UV Clear treats acne-prone skin while it protects. Unseen disappears and preps for makeup.
These two are the most common answers to “what face sunscreen should I wear every day?”, and they solve different problems. EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 is a light lotion with 9% zinc oxide, 7.5% octinoxate and niacinamide, made for acne-prone and sensitive skin. Supergoop Unseen SPF 50 is a waterless silicone gel with four chemical filters that goes on completely clear and leaves a smooth, primer-like finish.
If breakouts or redness are your main concern, UV Clear does more for your skin. If a white cast or makeup pilling is what stops you from wearing sunscreen, Unseen is the easier one to use every day. We also cover Unseen’s SPF 40 stick, which is best kept for touch-ups.
Skin care vs. finish
EltaMD UV Clear is about what it does for your skin. It combines 9% zinc oxide with 7.5% octinoxate and adds niacinamide, which helps calm redness and breakouts. It's a light, water-based lotion, fragrance-free and noncomedogenic.
Supergoop Unseen is about how it looks and feels. It has no water and no mineral filters: four chemical filters sit in a silicone gel that goes on clear, leaves no cast on any skin tone and dries to a smooth, primer-like finish. It's also water and sweat resistant for 40 minutes, which UV Clear isn't.
The SPF 40 stick is a different tool. It uses the same filter family as the Unseen gel in a 0.7 oz solid that fits in a pocket, so it's ideal for reapplying over makeup. It costs far more per ounce, though, and swiping makes it easy to miss spots, so don't make it your main sunscreen.
EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46: sunscreen that calms
Zinc hybrid with niacinamide for acne-prone skin.
UV Clear pairs 9% zinc oxide with 7.5% octinoxate in a light, water-based lotion. The zinc covers UVA and UVB; the octinoxate adds UVB protection, which keeps the zinc low enough that it rubs in without a heavy white layer on most skin.
Niacinamide is the third ingredient, right after water and a silicone. It’s a well-studied calming ingredient that helps with redness and breakouts, which is why UV Clear is such a common pick for acne-prone and rosacea-prone skin. Sodium hyaluronate adds a little hydration. It’s oil-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free and noncomedogenic.
It isn’t water resistant, so save it for daily wear. On deep skin tones the zinc can leave a faint tint.
- 9% zinc oxide plus niacinamide in one step
- Oil-free, fragrance-free and noncomedogenic
- Made for acne-prone and sensitive skin
- Not water resistant
- Can leave a faint cast on deep skin
- Costs a little more per ounce than Unseen
Supergoop Unseen SPF 50: invisible and primer-like
Clear, primer-like gel with no white cast.
Unseen is an all-chemical sunscreen: 3% avobenzone, 7% homosalate, 5% octisalate and 9% octocrylene. There’s no water in it. The base is isododecane and several silicone crosspolymers, which is why it goes on as a clear, slippery gel and dries to a smooth, velvety finish that works like a makeup primer.
Because there are no mineral particles, it leaves no white cast on any skin tone. It’s water and sweat resistant for 40 minutes and has no added fragrance. Red algae extract, shea butter, meadowfoam estolide and vitamin E round out the list.
Skip it if heavy silicone products tend to clog your pores. It also does nothing extra for redness or breakouts, so it’s a cosmetic upgrade rather than a treatment.
- No white cast on any skin tone
- Smooth, primer-like finish under makeup
- Water and sweat resistant for 40 minutes
- Usually costs a little less than UV Clear
- Heavy on silicones, which some acne-prone skin dislikes
- Contains shea butter and jojoba esters
- No niacinamide or calming extras
Unseen Sunscreen Stick SPF 40: for touch-ups, not full coverage
Clear stick for reapplying over makeup.
The stick uses the same four chemical filters as the gel (3% avobenzone, 6% homosalate, 5% octisalate, 9% octocrylene) in a solid, waxy-feeling base of isododecane, esters and silica. It glides on clear, leaves no cast and is water and sweat resistant for 40 minutes.
At 0.7 oz, it costs far more per ounce than either full-size sunscreen, and swiping makes it easy to leave gaps. Use it to reapply over makeup at lunch or after the gym, and keep the tube or bottle for your morning application.
- Fits in a pocket for midday touch-ups
- Goes on clear, even over makeup
- Water and sweat resistant for 40 minutes
- Costs far more per ounce than either full-size sunscreen
- Easy to miss spots or apply too thin
- Lower SPF 40
| For sensitive skin EltaMD UV Clear Oil-Free Zinc Oxide Sunscreen | VS | For makeup and no cast Supergoop Unseen SPF 50 Clear Face Sunscreen |
|---|---|---|
9% zinc oxide + 7.5% octinoxate | UV filters |
3% avobenzone, 7% homosalate, 5% octisalate, 9% octocrylene |
46 | SPF |
50 |
Water-based lotion | Texture |
Waterless silicone gel |
Niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate | Key extras |
Red algae extract, shea butter, vitamin E |
None | Water resistance |
40 minutes |
Low; can show on deep skin | White cast |
None |
Acne-prone, sensitive skin | Best for |
Makeup wearers, deeper skin tones |
| View product | View product |
With a clear gel like Unseen, you can’t see where you’ve applied it, so it’s easy to skimp. Use about a half teaspoon for your face and neck, or two full finger lengths. Then reapply every two hours outdoors, and right after swimming or heavy sweating. That habit matters more than the gap between SPF 46 and SPF 50.
Which one should you buy?
Choose EltaMD UV Clear if your skin is acne-prone, red or easily irritated. It pairs 9% zinc oxide with octinoxate and puts niacinamide high on the list, in a light lotion that’s fragrance-free and noncomedogenic. It isn’t water resistant and costs a bit more per ounce.
Choose Supergoop Unseen SPF 50 if you wear makeup, have a deeper skin tone, or just want sunscreen you can’t see. Its waterless silicone gel leaves no cast, smooths like a primer and holds up for 40 minutes of water or sweat. Skip it if silicone-heavy products break you out.
Add the Unseen SPF 40 stick only as a top-up for your bag. It’s far more expensive per ounce, so don’t use it as your main sunscreen.
