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Black Girl Sunscreen

Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30.

Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30
Sunscreen

About this product

A chemical sunscreen formulated specifically for darker skin tones, designed to provide SPF 30 protection without leaving a white or gray cast on the skin.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

87%

Yay

7 experts · Strong agreement
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus
7Gurus
6Yay
1Mixed
0Nay

What they liked

  • No white cast on darker skin tones
  • Matte finish, especially good for oily skin
  • No stinging around the eyes

What they flagged

  • Sticky texture, feels like glue
  • Can sting sensitive skin
  • Too oily and nourishing for oily-prone skin

What the gurus are saying

No white cast on darker skin tones is what keeps drawing praise, and the formula's blend of chemical UV filters with plant-based emollients like shea butter and jojoba oil means it feels hydrating and pairs well with makeup. Water resistant to 80 minutes, it's affordable and gentle enough for sensitive skin, though one reviewer found the texture sticky and slightly stinging on her face, and others note the oils may leave oily skin feeling greasy rather than matte. Best patch-tested first if you have reactive skin, and worth trying on the body if the face feel doesn't work for you.
Synthesized from 7 expert reviews · most recent take July 2025

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
Yay
"I'm really happy she's going in with a good sunscreen though, especially a good one for black skin. Unfortunately, a lot of the black community or people with darker skin tones have fallen victim to the idea that their skin is fine in the sun and they don't need to use a good or even a strong sunscreen in their routine. But she's definitely using a really good one and I love to see that she's following up with a good protective sunscreen."
All 2 takes from Hyram
Specialist Reacts to Tyla's Skin Care Routine
"I really like this one because it doesn't leave a white cast after. I believe that's the Black Girl Sunscreen, which is super popular, and I love the philosophy of the product because it really was specifically made for, you know, Black women who can't easily access a lot of sunscreen formulas because of the white cast that they leave on the skin. So I love the philosophy. That specific product though does use chemical UV filters, which I personally don't use, but I've always said people with darker skin tones who aren't able to easily access a lot of sunscreens can really benefit from chemical UV filters because they don't leave any white cast or gray cast on the skin."
Does Cynthia Erivo's Skin Care Routine Defy Gravity? Specialist REACTS!
"I'm really happy she's going in with a good sunscreen though, especially a good one for black skin. Unfortunately, a lot of the black community or people with darker skin tones have fallen victim to the idea that their skin is fine in the sun and they don't need to use a good or even a strong sunscreen in their routine. But she's definitely using a really good one and I love to see that she's following up with a good protective sunscreen."
Yay
"This one's really good and it's still $9.99, which is great. It's water resistant and works really well on the face and the body. This is an underrated sunscreen."
Top Pick: favorite sunscreen
All 5 takes from Dr Dray
Best Affordable Sunscreens For Face (NO WHITE CAST)
"Black Girl Sunscreen, $9.99 for 3 oz, it's marketed to kids but honestly it's great for adults, great on the face and the body. It's an organic sunscreen, no white cast, no greasy residue, really great base for makeup. Water resistant so you can use it while you're doing sports, working out, outside, being active and healthy. Super moisturizing but not greasy. It's emollient though, so it does have a nice skin softening effect which I find I like the aesthetics of that personally. Makeup goes on over it just fine. It has shea butter, jojoba seed oil, carrot seed oil, so these are plant-based emollients that may have antioxidants naturally found in them. These are ingredients that actually are beneficial in moisturizing formulas for their emollient properties."
Affordable Dry Skin Routine | Dermatologist Recommended
"This is an organic, chemical sunscreen with no white cast, very hydrating. It has emollients in it to soften and smooth the skin. It's water resistant up to 80 minutes, so if you are participating in outdoor sport this is an excellent option. I have never found that this burns or stings around the eyes. It's made for the sensitive skin of children, their skin can be more sensitive, but I'm telling you this is underrated. It's $9.99 for 3 oz at Target."
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"It's not greasy, it's not shiny, there's no white cast, it doesn't burn around the eyes. This is seriously my favorite. This is a hybrid sunscreen so it has zinc and it also has chemical filters for broadspectrum sun protection. So if you don't like all chemical sunscreens and you want a hybrid, this would be a good choice. But if you're like I'm fine with chemical sunscreens, just go with this one. It's a great great option."
Drugstore Shopping And Trying NEW Skincare
"This one's really good and it's still $9.99, which is great. It's water resistant and works really well on the face and the body. This is an underrated sunscreen."
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"The Black Girl Sunscreen doesn't burn or sting for me, and it doesn't leave a cast. It's one that a lot of you guys really like, and it's fine to use even if you have melasma, provided it doesn't cause irritation."
Yay
"This one smells less like a sunscreen than the other one, FYI. This one also contains aloe, carrot seed oil, avocado oil, and vitamin E. 16 bucks, really good deal, and it's 3 oz, so really nice product."
All 2 takes from No BS Beauty
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"Worth checking out that brand for sunscreen"
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"This one smells less like a sunscreen than the other one, FYI. This one also contains aloe, carrot seed oil, avocado oil, and vitamin E. 16 bucks, really good deal, and it's 3 oz, so really nice product."
Yay
"If you prefer a matte sunscreen, I've been recommending Black Girl Sunscreen. It's easy to find at the drugstore, and everyone I've recommended it to says it's a thumbs up. If you're looking for something more on the matte side, or you live in a humid environment, or you have slightly oily skin, Black Girl Sunscreen is the way to go."
