Hey there, outdoor warriors! Whether you’re tilling the soil, constructing skyscrapers, or patrolling the streets, one thing’s for sure – you’re no stranger to the mighty power of the sun.

But as you forge ahead, completing tasks under its unyielding gaze, it’s easy to forget the silent companion that should always tag along – sunscreen.

From ultra-durable options that won’t sweat off halfway through the day to formulas that have your sensitive skin in mind, we’ve curated a list that’s hotter than a mid-summer heatwave – minus the burn, of course. So, slap on your hat and pull up a shade, because we’re about to highlight the very best sunscreens for working outside.

Key Factors in Choosing the Best Sunscreen for Working Outside

• Sturdy SPF (Sun Protection Factor). When choosing a sunscreen for outdoor work, hitting that SPF 30 or higher mark is non-negotiable. It’s your skin’s knight in shining armor, blocking a generous portion of UV rays. Don’t forget to opt for broad spectrum protection too – it’s essential for coverage against both UVA and UVB rays (both harmful in different ways). But remember, even the strongest knights can’t last all day solo and need backup, so reapply regularly!
• No-Fuss Application. Life’s too short for complicated sunscreen routines, especially when you’re balancing on a beam or mid-shrub trim. Sprays and sticks can be easier and quicker for re-applying — especially if you’re put off by messy lotions.
• Dodge Around Redness and Irritation. Some folks tend to have skin that’s more prone to irritation, and it can be hard to focus on the work at hand when you’re red, blotchy, and itchy. Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic ingredients are your skin’s best bet for staying clear. Chemical filter sunscreens that use ingredients like oxybenzone are more likely to cause skin reactions, as opposed to much gentler mineral sunscreens that rely on zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The downside is that mineral sunscreens are more likely to leave a white cast. However, most folks can get by using a mineral sunscreen for their face and a more versatile, easy-to-blend chemical sunscreen for their arms and legs.
• Consider Mixing Chemical and Mineral Sunscreens. Here’s the thing — your face skin tends to be much more sensitive than your body skin, which makes gentle mineral sunscreens an obvious choice for your face. But, since mineral sunscreens have the potential to leave a white cast, you might want to forgo spreading it all over your body. Luckily, most people can tolerate those invisible, white-cast-free chemical sunscreens on their arms and legs. So, don’t hesitate to try mixing and matching!

Best Sunscreen for Working Outside

1. Thinksport SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen

About: Meet Thinksport SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen, an athlete’s best buddy that wins the triathlon of sun protection hands down.

Born from a mission to shun questionable ingredients, Thinksport serves up a high-performance mineral-based sunscreen that’s as kind to your skin as it is to our blue planet (chemical filters can really mess with marine life, while mineral ingredients are A-OK).

With broad spectrum protection and an SPF that’s top of the charts and an ingredient list cleaner than your eating habits (we hope), this sunscreen is ready for any curveballs the great outdoors pitches your way.

Features:

• Water and Sweat Resistant Up to 80 Minutes: The Thinksport sunscreen is like your reliable gym buddy – it sticks with you through thick and sweaty workouts, making it fab for those who build their empire outdoors.
• Designed Specifically for Sports Use: Concocted with athletes in mind, this sunscreen won’t bail on you mid-match — it’ll stick it out with you no matter what job you’re on.
• Leaping Bunny Certified: Animal lovers, rejoice! Not a single furry creature was tested on during the making of this sunscreen. How’s that for guilt-free glopping?
• Clean and Green Ingredients: Free from nasty PABA, parabens, and other no-nos, this sunscreen is so clean you could almost serve lunch on it (but please, don’t). It’s clean, no-nonsense approach makes it a favorite sunscreen for sun allergy sufferers too.

2. Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion

About: Get ready to meet the life of the outdoor party – Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion. It’s the sunscreen that’s as serious about both work and play under the sun.

