) zinc oxide on your nose and put aside the idea that you can't wear sunscreen on your face if you have oily skin -- these are the new generation of facial sunscreens, baby. These skin care products don't leave a white film on the skin, won't cause breakouts or an overly-shiny face and can be applied seamlessly over or under makeup. See the best sunscreens for your face.

Here are some safe sun tips for healthy skin:

• Apply a shot glass full of sunscreen to cover your whole body (at least SPF 15 daily and for prolonged sun exposure, use a water resistant SPF 30 formula) and reapply every one to two hours while outdoors, says Heidi Waldorf, M.D. of Waldorf Dermatology & Laser Associates in Nanuet, NY.
• Use products containing zinc or avobenzone, which will help block UVA light so that you don't accumulate more UV damage, says Katie Rodan, co-founder of Proactiv and Rodan + Fields Dermatologists.
• If you're spending a lot of time outside -- especially during peak sun hours -- wear a large brimmed hat in addition to sunscreen to completely shield your face and hair from sun damage.

If you're worried about not having that bronzy glow this summer thanks to all of this SPF then …

• Check out reader's reviews of self-tanners.
• Try one of these top-rated bronzers.
• See the best-tinted moisturizers.
• And without further ado, read about our readers' top-rated facial sunscreens.

By Molly Roemer

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