Secret Makeup: 3 Tinted Sunscreens for Summer and Beyond

I don't know when you're reading this, but right now in summer 2020 I'm spending as much time outside as possible. For the most part I'm socializing with my friends and family out of doors and enjoying the warm, fresh air, and when I'm not doing that I'm out walking in the forest to get some exercise and elevate my mood. Wherever you are, I hope you're able to get outside as much as possible!

It seems obvious that when it's warm out and we're spending lots of time outside then sun protection is a must. But regardless of the season, sun protection is simply not negotiable if you want to protect your skin from the visible signs of aging. You can pick up sun damage in the form of hyperpigmentation (spots and dark patches) even in the wintertime when you're driving in your car and enjoying snow sports. The number one habit you can develop to keep your skin as youthful as possible for as long as possible is to use sunscreen every single day all year long.

While I'm not 100% consistent about sun protection for my body unless I know I'm going to be outside for more than 15 minutes, sunscreen is my religion when it comes to my face. My favorite way to ensure that I'm wearing it is to use a tinted sunscreen. Tinted sunscreen helps me achieve that flawless skin no-makeup-makeup look that I love, love, love.

Below are my three all-time favorite tinted sunscreens that provide moisture, a little coverage, and great sun protection. Bonus: all of these are woman-owned companies!

1. Suntegrity

Anytime you see me out and about, I am almost certainly wearing Suntegrity's gorgeous Impeccable Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Buff.

While the color range is fairly limited, the formula is divine. It's highly pigmented, leaves a dewy (not greasy) finish, and protects well enough that it's the only thing I wore on my face during a 2 week trip to Cambodia where I was in the sun nearly all day every day.

On top of that, it contains Vitamins C + E plus peptides and hyaluronic acid, so it's like a serum, sunscreen, and light coverage foundation rolled into one. I love a multi-tasking product that makes my skin look glowing and healthy, and the coverage is so stealthy and natural that you wouldn't even know I'm wearing it. Added bonus: it's totally reef safe. And with all the coral bleaching that's happening, there's never been a better time to make choices that help to preserve these delicate ecosystems.

2. Jane Iredale

Jane Iredale is an OG brand in the world of clean beauty - she's a real person and she's been quietly making gorgeous clean makeup for 25 years. I use a wide range of Jane products in my artistry business and I'm always wearing at least one of her products myself. This brand is beloved by dermatologists, estheticians, and makeup artists alike.

And since Jane is a large and established brand, she is able to offer a more diverse color range (yes please and thank you!) than many of the smaller indie brands. For a light hydrator with sheer coverage, check out Jane Iredale's Dream Tint Tinted Moisturizer (available at Subi Salon in Hood River).

This vegan and gluten-free formula gives a more lightweight coverage and so is good for you if you prefer a really natural look. It's only SPF 15, though, so you'll need to reapply or use an un-tinted sunscreen underneath if more protection is desired.

The finish can be a bit matte for my taste (I prefer a dewy look for myself) but I still wear it sometimes when I want a lighter SPF and lighter coverage than Suntegrity, and I can soften the finish by spritzing a toner on top.

3. Marie Veronique

Have you heard of Marie Veronique? Unless you are clean beauty queen or you live in Berkeley, California, this might be a new brand to you. Marie is a holistic esthetician (and former high school chemistry teacher) who is incredibly knowledgeable about skin and product formulations. She collaborates with her daughter, physicist and bio-medical engineer Jay Nadeau, to carefully create her products with natural ingredients that are scientifically proven to deliver real results.

Marie Veronique's Every Day Coverage Tinted Sunscreen comes in a limited range of just three shades so it won't work for everyone. But if it works for you, this formula is packed with skin-nourishing botanicals like red raspberry seed oil (anti-inflammatory, helps prevent sun damage), green tea infusion (full of polyphenols which are plant-based antioxidants), and rosehip seed oil (high in vitamins A, E, and C) to name just a few. And it's non-nano zinc oxide will provide the broad-spectrum physical coverage you need by blocking both UVA (aging rays) and UVB (burning rays).

Of note: this is a lovely sunscreen and secret makeup, but it isn't meant to stand in for a moisturizer. Rather, it is designed to be layered over your favorite moisturizer or nourishing face oil.

I'm a longtime fan of Marie's products and her blog which is a gold mine of outstanding information. Her recent post on the role of viruses in our microbiome is a must read.

Whatever sunscreen you choose, remember: it doesn't work if you don't wear it!

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