The best sunscreens to protect your tattoos, according to experts
I asked dermatologists and a tattoo artist to recommend the best options for keeping your ink protected and looking fresh.
Mad Rabbit Defend Tattoo Sunscreen
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$24.98
It’s important to protect all skin from potential sun damage — however, shielding tattoos is especially crucial in order to avoid “fading, distortion, and damage to the skin,” according to Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified dermatologic surgeon at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City. “Sun exposure can cause tattoos to fade over time because the UV rays penetrate the skin and break down the pigments used in tattoos,” she says.
Although all tattoos age over time, “if you want to keep those lines crisp for as long as possible, it’s important to always protect your ink from the sun,” says Cake, a Brooklyn-based tattoo artist and co-founder of tattoo studio and collective GirlsOnly NY. Protecting your tattoo from the sun can also lower your risk of infections and complications that may come with the aftercare and healing of a fresh tattoo, says Engelman.
The best tattoo sunscreens are mineral sunscreens, which sit on top of the skin and physically block UV rays, rather than chemical sunscreens, which penetrate the skin to absorb UV rays, says Engelman. She recommends using mineral sunscreen for both old and new tattoos because of their broad-spectrum protection and gentle formulas that are safe for sensitive skin.
“I would recommend being careful when choosing a chemical sunscreen as it may contain ingredients that could interact with tattoo ink or cause irritation on the skin,” she says. Cake agrees that sunscreens with broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB are best, with an SPF of at least 30. You also don’t have to exclusively use sunscreens formulated for tattoos, which tend to cost more, according to Cake
Following that guidance, most of the options on this list are broad-spectrum mineral sunscreens, and all of them have an SPF of 30 or higher.
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If you’re looking for a sunscreen designed specifically for tattoos, the Mad Rabbit Defend Tattoo Sunscreen comes recommended by Engelman, who describes it as “a mineral sunscreen formulated with zinc oxide as well as antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients.” It’s designed to target and prevent the fading of black, gray and colored ink, according to the brand, and can be used on all skin types, whether inked or not. It has a lightweight finish and has both vitamin C and carrot extract, which stimulate collagen production and cell turnover for brighter and moisturized skin, according to Mad Rabbit.
EltaMD is an NBC Select staff-favorite brand for sunscreen, and the brand’s UV Sport Sunscreen Lotion is a great option for tattooed skin, according to Engelman. It’s a mineral-based sunscreen (meaning it uses a mix of mineral and chemical ingredients) formulated for face and body and specifically designed to withstand physical activity of all kinds, according to the brand. It’s also noncomedogenic and fragrance-free, which makes it suitable for all skin types and safe for tattoos that have healed on the surface, says Engelman. It’s also water- and sweat-resistant, “so you can keep your skin protected for longer when perspiring or during activities like swimming,” says Engelman.
Cake uses this Mineral Mattescreen as her year-round face sunscreen; it has an oil-free, tinted formula designed to smooth and mattify your skin with minimal white cast (which can be difficult to avoid when it comes to mineral sunscreens), according to the brand. It has bamboo and clover extract to reduce the effects of free radicals, and is also noncomedogenic and doubles as a makeup primer. For best results, Supergoop recommends reapplying the sunscreen at least every two hours, or after 40 minutes of swimming or sweating.
This chemical sunscreen lotion from Supergoop is Cake’s go-to full body option during the warmer months. It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly and leaves no stickiness or white cast behind, according to the brand. It uses sunflower extract to shield the skin from environmental stressors and rosemary and rice bran extract to hydrate and soften the skin. The formula is sweat and water-resistant, and has a light rosemary scent (which may be irritating to those who prefer fragrance-free formulas). It’s also non-comedogenic, and available in an 18 oz value jug.
NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin loves this sunscreen from Kinsfield, which is water-resistant and reef-safe, so you can keep your tattoo safe while swimming. It has sea kelp and glycerin to moisturize and hydrate the skin, along with aloe vera to soothe your skin during exposure to the sun’s harsh rays. Malin says that this sunscreen leaves behind a bit of a white cast, but she actually likes it: “It helps me make sure I covered the entire thing,” she says.
Malin loves using these patches to cover up her tattoos while running; “My tattoos are pretty small, so I cut the patch to fit any areas that my shirt doesn’t cover,” she says. They’re made from a hypoallergenic silicone that has no added chemicals, making it safe for sensitive skin, according to the brand. The patches are waterproof, sweatproof and reusable, and Malin says they’re easy to apply and stay on throughout her runs, even when she gets sweaty.
When selecting a sunscreen for tattoo protection, experts say you should consider multiple factors, like effective ingredients, your skin’s type and sensitivity level.
Mineral sunscreens have active ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which Engelman says are non-irritating and safer choices for sensitive, vulnerable skin. She also recommends sunscreens with moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil or shea butter, which help keep the skin and tattoo soft and nourished.
When it comes to what you should avoid, Engelman suggests steering clear of sunscreens with fragrances or harsher ingredients like alcohol or oxybenzone. These can irritate your skin or even affect your tattoo’s appearances. Dr. Jeanine Downie, a New Jersey-based, board-certified dermatologist, also recommends sunscreens that are sulfur- or oil-free, to avoid any pigment being leached out of the tattoo.
Although SPF rating is always an important factor when it comes to sunscreens, experts say a sunscreen for tattoos should have an SPF of at least 30, preferably 50 or higher, with broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB. They also recommend water-resistant formulas for maximum protection in rain or shine.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select who regularly covers skin care, wellness and more. For this article, I interviewed a tattoo artist and two dermatologists about sunscreen for tattoos, including their product recommendations and shopping advice.
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