With its SPF 50 rating, this chemical filter sunscreen with broad spectrum protection promises to keep your skin safe from UVA and UVB rays alike.

Designed for the dynamic doers, it’s great at keeping up with your on-the-go lifestyle and can stand up to even the sweatiest jobs. It might be pricier than your average joe of sunscreens, but it’s a splurge your parched skin will thank you for!

Features:

• Waterproof Sunscreen & Sweat-Resistant: This sunscreen doesn’t throw in the towel until you’ve maxed out your outdoor grind. It has serious sticking power against UV rays, perfect for any marathon work session and a legitimate sunscreen pick for heavy sweaters.
• Ultra-Hydrating: Built to be the oasis in your desert of a day, this concoction banishes dry skin blues, all thanks to its pack of added hydration ingredients.
• Antioxidant-Rich Sidekicks: Sunflower and rosemary leaf extracts dive in to offer a helping hand against the daily environmental villains, keeping your skin not just protected, but positively thriving.

3. Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sunscreen Spray

About: Break out the Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sunscreen Spray and say “Ahoy!” to your new favorite spray-based matey in the fight against the blazing sun and UV rays.

For all you outdoor enthusiasts who are more into spritz than spread, this chemical filter sunscreen with SPF 100 is ultra easy to re-apply and won’t leave your hands covered in sticky lotion.

It offers a quick, invisible spray that says goodbye to those pesky white streaks and hello to hassle-free application. Perfect for the worker who’s always on the move, this Banana Boat is geared up to weather any workday storm!

Features:

• Water- & Sweat-Resistant for Up to 80 Minutes: No need for pit stops – the durability of this broad spectrum protection sunscreen is as reliable as your trusty toolbox, and it stays put even when you’re working up a sweat.
• Invisible, Clear Spray: With a spritz that’s as clear as the summer sky, this spray leaves no trace, except for the top-notch sun protection it delivers.
• Easy and Quick to Apply On-the-Go: No one has time for a 20-step sunscreen routine when there’s work to be done. That’s why this spray is like the express lane at the sunscreen supermarket.

4. Solimo Sport Sunscreen Lotion

About: Ready to level up your protection without breaking the bank? Say hello to Amazon’s own Solimo Sport Sunscreen Lotion – a true MVP when it comes to no-nonsense sun defense.

A beacon of hope for the budget-conscious worker, Solimo ensures you can defend your dermis from the sun’s siege without dipping into your vacation fund.

With an SPF 50 rating, this chemical sunscreen primarily for body coverage comes ready to battle the brightest of sun’s harmful rays. So go ahead, clock in your outdoor hours with peace of mind – Solimo’s got your back!

Features:

• Water Resistant for the Work and Play: You might be wrestling with waves or wrangling with weeds, but thanks to 80 minutes of water resistance, you won’t have to wrestle with sunburn.
• Budget-Friendly Sun Shield: As part of the Amazon family, Solimo serves up stellar sunblock without the need to scavenge for coins under couch cushions.
• Lack of Oxybenzone Might Mean It’s Reef Safe: Make a splash without the environmental crash – Solimo skips on octinoxate and oxybenzone, which have a known negative effect on oceans (although whether any chemical sunscreen can truly be “reef-safe” is up for debate).

5. Hawaiian Tropic Island Active Sunscreen Spray

About: Slip into that vacation vibe even whilst tackling the toughest jobs with Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport Sunscreen Spray.

This chemical sunscreen, rated SPF 30, is like a quick escape to the tropics with every spritz. Like the Banana Boat spray, this sunscreen boasts a fast and easy application method with its handy spray format.

Not only does this spray sunscreen protect your skin with a flexible, sport-friendly formula, but its signature coconut scent also whispers of sunny beaches and palm trees, even if you’re just mowing lawns or hitting the trails.

Whether you’re up for a quick reapplication between tasks or need something lightweight to last through the overtime hours, this sunscreen is ready to play as hard as you work.