Mixed
"Black Girl Sunscreen is SPF 45, fragrance free, and rated water resistant for 80 minutes, so it's a step up in protection from the other clear sunscreens I tested. I like the formulation, that it's a little higher SPF, and that it's better rated for water resistance. But it feels a little more oily and thicker, it doesn't rub in quite as well, and I just didn't enjoy the texture of it as much as the others, though that's an individual personal preference. I wouldn't make this my primary sunscreen if I were jumping in a pool, since I feel like it can rub off and I don't know that you get the same longevity out of it."
Yay
"I'm also using black girl sunscreen for my sunscreen today I absolutely love this as the SPF 30 gives me a little bit of a glow"
Top Pick: sunscreen for dry skin
All 9 takes from Cassandra Bankson
Drugstore Skincare Celebrities Secretly Use & Love
"Kelly Rowland has said so many times that this Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 is incredible and yes it's $15 to $17 you can get this at Target you can get this at Walmart love the brand love Kelly and love this drugstore sunscreen option that doesn't cost hundreds of dollars the way you know a lot of the sunscreen sold on goop.com do."
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"I'm also using black girl sunscreen for my sunscreen today I absolutely love this as the SPF 30 gives me a little bit of a glow"
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"I love that it's affordable and I like that it's waterproof, but the overall sensory experience is not that great. It feels like I'm putting glue on, I don't love the texture, and it smells gross. It's slightly stinging my skin right now. There's just so many sunscreens out there that I probably would not use this one on my face. I feel like there's other brands out there that do it better. I would use this one on my body though, and if I'm really oily on sweaty days, this is great. But I don't think makeup applies the most amazing over this."
Putting Black Girl Sunscreen to the Test!
"This 15.99 bottle of gooey goodness is fragrance free, ultra sheer with no white cast, but it has these fantastic infusions of jojoba and avocado oil. It's water resistant for 80 minutes. This is a fantastic formula that I have loved for years now. However, it's not necessarily perfect for oily skin. The avocado and jojoba oil, while they are very nourishing for skin, they can break out some oily prone people and they can leave you with a dewy glow that looks greasy for the wrong skin type."
If Ariel The Little Mermaid's Had A Skincare Routine For Glowing & Hydrated Skin, This Is It
"This limited edition Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 is a fantastic formula made perfectly for dry salt water skin and is water resistant for eighty minutes. This is a chemical sunscreen that is completely sheer and goes on with zero white cast. This brand was created by a woman named Shantae who was sick of hearing that black skin doesn't need sunscreen, but all skin can get skin cancer and all skin needs sunscreen. Black girl sunscreen is fantastic because it has jojoba oil as well as avocado oil which are amazing for dry skin and the oils and water repel each other so this literally will stay on. Because it's water resistant for eighty minutes she can use this while swimming in the ocean. This is the step of the routine that I am the most excited about. For dry skin this is great. If you have more oily skin they have a make it matte sunscreen as well. Sunscreen is the most important part of a skincare routine and this is absolutely the most important part of Ariel's routine."
So You Haven’t Worn SPF For The Past 20 Years… Here’s How To Start!
"This stuff is so good, it has avocado, it has jojoba, it's extremely hydrating, and even if you have oily skin it does give you that nice glowy sheen. This is phenomenal, especially if you are dry or if you're oily and like to glow. This is like 11 to 15 bucks. It's an SPF 30. If you want a budget option this can't be beat."
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"This is one of my favorites especially for more mature skin. This has jojoba oil, this has avocado, this can be very nourishing to the skin as well. So if you have a little bit of sagging, this has humectants and hydrators that can plump it up and it gives you a little bit of a glow. Even on my oily prone skin I love this. If you like a specific sunscreen on your face, use it on your neck. That is literally going to prevent the sun damage and prevent a lot of this sagging and a lot of this degradation from happening."
How To Get “That Girl” Skincare Routine… On A Budget.
"The best sunscreen that you can get is one that works for you. One that you're going to reach for regularly and enjoy applying often, if not every day. That could be the $11 black girl sunscreen from Target with avocado and hoba."
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"I love this sunscreen. I've gone through quite a few of them. It's a very basic, inexpensive but affordable sunscreen that you can get on the shelves of Target. Both this SPF 30 and their Make It Matte SPF 45 are excellent and work for literally any skin color. They're made for melanated skin because they don't flashback, but any other skin color can also use, enjoy, and support this brand."
Yay
"This one is one of the first that I just saw nail blendability with dark skin tones. This is just an excellent excellent finish for people who struggle with any sort of cast. Plus, the ingredients are also on point. Fragrance-free, it has jojoba oil, which I really like in skin care products. And just the blendability—that's the main thing I'm emphasizing. So, it's their SPF 31. I really like it. Blends very well. And it's actually very affordable as well. And you can pretty much find it anywhere."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30?

A chemical sunscreen formulated specifically for darker skin tones, designed to provide SPF 30 protection without leaving a white or gray cast on the skin.

Is Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 worth it?

Mostly yes. 6 of the 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 87%.

What is Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30's Guru Score?

Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 holds a Guru Score of 87%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

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