Black Girl Sunscreen is a popular skincare brand that offers sunscreen made to work on people with dark skin. I’ve tried almost all of them over the last couple of years, and here’s my thoughts!

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BGS Brand Information

Black Girl Sunscreen is a Black-owned skincare brand founded by Shontay Lundy in 2016. The brand’s mission is to provide melanated people with sunscreens that don’t leave a white cast, as well as educating on the importance of using sunscreen daily.

Black people need sunscreen too, but for years there has been this idea going around that our melanin is enough to protect us. It’s not! The sun damages our skin just like anyone else’s, it just might not show that damage in the same way.

Product Info

Black Girl Sunscreen Original – 3 oz

• $18.99 on the BGS website/ $15.99 at Target and Ulta (between $5.33-$6.33 per oz)
• SPF 30
• moisturizing ingredients including avocado oil, jojoba oil, carrot seed oil, and sunflower seed oil
• thick white moisturizer texture that rubs in clear with no white cast!
• no fragrance added
• leaves some shine to the skin

Shop Original BGS: Ulta | Target | BGS Website

Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte – 1.7 oz

• $21.99 on the BGS website/ $17.99 at Target and Ulta (between $10.58-$12.93 per oz)
• SPF 45
• moisturizing ingredients including aloe leaf extract, shea butter, and coconut oil
• clear, lightweight gel texture with no white cast
• no fragrance added
• leaves skin matte
• This packaging has since been updated from a pump bottle to a squeeze bottle. I’ve tried both and prefer the new squeeze bottle personally.

Shop Matte BGS: Ulta | Target | BGS Website

Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Glow – 3 oz

• $18.99 on the BGS website/ $15.99 at Ulta (between $5.33-$6.33 per oz)
• SPF 30
• infused with glycerin, jojoba oil, and avocado oil
• continuous sunscreen spray with dry-touch finish and no white cast
• no fragrance added
• leaves skin glowy

Shop Spray BGS: Ulta | BGS Website

Black Girl Sunscreen Kids – 3 oz

• $9.99 on the BGS website, Target, and Ulta ($3.33 per oz)
• SPF 50
• infused with chamomile, shea butter, and jojoba oil
• thick white moisturizer texture that rubs in clear with no white cast!
• great for sensitive skin, no fragrance added
• leaves some shine to the skin

Shop BGS Kids: Ulta | Target | BGS Website

Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Hybrid – 3 oz

• $18.99 on the BGS website/ $16.99 at Ulta / $15.99 at Target (between $5.33-$6.33 per oz)
• SPF 50
• mineral and synthetic formula with zinc oxide, aloe, and lavender
• thick white moisturizer texture that left a light purple cast on my skin
• smells strongly of lavender
• leaves some shine to the skin

Shop BGS Hybrid: Ulta | Target | BGS Website

[RELATED POST: Four Sunscreens That Actually Work On Dark Skin]

Application Videos

Black Girl Sunscreen Original & Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte applications

Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Glow application

Black Girl Sunscreen Kids and Black Girl Sunscreen Hybrid Applications

[RELATED POST: Four MORE Sunscreens That Actually Work On Dark Skin]

Reviews

Original Black Girl Sunscreen

I’ve been using the original Black Girl Sunscreen for 2+ years, and I like it! It moisturizes my skin nicely, and I don’t feel the need to layer moisturizer underneath unless my skin is really dry that day. (I’ve got combination/oily skin, so this only happens to me in the winter). This is also a nice sunscreen to apply on my body, but I don’t mind using a cheaper one there and saving this for my face.

The glow that’s left on my skin doesn’t bother me in the winter, but in the summer it can be a little much. I’ve found that layering a silicone primer on top (like the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer) works really well at taking the shine away without piling on my skin. Lightly setting with a powder foundation on top works well too, and helps absorb any excess oils without making me look cakey.

Make It Matte Sunscreen

I’ve used Make it Matte off and on for over a year now and I really enjoy the gel texture that’s very similar to a silicone primer, but it makes me wonder if I’m actually applying enough sunscreen for proper coverage. The bottle is almost half the size of the original and it costs a couple dollars more, which is fine if you don’t want to layer a primer with a sunscreen and just want an all-in-one products. I think it’s a nice sunscreen that leaves a great finish on my skin, but the price per ounce and possibility of pilling on my skin if I apply another silicone-based product on top makes me more likely to reach for the original version.

Similar sunscreens that I’ve used in the past include the Murad Invisiblur SPF 30 ($68 for 1oz) and the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 ($36 for 1.7oz). Price per ounce, the BGS is the most cost effective, so it’s definitely a good choice if this is your preferred type and texture of sunscreen!

• Black Girl Sunscreen Make it Matte = between $10.58-$12.93 per oz
• Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen = $21.17 per oz
• Murad Invisiblur = $68 per oz

Make It Glow Sunscreen Spray

I’ve got mixed feelings about this sunscreen. On one hand, it leaves my skin looking very glowy and pretty, and the spray makes it pretty easy to apply. On the other hand, this sunscreen has a very strong smell due to the aerosol used to make it into a spray. Even when I spray into my hands and apply it to my face, it slightly irritates my eyes. I wouldn’t recommend this for use on the face, but I think this would be a really good sunscreen option for summertime when it can be sprayed onto your body outside. The size is listed as 3oz but it didn’t last very long for me, so I’ll be sticking with one of the other versions (except in the summer when I want glowy arms and legs)

BGS Kids Edition

This is my new favorite product from the entire BGS line! SPF 50 is the highest coverage they offer, and it still doesn’t leave a white cast on my skin. I can use this as a 2-in-1 moisturizer and sunscreen without making my skin feel heavy or greasy. It was designed with sensitive skin in mind which I don’t typically have, but I know it won’t cause any irritation. My favorite part? It’s the CHEAPEST sunscreen they offer at just $10! I’m glad I tried all the other products, but I’m sticking with this one from now on.

Hybrid Black Girl Sunscreen

Well, something had to come in last place. This is my least favorite of all the Black Girl Sunscreen products I’ve tried. (I actually gave away this bottle to a friend after trying it a few times). The zinc oxide added to this formula left a white cast on my skin no matter how much I rubbed it in. There’s no fragrance added, but the lavender oil smells really strong while applying and it doesn’t really go away. The texture itself wasn’t bad, but this is not the sunscreen for me. If you have a lighter skin tone than I do and you want a hybrid mineral and synthetic sunscreen, this might be a good one for you.

Ranking BGS Products

If I had to rank these products from best to worst, I’d say:

1. Kids Edition
2. Original BGS
3. Make it Matte
4. Spray SPF
5. Hybrid