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If you are looking for great skincare and makeup hybrid to add to your rotation, a tinted moisturizer may be your best bet. These multipurpose products are great for those low-to-no makeup days when you don’t feel like applying a full face beat, but still want to look presentable and/or want some lighter coverage.
A tinted moisturizer also gives you the benefit of exceptional hydration along with some sheer color enhancement that will even out your skin tone while giving you the skin protection benefits of an SPF.
Below are some great tinted moisturizers of 2024 at a variety of price points that are all multipurpose in nature and may alleviate the need for a multitude of separate products. Wear these moisturizers alone for a soft, dewy glow, when out in the sun, by the pool, or use them as primers to help prep your skin for an enhanced makeup application.
Here Is the Premium Tinted Moisturizer of 2024
DRMTLGY Anti-Aging Tinted Moisturizer — Best Overall
The tinted moisturizer by DRMTLGY is a multi-function all-in-one moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation. This moisturizing formula contains hyaluronic acid, is lightweight and non-greasy and will improve your skin’s hydration and texture over time, and contains SPF 46 to protect against harmful UVA/UVB rays. Suitable for all skin types and skin tones, this moisturizer also provides a universal sheer color coverage that will blend naturally to match every skin tone, leaving skin with a natural, healthy glow.
Pros
- This contains a natural sunblock
Cons
- The coverage is minimal
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector — Runner Up
Neutrogena’s Anti-Aging Skin Perfecter is an all-in-one tinted facial moisturizer and sunscreen. What is super special about this moisturizer is that it combines blendable sheer coverage, SPF 30, and skin superhero retinol which has been clinically proven to smooth skin’s texture and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Perfect for everyday use, this moisturizer will even skin tone and texture with its tinted coverage while providing a natural dewy finish. Wear alone or with a foundation for the ultimate protection and coverage.
Pros
- Six color options work for a variety of skin tones
Cons
- Retinol may be slightly harsh for sensitive skin types
Glo Skin Beauty Tinted Moisturizer — Honorable Mention
The Glo Skin Beauty Tinted Moisturizer is the perfect combination of skincare, sunscreen, and mineral makeup. This innovative product provides robust skin defense from damaging elements like UV, blue light, pollution, and free radicals. The oil-free hydrators included lock moisture in to plump the skin and improve its elasticity. Furthermore, the light-diffusing natural mineral pigments offer sheer coverage and a dewy, radiant glow. Plus, the weightless tint glides on effortlessly to smooth and even skin texture with ease.
Pros
- Comes in multiple shades for a good color match
Cons
- Not suitable for those with heavier coverage needs
COOLA Mineral BB Cream Sunscreen — Most Notable
Coola’s Mineral Sunscreen is a lightly-tinted, sheer formula that gives your skin an immediate line-smoothing and matte, BB-cream-inspired finish while fighting the signs of aging caused by the sun with SPF 30. This product is great for daily use and contains an abundance of good-for-you ingredients including antioxidants, natural rosehip oil, evening primrose, and flaxseed oils all to help improve elasticity and help retain moisture in your skin. Natural shea butter smooths and hydrates while the mattifying formula reduces shine for a fresh-looking hint of coverage.
Pros
- This is ideal for combination or oily skin types
Cons
- If you are looking for a darker tinted product, another option might be better
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue — Contender
The tinted gel moisturizer by bareMinerals is a BB cream, CC cream, and tinted moisturizer all in one highly-rated product. With its combination of hydrating skincare benefits, radiant, natural-looking coverage, and mineral-based SPF 30, this is the perfect go-to, daily moisturizer. With sheer-to-medium buildable coverage, this cream is available in a wide array of flexible shades that are effortless to apply, portable, and just as great worn alone as it is under your favorite mineral foundation.
Pros
- This moisturizer increases skin hydration in just one week with mineral electrolytes, marine botanicals, and antioxidants
Cons
- If you have oiler skin types, another option might be better
Revision Skincare Intellishade Matte Tinted Moisturizer — Also Consider
Revision Skincare’s Tinted Moisturizer is an award-winning, anti-aging tinted moisturizer formulated with broad-spectrum physical sunscreen protection. Along with sun protection, this cream contains a blend of three peptides to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and vitamin C to brighten and provide antioxidant benefits. The formula is matte, contains pore-minimizing technology, and gives your skin just a touch of sheer, healthy color.
Pros
- A blend of white birch, yeast, and plankton extract helps reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles
Cons
- This product costs slightly more than other options
PÜR 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer — Editor's Pick
Pur’s innovative 4-in-1 formula acts as a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and SPF 20 protection all in one. By fusing skincare and makeup, you get the broad spectrum of anti-aging protection needed to protect you from the sun and a boost of intense hydration. It also helps to prep for your skin to enhance makeup application and a slight tint to even out the complexion while providing a dewy finish.
