Full-coverage foundation has its place in your makeup routine, but a skin tint is the way to go when it comes to the perfect everyday skin perfector. Ever since these magical formulations became a makeup staple thanks to their lighter, more sheer coverage and dewy finish, the best skin tints have earned the place as the perfect foundation alternative and pack the power of popular skincare ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. But don’t be fooled: skin tints can provide that just-right amount of coverage and weightless color, so it feels as if your skin is naked while you nail the no-makeup makeup look.
Shop the Best Skin Tints
1. MDSolarSciences MD Mineral BB Crème SPF 50
This anti-aging tinted formula floods the skin with ingredients it needs to stave off the hands of time while providing an ample dose of lightweight color and coverage. Great for all skin types, including sensitive skin and those with acne, eczema, and rosacea, it blurs imperfections for a natural-looking matte finish.
Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide, caffeine, niacinamide
Shade Range: 4
Coverage: Lightweight and natural
Finish: Matte
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply more of the product to puffy and red spots and let the multi-tasking makeup work its magic for a more even finish.
2. Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
Layer on this moisturizing formula and feel confident that your skin is fully protected from the sun and free radical damage. Plus, the vegan tint is buildable, so you can easily achieve the desired level of coverage.
Key Ingredients: Vitamins A, C, and E, Amazonian clay, chamomile
Shade Range: 7
Coverage: Light
Finish: Natural
Beauty Insider Tip: Since the formula is versatile, you can use it with or without primer and apply it with a makeup sponge, makeup brush, or your fingers.
3. jane iredale HydroPure Tinted Serum
We love this hydrating tint, which blurs away lines, plumps where it’s needed most, and soothes red and irritated skin. The best part is that the coverage level is sheer enough to let the skin show through, giving a healthy, dewy glow.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, olive squalene
Shade Range: 6
Coverage: Sheer
Finish: Dewy
Beauty Insider Tip: Wear this formula with sunscreen for all-day protection, or top it with foundation for added coverage.
4. RMS Beauty SunCoverup Super Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen
This silicone-free, skincare-infused skin tint provides sun protection (SPF 50) for a radiant finish. Bonus points for its long wear and breathable formula, which evens out the skin tone for naturally flawless-looking skin.
Key Ingredients: GlowPlex™, vegetable squalane, bisabolol, adaptogenic herbs
Shade Range: 13
Coverage: Natural
Finish: Dewy
Beauty Insider Tip: The formula is free of silicone and contains natural ingredients, so there’s no need to worry about skin irritations.
5. Glo Skin Beauty C-Shield Anti-Pollution Moisture Tint
Achieve your skin goals while protecting and hydrating your complexion with this skincare-meets-sunscreen-meets-mineral makeup formula. Powered by reef-safe SPF and natural pigments, it provides weightless, sheer coverage with a dewy finish for skin that looks natural yet beautiful.
Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, broad-spectrum sunscreen, squalene, bisabolol, chamomile, natural mineral pigments
Shade Range: 10
Coverage: Sheer
Finish: Dewy
Beauty Insider Tip: Since the formula is loaded with vitamin C, pairing it with sunscreen, which is already in the product, gives even better sun defense while also protecting the skin against blue light damage.
6. Erborian CC Cream
This viral skin tone corrector evens out the complexion while refining it for a flawless finish. It also contains encapsulated pigments that blend seamlessly into the skin to help conceal imperfections and SPF 25, leaving the skin healthy.
Key Ingredients: Centella asiatica, glycerin, zinc oxide
Shade Range: 4
Coverage: Natural and weightless
Finish: Skin-like
Beauty Insider Tip: After use for one month, studies show that the skin appears more even and radiant.
7. Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15
This tinted moisturizer, loaded with SPF 15, is super lightweight in its formula yet powerful enough in its coverage. It's the ultimate blend of makeup and skincare. It’s also easy to apply and blend in, leaving the skin with a fresh-all-day finish and extra hydration.
Key Ingredients: Botanical actives, polysaccharide
Shade Range: 10
Coverage: Light to Medium
Finish: Natural
Beauty Insider Tip: The more you use the product, the more refined the pores and more even the skin will look.
