I'm a Beauty Writer With Sensitive Skin, and I Swear by These 3 Tinted SPF Products
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This is borderline sacrilege for a beauty writer to admit, but I didn't get serious about using sunscreen until I was 22 (five years ago). Like many, I grew up believing that my melanin exempt me from sun damage — I didn't get sunburns, so why should I bother with sunscreen?
Once I dove into the studies, science, and medical advice, I very quickly became a dedicated sunscreen convert. I was consequently faced with two new issues: sunscreens are notoriously tacky and harsh on the skin, and I needed to find a way to incorporate SPF into my makeup routine. I experimented with any and every SPF that I could get my hands on and discovered three winning tinted sunscreens from Saie, Tower 28, and Glo Skin Beauty.
I have to be especially cautious and picky with anything topical — I have rosacea-riddled sensitive skin, and I cannot afford to gamble with irritation or breakout-inducing products. A more secondary problem is that, as a beauty writer, I have access to and experiment with so many products that I can't help but have high standards.
Sunscreen is a difficult terrain. There is almost always a trade-off for UV protection, the most common of which are a white cast, oily skin, sticky texture, and/or clogged pores. I wanted a product that avoided those pitfalls while having light to medium color coverage for my complexion. Ultimately, the three products from Saie, Tower 28, and Glo Skin Beauty avoided the usual sunscreen pitfalls and work so well as tinted face products that I would use them even if they didn't have SPF — a real testament to their efficacy.
Saie Slip Tint (SPF 35)
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Shop now: $35; saiehello.com
Saie is part of the new class of clean beauty brands creating products that are fun, effective, and chic. I have gone through three tubes of the Slip Tint, one of which I was gifted and two that I bought. This is my most dependable SPF coverage product. It gives me a dewy, yet not oily, and glowing complexion regardless of what state my skin is in. It sets quickly, and I get the comfortable feeling that Slip Tint is in place and ready for whatever comes next.
Tower 28 Sunnydays Tinted Sunscreen Foundation (SPF 30)
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Shop now: $30; tower28beauty.com
SunnyDays is a mineral, or physical, sunscreen which I find to be more gentle on my skin than a chemical sunscreen. This is the tinted sunscreen that garners me the most compliments (both in-person and on Instagram), which I attribute to the obscenely dewy and hydrated complexion it gives me. I have never experienced a single moment of irritation or a clogged pore after using this, but I will say, however, that as someone with combination/oily skin, SunnyDays can make me look shiny as the day goes on.
Glo Skin Beauty C-Shield Anti-Pollution Moisture Tint (SPF 30)
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Shop now: $47; dermstore.com
When Glo Skin Beauty offered to send me its tinted sunscreen, I said yes without hesitation — last year I splurged on a $130 bottle of its Anti-Stress CBD Drops and it was worth every dollar. While Slip Tint and SunnyDays require a mirror and precise approach to application, I can keep a tube of this in my purse and apply it with my only fingers. It's the lightest coverage of the three, but it also feels the most like a skincare product.
