Same filters, different jobs: PLAY is the water-resistant all-over lotion, Sun Bum is the fragrance-free face lotion.
Supergoop PLAY and Sun Bum Original Face Lotion protect almost identically. Both use avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene at nearly the same strengths. What separates them is where they’re meant to go and what else is in the bottle.
PLAY is a face-and-body lotion, water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes, with rice bran, sunflower and rosemary extracts, and scented with essential oils. Sun Bum’s face lotion is fragrance-free and oil-free, with vitamin E, in a 3 oz bottle that costs much less upfront. For beach and sports days, buy PLAY. For your face every morning, especially if your skin is sensitive or breakout-prone, buy Sun Bum. The Sun Bum duo is two of the same bottle.
Two SPF 50 lotions, different jobs
- Where you'll wear it
For your whole body on beach, pool or sports days, PLAY is the one: it’s made for face and body and resists water and sweat for 80 minutes. For daily face use, Sun Bum’s face lotion is lighter on cost and has no fragrance.
Look forPLAY for all-over outdoor days, Sun Bum for your face.AvoidUsing a 3 oz face bottle to cover your whole body. - Fragrance and sensitive skin
PLAY is scented with essential oils, including orange and lemon peel, eucalyptus and geranium. Sun Bum’s face lotion is fragrance-free and oil-free, which makes it the safer pick if your skin reacts to scent or breaks out easily.
Look forSun Bum if your skin reacts to essential oils.AvoidScented sunscreen around the eyes if it stings you.
| Face and body Supergoop! PLAY SPF 50 Face and Body Lotion | VS | Face Sun Bum SPF 50 Sheer Travel Face Lotion |
|---|---|---|
Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 7.5% | UV filters |
Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 10% |
Face and body; 80-minute water resistance | Made for |
Face, daily wear |
Essential oils (citrus, eucalyptus, geranium) | Fragrance |
Fragrance-free |
Rice bran, sunflower, rosemary, panthenol | Skin-care extras |
Vitamin E |
Much higher | Upfront cost |
Much lower |
| View | View |
Both sunscreens use avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10% and octisalate 5%. Sun Bum has a little more octocrylene (10% vs. 7.5%). So don’t choose on protection. Choose on where you’ll use it, whether you need water resistance, and whether essential oils bother your skin. Either way, apply generously 15 minutes before going out and reapply at least every two hours.
Supergoop PLAY SPF 50: one water-resistant lotion for face and body
Water-resistant SPF 50 for face and body.
PLAY uses four chemical filters: avobenzone 3% for UVA, plus homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 7.5% for UVB. It’s water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes, which is what you want for the beach, a run or yard work.
The base is richer in skin-care extras than Sun Bum’s. Rice bran, sunflower and rosemary extracts sit alongside glycerin, panthenol and allantoin, and the lotion is made for both your face and body.
The catch is scent. PLAY has no synthetic fragrance, but it contains orange and lemon peel oils, eucalyptus, geranium, patchouli and rosewood oils. That’s pleasant for many people and a problem for skin that reacts to essential oils. It also costs far more upfront, so it makes the most sense when one bottle is covering your whole body.
- Water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes
- Made for face and body, so one bottle covers everything
- Rice bran, sunflower and rosemary extracts plus panthenol and allantoin
- No synthetic fragrance
- Scented with essential oils, including citrus and eucalyptus
- Much higher upfront cost
- Overkill if you only need face sunscreen
Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Face Lotion: fragrance-free daily face sunscreen
Fragrance-free, oil-free SPF 50 for daily face use.
Sun Bum’s face lotion uses the same four chemical filters as PLAY: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10%. Avobenzone covers UVA; the other three cover UVB.
The difference is everything around the filters. There’s no fragrance and no oils, and the base uses silica and light silicones for a weightless, quick-absorbing feel, plus vitamin E. That makes it the better choice for your face, especially if your skin reacts to scent or breaks out easily.
The 3 oz bottle is easy to carry and costs much less upfront than PLAY. It’s sized for faces, not for covering your whole body at the beach.
- Fragrance-free and oil-free
- Same four filters as PLAY, with more octocrylene
- Light, quick-absorbing texture with vitamin E
- Much lower upfront cost
- 3 oz bottle fits a bag or carry-on
- Small bottle for body use
- Chemical filters can sting if they run into your eyes
Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Face Lotion duo: two bottles, no fragrance
Two 3 oz bottles of fragrance-free face sunscreen.
This is two 3 oz bottles of Sun Bum’s Original SPF 50 Face Lotion. The filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10%, in a light, quick-absorbing base with silica and vitamin E. It’s fragrance-free and oil-free.
Two bottles make sense if you want one by the sink and one in your bag or car. If you haven’t tried this lotion before, start with a single bottle.
- Two 3 oz bottles: one for home, one for your bag
- Fragrance-free and oil-free
- Vitamin E in a light face lotion
- Lower upfront cost than PLAY
- Twice the commitment if the texture doesn’t suit you
- Still a face-size bottle, not for full-body use
Fragrance, water resistance and reapplying
Is Supergoop PLAY fragrance-free?
No. It has no synthetic fragrance, but it’s scented with essential oils: orange and lemon peel, eucalyptus, geranium, patchouli and rosewood. If fragrance or essential oils irritate your skin, use Sun Bum’s fragrance-free face lotion instead.
Which one is better for swimming or sweating?
PLAY. It’s water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes, and its size makes it practical for covering your whole body. Reapply right after toweling off.
Can I use Sun Bum face lotion on my body?
You can, but a 3 oz bottle won’t last long. A full-body application takes about a shot glass of sunscreen, so for beach days a face-and-body lotion like PLAY makes more sense.
Does SPF 50 last all day?
No. Reapply at least every two hours when you’re outside, and right after swimming, sweating or toweling off. A higher SPF doesn’t stretch that window.
Which sunscreen should you buy?
Choose Supergoop PLAY if you want one sunscreen for your face and body on active days. It’s water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes and spreads easily over large areas. Skip it if essential oils bother your skin: it’s scented with citrus, eucalyptus, geranium, patchouli and rosewood oils.
Choose Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Face Lotion for everyday face use. It uses the same four filters, adds vitamin E, and is fragrance-free and oil-free, which makes it the safer pick for sensitive or breakout-prone faces. It also costs much less upfront.
Get the single Sun Bum bottle to try it, and the duo once you know you like it. Whichever you choose, reapply at least every two hours outdoors.
