Sunscreen wins the lifetime achievement award for most important skin-care product. It prevents the early arrival of dark splotches, wrinkles, and extreme dryness—as well as skin cancer. Hello!
But hordes of women don’t want to wear it for a multitude of reasons. So we say, hide the sun-protecting minerals in your moisturizer! Like broccoli or hill sprints, it's better to have some than none at all.
We picked five superior skin-care products that do everything a great moisturizer should—and help protect you from UVA and UVB rays.
Originally posted August 22, 2012, updated June 27, 2016.
Anti-Aging Tinted Moisturizer
Marie Veronique Everyday Sheer Coverage with SPF 20 ($50)
It feels like a light moisturizer, you’d never know sun-protecting zinc oxide was in it. The slight tinted (choose from four shades) evens out your skin tone, and the silky formula gives you a poreless matte finish. While you're looking at your glowing skin in the mirror, antioxidants fruit oils from pomegranate, red raspberry seed, and coffee fruit extract are working beneath the surface to prevent moisture loss and early signs of aging.
Ideal for Acne-Prone Skin
Kimberly Sayer Organic Ultra Light Facial Moisturizer SPF 25 ($32)
This is a simple moisturizer, with a simple ingredient list, that's made for keeping skin breakout-free and balanced. You can thank lemon, sea algae, and oat beta glucans for that. It has such a light lotion feel, you won't worry about your pores clogging. And it contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, the two minerals that protect against UVA and UVB rays.
A Light-Weight Lotion with Amped Up Sunscreen
Josie Maran Argan Argan Oil Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 ($48)
Argan and pomegranate oils are great antioxidant skin-nourishers. Pair them with an SPF 40 and you have a homerun. Somehow this moisturizer absorbs in a second, and, as I raved last year, it minimizes shine (thanks to the zinc) and gives my skin an evenness like a tinted moisturizer or primer.
Fruit Forward
Juice Beauty SPF 30 Mineral Sheer Moisturizer ($29)
For natural newbies, Juice Beauty is often a first-stop on the clean-beauty train. Its user-friendly packaging and celebrity fans help with that, as does the fact that when you read the ingredient list there's a long line of organic fruits listed, like apple, white grape, and pomegranate. Hydrating your normal-to-dry skin skin are plant oils and a serving of sodium hyaluronate, which draws water to the skin.
For Freakout-Prone Skin
John Masters Organics Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 ($32)
We love the unisexy packaging and its barely-there appearance on your skin. The aloe-jojoba base is great for complicated (freakout-prone) complexions—and the lack of fragrance a boon for the scent-sensitive. Plus, pretty much all of the ingredients (green tea, hyaluronic acid, and calendula) have a skin-care benefit, too. One thing these three have in common? They're skin calmers.
Think you know everything you need to know about sunscreen? Maybe, maybe not—read these 10 surprising facts. And for proper beach-going sunscreens, these are our 11 faves.
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