Pros
- This product is vegan-friendly, paraben, gluten, and BPA-free
Cons
- This product has very light coverage
Image Skincare Prevention — Another Option
Image Skincare’s daily moisturizer works to even out skin tone, giving your skin a healthy glow with the benefits of SPF 30 sun protection. This is a sheer formula that blends seamlessly and is boosted with a universal mineral tint to match most complexions. A powerful blend of antioxidants works to target the effects of environmental exposure while a skin protection complex contains plant extracts to combat the effects of oxidative damage.
Pros
- This is a moisturizing formula that helps defends against dryness
Cons
- This comes in only one color option
Buyer’s Guide for Finding a Tinted Moisturizer
Tinted moisturizers have to be the best skincare and makeup hybrid product the beauty industry has to offer. However, not all tinted moisturizers work for your skin, and picking out the perfect moisturizer can be quite confusing. To help you out, we put together the following guide:
What to Look For in a Tinted Moisturizer
SPF
Short for “Sun Protection Factor”, SPF determines how long a product can protect you from the harmful UV rays of the sun. SPF values for a product directly correlate to the time it can stay effective. Generally, an SPF value of 15 or higher is recommended by dermatologists as it allows you to stay in the sun the whole day without worrying about sunburn or other negative effects from sunlight.
Long-lasting
Tinted moisturizers are a quick alternative to most makeup foundations and should be as long-lasting as well. Generally, your tinted moisturizer should at least last you 14 hours before showing creases on the skin. Moreover, your tinted moisturizer should be sweat-proof so it doesn’t get smudged and destroyed by a couple of sweat droplets.
Ingredients
Tinted moisturizers are available in a plethora of ingredient combinations that satisfy different skin types. For people with sensitive skin, you should avoid tinted moisturizers with alcohol, paraben, or fragrances and rather opt for a water-based product that won’t irritate your skin. For acne-infected and oily skin, you should opt for a tinted moisturizer that has no traces of oil and is non-comedogenic, which doesn’t produce blackheads or fill up your pores. Similarly, for people troubled with dry skin, you can pick out a tinted moisturizer with hydrating ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, and avocado.
Coverage
Tinted moisturizers are known for providing less coverage than normal makeup and lacking the ability to completely cover prominent imperfections on your face. While most tinted moisturizers provide sheer coverage for your skin, you can always pick out a moisturizer that offers medium coverage. Medium coverage allows you to cover up prominent imperfections and blemishes, evening out your skin tone and making it look flawless.
BB Creams and Tinted Moisturizers
Blemish balms are quite similar to tinted moisturizers, however, their purpose is still quite different. They are an all-in-one beauty product that acts as a primer, moisturizer, and even as coverage for your skin. A tinted moisturizer on the other hand is keener on keeping your skin hydrated and less eager to provide much coverage. It has less pigment as compared to BB creams and looks less like an actual foundation. However, other than the difference in coverage and hydration, both the products feature similar properties.
Tinted Moisturizers vs Foundation
The outcome of the battle between tinted moisturizers and foundation depends on the sort of makeup look you’re aiming for. For a laid-back, dewy, and natural look, a tinted moisturizer may be your best bet as it contains less pigment. However, if you’re willing to cover up large imperfections and hyperpigmentations, a foundation may be necessary. Moreover, tinted moisturizers are quick and easy to apply, with just a couple of sprays or a pea-sized amount on your face, you can achieve the look you’re going for.
Tinted Moisturizers Coverage Types
While purchasing tinted moisturizers, you’d often be met with words like coverage and sheer which would scare you off. To understand simply, coverage is the intensity of pigment inside your tinted moisturizer. Sheer coverage is the lowest coverage type, offering a natural look and decreasing the contrast between your imperfections and skin tone. On the other hand, medium coverage helps in removing most blemishes and imperfections, making your skin look flawless and even. Lastly, a full coverage tinted moisturizer claims to completely hide all imperfections and cover your skin. While using full and medium coverage, you can apply different layers and even use a simple moisturizer to sheer it out a bit.
Applying a Tinted Moisturizer
To apply a tinted moisturizer, you should start off by taking a pea-sized amount and rubbing it over your face with your fingertips. There is no need to use any sponges or brushes to apply the product as fingertips work best to efficiently spread the tinted moisturizer all over your skin. Once finished, you would be left with a dewy and fresh look which can further be upgraded to a matte finish if you use a ‘sheer’ powder and lightly rub it over your face.
