Now that summer is in full swing, it’s time to switch things up in your skincare routine with the best drugstore tinted moisturizers available on the market. . A full-bodied foundation can be heavy on the skin, especially if you run outdoors more often than not. The best way to combat the feeling of your skin being unable to breathe is by using some of a tinted moisturizer.

Dr. Anna Chacon, M.D. Dermatologist- MyPsoriasisTeam, recommends using a tinted moisturizer all round the year. She says, “Tinted moisturizer can be used in all seasons but is particularly beneficial in the summer for its light coverage and often includes SPF. In winter, those with dry skin may need a heavier moisturizer.”

The sole motto of these products is – your skin, but better. According to Andreea Ali, a board-certified makeup artist based in Paris, “I strongly recommend it especially if you like a very lightweight feeling on your skin.” She mentions that those with oily or combination skin can skip steps of their skincare routine when using a tinted moisturizer. “Like the name says, they already have a lot of moisturizing ingredients in them.”

From radiant and dewy to matte, tinted moisturizers come in a huge variety of textures and shades that target very specific needs to give you the best-looking version of your skin. We bring you the best ones you can lay your hands on.

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  Best Overall

  L'ORÉAL PARIS MAGIC SKIN BEAUTIFIER BB CREAM

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Formulated for all skin types, L’Oreal Paris’ Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream is the best drugstore tinted moisturizer that primes, corrects, hydrates, and perfects at the same time. As a buildable cream, it is available in fair, light, medium, and deep shades that will match your skin tone with ease. If you have been wondering how to get that sought-after natural finish with just one product - look no further. For those who wish to conceal redness or dull skin, there are anti-redness and anti-fatigue ones that are sheer, smooth and offer super-effective cover-ups.

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Best for Sensitive Skin

DRMTLGY UNIVERSAL TINTED MOISTURIZER SPF 46

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Infused with the goodness of hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and niacinamide, DRMTLGY’s Universal Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 46 suits all skin types, especially sensitive skin. When we tested the product, we discovered that it moisturizes, protects from free radicals, and calms irritated skin while also blending in seamlessly with the skin. In addition, it contains iron oxides that battle hyperpigmentation and melasma. A must-have for the no-makeup look, this drugstore tinted moisturizer offers sun protection against both UVA and UVB rays as well, without leaving behind a white cast.

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Best Non-comedogenic Formula

Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating tint

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Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint is a lightweight water-gel formula that comes enriched with hyaluronic acid. Oil-free and non-comedogenic, this drugstore-tinted moisturizer promises to moisturize and plump the skin for twenty-four hours straight. Available in ten blendable shades, this tinted moisturizer is best suited for dry skin and can be worn daily for a concealed yet natural look that will leave you with an even skin tone. Drawing from our experience, the product blends very well and is also buildable. Instead of using the applicator that it comes with, we suggest using a beauty blender for blending the product in.

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Best Neutral Tint

Cetaphil REDNESS RELIEVING Daily Facial Moisturizer

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As per our expertise, this product is among the best tinted drugstore moisturizers for sensitive skin. Cetaphil’s Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer reduces the appearance of redness, thanks to its neutral-tinted formula. It comes packed with the goodness of licorice extract, allantoin, caffeine, and vitamins E, B3 & B5 that soothe irritated skin and even out the skin tone. This fragrance-free product can be worn out in the sun for casual errands since it also has a broad spectrum SPF 20. Additionally, it is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic and is clinically proven to be gentle on sensitive skin.

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Best Price Point

wet n wild barefocus TINTED HYDRATOR

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WetnWild’s barefocus Tinted Hydartor is a lightweight, sheer to medium tinted moisturizer that is great for daily wear. It offers buildable coverage with a semi-matte finish that camouflages lines and imperfections while improving the complexion. We recommend this product for normal to dry skin types since it’s intensely moisturizing. Enriched with hyaluronic acid and vegan squalane, this product is available in several shades that make it easy to get the perfect match for your skin. It is an all-in-one great product that will help you be ready in the blink of an eye.

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Best Long-lasting Formula

PAULA'S CHOICE Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense

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This multifunctional tinted moisturizer by Paula’s Choice offers a gorgeous hydrating matte finish along with a broad spectrum of UV protection. With a gentle mineral formula, this drugstore-tinted moisturizer comes packed with 13% zinc oxide, bisabolol, willow bark, and a potent blend of antioxidants that fight the signs of aging, calm irritation, and reduce redness of the skin. When we tried the product, we found that it works best in combination to oily skin, and truly makes a difference once used consistently as the last step of your morning skincare routine. Moreover, it does not settle in fine lines nor does it look cakey, thanks to its smooth texture.

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Best Broad Spectrum SPF

HONEST BEAUTY CCC CLEAN CORRECTIVE TINTED MOISTURIZER

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Honest Beauty’s CCC is a tinted moisturizer that not only passes off as a great makeup and skincare product but also has a broad spectrum of SPF 30 sun protectants. Also infused with allantoin that helps soothe and moisturize skin, it is available in 9 blendable shades. In addition to this, it helps diminish lines and blemishes, bringing out a luminous and even skin tone that will last you all day. Suitable for all skin types, we recommend this product if you want to keep it simple yet get that ‘no makeup’ makeup look.

