Perfect Your Protection: Tinted Sunscreens That Do More Than Cover Up

Whether you live in a hot, tropical country like me or you follow the four seasonal weather changes every year, we can all agree that the most important step in skincare is sunscreen. We’re talking prevention of sun damage, dark spots, skin cancer, and premature aging, and it’s a must-have in everyone’s daily skincare routine. if you’re not already on it, what are you doing!?

I’ll be honest: I only really started using sunscreen about 4 years ago because I wasn’t a fan of layering on so many skincare products before makeup (shocking, I know). I also don’t appreciate how some sunscreens leave a white/ grey-ish cast, plus it just adds time to my morning routine when I’m already rushing most of the time. That’s why I’m such a big fan of tinted sunscreens,

What Are Tinted Sunscreens?

Tinted sunscreens are essentially mineral-based, broad-spectrum sunscreen with added pigments that provide coverage. Basically a light foundation with SPF. It works completely well for me since I’m always in a hurry, plus it’s perfect for days when you want your skin to breathe, but still look blemish-free and presentable.

Here are my current top 3 tinted sunscreens in rotation and why I think you should give them a try: 

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

I. absolutely love. Tower 28. For those who aren’t familiar, the brand was founded in 2019 by Amy Liu, who battles eczema and wanted to create a line of clean, sensitive-skin friendly products for the masses.

Tower 28 Beauty’s SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen is a two-in-one foundation with 100% mineral SPF, with light-to-medium buildable coverage that promises no pore-clogging and is safe for problem-prone or sensitive skin. It is also vegan, cruelty-free and fragrance free.

Tinted Sunscreen With an Inclusive Shade Range

The liquid texture is quite runny but once applied, it sits on the skin nicely. I love that it comes in 17 inclusive shades and has great colour match, and it’s perfect for days when my skin is having hormonal acne bursts or is more sensitive than usual.

My few cons is that it can feel slightly thick when applying and it’s more suitable for oily/ normal skin types. The SPF level isn’t exactly high either, and I would ideally prefer an SPF level of 40 or more. 

Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen

Supergoop reigns as my most favourite sunscreen brand ever – and their range of products just keep expanding too. While they’ve just recently launched the new Protec(tint) Daily SPF Tint SPF 50 Sunscreen Skin Tint (with 14 shades!), I think their OG Glowscreen SPF40 Sunscreen deserves a shoutout.

@flareywings Girlies!! #notsponsored #tintedsunscreen #supergoop ♬ Lofi nostalgic old music box(833007) – NARU

Tinted Sunscreen With Multiple Benefits

As the name suggests, this sunscreen packs on a lot of glow. It is also infused with Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide and Vitamin B5 – yummy skincare ingredients which help hydrate and prime the skin before makeup. Along with its SPF40 coverage, I would say this product is a 4-in-1, which is a lot for what is supposed to be just a tinted sunscreen. Rich in antioxidants, it is also cruelty-free and gluten-free.

Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF40 Sunscreen has sheer, glowy coverage

I do reach for this one on days I want a more glowy makeup base, and I really love that it’s skincare + makeup in one. While it’s not as pigmented as Tower 28’s, this one has a beautiful, radiant finish, resembling a very light layer of foundation – perfect for those who don’t want to look like they’re wearing any makeup. SPF40 is also a good-enough level for sun protection. Personally, I also really like its lotion-y texture.

My only con is definitely the limited shade range, but Supergoop has multiple other products that make up for that (i.e. their CC Screen SPF50) so it’s not the biggest issue. Some may also find the Glowscreen SPF40 to look aggressively shiny, but if you’re a fan of the Charlotte Tillbury Flawless Filter Foundation, this one fits right up your alley as the sunscreen equivalent, imo.

Colorescience Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50

When I tell you I will be talking about this product forever; I truly can’t get enough of it.

Viral Sunscreen On Tik Tok

I first heard about Colorescience from the sudden splash of viral TikToks last year raving about it, and I was SO intrigued by its color-shifting pigments.

The Colorescience Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF50 is a lightweight mineral sunscreen that’s powered by patented EnviroScreen® Technology – This includes all the necessary protection against UVA/UVB, blue light, pollution, and infrared radiation.

The coolest thing about this product is it’s rich in tone-adapting pigments, where the product comes out completely white but immediately shifts and adapts to your skin tone upon blending into skin. It works so quickly and smoothly, it literally looks like magic.

No-Makeup Makeup Sunscreen

I’m wearing Colorescience Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF50 in the shade Medium

I really love the demi-matte; it gives off a radiant finish, and I must highlight its amazing skin-blurring effect, which helps cover any discoloration, blemishes, and skin inflammation.

Even though it’s lightweight, a little goes a long way with this one, and the buildable medium coverage is truly superior. My experience with it is like having completely evened out skin tone without looking like I have a full face of foundation, if I can put it that way.

SPF50 Tinted Sunscreen

Also, really loving the SPF50 coverage, but that goes for most of Colorescience’s sun protection products. I basically treat it like my replacement to foundation, and it’s just the greatest product in my bag to date.

I don’t have much cons for it, since its four shades are flexible and can fit a broad range of skin tones and undertones – though I’m not sure if their darkest shade works for dark-skinned people. While it doesn’t claim to be cruelty-free, it is 100% chemical free.

There have also been some comments about how it can clog pores, but I haven’t experienced that so far. I just double cleanse after usage every time.

I also never thought of buying it because of the high price point ($54) but I managed to nab it for a good $15 from an influencer’s secondhand sale. Ever since then, I’ve remained obsessed and it’s one of my most absolute holy-grail products ever.