European sunscreens are your best bet for winter UVA protection

For winter, you want a sunscreen with high UVA protection that won’t pill under heavy moisturizers — and European or Asian formulas with modern UV filters like Tinosorb S, Uvinul A Plus, or Mexoryl 400 are the answer.

The problem is most US sunscreens still rely on old filters that don’t cover UVA well and they’re often thick, greasy, and prone to pilling. In winter you’re layering richer creams, so the product needs to play nice.

Look for “water-based” or “gel-cream” textures. Thin milks from Japan or Korea (think Anessa, Skin Aqua, Rohto Skin Milk) tend to absorb fast and sit well under makeup or moisturizer. European brands like La Roche-Posay (the UVMune 400 line) or Eucerin Oil Control give high UVA protection without the white cast or pilling.

If you’re layering a heavy moisturizer, let it fully dry before applying sunscreen. And if pilling persists, try a lighter moisturizer or a sunscreen that doubles as moisturizer.

UVA doesn’t care if it’s winter. That’s where the real damage lives.