If you’re of a darker, more-melanated skin tone, you’ve probably spent years looking for sunscreens that are both light-weight and won’t leave that ashy purple-white cast on your skin. I personally know the struggle of trying to find good sunscreens for dark skin because many affordable ones tend to leave me looking ghost-like. Plus, I hate spending that extra 10 minutes rubbing my sunscreen in, only to still look like a ghost.
Regardless, if you’re a long-term sunscreen wearer or brand new to the SPF world, this review will save you from having to blindly figure out if this sunscreen is for you.
In this post, I will be reviewing the Neutrogena Hydroboost Watergel Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50, so you don’t have to! I will preface by saying, I am a darker-skinned woman with very oily and acne-prone skin. Because of this, I typically opt for lighter, water-based product options that keep me mildly moisturized. That’s why I got this sunscreen in the first place; I had previously used the Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel cream moisturizer and loved it! I figured this sunscreen would mirror the effects of that moisturizer with the protective benefits of SPF.
Product Qualities
The Hydroboost sunscreen comes in a blue squeezable tube – the standard sunscreen packaging common for most drugstore brands. The blue color, however, is specific to the entire hydroboost line. It is a broad-spectrum chemical sunscreen with an SPF number of 30; Broad-spectrum meaning it has properties that protect against both UVA & UVB rays. In stores like Walmart or Target, it retails from $8- $10 depending on your location.
In my review, I will address the top factors I considered when trying the hydroboost sunscreen and give each quality a score based on my satisfaction. Know that I was mostly focused on seeing if the ‘white-cast-quality’ made this a good contender for my list of sunscreens for dark skin. Based on these, you can decide if this is worth the grab or not.
Here are my top factors in no particular order:
- Texture
- Smell
- Application
- Wearability
Texture
The Neutrogena hydroboost water gel sunscreen has a pretty watery consistency straight out of the tube. It’s not slide-down-your-arm watery, but it does come out pretty loose and has a silky, smooth feel to it. Think lotion consistency.
Texture Score: 8.5/10
Smell
This sunscreen has an almost floral scent, but I can’t place it exactly. If you’ve tried the water gel moisturizer, this sunscreen smells stronger than that, but with what I would call the “chemical-hint” (that sunscreens are notorious for). I am pretty sensitive to strong odors, and this doesn’t bother me a whole lot. Note, however, if you are applying this to your face and don’t care for fragrance, you may want to pass. I am not opposed to fragrance, but be aware that this scent stays put even after an hour of wear.
Smell Score: 6/10
Application
The hydroboost sunscreen applies very smoothly to the skin. Because of its watery texture, you may need to rub it into your skin to help it absorb and dry down faster. I try not to work sunscreen completely into my skin, to give room for that little SPF-barrier between the UV rays and my actual skin. I noticed that when applied to my face, it leaves a slight moisturized, glowy finish. Somewhat of an ‘I can tell there’s something on your face’ kinda glow. However, when applied to the rest of my body, it disappeared right through and completely dried down. I’d chalk this up to the fact that I apply a good layer of moisturizer before sunscreen, so it likely prevents it from absorbing effectively.
As for the purple-white cast that most sunscreens leave behind, this did not leave any cast on my skin. When you first start applying, you may see a faint indication of a cast but it disappears within 2 seconds. The more you rub it in, the more it absorbs into the skin.
Application/Cast-Be-Gone Score: 9/10
Wearability
Each time I wore this sunscreen and ran errands, it wore just fine within the first hour, but past that, my oily skin would do its usual thing. In my case, the mixture of sunscreen, moisturizer, heat, and my natural oils typically rendered me a little ‘over-moisturized’ after 2 hours. I don’t mind the look, but if you’re not a fan of that or dislike oiliness, you can consider blotting. However, know that blotting removes the protection that SPF provides, so sunscreen will need to be reapplied frequently.
On another note, I have pretty sensitive skin and have worn this sunscreen for several months with no issues. I haven’t had any breakouts or reactions during and after wearing it, so that’s an added plus for me.
Wearability Score: 7/10
Final Thoughts
The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen is a pretty good sunscreen choice, especially for a drugstore brand. It’s definitely oily-skin friendly but would be excellent for drier skin types since clearly, the goal of the Hydro Boost line is you know…hydration. It is an affordable, no-cast sunscreen for darker-skinned folks who want the protection without shelling out on the pricey stuff. Good, workable sunscreens for dark skin are either rare or expensive, so it’s nice to have something that’s affordable, accessible, and actually works!
Hopefully, this helps you with deciding what sunscreen to try next!