Some mornings, you simply don’t have time for a complicated skin care routine. Enter two-in-one products, which combine the best of both worlds in one step—like a moisturizer that also happens to be a sunscreen. The best face creams with SPF give your skin the moisture and protection it needs in one fell swoop, so you can get out the door faster.
There are tons of options out there, but we narrowed our list down to just a few that dermatologists and SELF staffers swear by. Read on to save yourself some serious time and money.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizer SPF 50, $23
- Best Budget Pick: Bioré UV Aqua Rich Daily Hydrating Facial Moisturizer with SPF 50, $14
- Best for Dry Skin: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer SPF 45, $55
- Best for Oily Skin: PanOxyl Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30, $8
- Best for Mature Skin: StriVectin GlowFector SPF 30, $39
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Vanicream Facial Moisturizer SPF 30, $20
- Best Tinted: Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer SPF 35, $38
In this article
Shop the best face creams with SPF
Ideally, your moisturizer and SPF should be two separate steps to make sure you’re getting enough sun protection, Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, tells SELF. But, on busy days, reaching for one of these face creams is much better than skipping SPF altogether.
Best Overall: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizer SPF 50
Neutrogena remains a staple drugstore brand, and this moisturizer proves why. It has a silky texture that plays nicely with other skin care and makeup products (read: it won’t pill). Plus, it’s made with hyaluronic acid—an ingredient that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water to keep your skin hydrated and glowy. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll also appreciate that it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t burn around the eyes.
“I picked this moisturizer up at the last minute when I ran out of my favorite SPF right before a trip to the lake, and it really surprised me,” SELF’s senior commerce editor, Sarah Felbin, says. “It feels incredibly lightweight on my skin and blends in in seconds with no white cast. It’s easy to reapply and layers well without feeling sticky.”
Size: 1.7 fl oz | SPF: 50 | SPF type: Chemical | Other notable ingredients: Hydrating glycerin, smoothing dimethicone
Best Budget Pick: Bioré UV Aqua Rich Daily Hydrating Facial Moisturizer with SPF 50
Bioré
UV Aqua Rich Daily Hydrating Facial Moisturizer with SPF 50
Bioré’s SPF moisturizer is proof that you don’t need to spend much to get an all-around great skin care product. This SELF Healthy Beauty Award winner blends in without leaving a white cast and feels lightweight on the skin—ideal for sweaty activities or super hot days.
“The sunscreen goes on very smoothly and it quickly sinks into my skin with a nice hydrating feel,” one SELF tester says. “It has a slightly cooling sensation and doesn’t leave any residue or oiliness behind. I found myself consistently going back to this product.”
Size: 1.7 fl oz | SPF: 50 | SPF type: Chemical | Other notable ingredients: Hydrating hyaluronic acid, glycerin
Best for Dry Skin: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer SPF 45
Peter Thomas Roth
Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer SPF 45
Thirsty skin will drink up this moisturizer. Brendan Camp, MD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City, tells SELF that it’s made with a complex of hyaluronic acid that deeply hydrates. He also notes that the “cream-to-water, lightweight, and invisible” formula “shields against UV rays while helping to keep skin hydrated.”
Size: 1.7 fl oz | SPF: 45 | SPF type: Chemical | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, dimethicone, vitamin E, bisabolol, moisturizing argan oil, barrier-protecting ceramides
Best for Oily Skin: PanOxyl Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30
PanOxyl
Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30
If you usually skip sunscreen because you think it makes your oily skin look even slicker, keep reading. “I love that this moisturizer provides hydration without clogging pores and helps control excess shine while still giving broad-spectrum sun protection,” Dr. Garshick says. You read that right—it actually tamps down shine rather than exacerbating it (you have tapioca starch to thank for that). Bonus: “It delivers antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and caffeine to nourish and support the skin,” Dr. Garshick adds.
