It’s finally starting to feel like spring here in Wisconsin, yay! I’m so thankful to be able to get out for walks each day and breathe in the fresh air. But another thing to keep in mind is that the sun is getting stronger, too. And I am allllllll about protecting and maintaining my youth as much as I can, ya feel me? So today we’re going to talk about facial sunscreens and moisturizers and share my top picks! ☀️
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I’m sure many of you have had the experience where you apply sunscreen to your face and it is just SO OBVIOUS and pasty white. No thanks! Over the years I’ve found a ton of options that are 1) naturally tinted 2) don’t look ghostly white and 3) use non-toxic and organic ingredients!
Let’s back up: If you’re not sure why choosing natural, mineral sunscreens is so important in the first place, or you want to see options for untinted and body sunscreen, check this blog post! 🧴
So hopefully this guide is helpful and you can find *exactly* what you’re looking for. Maybe you want a moisturizer and sunscreen all in one. Maybe you want something that’s tinted but doesn’t conceal or provide coverage. Maybe you want a foundation that will also protect your skin. I got you, girlfriend!
I’m gonna break this post into two categories: ones that act more like makeup with coverage, and ones that are simply tinted but don’t provide coverage.
Related post: “Best Natural Moisturizers: The Top 6 Face Creams for Supple Skin“
Tinted SPFs & Moisturizers with SPF
Saie Slip Tint Tinted Moisturizer (SPF35) ⭐️ Becca’s fave!
Cruelty-free (contains beeswax) • Sheer/light coverage • Dewy finish • No silicones
A sunscreen, light-coverage foundation, and moisturizer all in one? Yes, please! It comes in 14 shades and I wear Three (light to medium peach), but the shades are quite flexible so you can likely get away with a shade darker or lighter. I find that it’s hydrating and moisturizing enough to use on its own as a moisturizer because it has hyaluronic acid and oils such as argan and grapeseed oil.
The product is a bit thicker but it feels super silky, cushy, and applies smoothly without clinging to my skin. There’s not much of a smell to it. The coverage is sheer; I’d say it’s enough to cover redness and even out skin tone but not enough to conceal darker spots or blemishes. I just love how natural it looks and feels on my skin. It’s a little dewy, but not greasy. I typically still use a setting powder over it just to control shine with my combination skin. I don’t find that it makes me break out or anything. Overall, I think Slip Tint is pretty darn awesome! I’ve seriously gone through SO many tubes of it over the years 🌞
(Saie also has Sunvisor which is essentially the same formula but without the makeup coverage/tint. It’s equally great and I recommend it!)
Suntegrity Impeccable Skin Foundation (SPF30)
Vegan & cruelty-free • Light to medium coverage • Luminous satin finish • Oil & silicone-free
This one is quite popular in the green beauty community! It has light to medium coverage with a luminous satin finish. It’s a sunscreen, foundation, and skincare all-in-one. I wish they had more shades available because there are only six; I wear shade Buff. Impeccable Skin is unscented, vegan, and contains no oils or silicones. It also offers blue light protection.
I enjoy how natural it looks and feels on my skin, and wears well throughout the day!
Also available here at The Detox Market and Amazon.
True Botanicals Everyday Skin Tint (SPF30)
Vegan & cruelty-free • Light to medium coverage • Smooth & natural finish • No silicones
The ingredients in this bad boy are amazing! 👌 MADESAFE certified, vegan, no silicones, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free. I wear shade 03 (light cool). It’s light to medium coverage.
As someone who has combination skin that tends to get oily throughout the day, this actually looks very soft and natural on my skin and I don’t always feel the need to use a setting powder over it! I also find that it smooths and makes pores look less visible!
Skin Tint is especially good for aging or mature skin because it has ingredients that help address signs of aging such as milk thistle, red raspberry seed, and squalane.
Also available here at The Detox Market and Amazon.
Well People Bio Tint Moisturizer (SPF30)
Vegan & cruelty-free • Medium coverage • Satin finish
Well People is an OG green beauty brand. This is called a moisturizer, but I consider it more of a foundation! It’s medium coverage with a satin finish. The formula is pretty thick and goes on somewhat dry (I usually apply with a makeup brush) so it’s best applied to smooth, moisturized, and exfoliated skin. But I just love how it feels on my face; so hydrating and firming but not too oily or greasy. It doesn’t really have a scent. I wear shade 2W or 3N depending on the time of year and how tan I am.
Also available here at Target and Amazon.

Tinted Sunscreens Without Makeup Coverage
Alright now let’s chat about sunscreens that are tinted but don’t act as makeup or provide coverage (the tint essentially cancels out the white cast from zinc oxide). The tints are universal and suitable for all skin tones!
Blissoma Photonic Light Shifting Moisturizer (SPF25) ⭐️ Becca’s fave!
Vegan & cruelty-free • Matte finish • No silicones
Blissoma would be my top pick for this category! I really love a lot of Blissoma’s skincare products; they are formulated by an herbal chemist who really knows her stuff. I have a separate blog post if you want to learn more about what they offer! Highly recommend.

But let’s focus on Photonic! I wrote an in-depth review about Photonic before but here are the cliff notes:
- Naturally tinted with astaxanthin; an antioxidant produced by red algae that prevents UV damage.
- Blends in super well without a white cast and plays nicely under makeup
- Doubles as an amazing moisturizer and has niacinamide which helps skin retain moisture throughout the day and modulate oil production (with a matte finish!)
- Smell is pleasant, subtle, and kind of herbal/earthy
I appreciate that it has organic tamanu oil which is an incredibly soothing and healing ingredient. Plus, it’s sustainably packaged in glass. Trust me friends, it’s a good one!
Ilia C Beyond Triple Serum (SPF40)
Vegan & cruelty-free • Sheer, glowy finish • Waterless
This serum has such an interesting texture! It’s light, runny, and feels silky yet weightless at the same time. The formula is waterless and packed with squalane, jojoba oil, and encapsulated Vitamin C so it also brightens your complexion!
It’s basically no coverage with a sheer, glowy finish. There are three flexible shades and I use the lightest tone. It also has a higher amount of SPF than most!
Also available here at Credo, The Detox Market, and Amazon.
Thinksun Everyday Tinted Face Sunscreen (SPF30)
Budget-friendly pick! 💰 Vegan & cruelty-free • Soft semi-matte finish
This is one of the best smelling sunscreens (kind of fruity; it has raspberry seed oil and currant)! The consistency is lighter and moussey and not too oily. In fact, it looks semi-matte on my skin. I really like it! And it blends in nicely, too, with a soft-to-the-touch feel.
I think it’s more suitable on its own and not underneath makeup. So I tend to choose this one for an active day or beach day!
Thanks for reading! Please share below if you have any questions, comments, or even if you know of any other options that are awesome. Enjoy that sunshine 😎 and healthy skin!
I was getting ready to buy a sunscreen for my face! What do you think of the one honest beauty has?
Oh I haven’t tried that one! The CC cream?
Which one would you choose for combination skin that is prone to acne?
I’d say Ilia or Blissoma would be best!
yes!
Tinted moisturizers are what I use most consistently! I am very intrigued about the new Ilia one. I am currently using the Thinksun and raw elements one and I do really like them.
Yeah!! The Ilia is pretty nice if you just want to get a bunch of stuff done at once haha!
How many drops of ilia fit in a 1/4 teaspoon? You need that much to get the SPF 40. If you have a small face like I do, you can probably can get away with 3/4 of that. It would be great if we can get a nice SPF 40 or even SPF 30.
I’d say 10-15 drops in a 1/4 tsp!