A tinted moisturizer with SPF is basically the Swiss army knife of makeup-skin-care hybrids. These multitasking products are exactly what their name suggests: moisturizers with a hint of color and oftentimes sheer coverage added in. While we always encourage our readers to apply a traditional sunscreen daily — and not rely on makeup products with added SPF as their main source of protection — look at a tinted moisturizer laced with SPF as the icing on your skin-care cake.
“I am personally obsessed with tinted SPF because they pack a super powerful punch of light coverage (so they can often take the place of makeup), giving the skin a flawless look while also protecting against UVA/UVB rays and blue light,” explains New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein.
Many of these skin tints are also packed with nourishing ingredients that you’d find in non-colored face creams and serums — like hydrating hyaluronic acid, soothing aloe, and moisturizing glycerin — making them ideal choices for dry skin types. These lighter-weight bases are a solid, year-round alternative to a foundation when you need to even out your complexion or conceal a dark spot. Some even offer the coverage level of a heavier foundation, but without the goopy, cakey feeling that can be miserable on a particularly humid day.
Below, we asked dermatologists and makeup artists to share their favorite tinted moisturizers with broad spectrum SPF (of at least 30 — no SPF 15 or SPF 20 to be found here) and they totally delivered. We’ve compiled their recommendations into a one-stop-shop for finding a lightweight face base that practically guarantees a healthy glow.
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