Size: 1.7 fl oz | SPF: 30 | SPF type: Mineral | Other notable ingredients: Soothing bisabolol, moisturizing vitamin E
Best for Mature Skin: StriVectin GlowFector SPF 30
StriVectin
GlowFector SPF 30
Packed with moisturizing and gently exfoliating ingredients, this face cream is a dream for mature skin. “This helps to achieve glowing skin while also delivering SPF 30 coverage,” Dr. Garshick says. “In addition to argan oil to nourish the skin, it contains licorice and marshmallow root extracts to even skin tone and improve radiance.” Another nice add: French rice germ extract, which Dr. Garshick says protects against damage from blue light.
Size: 1 fl oz | SPF: 30 | SPF type: Chemical | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, dimethicone, vitamin E, moisturizing coconut and rapeseed oils, retinyl palmitate (a mild form of retinol)
Best for Sensitive Skin: Vanicream Facial Moisturizer SPF 30
Vanicream
Facial Moisturizer SPF 30
Still haven’t found a sunscreen that plays well with your sensitive skin? Dr. Garshick says you can’t go wrong with Vanicream’s SPF moisturizer. “It’s fragrance-free, paraben-free, lanolin-free and sulfate-free, making it especially good for those with sensitive or eczema- or rosacea-prone skin,” she says. It also uses zinc oxide for sun protection, instead of chemical filters that are more likely to cause irritation. Even better? Hyaluronic acid and ceramides support your skin barrier.
Size: 2.5 fl oz | SPF: 30 | SPF type: Mineral | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing squalane, glycerin, dimethicone
Best Tinted: Best Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer SPF 35
Saie
Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer SPF 35
Healthy Beauty Award testers and Dr. Garshick agree that this tinted sunscreen is a must-try if you want something that’ll offer light coverage. “While it didn’t cover up my chin pimple, it did make my whole face look dewy and even goddess-like,” one tester says. “Plus, it has this incredible blur effect that I haven’t been able to achieve prior. Where are my pores? Did they disappear into the Saie universe?” It also provides skin with a dose of licorice root extract, which Dr. Garshick says can brighten your skin tone.
Size: 1.35 fl oz | SPF: 35 | SPF type: Mineral | Other notable ingredients: Moisturizing grapeseed oil, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, bisabolol, aloe
How we chose the best face creams with SPF
To build this list, we first turned to dermatologists for their expertise. We asked them which ingredients they look for in a good moisturizer and sunscreen. They also told us about some of their favorite face creams with SPF—ones they use and often recommend to patients. Finally, we polled SELF staffers for their go-tos and scoured past SELF Healthy Beauty Award winners to find time-tested picks our team has loved for years.
FAQs about face creams for SPF
Which ingredients should you look for in a face cream with SPF?
First, you want to pay attention to the SPF ingredients. A mineral sunscreen (which sits on top of the skin to block UV rays) uses zinc oxide and sometimes titanium dioxide. Meanwhile, chemical sunscreen (which absorbs UV rays and releases them from the skin as heat) contains a combination of avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, and octinoxate.
Dermatologists typically recommend that people with sensitive or acne-prone skin wear mineral sunscreen because it’s less likely to cause irritation. But while they’ve come a long way, mineral sunscreens can still leave a white cast, especially if they’re not in a tinted formula. That’s why many people turn to chemical sunscreens, which leave a seamless and often invisible finish. It’s up to your preference and what you’ll use most often—any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen!
Alongside the SPF ingredients, look for these skin superstars:
- Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, and ceramides all offer hydrating benefits.
- Vitamin E is moisturizing and provides antioxidants that prevent skin damage from free radicals.
- Niacinamide is a multi-tasker that can brighten and soothe skin.
How should you apply a face cream with SPF?
To make sure you’re actually getting the sun protection your product claims to have, apply a nickel-sized amount to your entire face and neck. Another way to think of it: Apply two finger lengths. “It can feel like a lot at first, but that’s the amount used in testing to ensure the SPF works as intended,” Azadeh Shirazi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in San Diego and the founder of skin care company AziMD, tells SELF. “If you typically use a lot less than that, opt for a higher SPF number, as you may not be getting the full protection on the label.” And don’t forget to reapply every two hours if you’re outside or in direct sunlight.
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