EltaMD sunscreen has a surprising backstory, and it comes in more versions than most people realize. Here are 20 face and body formulas sorted by skin type: acne-prone, rosacea, dry, tinted and mineral.
EltaMD Sunscreen: From a Swiss Farm Ointment to the Bathroom Shelf
EltaMD sunscreen has a more rural beginning than you would guess from a pump bottle in a dermatologist's office. Its roots stretch back to the 1800s, in the quiet hills of Switzerland, to a healing ointment passed down by farmers.
The story picks up in 1988, when the person championing that ointment saw a bigger purpose for it and built a professional wound-care line called Elta. EltaMD itself was established in 2007 from that wound-care heritage and was acquired by Colgate-Palmolive in 2017. That clinical background explains why the range is organized around skin problems (breakouts, redness, dryness) rather than around beaches.
Here is a test for today: name your one skin complaint before you shop. Breakouts, redness, tightness or a flat gray cast each point to a different bottle below, and the tube you pick for your face does not have to be the one you take to the pool.
UV Clear for Breakout-Prone Skin
This is the family people usually mean, and it was developed in the early 2000s for the acne-prone and post-procedure patients of the dermatologists who prescribed it. UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46 is an oil-free formula with zinc oxide and 5% niacinamide, made for acne and rosacea-prone skin. The Tinted version adds a sheer tint to help even skin tone, and the Deep Tinted one was designed and tested on deeper skin tones. UV Clear Blemish-Prone & Oil Balancing SPF 50 is a lightweight hybrid for oily, acne-prone skin. All four come in 1.7 oz pump bottles. A tip: if you rarely wear foundation, start with a tinted shade, because it does a little of the evening-out for you. What I would skip: layering the tinted version over a full-coverage base, since the tint is meant to be sheer.
Tinted Mineral for Redness
Mineral formulas are the answer for a lot of sensitive skin, and EltaMD makes several with a tint. UV Physical Broad Spectrum SPF 41 is a lightly tinted all-mineral tube for sensitive, oily to normal skin. UV Physical SPF 40 Rosy Tint is a 100% mineral formula that blends into skin with a light rosy cast. UV Restore Tinted SPF 40 is a 100% physical sunscreen with squalane and ginger root extract, and UV Skin Recovery Red Color Correcting Green Tint SPF 50 calms, corrects and protects in one step. The green tint is the trick for redness: tap it on, blend and let it sit a minute before judging the color.
Daily Moisture With SPF
If your skin leans dry, this is the shelf to look at. UV Daily Hydration+ SPF 50 combines SPF 50 with hyaluronic acid and has a serum-like feel. UV Daily Tinted SPF 40 and UV Daily Deep Tinted SPF 40 are sheer moisturizing versions with hyaluronic acid, the deep one designed and tested on deeper skin tones. UV Restore Broad Spectrum SPF 40 is the untinted mineral option, a 100% physical formula with squalane and ginger root extract that is hypoallergenic. Hailey Bieber, in a 2021 Elle video, said UV Daily Tinted was the one that did not make her skin break out. A tip: use the pump for a small amount at a time, then add more if you need it.
Sport and Water-Resistant Formulas
These are the ones I would pack for a day outdoors. UV Sport SPF 50+ is a water-resistant (80 minutes) zinc oxide tube that is formulated not to drip into the eyes and sting. UV Active SPF 50+ is a pure mineral cream with 100% mineral filters, made for active lifestyles. UV Sheer SPF 50+ absorbs quickly and is also water-resistant for 80 minutes, and UV Pure SPF 47 is a gentle mineral squeeze tube for sensitive skin, suitable for adults and children over 3. A tip: keep one in the gym bag and one by the door. What I would skip: the 3 oz tubes for your daily face routine, when the pump bottles above are easier to dose.
A Cream, a Mist, a Stick, a Lotion
The range gets practical in the last four. UV AOX Elements SPF 50 is a tinted, antioxidant-enriched mineral moisturizing sunscreen, gentle enough for sensitive skin, even post-procedure. UV AOX Mist SPF 40 is a sheer-finish 100% mineral spray, also enriched with antioxidants. UV Stick SPF 50+ is a 1.3 oz twist-up mineral stick that is fragrance-free, paraben-free and non-comedogenic, which makes it the easy way to reapply midday. UV Lotion SPF 30/35 is an 8 oz zinc oxide lotion for the entire body that moisturizes daily. A tip: the stick lives in a coat pocket, and the mist is for shoulders and hands.
Buy for This Month's Skin
I buy EltaMD sunscreen for the skin I actually have this month, not the skin I wish I had. Breakout-prone, flushed, dry or sensitive, there is a formula here built for it. Brooke Shields says she applies EltaMD in the morning and once more during the day, and even uses a thin layer before foundation. Whatever you pick, put it on every morning for a week before you decide how it feels. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Pantene, From a Swiss Hair Tonic to My Shower Shelf and eos Lotion Started With a Lip Balm Egg and Ended Up on Every Bathroom Shelf.