Features:

• Sweat and Water Resistant Sunscreen: Commitment issues? Not here! This sunscreen sticks with you through thick and thin, resisting water and sweat longer than most coffee breaks.
• Designed Specifically for Sport Use: Built for the movers and the shakers, this spray hangs onto your skin like a monkey on a branch – even when you’re swinging from job to job.
• Light, Breathable Sunscreen: Say goodbye to that suffocating, sticky feeling – this sunscreen is so airy, it’s like a gentle island breeze on your workday.
• Fast-Absorbing, Non-Greasy Spray: This is the Usain Bolt of sunscreen application – quick and slick (but without the actual slickness).
• Alluring Coconut Fragrance: Each spray is a mini vacation for your senses, giving your nose a whiff of tropical paradise, even when it’s just business as usual.

6. Sun Bum Original SPF 70 Face Lotion

About: Hoist your sunscreen standards high and salute Sun Bum Original SPF 70, the captain of skin defense on the high seas of outdoor work.

If your job has you braving the elements under a relentless sun, this is your sun-shielding superhero.

With a high 70 SPF level that laughs in the face of UV rays, this facial sunscreen is perfect for those who take no chances when it comes to solar safety. Plus, it’s packed with Vitamin E to keep your skin as smooth as the sea on a calm day. Surf, turf, or construction site, Sun Bum’s got you covered – without any ghostly residue.

We generally recommend folks use a mineral sunscreen for their face and only consider chemical sunscreens for body coverage. But, if your face isn’t easily irritated, this Sun Bum face sunscreen may be a perfect fit, as it offers solid face coverage without the white cast issues common in mineral sunscreens.

Features:

• Non-Comedogenic and Oil-Free: This sunscreen is big on protection but still remains oil-free to reduce your risk of clogged pores and breakouts. It’s designed to be hypoallergenic too. It’s a great pick for an oil-free sunscreen for face use, for outdoor workers and indoor folks alike!
• Packed With Vitamin E for Extra Hydration: Sun Bum ups the ante not just on protection but also on pampering. Your skin will drink in the hydration like it’s a tropical smoothie.
• Cruelty-Free: Hurrah for our animal friends! This sunscreen boasts zero animal testing.

7. Blue Lizard Sensitive Face Mineral Sunscreen

About: Don a suit of armor against the sun with Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen – your skin’s chivalrous champion in shining… lotion. With a mineral-based formula and an SPF 50 rating, this face sunscreen is ideal for even the most delicate of dermal layers.

Blue Lizard takes its commitment to your skin’s well-being seriously, making chemical active ingredients take a hike, opting instead for a 100% mineral composition. It’s fragrance-free too, so there are no olfactory overthrows, and it’s as kind to the ocean’s coral kingdoms as it is to your complexion.

Features:

• Made With Zinc Oxide: This sunscreen rules with the iron fist of zinc oxide, minus the actual iron fist – it’s soft on your skin!
• Designed for Sensitive Skin: Crafted for the courtiers of skin types, it’s a gentle jester that won’t play tricks on your sensitive skin.
• Fragrance-Free, Paraben-Free: Free of sneaky irritants, it’s free of all the nasties and baddies that might upset your skin.
• Reef-Safe Sun Care: No oxybenzone, no octinoxate, no chemical filters at all – just a clean, green, aquatic dream, defending your epidermis and the environment simultaneously.

---

All right, folks, it’s time to wrap things up! Whether you’re out there shaping the landscape, framing new horizons, or just keeping the world ticking from dawn till dusk, you need to wear sunscreen. And now, you have the skin-saving arsenal you need.

We’ve thrown at you some of the mightiest sunscreens in the game; each one waiting to become your new best bud when working outdoors. So, don’t be shy – give your skin the love (and protection) it deserves.

So, what sunscreen do you swear by when the great outdoors is your office? Share your sun-smart tips and let’s keep this enlightening conversation glowing!