Is it even summer if you don’t carefully apply moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation in the morning, just to feel them melt off a few hours (or minutes) later? As the weather starts to warm up, we can get ahead of this sweaty situation by minimizing skincare products in the morning. But we still need moisture and sunscreen, and some of us prefer a level of makeup coverage, particularly when breaking out. So what do we do?
Switching to a tinted sunscreen that protects from UV rays while smoothing over imperfections with a light coverage is our favorite way to simplify our morning skincare for summer. Tinted sunscreens also have the added benefit of iron oxides, which can help protect your skin from blue light, particularly important if you are prone to hyperpigmentation or melasma.
Just apply a tinted sunscreen (remember to reapply as needed) over a light gel moisturizer in the morning, and you’re ready to enjoy your summer under the sun!
Our Favorite Tinted Sunscreens for Acne-Prone Skin
After combing through many tinted sunscreens on the market, here is our selection of top sunscreens that are safe for acne-prone skin and available in multiple shades.
Supergoop! Protec(tint) Daily Skin Tint SPF 50 Sunscreen with Ectoin
Supergoop is well known for its effective sun protection in easy-to-wear formulas. Its tinted sunscreen, Protec(tint), lives up to its name by combining broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection with a beautiful tint. The formula offers a lightweight, buildable coverage that smooths the appearance of your skin in a natural finish. With 14 flexible shades that cover many skin tones and undertones, you should be able to find a match to blend into your skin without a white cast. It is a hybrid sunscreen with zinc oxide, a mineral filter, and chemical filters to provide strong UV protection in a wearable formula. It also includes ectoin, which helps defend skin from oxidative stress caused by blue light, pollution, and UV radiation.
Filters: Zinc oxide, octisalate, homosalate
Water resistant: No
Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Colorescience is known for mineral SPF products, and Face Shield Flex is our favorite of their tinted sunscreens. What makes it stand out is the encapsulation of iron oxide pigments in the formula. So even though the sunscreen comes out white, it will "bloom" to the right color as you apply it to your skin, giving you an adaptable and buildable coverage. The six shades cover a range of skin tones, making it easier to find a match that will blend in with your skin. Colorescience's patented EnviroScreen® Technology protects from UVA and UVB rays as well as blue light, pollution, and infrared radiation.
Filters: Zinc oxide
Water resistant: Yes, 40 minutes
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40+ with Antioxidants, Titanium Dioxide, and Zinc Oxide
La Roche-Posay is a global leader in sunscreen development, and thanks to their recent release of three new deeper shades of tinted Anthelios on the U.S. market, more people can wear this mineral formula without a white cast. Available in four flexible shades designed to add a subtle tint to your skin, it can be worn alone for a healthy glow or as a base for makeup. Your skin will be protected by the proprietary Cell-Ox Shield Technology®, which provides broad-spectrum and antioxidant protection. It does contain talc, so skip this sunscreen if you know your skin is sensitive to this ingredient.
Filters: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide (titanium dioxide only in original "Tinted" shade)
Water resistant: Yes, 40 minutes
Live Tinted Hueguard Skin Tint Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 with a Radiant Finish
Hueguard Skin Tint from Live Tinted hits everything we want in a tinted sunscreen. It comes in a lightweight and hydrating gel-cream formula with a tint that offers a light to medium buildable coverage with a radiant finish, while also providing mineral broad-spectrum protection with non-nano zinc oxide and antioxidants. Thanks to its 11 varied shades that capture a broad scope of skin tones and undertones, many people will be able to find a good match that can be layered for the desired coverage.
Filters: Zinc oxide
Water resistant: Yes, 80 minutes
CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Sheer Tint with Ceramides and Niacinamide
CeraVe's Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen offers a lightweight sunscreen formula in a sheer finish that leaves your skin with a healthy glow. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide provide broad spectrum SPF 30 and the hydrating formula contains niacinamide and three ceramides to help support your skin barrier. Available in three flexible shades that each blend into a range of skin tones to offset the whitecast of mineral sunscreens. This sunscreen is a great value for anyone who looking for a light tint for daily use.
Filters: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
Water resistant: No
