Finding an SPF you want to slather all over your face every morning isn’t easy—but the best tinted sunscreen can truly change the game. The ideal formula not only protects your skin from the sun’s (annoyingly harmful) UV rays, but also gives you that just-got-a-facial or back-from-the-beach glow. It blends in like a dream, evens out discoloration, and acts as a perfect base for light makeup or simply looks great on its own.

Years of testing beauty products and hours spent talking with dermatologists have helped us build a list of truly exceptional tinted sunscreens. No matter your skin type, we’re confident there’s an SPF you’ll love below.

Our top picks

1. Best Overall: Merit The Uniform, $38
2. Best for Light Coverage: Saie Slip Tint SPF 35, $38
3. Best for Medium Coverage: Ciele Tint & Protect SPF 50+, $44
4. Best for Sensitive Skin: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 50, $40
5. Best for Acne-Prone Skin: EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, $46
6. Best for Mature Skin: Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum Hydrating Shield SPF 50, $73
7. Best for Dry Skin: DRMTLGY Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46, $30
8. Best for Oily Skin: Supergoop Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40, $40
9. Best Brightening: Iris&Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow, $50
10. Best Lightweight: Tula Radiant Skin, $42
11. Best Primer: Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum, $48

Shop the best tinted sunscreens

These products live up to their multitasking claims—and they’re all backed by dermatologists, SELF editors, and our Healthy Beauty Award testers.

Best Overall: Merit The Uniform

This brand new SPF immediately won us over with its lightweight formula and wider-than-most shade range. SELF’s lifestyle writer, Jenna Ryu, says it’s perfect for days when you don’t want to wear a heavy face of makeup: “A little truly goes a long way, especially since it has very good coverage for hyperpigmentation and discoloration.”

SELF’s commerce director, Shanna Shipin, agrees. “It wears almost like a foundation, with a decent amount of coverage and a far more elegant feel than your typical sunscreen,” she says. “It gives me a nice dewy glow when I first apply it, but it does dry down to a more natural finish.”

It’s also easy to find your color match, according to Ryu. “As someone with yellowish AND pinkish undertones, oftentimes, tinted sunscreens look orange on me when they oxidize,” she says. “But not this one!”

Best for Light Coverage: Saie Slip Tint SPF 35

Just looking for a sheer wash of color? Saie’s Slip Tint acts as a moisturizing base that helps even out your skin tone while giving your blush and bronzer something to stick to. “It has a blurring effect and I feel like I don’t need foundation—just a little bit of concealer here and there and I’m good to go,” one SELF tester says. “It feels hydrating, but doesn’t make my skin look too greasy or shiny.”

Best for Medium Coverage: Ciele Tint & Protect SPF 50+

Ciele

Tint & Protect SPF 50+

Ciele’s Healthy Beauty Award—winning Tint & Protect expertly smooths over dry skin to deliver a dewy, medium-coverage finish. “Even for a perennially dry person with frequent eczema flaking, Ciele’s formula gives me glorious coverage, with a natural glow that makes me look and feel like I actually get enough water and sleep each day,” Shipin says.

She uses Ciele’s dual-ended makeup brush to blend the product out, which helps build coverage. “So it’s not as travel-friendly or handy on-the-go as some other formulas, but for my daily foundation with SPF protection? I haven’t found anything better,” she says.

Best for Sensitive Skin: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 50

La Roche-Posay

Anthelios Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 50

You get the best of both worlds with this SPF: Its mineral formula is much less likely to irritate sensitive skin, and its thin, liquidy texture is nothing like the SPF your parents coated you in as a kid. It’s also oil-free, so you don’t have to worry about it clogging your pores or breaking you out, Dendy Engelman, MD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic in New York City, tells SELF.

Bonus: The lightweight formula is ideal for layering on top of skin care and under makeup, Dr. Gohara adds.

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

EltaMD

UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

Even if your skin is oily and acne-prone, you still need hydration. Enter: Hyaluronic acid. And if you’re prone to hyperpigmentation from acne, this oil-free SPF also contains niacinamide, a popular form of vitamin B3 that can help brighten and even your skin tone, Joshua Zeichner, MD, associate professor and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, tells SELF.

Best for Mature Skin: Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum Hydrating Shield SPF 50

Elizabeth Arden

Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum Hydrating Shield SPF 50

This creamy SPF is made with green tea, which has a high concentration of protective antioxidants. We also want to call out ferulic acid—it helps shield the structures that give your skin its plumpness, like collagen and elastin.

