Best Body Sunscreens of 2026

We ran out of sunscreen on day two of a beach trip once. Day two. The bottle we’d brought was a pricey 3-ounce “luxury” lotion, and we’d used it the way people use luxury lotion: sparingly. Guess how the rest of that trip went.

That’s the whole problem with body sunscreen. Your body needs a lot of product, and a lot of product costs a lot of money. So this list is ranked with cost per ounce front and center, alongside the other things that decide whether you’ll actually use the stuff: water resistance, how it feels, and whether you can get it onto your own back without a yoga class.

How We Chose These Body Sunscreens

Here’s what we weighed, in order of importance.

Cost per ounce. Most adults need about one ounce, roughly a shot glass, to cover the whole body. We covered that dosing in our guide to how much sunscreen to apply. A 5-ounce bottle is five full applications. For two people on a beach week, it’s gone by Tuesday. So the price per ounce is the real price.

Broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher. That’s the baseline. Broad spectrum means it covers UVA and UVB rays, and every pick here does.

Water resistance. In the US, “water resistant” means 40 or 80 minutes of tested protection while you’re wet or sweating. Nothing is “waterproof,” and any label that says so is wrong. We favored 80-minute formulas.

Ease of application. If it’s a chore, you’ll skip it. We looked at spread, drying time, white cast, and whether it works on the hard-to-reach back.

Feel and tolerance. Body skin can be reactive too, so we included a fragrance-free option and a mineral option.

One honest note: SPF numbers on the label come from lab tests that aren’t perfect. Our piece on the sunscreen testing problem explains why. It’s another reason to apply more than you think you need.

Quick-Pick Comparison

Rank	Product	Type	SPF	Size	Price	Cost per oz
1	Sun Bum Original Lotion	Chemical lotion	50	8 oz	~$18	~$2.25
2	Vanicream Sport	Lotion	35	8 oz	~$16	~$2.00
3	Banana Boat Sport Ultra	Chemical lotion	50	8 oz	~$10	~$1.25
4	CeraVe Hydrating Mineral	Mineral lotion	50	5 oz	~$17	~$3.40
5	Supergoop! Play Mist	Chemical spray	50	6 oz	~$28	~$4.65
6	La Roche-Posay Melt-in Milk	Chemical lotion	60	5 oz	~$38	~$7.60

Prices shift with sales and retailers, so treat these as ballpark figures. The ranking holds up even when the numbers wobble.

#1 Best Overall: Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Lotion

This is the one we’d hand a friend who says “just tell me what to buy.”

At around $18 for 8 ounces, it lands near $2.25 per ounce. That’s cheap enough to apply properly and still not feel like a gamble on quality. The lotion is white going on but vanishes within a minute or two, and it doesn’t leave that greasy film that makes your beach towel stick to you. Sand still clings, because sand always clings, but it’s not worse than with any other lotion.

It’s rated 80 minutes water resistant. On a day of swimming, reapply after you towel off, since toweling removes sunscreen no matter what the label says.

The downside is the scent. It’s a coconut-vanilla thing that some people love and others find overpowering on a hot day. And as a chemical formula, it can sting if it runs into your eyes with sweat. Keep it off your face if you’re sensitive, and use a dedicated facial sunscreen up there.

Easy to apply, fair price, strong staying power. That’s the formula.

#2 Best for Sensitive Skin: Vanicream Sunscreen Sport SPF 35

Vanicream is the brand dermatologists point to when your skin reacts to everything. This sport version carries that same no-fragrance, no-nonsense approach into a formula that handles sweat and water.

It runs about $16 for 8 ounces, so around $2 per ounce. That’s actually cheaper than our #1 pick. It’s rated 80 minutes water resistant, and it doesn’t smell like anything, which is a relief if you’re stuck in a car after the beach.

The tradeoffs are real. SPF 35 is lower than the 50s on this list. In practice, the difference between SPF 35 and 50 is smaller than most people assume (roughly 97% versus 98% of UVB blocked in ideal lab conditions), and you’ll more than make up for it by applying generously. It also takes a bit more rubbing on large areas like thighs and back, and it can leave a faint sheen.

If your body skin gets itchy, bumpy, or red with regular sunscreen, start here. Eczema-prone readers should also see our adult facial eczema routine for the same barrier-first thinking.

#3 Best Budget Pick: Banana Boat Sport Ultra SPF 50 Lotion

Here’s the thing about budget sunscreen: it works exactly as well as you use it. And you’ll use more of a $10 bottle than a $38 one.

At roughly $1.25 per ounce, this is the cheapest option we recommend. It’s broad spectrum, SPF 50, and rated 80 minutes water resistant. You can find it at nearly any drugstore or grocery store, which matters when you realize at the airport that you forgot to pack sunscreen.

It’s not a luxury experience. The scent is classic sunscreen, loud and unmistakable. As it dries it gets a little tacky, and it can feel heavier than our top two picks. Neither matters much at a pool when you’re already wet and covered in chlorine anyway.