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Best Unisex Formula

PÜR 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer

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Lightweight, sheer, and available in 16 gorgeous shades, the PÜR 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer is a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and SPF all in one product. Replenish your skin with ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate which is known to reduce dryness and leave the skin looking plump, and vitamin E which promises to condition the skin. It also contains aloe, chamomile, and shea which are known to soothe the skin. Drawing from our experience, this drugstore tinted moisturizer can be used by both women and men, especially those with dry skin, since it leaves a natural, dewy, and hydrating finish.

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Most Moisturizing

NIVEA TINTED DAY CREAM

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Enriched with make-up pigments and vitamin E that moisturize and even out skin tone, Nivea’s Tinted Moisturising Day Cream with SPF 15 is the perfect addition to your daytime skincare routine. Alongside radiant looking complexion, this drugstore tinted moisturizer blocks out environmental stressors and fights premature aging. It ticks most of the boxes – it’s lightweight, non-sticky, and long-lasting with up to 24 hours of staying power.  Based on our observations, it works as a great substitute for foundation if you do not wish to go heavy on makeup.

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Best Fast-absorbing Formula

Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer

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The Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer from Perricone MD’s High Potency Classics Collection is a great product for targeting fine lines and wrinkles, uneven texture, and loss of firmness in the skin. Packed with ingredients such as alpha lipoic acid, candeia tree extract, and mineral-based sunscreen, the USP of this product is the microcapsules that release pigment upon application and give the skin a luminous glow. It is fast-absorbing and almost immediately brings optimal hydration to the skin. We recommend applying it liberally on the face and neck in the morning as the last step of your morning skincare routine.

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NARS PURE RADIANT TINTED MOISTURIZER

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The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer from NARS comes with SPF 30 and is an oil-free formula that instantly hydrates parched skin while adding a natural healthy-looking glow. Proven to reduce dark spots and discoloration that have been caused by hyperpigmentation in just 4 weeks, this is a product that also reduces lines and wrinkles, pores, blemishes, and imperfections of the skin. Available in fifteen shades, this drugstore tinted moisturizer has the perfect match for every skin tone and undertone. After putting it to the test, we found that it nicely evens out all patchy reddish spots too in case you have sensitive skin.

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URBAN DECAY HydroMANIAC TINTED GLOW HYDRATOR

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Infused with kombucha filtrate and marula oil, the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator offers intense hydration while leaving you with a beaming glow, as its name suggests. This buildable drugstore tinted moisturizer is available in twelve shades and lasts up to 24 hours while giving you a real-skin finish. After trying out this product, we deduced that the skin has a reduced appearance of imperfections and a glow that lasts all day. In addition, it provides a blurring effect that conceals your pores seamlessly.

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ANDALOU NATURALS Perfecting BEAUTY BALM

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As a dual-purpose cream, the Andalou Naturals Perfecting Beauty Balm is a mineral sunscreen and anti-aging skincare product that delivers what it promises. As a drugstore tinted moisturizer for mature skin, it offers sheer coverage, thanks to the mineral tint in it that suits most skin tones and skin types. It is infused with heirloom apple and grape stem cells that are said to protect the skin from premature aging, as well as resveratrol which is known to be a powerful antioxidant that supports the skin’s youthful vitality. This is a must-have for those looking to deter signs of aging without having a whole elaborate skincare routine.

After taking a look at the comprehensive list above, let us see the ideal way for you to choose the best drugstore tinted moisturizer according to your skin type.

Read on to know how to get your hands on the best drugstore tinted moisturizer. 

Know Your Purpose: If you are looking for something to wear every day that has minimal coverage, then tinted moisturizers are for you. However, if you are someone in a professional setting – in front of a camera shooting or getting pictures clicked with lots of light around, tinted moisturizers will not be enough. While they even out skin tone and provide enough coverage for redness or minor blemishes, they will definitely not work if you have sun spots or melasma. 

Consider Your Skin Type: For those with dry to normal skin, a tinted moisturizer with a creamy texture is a better match. If you have oily or combination skin then a thinner, gel-like consistency would work better. Moreover, those with mature skin must look for products with age-defying properties, those with sensitive skin issues such as rosacea or hyperpigmentation should look for products that would provide enough coverage, and those who spend hours in the sun must look for built-in sun protection, ideally at least an SPF 30. 

Select the Right Finish: Whether you are looking for a matte, semi-matte (ideal for oily skin), or dewy finish, there are all kinds of tinted moisturizers available on the market that will give you your desired look, feel, and effect. You can also get creative and wear a primer underneath to control excess oil or apply setting powder on top to tone down the shine. 

Our contributor, Dr. Anna Chacon, recommends using a tinted moisturizer. She explains, “Tinted moisturizer is ideal for individuals with normal to dry skin, as it hydrates and provides light coverage. However, those with oily or acne-prone skin should be cautious as it might exacerbate their skin conditions.”

Drugstore tinted moisturizers are a must-have for those who like to keep their skincare routine simple, especially while running errands or meeting family and friends over brunch. These provide just enough coverage to give you an evened-out complexion and a youthful glow. If you like a natural and skin-like finish, then you will love what this product has to offer. All you need to do is get the right one for your skin type and needs, so you wouldn’t have to worry about taking any extra time to do your makeup when you are truly hard-pressed for time.

Contributor: Dr. Anna Chacon, M.D. Dermatologist, MyPsoriasisTeam