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 clean 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 going to break it 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 4 Face Creams for Supple Skin“
Tinted Moisturizers + Foundations with SPF
ILIA SUPER SERUM SKIN TINT (SPF40)
This is a new release! It’s basically a 3-in-1 product because it’s skincare, light coverage foundation, and sunscreen in one. It’s a thin, runny formula that just smells like a foundation. It contains hyaluronic acids, squalane, and niacinamide and is made without silicones, oils, or fragrances. I usually use it on a clean face with no other product underneath, or just a primer, because it’s nourishing on its own. I love that it gives a glowy and luminescent finish but isn’t greasy and doesn’t slide around my face. Really unique and you get a lot of bang for your buck!

I wear shade Balos ST3 but could even go one or two shades darker. I’d suggest choosing a shade darker than what you think. They have an incredible shade range too; 18 shades and options for darker skin tones! Also available at The Detox Market and Aillea.
La Mav Organic BB Cream (~SPF11)
This is an Australian brand which I wrote a blog post about in the past! This BB cream is a tinted moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation all in one. Because Australia has different regulations for sunscreen than the U.S., there aren’t actual sunscreen claims on here but it does contain non-nano titanium dioxide which equates to about SPF11.
I just love how soft this feels on my skin, the texture is so light and airy (almost fluffy!). The coverage is medium but is pretty buildable. Made with hyaluronic acid, anti-aging minerals, rosehip oil, and skin-loving ingredients. It’s only available in two shades, however, the formula is supposed to be adaptive to your skin tone. I’m shade Light and it’s available on Amazon.
Related podcast episode: Natural Sunscreens + Safe Sun Exposure
SAIE SLIP TINT TINTED MOISTURIZER (SPF35)
A sunscreen, light-coverage foundation, and moisturizer all in one? Yes, please! It comes in ten shades and I wear Three (Deep Fair). I take 2-3 pumps and apply it with my hands, usually after applying a lotion or serum. 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 thick 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 dark 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! 🌞 (Saie also has Sunvisor which is essentially the same formula but without the tint!)
SUNTEGRITY IMPECCABLE SKIN MATTE FOUNDATION (SPF30)
This one is supposed to be matte, but I consider it more semi-matte because I still wear a setting powder over it. But it’s definitely an awesome option! It’s a sunscreen, foundation, and skincare all-in-one. I wear shade Buff, and I wish they had more shades available because there are only six. It also offers blue light protection! The coverage is light to medium and is unscented, vegan, and contains no oils or silicones. This wears well throughout the day; it doesn’t feel heavy, greasy, or oily. It looks and feels natural on my skin!
W3ll People Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer (SPF30) ⭐️ Becca’s Top Pick!
My top pick for this category! This one is a medium coverage foundation that moisturizes and has 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, exfoliated skin. But I just love how it feels on my skin; so hydrating and firming but not oily or greasy. It doesn’t really have a scent. I wish they had a better shade range but I wear Light. Also available at The Detox Market.

Tinted Sunscreens Without Makeup Coverage
Blissoma Photonic Facial Sunscreen + Moisturizer (SPF25) ⭐️ Becca’s Top Pick!
Alright now let’s chat about sunscreens that are tinted but don’t necessarily act as makeup or provide coverage. 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: It’s naturally tinted with astaxanthin; an antioxidant produced by red algae that prevents UV damage. So it blends in super well without a white cast. It also doubles as an amazing moisturizer and has niacinamide which helps skin retain moisture throughout the day and modulate oil production. The smell is really pleasant and subtle; I can’t place the scent exactly but maybe slightly earthy? I also love that it’s sustainably-packaged in glass. Trust me friends, it’s a good one!
Thinksun Everyday Tinted Face Sunscreen (SPF30)
This is one of the best smelling sunscreens (kind of fruity; it has raspberry seed oil and currant)! The consistency is light yet thick at the same time and it’s not oily at all. In fact, it almost looks a bit matte on my skin. I really like it! And it blends in nicely, too, with a soft-to-the-touch feel.
Thanks for reading! Please share below if you have any questions, comments, concerns…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!