Best American Sunscreens (US SPF), Rated
American sunscreen spans the widest range we rate: drugstore staples like Neutrogena and Coppertone, dermatologist favorites like EltaMD and CeraVe, and the clean and mineral wave of Supergoop, Sun Bum and Coola. We score each one on its real ingredient list and rank them below.
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Origin American ▾
| Product | Total ▼ | ☀️ | ☢️ | 🤧 | 👻 | 🔥 | 🪨 | 🔴 | 🍄 | 👕 | 💧 | ✨ | 💄 | 🌊 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Excellent | Not resistant | |
| 96 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Excellent | Not resistant | |
| 96 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Excellent | Not resistant | |
| 96 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Excellent | Not resistant | |
| 95 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 95 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 95 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 94 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Balanced | Matte | Good | Not resistant | |
| 94 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Light | Matte | Excellent | Not resistant | |
| 94 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 92 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Excellent | Not resistant | |
| 92 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Medium | Hydrating | Balanced | Okay | Not resistant | |
| 90 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Matte | Good | Not resistant | |
| 89 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 89 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 89 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 89 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 88 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Safe | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Okay | Not resistant | |
| 88 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Balanced | Balanced | Good | Not resistant | |
| 87 | Excellent | High | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | High | Low | Balanced | Balanced | Okay | Not resistant |
What to know about US sunscreens
The US regulates sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug, which has kept several modern UV filters off the market for years. So American formulas often rely on an older filter toolkit, and the gap between a thin legacy formula and a well-built one is wide.
That makes ingredient scoring especially useful here. A familiar drugstore name can hide a dated, photo-unstable filter pair, while a quieter mineral or dermatologist brand quietly nails broad-spectrum coverage. Our scores cut through the brand halo to the actual protection and safety.
Frequently asked questions
Why do US sunscreens use fewer modern filters?
Because the FDA regulates them as drugs, newer broad-spectrum filters common in Europe and Asia are not yet approved for sale in the US. Many American formulas work around it, but some older ones leave UVA gaps that our score flags.
Are drugstore American sunscreens any good?
Some are excellent and some are dated. The brand name tells you little. Our scores rank each formula on its real filter system and irritation profile, so a budget pick can outscore a premium one.