What is Tinted Sunscreen and What Does Tinted Sunscreen Do?

A daily facial sunscreen, a category which includes both untinted and tinted sunscreen, is one of the most important anti-aging skincare products in your arsenal – and among the most essential skin care products for healthy, more youthful appearing skin. In fact, according to the “an estimated 90 percent of skin aging is caused by the sun.” Skin Cancer Foundation, “an estimated 80 percent of skin aging is caused by the sun.”

More than any other product, a sunscreen for face has to be effective, easy to use – and even a pleasure to use. Like a lot of things, if you enjoy it, you’re more likely to make it routine – and to protect your skin from photoaging.

What is tinted sunscreen?

Tinted sunscreens are, of course, facial sunscreens with a tint. They are often formulated with a universal tint that blends into most skin tones. Some are available in a broad range of shades. But while the characterization may sound simple , a tinted sunscreen is much more than simply a facial sunscreen with color pigments. The benefits of tinted sunscreen are more extensive.

Many tinted facial sunscreens are mineral sunscreens; that is, they’re formulated with mineral, or physical, UV filters that reflect and scatter UV radiation away from the skin to prevent photodamage, aka sun damage. This contrasts with a facial sunscreen made with chemical UV filters, which absorb rather than disperse UV radiation.

Traditional mineral sunscreens with Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide are notorious for their visible white cast. It’s this white appearance that causes most people, and particularly those with darker skin tones, to avoid mineral sunscreens entirely.

Tinted sunscreens are often formulated with adaptive iron oxide color pigments that boost their efficacy by broadening their ability to protect your skin from Visible Light (VL), in addition to UV protection.

What does tinted sunscreen do?

As most well-formulated facial sunscreens, a tinted sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays and is formulated with adaptive color pigments to blend into a broader range of skin tones. Tinted with natural mineral pigments, it helps defend skin from photoaging – a leading cause of premature signs of aging and skin cancer – as all sunscreens are intended to do. This blendability minimizes, and can even eliminate, the white cast common to a mineral sunscreen, making them more cosmetically elegant.

As an added benefit, the color pigments in a tinted sunscreen are often derived from iron oxides, which can offer additional defense against other light wavelengths – including blue light, a form of Visible Light.

Which is better tinted or untinted sunscreen?

With enhanced bendability due to their natural mineral pigments, tinted sunscreen is better for a broader range of skin tones than an untinted facial sunscreen.

Of course, whether a tinted sunscreen is the better option for you personally comes down to choice. Because of their enhanced benefits, including blue light protection, tinted sunscreens tend to be preferred over untinted sunscreen products. Importantly, they offer a better finish, with minimal visible white cast on the skin.

Both tinted and untinted mineral sunscreens offer protection against the photoaging that results from unprotected UV exposure and sun damage. However, a tinted facial sunscreen offers better wearability and can leave your skin with a healthy, vibrant glow.

Is it good to use tinted sunscreen everyday?

Yes, you can use tinted sunscreen daily. It is essential to use a facial sunscreen each morning before sun exposure. Finding a sunscreen that you enjoy wearing and that blends into your skin makes it more likely that you will use it regularly and consistently.

Does tinted sunscreen look like makeup?

Depending on its texture, a tinted sunscreen can offer light-to-medium coverage that functions like makeup. A tinted sunscreen with a lighter texture may blend more readily into your skin and have less coverage.

However, a tinted sunscreen is a mineral sunscreen for the face first and foremost and as such offers the same defensive benefits against UV radiation that a mineral sunscreen without tint does.

By contrast, a foundation with SPF or a tinted moisturizer with SPF may not offer the same level of UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection that a tinted sunscreen can.

Who should use tinted sunscreen?

The great news is everyone can benefit from a tinted sunscreen. Due to their blendability into a broader range of skin tones, just about anyone can use a tinted sunscreen to shield their skin from photodamage due to both UV and VL exposure.

As with any skincare product, tinted sunscreens come in a variety of textures to suit all skin types – from very oily to very dry, and everything in between.

Due to their adaptive color pigments, tinted sunscreens are more suitable for a broader range of skin tones on the Fitzpatrick scale – from Type I, or very pale skin that always burns, to Type VI, a deeply pigmented skin that never burns.

How to use tinted sunscreen.

How to use tinted sunscreen varies and is unique to your specific sunscreen product.

Tinted sunscreen powder:

tinted sunscreens in the form of a powder should be applied on top of your makeup, if worn, or as the last step of your skincare routine. They are ideal for touch-ups throughout the day.

Tinted sunscreen primer:

A tinted sunscreen primer is optimized for use before makeup application as it has the added benefits of a primer to even out skin tone and hold makeup in place.

Conventional tinted sunscreen:

More conventional tinted sunscreens function similarly to untinted facial sunscreens, whether mineral or chemical, and are best utilized when applied as the last step of your skincare routine.

The ZO® Sunscreen + Powder Broad-Spectrum SPF 45 is a tinted sunscreen powder powered by Triple-Spectrum Protection® and exclusive ZO® antioxidant technology to deliver superior skin defense with a hint of advanced color pigments. It is perfect for SPF reapplication throughout the day.

The ZO® Sunscreen + Primer Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 is a tinted sunscreen primer with ZOX12® complex that protects against the damaging effects from UVA/UVB and IR-A rays, and from HEV light. It doubles as a makeup primer for a smooth matte finish, diminishing the appearance of skin imperfections.

Explore the entire range of ZO® Skin Health professional grade sunscreens formulated with Triple Spectrum Protection®.

How you use a tinted sunscreen comes down to your personal product preferences and its recommended usage. Always check the product label for usage instructions.