Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 is the brand's original moisturizing face-and-body lotion, made to dry clear on melanin-rich skin. It uses chemical filters (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene) with avocado, jojoba, sunflower and carrot seed oils and cocoa seed butter, and is water resistant for 80 minutes. Press testers and dermatologists praise the lack of white residue and the hydration. The trade-off is a glowy finish that reviewers say can be heavy or shiny on oily skin, where the brand's matte formula is the usual alternative.

Best for

Dry or normal skin on medium to deep skin tones
An affordable face-and-body daily sunscreen
People who dislike the white cast of mineral sunscreens

What we love

Dries clear with no white cast on deep skin tones
Moisturizing enough to double as a lotion
Water resistant for 80 minutes and usable on face and body
Affordable for 3 fl oz

Worth knowing

Glowy finish can feel heavy or look shiny on oily skin
Plant oils and cocoa butter make it a less obvious pick for very acne-prone skin
SPF 30 rather than the higher SPFs of many rivals

How it scored

The breakdown.

Five factors, weighted for formulas. Here’s our working.

7.8Good

Beauty score out of 10. Brands can’t pay for placement — ever.

Results30%7.8
Wear tests and press reviewers on deep skin tones report it drying clear with no white residue; oily-skinned reviewers find the finish too shiny.
Formula & ingredients20%7.2
A standard US chemical-filter set at SPF 30 with nourishing plant oils and cocoa butter; protective but basic, and the oils make it less suited to acne-prone skin.
Texture & experience15%7.4
A thick, lotionlike texture with a glowy sheen that feels moisturizing on normal-to-dry skin but can feel heavy on oily skin.
Value20%8.6
$18.99 for 3 fl oz of an 80-minute water-resistant face-and-body sunscreen is good value.
Community love15%8.0
A pioneering Black-owned sunscreen that press testers and dermatologists recommend for darker skin tones, with oily-skin caveats.

Beauty profile

Inside the bottle.

Texture

Moisturizing lotion that the brand says dries completely clear

Format

Sunscreen lotion

Finish

Dewy

Sun protection

SPF 30· Chemical

Size

3 fl oz / 89 ml

Key ingredients

Ingredient encyclopedia →

What’s in it: Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 2.75%, with avocado, jojoba, sunflower and carrot seed oils, cocoa seed butter, aloe and tocopheryl acetate. Water resistant (80 minutes).

How to use

Apply liberally 15 minutes before sun exposure; reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying and at least every 2 hours.

Full ingredient list (INCI)24 ingredients · key actives highlighted · as listed by the brand

Active: Avobenzone 3%,
Homosalate 10%,
Octisalate 5%,
Octocrylene 2.75%. Inactive: Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer,
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer,
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice,
Butylphthalimide,
Carbomer,
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil,
Disodium EDTA,
Ethylhexylglycerin,
Helianthus Anuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil,
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose,
Isopropylphthalimide,
Lecithin,
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil,
Phenoxyethanol,
Propylene Glycol,
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil,
Sodium Hydroxide,
Sorbitan Oleate,
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter,
Tocopheryl Acetate,
Water.

Formulas change. Always check the packaging, and patch-test if your skin is reactive.

Official product page

Creator video reviews

Watch it in action.

Real reviews, try-ons and wear tests from independent creators — verified with TikTok and YouTube and labelled when sponsored.

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What people say

Straight from the source.

Verbatim from Reddit, forums, blogs and the beauty press — linked, so you can read the whole thread.

4 verbatim quotes · 3 positive · 1 mixed

Who What Wear

It absorbs like a dream, instantly disappearing into the skin with no greasy or ghostly residue, and it actually feels hydrating, whereas many sunscreens tend to strip my skin dry.

Jamie ChevronWho What Wear · 2024-06Source

Who What Wear

If you have sensitive eyes, you might want to bring another option in your carry-on for your face, but overall, this is a winner.

Jamie ChevronWho What Wear · 2024-06Source

Into The Gloss

On first squirt, BGS looks (and smells) like a traditional sunscreen. Rub it in, and two things happen: the whiteness totally disappears, and you start to feel a sensation like a burst of water.

AnonymousInto The GlossSource

The Zoe Report

Specifically created for melanin-rich skin, this broad spectrum sunscreen applies like a dream with zero white cast.

AnonymousThe Zoe Report · 2024-02Source

Price & value

Is it worth it?

Typical price

$18.99

for 3 fl oz / 89 ml

Per ounce

$6.31

DrugstoreMid-rangePrestigeLuxury

About 72% less per ounce than the typical sunscreen we review. Our value score: 8.6/10 for a drugstore pick.

Price checked November 2026 at a non-Amazon retailer. Prices change — retailers show the current one.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon Shop on TikTok Shop7,606 sold Buy from the brand$18.99 USee it at Ulta

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Community

What members noticed.

Ratings, skin types and the benefits people actually saw — logged on the Benefit Wheel.

No member ratings yet.

Tried it? Your score — and your skin or hair type — helps the next person decide.

Highlighted: what it’s built to do.

Discussion

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FAQ

Good questions.

Does Black Girl Sunscreen leave a white cast?

It uses chemical filters only (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene), and the brand says it dries completely clear. Reviewers with dark skin generally confirm there is no white cast.

Is it good for oily skin?

It is a moisturizing formula with plant oils and a dewy finish, so oily-skinned reviewers often find it shiny. The brand's Make It Matte SPF 45 is the formula usually suggested for oily skin.

Is it water resistant?

Yes. The directions say to reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying and at least every 2 hours.

Sources we checked (11)