Best sunscreen for winter: the creamier picks the experts switch to when it gets cold

Cold, grey days don't end the sunscreen habit for the skincare experts we follow, but they often change the bottle. When the air turns dry, several of them trade a light, watery fluid for a creamier sunscreen that doubles as a moisturizer. The one that comes up again and again is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics, with a Guru Score of 87% across 32 experts. Here is what they reach for in winter, what holds them back on each pick, and who each one suits.

What is the best sunscreen for winter?

For dry winter skin, the experts we follow point most often to Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics. It holds a Guru Score of 87% across 32 experts, and the word they keep using for it is moisturizer. Kelly Driscoll says she gravitates towards it in the winter months, when her skin needs every ounce of moisture it can get, and puts it away when it warms up because it feels a little heavy. Doctor Anne keeps repurchasing it for the colder months because it is a little more dewy and hydrating, and Dr Dray calls it a really nice sunscreen for wintertime.

Not everyone is sold. Dr. Vanita Rattan, one of the 2 experts who said no, likes the fragrance-free formula but wanted better protection from UVA rays than she found. And CYoung, a fan herself, says people with oily or combination skin, or anyone in tropical weather, might find it a little too greasy.

Do you still need sunscreen in winter?

The experts we follow keep wearing it. Dr. Daniel Sugai says he wears La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 every day, even coming into a clinic with barely any windows in the dead of Seattle winter. What changes for many of them is the formula, not the habit. Doctor Anne uses a lighter sunscreen in the warmer months and the Relief Sun in the colder ones, and Kelly Driscoll puts the Relief Sun away when it warms up. For how the experts rate sunscreens all year round, see our sunscreen guide.

Which sunscreen works best for dry, flaky skin in winter?

If the Relief Sun feels too dewy, Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen (83%, 21 experts) is the softer-finish option. Hyram recommends it for dry skin that does not want to look shiny or greasy, and says it is better suited to drier months or winter than to humid summers. Kelly Driscoll calls it a really good one for winter, with a texture that sits between the heavy sunscreens and the light, essence-like ones. The one expert who said no, HotandFlashy, still loves it as a sunscreen; her complaint is that it makes her foundation and under-eye concealer wear off faster.

For flakes, Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 (75%, 21 experts) is the clear gel option. Cassandra Bankson especially recommends it for skin that is dry or flaky, because it helps smooth flakes over, and Dr Dray finds it very moisturizing. It splits opinion more than the others. No BS Beauty, one of 3 experts who said no, was never overly impressed and says the US chemical filters are just kind of sad. Even Dr. Shereene Idriss, who suggests it for oily skin in humidity, says she personally finds it way too slippery.

Is a moisturizer with SPF enough in winter?

For some skin, the experts say yes. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer SPF 30 holds a Guru Score of 85% across 16 experts, and not one of them said no. Dr. Aleksandra Brown recommends it for mature skin that wants a simpler morning routine without giving up hydration, and says it layers under makeup without peeling. Dr. Sam Ellis calls it so moisturizing.

How dry your skin gets decides whether it is enough on its own. Dr. Shereene Idriss wears it on top of a moisturizer in winter because she is dry, and says oily skin in summer needs nothing else. Dr. Jenny Liu, whose skin is on the dry side, would save it for summer, when she does not want an extra moisturizer. Dr. Daniel Sugai goes the other way: he says he reaches for a moisturizer with SPF more often than a dedicated sunscreen in winter, when he is not out getting sweaty.

What is the best mineral sunscreen for winter?

CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 (77%, 12 experts, no one saying no) is the mineral pick the experts tie to dry skin. April Basi says it sits better on dry skin and does not leave it feeling stripped, and Dr. Jenny Liu finds it more hydrating than most pure mineral sunscreens, which she says can feel drying or cakey. Dr. Aleksandra Brown says it wears more like a moisturizer with SPF built in, though it could feel a little heavy on oily or acne-prone skin. The catch is a white cast: Dr Dray calls it super moisturizing but says plainly that it is casty.

Tatcha Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 is the luxury mineral option, and it divides the experts, with a Guru Score of 64% across 10. No BS Beauty reaches for it in winter, when she is not out for long and her skin is very dry, and finds it a bit much on hydration in summer. AliceintheRabbitHole calls it one of the few mineral sunscreens that really works on her dry skin, but stopped using it when the packaging started crumbling onto her hands. Of the 2 experts who said no, Dr Dray did not think it worth the price and says it may show up as a sheer white veil on deeper skin tones, and HotandFlashy could not get past the shine and greasy feel coming through her makeup.

Which winter sunscreen should you choose?

Start with how dry your skin gets. For dry skin that wants a moisturizing finish, the experts back Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun (87%) above the rest. For a less dewy finish, Haruharu Wonder (83%) is the alternative, and for a one-step morning, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair SPF 30 (85%) has no expert against it. If you prefer mineral, CeraVe Hydrating Mineral (77%) scores higher with the experts than Tatcha Silk (64%). For more, see the best sunscreens for dry skin and the barrier repair creams the experts back for cold weather.