For kids’ camps, family beach days, and anyone buying for a crowd, this is the sensible choice. For babies and young children specifically, check our sunscreen guide for kids first, since the rules change.

#4 Best Drugstore Mineral: CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 Face & Body

Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide to sit on top of skin and reflect UV. Plenty of people prefer them for sensitive skin, or just because they like the idea of skipping chemical filters.

CeraVe’s version is a fair deal for what it is. It has a lotion texture, includes ceramides and niacinamide, and is fragrance-free. It rubs in better than most zinc formulas, though you’ll still need a patient minute or two on your arms and legs.

The cost is the sticking point. At about $17 for 5 ounces, you’re paying around $3.40 per ounce. For full-body daily use, that adds up. We’d use it on shoulders, chest, and arms, and save a cheaper lotion for the rest.

The other catch is cast. On medium to deeper skin tones, a faint gray-white tinge can show up, especially on dark areas. Our roundup of mineral sunscreens with no white cast has better options if that’s you.

#5 Best Spray: Supergoop! Play Antioxidant-Infused Sunscreen Mist SPF 50

Let’s be straight about sprays. They’re the easiest thing to use on your own back, and also the easiest thing to use wrong.

The problem is dose. A quick pass of mist rarely delivers the amount of product that the SPF number assumes. Most people under-apply sprays, sometimes by a lot. So here’s how to use one properly: spray each area until the skin looks glossy, then rub it in with your hand. Yes, rub it in. Skip that step and you’ve got patchy coverage.

Supergoop’s mist handles this better than most. It sprays in an even cloud, dries down fast, and doesn’t leave a sticky mess. It’s rated 80 minutes water resistant, and it’s pleasant enough on skin that we didn’t dread reapplying.

The honest cons: it’s about $28 for 6 ounces, so near $4.65 per ounce, and a lot of that liquid ends up in the air if there’s any breeze. Spray outdoors, away from other people, and never spray directly onto your face. Spray onto your hands first. Aerosol sunscreens have also had contamination recalls in recent years, so check any can you own against current recall notices.

Our advice: buy a lotion as your main sunscreen, and keep a spray for midday reapplication and hard-to-reach spots. If you want another no-mess reapplication option, see our sunscreen sticks roundup.

#6 Best Splurge: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Body & Face SPF 60

This is the nicest-feeling sunscreen on the list. It’s also the most expensive per ounce by a wide margin.

The texture is silky and thin, and it spreads over a big area with almost no effort. Our full verdict is in our Anthelios Melt-in Milk review. The short version: SPF 60, strong UVA protection, 80-minute water resistance, and a finish that doesn’t feel like sunscreen.

But about $38 for 5 ounces works out to roughly $7.60 per ounce. Do the math on a head-to-toe application and you’re spending around $7 or $8 every time. We wouldn’t use this on your whole body daily. We’d use it on the places that show age and sun damage first: your chest, arms, and the backs of your hands. If that’s a concern, our piece on hand aging and sunscreen is worth a read.

For a vacation, a special occasion, or a feel-good treat, it’s lovely. For everyday coverage, our top three picks do the same job for a fraction of the cost.

How to Get Sunscreen on Your Back

You can’t see it, which means you can’t tell what you missed. A few tricks help.

• Use the stripe method. Squeeze two lines of lotion across your palm and fingers, and reach over each shoulder and up from the waist.
• Recruit a person. Trade back duty with whoever you’re with. It takes 30 seconds.
• Use a spray as backup. Spray, then rub where you can reach.
• Wear a rash guard. Clothing is the best back protection there is, and it never needs reapplying.

Whatever you use, reapply every two hours, and right after swimming or heavy sweating. If you wear makeup on your face, our guide to reapplying sunscreen over makeup covers that side.

Methodology

We chose products by comparing label claims (broad spectrum, SPF, water resistance), size, and current retail pricing, then calculating cost per ounce for each. We then looked at how each formula spreads, dries, and feels on large areas of skin, and how easy it is to apply to the back. Rankings weigh cost per ounce most heavily, followed by water resistance, ease of application, and tolerability.

Affiliate relationships never influence our rankings. Prices change often, so check the current price before you buy, and always read the label on your own bottle for water-resistance times, since formulas get updated.

The Bottom Line

Buy Sun Bum Original SPF 50 as your default body sunscreen. It’s fairly priced, pleasant to wear, and holds up in water. Choose Vanicream Sport if your skin is reactive, and Banana Boat Sport Ultra if you’re covering a family or a long summer on a tight budget.

Keep Supergoop’s mist for reapplication and backs, CeraVe’s mineral lotion for anyone avoiding chemical filters, and La Roche-Posay as a vacation treat.

The best body sunscreen is the one you’ll slather on generously, every time. Cost per ounce decides that more than any ingredient list does.