EltaMD sunscreen review

The most important thing to know about EltaMD is that its best-known product is not a mineral sunscreen. UV Clear pairs zinc oxide with octinoxate, a chemical filter restricted in Hawaii and Key West. It is an excellent product and it is a hybrid, and a great deal of coverage blurs that.

The genuinely mineral products in the range are UV Physical and UV Elements, both tinted with iron oxides. If you came here wanting a mineral EltaMD, those are the ones.

Quick picks

Tap any row to read the full write-up below.

#	Product	Best for	Price
1	EltaMD UV Physical Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 41The mineral one to buy · SPF 41	Mineral protection with a tint and water resistance	Check price on Amazon→ #ad We earn from qualifying purchases
2	EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46Best for acne-prone skin · SPF 46	Oily, acne-prone or rosacea-prone facial skin	Check price on Amazon→ #ad We earn from qualifying purchases
3	EltaMD UV Elements Tinted Moisturizer SPF 44Best for dry skin · SPF 44	Dry or mature skin wanting mineral and tinted	Check price on Amazon→ #ad We earn from qualifying purchases

Sorting the range

The lesson generalizes beyond this brand: a well-regarded, mineral-sounding product may not be mineral at all, and the only way to know is the actives panel. How to read a sunscreen label.

Our picks in detail

01 · The mineral one to buy

EltaMD UV Physical Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 41

EltaMD · Read our EltaMD review

Zinc and titanium under an iron-oxide tint, with 40 minutes of water resistance — the genuinely mineral EltaMD, and the one to take somewhere with reef restrictions.

Actives:

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, tinted with iron oxides

SPF:

SPF 41

Water resistance:

40 minutes

Reef status:

Mineral filters only

Best for:

Mineral protection with a tint and water resistance

What works

• +Mineral-only actives
• +Iron-oxide tint cancels the cast
• +Water resistant, unlike UV Clear

The trade-off

• −One universal tint
• −Dermatology-counter pricing

Check price on Amazon→

#ad We earn from qualifying purchases

02 · Best for acne-prone skin

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

EltaMD · Read our EltaMD review

The most recommended face SPF in dermatology offices, and a hybrid rather than a mineral: zinc alongside octinoxate, with 5% niacinamide. Excellent product, honestly labeled on the back.

Actives:

Zinc oxide with octinoxate; EltaMD lists 9% zinc oxide and 5% niacinamide

SPF:

SPF 46

Water resistance:

Not labeled water resistant

Reef status:

Contains octinoxate, which Hawaii and Key West restrict

Best for:

Oily, acne-prone or rosacea-prone facial skin

What works

• +Niacinamide suits acne-prone and reactive skin
• +Completely weightless, including on deep skin
• +Pleasant enough that people reapply it

The trade-off

• −Contains octinoxate, restricted in Hawaii and Key West
• −Not water resistant

Check price on Amazon→

#ad We earn from qualifying purchases

03 · Best for dry skin

EltaMD UV Elements Tinted Moisturizer SPF 44

EltaMD · Read our EltaMD review

A tinted mineral in a moisturizing base — the version of the range for skin that finds most mineral SPF flattening and most matte finishes ageing.

Actives:

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, tinted with iron oxides

SPF:

SPF 44

Water resistance:

40 minutes

Reef status:

Mineral filters only

Best for:

Dry or mature skin wanting mineral and tinted

What works

• +Moisturizing base with mineral-only actives
• +Iron oxides for visible-light protection
• +Blends further than a single shade suggests

The trade-off

• −Dewy finish on oily skin
• −40 minutes of water resistance

Check price on Amazon→

#ad We earn from qualifying purchases

Why UV Clear is recommended so often

Three reasons, all real.

1. 5% niacinamide in the base, which is a genuinely useful ingredient for acne-prone and rosacea-prone facial skin rather than a marketing addition.
2. It is weightless. It disappears completely, including on deep skin, which is why it is the answer for people who have given up on mineral formulas.
3. People actually reapply it, because it is pleasant. Cosmetic elegance is not a frivolous property on a product whose real-world effectiveness depends on being used.

None of that requires it to be mineral, and it is not. Recommending it while being clear about what is in it is the honest position.

Honest limitations

• UV Clear contains octinoxate, restricted in Hawaii, Key West and several other destinations. Do not take it to those places. Where reef-safe sunscreen is required.
• UV Clear is not water resistant. Wrong for swimming, wrong for running in heat.
• Dermatology-counter pricing, several times drugstore alternatives per ounce — which matters, because applying the full dose daily is what protects you.
• The tinted products are single-shade, and the universal tint runs out before the deepest skin tones.
• The range is confusing, with several similarly named products of different filter types. That is the most common way people end up with something they did not intend to buy.

How it compares

Against [CeraVe](/reviews/cerave-mineral): CeraVe is the mineral option at a fraction of the price. EltaMD UV Clear is more cosmetically invisible and better suited to acne-prone skin. For most people CeraVe is the better value; for persistent breakouts UV Clear earns its price.

Against [Colorescience](/reviews/colorescience): both operate at the premium end. Colorescience has the better tinted coverage and a matching powder for reapplying; EltaMD has the better weightless untinted option.

Against [Blue Lizard](/reviews/blue-lizard): Blue Lizard for body, water and value; EltaMD for daily facial wear where cosmetic elegance decides whether you use it.

Who should buy what

• Acne-prone or rosacea-prone facial skin: UV Clear, accepting that it is a hybrid.
• You want mineral and a tint: UV Physical for a slightly firmer finish, UV Elements for a moisturizing one.
• You are traveling somewhere with reef restrictions: UV Physical or UV Elements, not UV Clear.
• You will be swimming: none of these — choose a water-resistant formula.