Coppertone vs. Neutrogena

Stroll through the sunscreen aisle of your local beauty store and you’ll face a dizzying number of choices—two of the best brands that always stick out to us, though, are Coppertone and Neutrogena.

We’ll be comparing their best-sellers side-by-side so you can see which would suit you and your skin the best. Enjoy!

Coppertone vs Neutrogena Sunscreen

If there is one skincare product that you must have all year round—especially in the summer—it’s sunscreen. SPF should be a part of your everyday skincare routine to protect the sensitive skin of your body and face from harmful UV rays.

Coppertone offers a host of incredibly popular sunscreens, however, our pick of the bunch is the Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Lotion. This is because the popular Ultra Guard Sunscreen Lotion contains oxybenzone (a potential carcinogen), and their popular Tanning Lotions cannot strictly be classed as sunscreens since their max SPF is 15.

Neutrogena also offers a wide variety of sunscreens, however, it is relatively easy to see that the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen is by far the most popular.

First and foremost, the similarities:

• They both offer clinically proven broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.
• They both offer water & sweat resistance for up to 80 minutes.
• They both offer a lightweight, non-greasy feel.
• They are both chemical sunscreens.
• They are both free from oxybenzone, octinoxate, and PABA.

Expanding on the point regarding both offering broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, both sunscreens actually contain the exact same active ingredients for sun protection, varying only slightly in concentration. To be specific, they contain: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, and Octocrylene.

They both also contain Vitamin E which provides extra protection against acute UVB damage, and protects against cell mutation caused by sun exposure.

Where they begin to differ are their inactive ingredients lists. The Coppertone Sport Sunscreen formula contains several moisturizing agents such as Glycerin and Beeswax to condition the skin and keep skin "moisturized all day long" (their words, not ours).

The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen instead contains a 'Dry-Touch Complex' of mattifiers to ensure a really pleasant, sheer, matte finish. Comparing the ingredients lists side-by-side reveals relatively few major differences, though.

With both boasting incredibly similar formulas, clocking in at around the same price per fluid ounce, and with it being a genuine struggle to find any real negative feedback about them anywhere online, it's incredibly difficult to separate the two. This is never a bad problem to have, though!

If you have normal-to-dry skin, you might prefer Coppertone's Sport Sunscreen due to the moisturizing formula, whereas if you have an oilier skin type you might prefer the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen. It has to be said that both sunscreens work great for all skin types, though.

Coppertone Sport Sunscreen is available as a lotion, spray, stick, and lip balm as well as a mineral sunscreen.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen is available as a lotion, spray, face serum, and stick.

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