Reef safe. Oil-free and non-comedogenic. For all skin types. Vegan and cruelty free. No synthetic fragrance. Natural finish. Clean chemical sunscreen actives. Oh, and totally unseen. This is a lot for one sunscreen to be all at once, but the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 is formulated to be an “invisible, weightless, scentless and makeup-gripping daily primer” with a gel formula. It may also be a daily sunscreen game-changer.

Price: $34

Find it HERE

Tested August 2020

Liz:

I think the reason a lot of people don’t wear sunscreen on their face every day is because it’s an extra step that often has annoying side effects: it’s slimy and smells gross, it leaves a white cast on my skin, it clogs my pores, etc. If you, like me, are one of the people who have ever complained about any of these things, you really must give Supergoop!’s Unseen Sunscreen a try. Like, right now.

Housed in a mess free tube with holographic lettering, this SPF 40 gel is amazing. I use about a dime-sized dollop for my entire face and have been wearing it every day for a few weeks without any clogged pores, breakouts or skin reactions. I always apply it after my final skincare step and before any makeup.

This product applies totally clear on the skin, which is a particularly significant win for anyone who has ever struggled with a tint or white cast that other sunscreens (especially those with zinc oxide) can leave behind. Although the brand claims this is “scentless”, it isn’t. It smells like a sunscreen. It’s the only thing that I’m not 100% on board with, but I just suck it up for a few seconds and deal with the smell until it dissipates, which is usually right after rubbing it into the skin.

I’m an avid sunscreen wearer because, well, I can get a sunburn sitting in a car, let alone doing any activity that involves actual, prolonged sun exposure. One of the things that always annoyed me about applying sunscreen to my face is that I felt like it interfered with my skincare or makeup routine. Either it was too shiny to wear alone on makeup free days, or my foundation and other makeup products would pill or wouldn’t sit smoothly on top of it. I always preferred a foundation or moisturizer that contained SPF 30 or above because it meant one less step in the morning and I didn’t notice the sunscreen if it was already mixed in.

Unseen Sunscreen, however, fit right into my existing routine without feeling like an extra step because it works and applies just like a primer, which I use almost every day I wear foundation (the texture reminds me a lot of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer). So, for me, it functions as both my SPF and my makeup primer in one and I love a product that does double duty.

*Unseen Sunscreen swatched on bare skin. It really is clear!*

This sunscreen feels really smooth on the skin and might even take down shine a little bit. Other products glide on top of it easily and I’ve been able to use all my usual makeup over this with no problems. I apply Unseen Sunscreen on makeup free days too, and can say that reapplying another layer every few hours as needed is incredibly easy and doesn’t feel like a pile of built-up product on the skin. Side note: I never apply this over makeup, but use a powder sunscreen for that instead (like this one from Tarte).

I am incredibly happy this product is available because it makes so many of the problems I had with other facial sunscreens a thing of the past. It’s also really universal, as all skin tones can use it, as well as people who wear makeup and those that don’t. Plus, the formula is reef safe, which is important to me, as well as cruelty free. Unseen Sunscreen is an innovative formula that makes applying daily sunscreen so easy, there’s really no excuse for me to ever skip it again.

Liz’s Verdict: Amazing! The best SPF formula for the face that I’ve ever tried.

Lea:

I have a confession: up until this Summer I didn’t regularly wear sunscreen. In my defense, Seattle only has a handful of truly sunny days a year and my medium skintone doesn’t burn easily. I didn’t always live in the Evergreen state though. Growing up in Southern California, I intentionally tanned year round (in tanning beds and outdoors) and can honestly say I hardly wore a hat. Liz is cringing with you right now, no doubt. Fortunately, I’ve managed to reach my early 30’s skin cancer free. Unfortunately, I have many sun spots, discoloration and more fine lines than a lot of people my age. Starting this blog (and taking the obligatory close-up photos of my own face) has brought to light the error of my ways. I reached out to Liz in a panic and this Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen review post was born. I can now proudly say I am one month into daily sunscreen use rain or shine. And you know what…I haven’t broken out, my face isn’t sticky or greasy and there’s no white cast. This formula really is unseen. Let’s take a look under the hood.

Supergoop! claims to have been the first sunscreen brand to launch (in 2007) without the use of oxybenzone (an irritant and hormone disrupter that also damages coral reefs). Additionally, as of 2020, none of their products contain octinoxate- another chemical that damages coral reefs. A few other questionable ingredients Supergoop! foregos are synthetic fragrances and parabens. That last one is common in personal care products because it inhibits the growth of bacteria. Unfortunately, studies show it also mimics estrogen in the body and has been linked to breast cancer and reproductive issues. Supergoop!’s website has a list of 100+ ingredients they’ve deemed too unsafe to use in their products (you can check it out here). I feel it’s safe to say they’ve done their due diligence.

Unseen Sunscreen does contain a small amount of argan oil, an easily absorbed, non-comedogenic and non-greasy oil that hydrates skin. It also features pore blurring and skin smoothing silicone, as well as blue-light blocking red algae. The brand’s website claims Unseen Sunscreen has “makeup gripping” properties and can function as a primer. This is the one claim I’m not buying. I didn’t notice that this made my makeup go on any smoother or stay any longer. That’s ok though! I just wish they wouldn’t make the claim. I don’t love the smell of this- it’s slightly chemical, but at least it dissipates fast. I’d rather have this than something overly perfumed that left my skin irritated. While I don’t love spending $34 on something whose results I will likely never see, given the results of not using it, I think I can be bothered. This was an easy addition to my routine, takes mere seconds to apply and has no adverse effects. I really couldn’t ask for more.