“This is one of my favorite tinted sunscreens,” Dr. Engelman says. “It contains a subtle tint and is formulated with an amazing combination of ingredients that strengthen the skin barrier while safeguarding from UV rays and pollutants that contribute to aging.”

Best for Dry Skin: DRMTLGY Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 44

DRMTLGY

Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 44

Here’s a true two-in-one—you’ll get the hydration benefits of hyaluronic acid paired with brightening niacinamide. Plus, the formula gives a dewy sheen to the skin, according to Ryu. “Sunscreens almost always break me out, but when I saw a bunch of people on Reddit raving about this one, I had to give it a go. The coverage is super sheer, lightweight, and natural,” she says. “I always get complimented and asked if I did something different with my skin or if I got a facial.”

Best for Oily Skin: Supergoop Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40

Supergoop!

Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40

There is such a thing as too much glow. If you have oily skin that’s prone to looking slick, this mattifying SPF is made with dimethicone—a silicone-based emollient that provides a blurring effect.

SELF’s managing editor, Alessandra Foresto, wears this SPF all the time, whether alone or under foundation, since it never pills. “If you peek inside my medicine cabinet, gym bag, travel makeup kit, or side table (yep!), you would spot a tube of this sunscreen. It’s truly my holy grail!” she says. “It gives a nice smoothing finish to my skin, as well as a tiny bit of coverage.”

Best Brightening: Iris&Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow

Iris&Romeo

Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow

Vitamin C and niacinamide work together in Iris&Romeo’s SPF to brighten and lighten skin—just ask our tester. “It evens out my skin tone and makes my face look moisturized, and I don’t feel like I need more coverage, especially if I’m just running errands or working from home,” they say. “It has a bit of a shimmery finish, but it doesn’t look shiny or greasy—it just gives me a nice glow.”

Best Lightweight: Tula Radiant Skin

Tula Skincare

Radiant Skin

SELF’s director of audience, Lexi Herrick, calls Tula’s sunscreen the “ultimate multitasker” because it moisturizes, provides foundation-like coverage, and still feels super lightweight. “It’s fantastic for active days when I don’t want to wear a full face of makeup, but do want some light coverage,” she says. The fact that it has SPF in it is just the cherry on top.

Best Primer: Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum

Beekman 1802

Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum

Bye-bye, cakey makeup. For a tinted sunscreen that doubles as a primer, SELF’s senior commerce editor, Sarah Felbin, recommends Beekman 1802’s Milk Tint. “It blends with my natural skin tone to create the perfect base,” she says. “I don’t know how they do it! It plays well with all of my other makeup and wears well throughout the day.”

How we chose the best tinted sunscreens

Rounding up the best tinted sunscreens means first consulting dermatologists to learn which ingredients to look for in great formulas. Armed with that info, we asked SELF staffers which of their faves fit the bill. We also looked back at past Healthy Beauty Award winners and chose options that still hold up for a range of skin types.

What you should look for in a tinted sunscreen

Like any ol’ sunblock, tinted sunscreens are formulated with chemical filters (which absorb and release heat from UV rays) or mineral filters (which sit on the skin and physically block UV rays). Because they have a tint to them and are usually made for your face, they’re like a typical sunscreen’s more elegant sister. Some formulas have a tan or peachy hue that’s designed to offset a potential white cast, while others come in a variety of shades to match your complexion as closely as possible and offer a little coverage. (Mineral sunscreens are notorious for that dreaded white cast, especially if you have a deeper skin tone, but newer formulas have come a long way.)

The most important thing to look for in any sunscreen is the amount of SPF it has. A minimum of SPF 30 with broad-spectrum protection is ideal, which means it’ll block UVA rays (linked to premature skin aging) and UVB rays (the ones that cause sunburns), both of which have been tied to skin cancer.

To get the full protection your SPF promises, you should apply a nickel-sized dollop to your entire face as the last step in your morning skin care routine, Mona Gohara, MD, board-certified dermatologist, skin of color expert, and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF.

Can tinted sunscreen replace foundation for daily use?

Yes, some tinted sunscreens are opaque enough that they can replace a light-to-medium coverage foundation. They’ll even out your skin tone, including dark spots, redness, and other signs of discoloration. If you’re looking to use your SPF alone (without foundation on top), we recommend trying one that’s available in a wider shade range, as opposed to one that comes in a “universal” tint.

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