Everyone should be adding sunscreen to their day-to-day skincare routines, but if you’re strapped for cash (or simply just don’t like spending on extra skincare products), don’t worry because you could get sunscreen samples for free.
- Daily Goodie Box - Grab a GIANT box of free samples from some of the world's most popular brands.
- Try Products - What's better than one giant box of free stuff? TWO giant boxes of free stuff. Join Try Products to get even more free samples shipped right to you.
- Survey Junkie - Test new products, keep them, and get paid for your feedback. Sign up for free to get started.
Here are 3 methods that have worked for me…
3 Ways to Get Free Sunscreen Samples
1. Get Sunscreen Samples from Skincare Brands
As a general rule of thumb, when you follow a brand online, you need to do three things to maximize your chances of getting freebies.
First, subscribe to their newsletter. Second, try to join their loyalty program (most of these programs are free to join and require only a form sign-up). Lastly, follow their social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn to name a few).
Doing these things is essential to freebie hunting because not all brands offer free samples all year-round.
The following brands currently have an active sampling program:
- KLENSKIN: If you want to try KLENSKIN, the company is giving away 5 individually wrapped packets of each of our three best-selling products: SPF 30 Fragrance-Free Shower On Sunscreen, SPF 30 Spa Shower On Sunscreen, and SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion. You just need to shoulder shipping fees.
- California Baby: California Baby produces mineral-based sunscreens that are concentrated and made of plant-based ingredients. Their sunscreen sample pack is only available for doctors, but other products are offered to anyone (just fill out the form and receive your gifts).
- Supergoop!: The company has been developing “feel-good sunscreen” since 2005. Every now and then, Supergoop! resumes free samples for its SPF Squad members so make sure to register an account and get rewarded every time you shop and receive a free gift on your birthday.
- Laroche-Posay: The company is giving away Anthelios melt-in sunscreen milk to US residents. Fill out the form with your details to receive a sample tube.
- Meaningful Beauty: If you buy a product from Cindy Crawford’s beauty brand, you can get a chance to get sunscreen freebies or other products with SPF.
- Suntegrity Skincare: This brand offers a bunch of SPF samples in different forms (lotion, makeup, etc.), but what I like about Suntegrity Skincare’s samples is that you get two or more shades, so you can actually sample the products first to fit your skin tone.
Make sure you follow sunscreen brands like Sun Goddess, Palmer’s, PCA Skin, and Color Science that currently do not have free samples, but may resume their promos in the future.
If you’re a dermatologist or any derma healthcare professional, brands like Aveeno, MooGoo, Johnson & Johnson, California Baby, Gold Bond, Cerave, and Neutrogena (among others) are giving away sunscreen products for you to sample or give away to your patients.
2. Beauty Box Sunscreen Samples from Retailers
They come in different names – beauty box, welcome box, birthday box, but the concept is the same.
These boxes are offered by retailers to customers who join their loyalty programs.
Retailers like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, or Sally Beauty partner with brands and showcase their products on these beauty boxes.
The good thing about this is you’re always updated with the coolest beauty products.
The bad news is if you’re looking to use sunscreen or other SPF products, you usually don’t have control over what products you’ll receive.
Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty has one of the most sought-after beauty gift boxes around.
The company offers every member of its Ultamate Rewards (the brand’s rewards program) a FREE gift during their birthday month.
Recipients do have to opt-in to the newsletter to receive the gift coupon, which is scannable at the store or available for use online.
Go to my post dedicated to Ulta’s birthday giveaway and how you can get yours too!
Sally Beauty
Just like Ulta, Sally Beauty has a comprehensive Rewards program, which gives its loyal customers a bunch of deals and freebies such as:
- Welcome gift and birthday gift
- Free shipping on all orders
- Members-only discounts and rewards
- Anniversary gift (Get a surprise gift on the anniversary of your account opening)
Sally Beauty’s loyalty programs come in tiers – the more you spend on the brand, the more freebies you get to receive each year.
Nordstrom
While Nordstrom is more of a huge department store than just a retailer of beauty products, members of the Nordy Club (its loyalty program) could still receive free items.
Download the app, become a member, and follow news of promotions and freebies so you could get into the deal before everyone else.
Sephora
If you’re buying something at US Sephora, check the site for samples from participating brands. You’ll need a purchase, then add-to-cart the samples, such as:
It's a giant box of free samples and it comes right to your door at no cost.
Click here and get yours.
- Shiseido Sunscreen Sample – This was Sephora’s 2007 Best Sunscreen winner, the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55, which is offered as a sample once restocked.
- Kate Sommerville Sunscreen sample – Receive a Kate Somerville SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen deluxe sample, free with any merchandise purchase.
If you can’t find free sunscreen at Sephora, your next best bet is to check out bundles at super-low prices.
For example, Sephora’s Sun Safety Kit in 2021 was sold for just $39 even if the bundle of products total over $220.
It included more than a dozen sunscreen products and makeup with SPF designed to protect skin from the sun.
Check out Sephora’s Favorites page whenever you plan to buy some skincare items because you might get to receive branded sunscreen samples as well.
There are also subscription beauty boxes like Birchbox, which ships you a bundle of products on a monthly basis as long as you pay for the subscription.
The problem with this program is that you can’t choose which products to “buy” – you have to trust the company that they’ll be sending you only the best of the best skincare, cosmetics, hair care and other beauty products.
3. Sunscreen Samples for Events
Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen proudly sponsors local and national events by donating thousands of sunscreen samples a year.
You’ll need to fill out the form and agree to representatives of the company attending your event and spreading awareness around the importance of sun protection.
ScreenCancer is a non-profit organization that brings educational materials, sunscreen samples, UV bands and other tools to help early cancer detection.
The company also arranges for mole scanning to be done at your event. Get in touch with ScreenCancer by calling 01634 931010 or emailing them at post@screencancer.com to find out more about getting sunscreen samples.
If you go to a dermatologist, ask them about possibly hosting an educational seminar about sun protection and the possibility of giving away free sunscreen samples.
Many companies send dermatologists samples to give away to clients, so they’re the perfect resource for this.
Looking for More Beauty Freebies?
Interested in receiving other beauty samples?
I’ve done the research and created a list of nail care freebies, hair color, free deodorants, soap, lip balm giveaways, bath bombs, free branded lipstick, skincare samples, and my favorite: free makeup. Enjoy!
