My Derm Said to Wear More Sunscreen, so I Put These Tinted Ones to the Test
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@elizagracehuber
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@elizagracehuberOkay, so I may have exaggerated before when I acted like Supergoop! Glowscreen was far from being at the top of my list. I loved this product and used it daily for at least two weeks. It goes on smooth, feels light and barely there, and gives your skin a nice shimmery sheen, sort of like Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter primer. That said, given that I don't usually wear makeup or anything with a shimmery look to it, this product ended up being a little bit too much for me. I prefer the brand's Unseen Sunscreen, which has no color to it and feels like you have absolutely nothing on. But hey, that's just me.
The benefits of Glowscreen go way beyond just sun protection. With SPF 40, it passes Jaliman's test with flying colors. It also includes hyaluronic acid, which helps your skin to retain water and overall moisture, and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B that helps soothe and heal your skin, making it more than worth its $38 price tag. But keep an eye out for sales—I've seen red-marked Glowscreens on multiple occasions.
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@elizagracehuberTo say I've seen EltaMD's tinted sunscreen a lot lately would be the understatement of the year. It's practically all I see people on TikTok using for SPF, and when I put up a poll on my Instagram asking people for their favorite tinted sunscreens, it and Glowscreen were by far the top contenders. So, of course, when I decided to test some products, it was high on my list.
I can see why people love this product. It's simple and effective, and something about the brand having "MD" in its name made me feel extra good about wearing it. Also, like Glowscreen, EltaMD's sunscreen includes hyaluronic acid, giving it an almost skincare-like quality. My only qualm is that there is only one shade (it's meant to be universal), and it is too dark for my skin. Perhaps in the summer, once I've had a little more time in the sun, it would match better, or if I mixed it with some of my moisturizer to dilute the color a bit, but on its own, the shade didn't naturally match.
This sunscreen casually has over 12,000 Amazon reviews and a loyal fan in Hailey Bieber. All that and a lightweight, skincare-like formula that will keep your skin safe from dangerous UV rays.
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@elizagracehuberEveryone always says that if you're lost about skincare to default to the brands that make simple, no-fuss products, one of which is CeraVe. Because of that, I stopped at my local CVS and picked up the brand's Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen, which is tinted and has an SPF of 30.
For one, the price is hard to beat. This isn't a small product size, so you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. The formula is very creamy and hydrating, and I like that the shade was a nice match for my skin and blended in nicely. Because of its creamier, thicker texture, I'd suggest using a little less of this sunscreen than you would with most other tinted SPFs at first and then building on it. Either way, though, you'll absolutely get that wet, glowy look from this product, which is never a bad thing if you ask me.
Another great thing about this CeraVe product is how gentle it is for people with sensitive skin. In fact, most of CeraVe's products are that way because they are fragrance-free and don't contain parabens, so if you're someone who can't put just anything on your face (me!), perhaps it's time to test out some of the brand's gentler products.
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@elizagracehuberAs someone with fair skin that's seen its fair share of sun damage, I was intrigued by Koa's high SPF at 45+. After talking with Jaliman, I was also impressed that it contains 12% zinc oxide, which I now know is nice and high. Upon trying it out for the first time, I enjoyed the lightweight formula, which is more liquid than most other sunscreens I tested for this story. My only issue was the slight white cast it left behind, which wouldn't bother me if I were going to the beach but might hinder me from using it for regular, everyday wear.
Leave the worries at home on your next beach day because Koa's Mineral Sunscreen is 100% reef-safe thanks to its non-nano zinc oxide formula.
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@elizagracehuberAs a kid, when I'd go on vacation to the beach, I'd always try to convince my parents to buy me Sun Bum sunscreen rather than a bottle from one of the big brands because I loved the way it smelled and its overall cool, surfer aesthetic. I guess it stuck because when I saw the brand had a tinted face sunscreen with SPF 30, I immediately picked it up and took it to the register without so much as a second thought.
This sunscreen feels almost whipped, it's so lightweight, and it goes on almost matte, which is very different from the other products I tested out. Normally, I'm not really a matte-makeup person, but since summers in New York are extremely hot and humid, I actually think that once the weather heats up, I'd love a slightly matte sunscreen to counteract my natural dewiness.
If I had to compare Sun Bum's face tint to another product, I'd say that it's almost the tinted version of the Unseen Sunscreen by Supergoop!, which also has a somewhat matte look to it.
Are you still here? If you're one of the people who stayed until the end, you'll be rewarded with my absolute favorite tinted sunscreen—well, technically, it's a tinted moisturizer with SPF 35. It's Saie's Slip Tint in the shade 3.5. Hear me out: As someone who rarely wears makeup, especially face makeup, I was shocked at how much I liked wearing this barely tinted moisturizer and sunscreen. It didn't really cover up anything on my face. All it did was make my natural skin look glowy and more even. It also made my blush and highlighter—both liquid—stay on for way longer, which has always been somewhat of an issue for me when using those products on my bare skin. Since I started using this product, I've had to force myself not to use it so that I could test out others—that's how much I love it.
Another thing I adore about this product (and all of Saie's products) is how clean they are. They are also gluten-free and cruelty-free and come in packaging that's easily recyclable.
This tinted sunscreen has a super-lightweight formula that glides on easily and melts into your skin. It also has extra-high UV protection with an SPF of 50.
Technically a tinted moisturizer, this super-smooth product also has an SPF of 30, making it perfectly suitable as an everyday sunscreen. Another winning quality? It comes in three shades—ivory, fair, and tan—making it more likely that it'll blend in naturally.
From the brand behind the best-selling C E Ferulic facial serum comes a lightweight physical sunscreen that goes on easily and leaves your skin looking glowy and radiant. Who doesn't want that?
With over 20 shades and a formula that includes niacinamide, squalane, and hyaluronic acid, it's no wonder beauty experts and novices alike swear by Ilia's tinted serum. It doesn't hurt that it is also SPF 40.
Ready to splurge on a tinted sunscreen? Here's your chance. The $200 product leaves your skin feeling non-greasy and silky soft and smelling faintly of sage and marjoram.
This Summer Fridays tinted sunscreen is also a tad on the pricier side, but according to a majority of the 600+ ratings and reviews on Sephora, it's well worth the price.
Whenever I go for a run and don't want to wear a tinted sunscreen, I grab this sheer, smooth, and SPF 40 sunscreen. I can't recommend it enough.
This sunscreen, in addition to being fragrance-free (always nice for people with sensitive skin), includes hydrating sodium hyaluronate and pore-clearing lactic acid. It practically does it all.
For $11, you can have SPF 30 protection that is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, cruelty-free, and 100% vegetarian. Not bad.