How to Pick a Sunscreen in 2026: A Mohs Surgeon's Guide

I remove skin cancer from faces for a living. We treat thousands of skin cancers a year, most of them on people who spent decades outside in Central Florida without much thought about sunscreen. So I get asked constantly which sunscreen to use, and my first answer is always the same: the right sunscreen is the one you will actually put on, in enough quantity, and put on again.

That said, 2026 has been an unusually interesting year for sunscreen, and a few things are worth knowing before you buy.

Mineral or chemical? An honest answer

Sunscreens work with two kinds of filters. Mineral filters (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) sit on the skin and scatter or absorb UV. Chemical filters (avobenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate, homosalate and others) absorb UV and release it as heat.

Here is where the science actually stands. The FDA has proposed that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are “generally recognized as safe and effective.” For most of the older chemical filters, the FDA’s position is “insufficient data,” which means it wants more safety studies. It does not mean those filters are proven harmful [1]. A 2019 FDA study found that several chemical filters are absorbed into the bloodstream at levels that trigger a request for more testing [2]. That is a reason to want the data, not a reason to panic.

My practical advice: if you are pregnant, have very sensitive skin, or simply prefer to sidestep the question, use a mineral sunscreen. If a chemical sunscreen is the one you will reliably wear, wear it. Unprotected sun is the proven carcinogen in this conversation.

One real caveat on chemical filters: octocrylene can slowly degrade into benzophenone in the bottle [3]. Buy fresh, and throw out last summer’s tube.

The first new filter in a generation

On June 10, 2026, the FDA added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen ingredients, the first new filter added to that list since the late 1990s [4]. Europe and Australia have used it for years. It is highly stable in sunlight, protects well across both UVA and UVB, and barely absorbs through the skin [5]. The first American products reached shelves this fall, and more are coming. These are too new for independent testing or pregnancy data, so we list them as “new filter” rather than as top picks. See our picks for acne-prone and oily skin.

What independent testing found

Consumer Reports tested 130 sunscreens in 2026 and found that most delivered a lower SPF than the label claimed [6]. That is not a reason to distrust sunscreen. It is a reason to apply more than you think you need (a shot glass for the body, at least a teaspoon for the face) and to reapply every two hours outdoors [7]. The one product that earned a perfect score was a Coppertone lotion that costs under $10, which tells you price and performance are not the same thing [8]. See our picks for everyday use and a history of skin cancer.

If your skin breaks out

Look for “non-comedogenic” and formulas with niacinamide, which calms oil and redness. Our go-to for years has been EltaMD UV Clear, which is also what I recommend for rosacea. This year EltaMD added a version built specifically for oily, blemish-prone skin, and the first bemotrizinol sunscreens are also aimed at this group. See our picks for acne-prone and oily skin.

If you want mineral only

Zinc oxide is the broadest single filter we have. The trade-off is white cast, especially on medium and deep skin. Two fixes: a tinted mineral sunscreen with iron oxides, which also blocks the visible light that worsens melasma [9], or one of the newer high-zinc formulas engineered to go on clear. See our mineral-only picks.

If you have had skin cancer

Daily sunscreen on the face, ears, neck, and hands, every day, is the single most useful habit after your surgery. Some sunscreens add DNA repair enzymes (photolyase), and ISDIN’s Eryfotona Actinica has the most clinical data behind it [10]. Small studies disagree on whether these enzymes repair more UV damage in the skin, and no large trial has shown they prevent more cancers than a regular SPF 50 [10][11]. I recommend Actinica to patients with heavy sun damage as a good mineral sunscreen with a plausible extra benefit, not as a substitute for the basics. See our picks for everyday use and a history of skin cancer.

One more thing for this group: ask me about nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that is cheap, sold over the counter, and not the same as niacin. In a 2015 randomized trial of 386 people who had already had at least two skin cancers, 500 mg twice daily for a year lowered new basal and squamous cell cancers by about 23 percent, and the benefit faded once people stopped taking it [12]. A 2023 trial in organ transplant recipients found no benefit, but it was stopped early with only 158 patients, too few in my view to settle the question for that group [13]. In 2025, a study of more than 33,000 veterans found that those taking nicotinamide had a 14 percent lower risk of new skin cancers, and a 54 percent lower risk when they started after their first one [14]. That study looked back at medical records instead of assigning treatment at random, so it supports the 2015 trial without proving it, and some experts are not yet convinced [15]. In both trials, side effects were no more common than with placebo [12][13]. If you have had a skin cancer, especially more than one, it is worth a conversation at your next visit.

You may also see Polypodium leucotomos, an extract of a fern sold as a daily supplement. No study has shown yet that it lowers the risk of skin cancer. That does not mean it does not work, only that we may not have the evidence yet. What we do have: in two recent studies, a month of it made skin about a quarter slower to sunburn, though it did not measurably reduce UV damage to DNA [16][17]. Small studies also suggest it helps people whose skin conditions flare in the sun, such as polymorphous light eruption [18]. Much of the research used Fernblock, the extract in Heliocare. I usually recommend a generic polypodium supplement because it is the cheapest. I like that Heliocare Advanced puts polypodium and nicotinamide in the same capsule, but you pay a premium for it [19]. It is a supplement, not a sunscreen, so take it in addition to sunscreen, never instead of it.

If you surf, fish, or golf

Sunscreen that runs into your eyes is sunscreen you stop using. A waxy face stick stays put through sweat and water and does not sting. I use one for surfing and scuba diving. Apply several passes and rub it in; sticks are easy to under-apply. See our face sticks.

If everything irritates your skin

Mineral only, fragrance-free, no botanicals or essential oils, and the shortest ingredient list you can find. The National Eczema Association seal is a useful shortcut because seal products cannot contain fragrance or chemical UV filters [20]. Patch test behind the ear for three days before using anything new on your face. See our picks for very sensitive skin.

If you are pregnant

Choose a product whose only active ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Chemical filters have not been shown to harm pregnancies, but mineral filters barely absorb, and that settles the question. Melasma is common in pregnancy, so a tinted mineral sunscreen is often the right call. Every product on our shop page with the pregnancy-friendly badge meets this standard.

If you are buying for a baby or toddler

Under 6 months, sunscreen is not the first tool. Babies this young are more likely to get a rash from it, so keep them in the shade, under a brimmed hat, and in light clothing that covers their arms and legs [21]. If you cannot avoid the sun, a small amount of a mineral sunscreen is reasonable [22].

From 6 months on, use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher [22]. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are less likely to irritate young skin, and a stick is easier to use around the eyes [22]. Do not spray sunscreen near a child’s face [22]. See our picks for babies and toddlers.

The habits that matter more than the brand

Apply enough. Reapply every two hours outside and after swimming. Wear a hat with a brim. Avoid the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. sun when you can. See a dermatologist once a year for a skin check, more often if you have had a skin cancer.

Our shop page lists the specific products we recommend in each category, with a physician-dispensed option if available and a drugstore option in every one, and a plain statement of how we make money from the page.

Dr. Weinstein is a fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon and the owner of Altamonte Dermatology and Maitland Dermatology. This article is general information, not medical advice for your individual situation.