8. Estée Lauder Futurist SkinTint Serum Foundation SPF 20
Infused with skincare and sunscreen, this skin tint makeup provides light coverage that lasts for natural, radiant skin. A blend of botanical oils helps nourish the skin so it's softer and smoother.
Key Ingredients: Meadowfoam seed and rosehip oils
Shade Range: 24
Coverage: Sheer to light
Finish: Natural and radiant
Beauty Insider Tip: To find your perfect shade match, choose the color that best matches your skin’s intensity level and undertone.
9. Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50
So much more than your average mineral sunscreen, this one goes on white and adapts to your skin tone, thanks to encapsulated pigments, as you rub it in. A replacement for your daily foundation, it provides ample coverage to help conceal all your most pressing skin issues while protecting and evening out the skin.
Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide, iron oxides, Lipochroman, Vital ET, InfraGuard
Shade Range: 4
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural
Beauty Insider Tip: For even more coverage, layer it under your favorite foundation or use it with the brand’s Face Shield Glow to enhance your look.
10. AGENT NATEUR Holi (Sun) SPF 50 Dewy Tinted Skin Drops
For a tinted dewy look, reach for these skin drops. Formulated with good-for-your-skin ingredients, they provide a natural glow while protecting the skin from sun and environmental damage.
Key Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, squalene, rice bran extract
Shades: 5
Coverage: Lightweight
Beauty Insider Tip: To keep the skin well protected, reapply the drops every two hours
11. Sisley Paris Phyto-Hydra Teint Tinted Moisturizer
A true skin tint, this light wash of color also moisturizes and comforts the skin while helping to refine the texture and smooth it. For a no-makeup makeup look, this skin tone and color-correcting formulation also gives an illuminating effect as it melts into the skin.
Key Ingredients: White lily extract, golden apple tree, grapefruit, and kiwi extracts, vitamin E, buckwheat seed extract
Shade Range: 4
Coverage: Light
Finish: Barely there
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the tint with a foundation brush using light strokes across the face for a seamless finish.
12. SENTÉ Even Tone Mineral SPF
Suitable for even the most sensitive skin types, this all-mineral-tinted sunscreen protects against inflammation, uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, UVA and UVB, and even blue light.
Key Ingredients: Zinc and titanium dioxide, iron oxides, natural antioxidants, heparan sulfate analog
Shade Range: 2
Coverage: Light
Finish: Natural
Beauty Insider Tip: The breathable formula melts into the skin without clogging pores while leaving it protected
FAQs
Skin Tint vs. Tinted Moisturizer: What's the Difference?
While skin tints and tinted moisturizers may fall under the same category, there's quite a significant difference between the two formulations. Tinted moisturizers have a hint of color and hydrate the skin while evening out the complexion. Finding a formulation that compliments your skin type is key to reap the benefits of a tinted moisturizer.
On the flip side, a skin tint is more sheer and lighter than a tinted moisturizer. Some of the best skin tints feel more like a serum upon application and have less coverage and hydration factor. However, skin tints, which typically contain skincare actives, are considered the ultimate makeup product for a no makeup makeup look.
Is Skin Tint Better Than Foundation?
Skin tints and foundation are different, and it's not that one is better than the other; it's more about the type of finish you want from your makeup. Even if you use the best skin tint, the coverage factors will always be lighter and more sheer than foundation. So, if you like your skin to show through your makeup, a skin tint may be better for you than foundation. But, if you want a heavier, thicker coverage, foundation is more likely the way to go.
What Are the Best Skin Tints for Oily and Mature Skin Types?
The best skin tints for oily and mature skin are compatible with each skin type and contain ingredients that benefit the skin the most. For example, mature skin responds well to skin tints with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, which add moisture, vitamin C to protect against free radical damage, and mineral-based for lighter coverage. For oily skin, the best skin tints are those that give a matte or natural finish and those that contain oil-absorbing or anti-acne ingredients.
The Bottom Line
If you want your skin to boast a natural glow with some coverage that's lighter than more traditional makeup, then a skin tint deserves a place in your makeup routine. From dewy finishes to more natural, matte ones and formulas that contain skincare ingredients to protect against environmental aggressors and high levels of SPF, skin tints are increasing in popularity, and for a good reason, too.
Discover Dermstore’s curated collection of makeup products here.
