Why This Trendy Gel Sunscreen Is Worth the Hype

I never anticipated that sunscreen would become one of my favorite beauty products to test. However, in recent years, face and body SPFs have seemingly undergone a textural and aesthetic upgrade, with notable brands like Supergoop!, Naked Sundays, and Black Girl Sunscreen making their mark. Now, there's a fresh and undeniably exciting addition to the lineup of brands offering genuinely enjoyable sunscreen products: Dune Suncare.

Apart from its visually appealing packaging, what sets Dune apart is the sheer invisibility of its gel-based formulas that truly disappear upon application (yes, that goes for all skin tones). Ahead, I go into more detail about its formulations and why I can't stop recommending it to anyone who'll listen.

I've been using The Bod Guard ($25) and alternating between The Mineral Melt ($30) and The Mug Guard ($28) for my face, and I'm confident I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I appreciate that its Bod Guard and Mug Guard follow the American Academy of Dermatology guidelines: it is broad-spectrum (meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays), has a factor of SPF 30, and is water-resistant.

The Bod Guard

From

$25

$25 at Amazon

The Mineral Melt

From

$30

$30 at Amazon

The Mug Guard

From

$28

$28 at Amazon

One of the standout features of Dune that I love is the texture of its formulas. I cannot stress how effortlessly the gels glide onto the skin, remaining transparent throughout application and drying. At first, you may find it hard to believe when you squeeze the sunscreen out and notice a very light green tint. According to Emily Doyle, cofounder and CEO of Dune, the team opted for this green hue because "it is actually a neutral color on most skin tones, which means it helps us to neutralize the typical white cast of SPF active ingredients upon application on even the darkest skin tones, making it inclusive to all," she tells POPSUGAR.

Having tried other so-called "gel" formulations in the past that fell short, one product in particular comes to mind, which felt heavy and greasy on my skin. However, Dune's gels are the complete opposite: lightweight, non-sticky, quick-drying, and refreshing. They resemble a light gel moisturizer, which aligns with the brand's inclusion of skin-loving ingredients such as hibiscus sabdariffa fruit extract for hydration and vitamin E to protect against antioxidant damage.

Using these sunscreen products doesn't require any special techniques, but it's important to follow the general guidelines for SPF application. The brand advises applying its sunscreen products generously 15 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapplying every two hours (or 40 minutes after swimming or sweating). If you're not a fan of reapplying traditional sunscreens, you're in for a pleasant surprise with this one. These sunscreens offer a refreshing moisture boost, making the process far more enjoyable and less burdensome. They also leave your skin with a radiant glow.

The most important thing to consider before trying Dune is the right formula for you. If you're in the market for a new body SPF, you can't go wrong with the water-resistant Bod Guard, but the brand's new benzene and non-aerosol Sporto Spray ($23) with SPF 50 might be a better option if you regularly exercise or get excessively sweaty for no good reason like me. The Sporto Spray offers an impressive 80 minutes of sweat and water resistance, whereas the Bod Guard provides 40 minutes of such protection.

Sporto Spray

From

$23

$23 at DUNE SUNCARE

The same goes for face sunscreen. If you prefer mineral sunscreen to chemical, The Mineral Melt is likely your perfect match. A happy customer who awarded it a five-star rating mentioned, "I've never come across a mineral sunscreen that feels so lightweight, sheer, and doesn't cause breakouts." I agree with this sentiment and would like to add that it also wears exceptionally well under makeup. And if you'd prefer to stick to the brand's revolutionary gel formulations: I get it. In that case, The Mug Guard has your back.

It's worth mentioning that the brand doesn't explicitly specify whether The Bod Guard can be used on the face. As an experiment, I applied The Bod Guard on one side of my face and The Mug Guard on the other, and I noticed that The Mug Guard absorbed more quickly. While my personal test may not be definitive evidence to discourage using The Bod Guard on the face, it does suggest that each product is specially formulated for either all-over body use or facial application.

If you're looking to sample the brand's top sellers and determine your favorites before investing in full-size products, Dune has the perfect solution: The Jetsetter Gelly Pack ($30), complete with The Bod Guard, The Mug Guard, and The Lifeguard (a post-sun aloe gel). Not only is it a great way to explore the range, but the TSA-friendly sizes are perfect for travelers.

The Jetsetter Gelly Pack

From

$30

$30 at DUNE SUNCARE

Dune is available direct-to-consumer from dunesuncare.com, but you can also scoop it up on Amazon and Ulta Beauty.

:
★★★★★