Most Tinted Moisturizers Are a No-Go for Oily Skin—These 11 Are the Exception
Tinted moisturizers were never really my thing in the past. Even now, I consider myself a full-coverage-foundation kind of gal, but I've been open to trying new things. I've mostly steered clear of tinted moisturizers because my skin can be finicky. It suffers from dehydration but can still get oily on the surface, which is a problem if your skin is also sensitive and acne-prone (like mine). Now that I've finally found a skincare routine that works for me and keeps my skin clear, I want to start experimenting with tinted moisturizers for lighter coverage.
Although my acne has improved a lot, the issue of oily skin still seems to be a problem for me. That's why I reached out to board-certified dermatologist Lauren Penzi, MD, for advice on the matter. She provided some great tips for those with a similar skin type who are looking for a good tinted moisturizer for oily skin. Keep scrolling for plenty of helpful advice.
What to Look for in a Tinted Moisturizer
To start, if you have oily skin, Penzi advises avoiding occlusive ingredients in moisturizers that can clog your pores, such as paraffin, mineral oil, lanolin, and petroleum. She also notes that a few other tweaks might be necessary to optimize your skincare routine for your skin type. "Avoid alcohol-based products that may seem to temporarily help but, in the long run, make the skin oilier as it tries to compensate for the sebum that is lost by producing more oil," she says.
Board-certified dermatologist Blair Murphy-Rose, MD also has a few tips on what to look for. "Those with oily skin should choose light moisturizers, whether using a tinted or non-tinted product," she says. "The best ingredients include humectants like hyaluronic acid, aloe, and glycerin, which bring moisture to the skin without clogging pores. Avoid rich butters, oils, and petrolatum. Some lotions designed for oily and acne-prone skin contain salicylic acid to keep pores cleaner, while applied mattifying ingredients can be a huge plus for oily skin."
For derm-recommended tinted moisturizers and a few of my own favorites for oily skin, keep reading below.
Best Overall: Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint
Pros: Blurs out blemishes, 25 flexible shades, humidity-, sweat-, and transfer-resistant formula
Cons: Not good for dry patches.
"This is an amazing option to help reduce excess oil and create a natural finish to the skin with a lightweight feel! It helps to provide blurring and smoothing benefits to the skin to smooth texture and pores for all-day wear." — Penzi
Customer Review: "I got this for summer now that it's getting hotter and I love it, I have oily to normal skin and it wears well all over my face. It has light coverage but enough to cover little blemishes. It had a natural to glowy finish and sits on the face nicely."
2. Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
Pros: Oil-free formula, micro-treated mineral pigments diffuse the look of fine lines and wrinkles
Cons: May be too drying for those with combination skin.
"This is a great lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that blends easily into your skin without clogging pores. It also has micro-treated mineral pigments that diffuse the look of fine lines and wrinkles for an even, natural-looking finish. The best part is that it contains sunscreen for UV protection." — Penzi
Customer Review: "I am in awe with how this product just melts into my skin, moisturizes, and controls my blemishes. My new favorite go to when I get an impromptu video chat call!"
3. Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
Pros: Contains SPF 30 protection, light, buildable coverage, formulated for sensitive and reactive skin types.
Cons: Texture can be sticky or tacky.
"This is a lightweight and light- to medium-coverage tinted moisturizer that is fragrance-free and provides a natural finish to replicate natural skin. It is non-greasy, fragrance-free, and alcohol-free, which is great for oily skin to help balance excess oil production." — Penzi
Customer Review: "The best tinted sunscreen I've ever used! It's replaced my foundation most days (Nars Light Reflecting) and has such a beautiful finish. The only downside is [that] I feel like you'd have to use a lot to get adequate coverage so I personally put on another SPF before applying."
4. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
Pros: Contains SPF 30, hyaluronic acid boosts hydration levels in the skin, contains squalane to refresh dry patches of skin.
Cons: Leaves a bit of whitecast if not rubbed in all the way.
"This oil-free formula gives buildable sheer-to-light coverage with a dewy, healthy-looking glow. It is a clean, vegan tinted moisturizer proven to boost skin's hydration with hyaluronic acid." — Penzi
Customer Review: "I simply love this tinted moisturizer and how hydrating it is! I’ve tried other brands and this is the one I keep going back to. No issues with pilling and it’s kind to my acne-prone skin. I only wish BareMinerals would expand their range of shades. Opal is not quite cool enough and it does oxidizes slightly orange."
5. Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50
Pros: Contains SPF 50, 100% mineral coverage, evens out skin tone, tone-adapting pigments offer medium, buildable color coverage with a natural finish, blurs out blemishes and dark spots.
Cons: Texture is a bit on the oily side.
"Available in four shades for a range of skin tones, this all-mineral-formula SPF 50 features innovative, tone-adapting pigments that offer medium, buildable color coverage with a natural finish." — Penzi
Customer Review: "I absolutely love this stuff. It goes on nice and smooth and doesn't feel heavy on my face. I have a bit of a pinker/warmer undertone to my face and this matches perfectly."
6. Laura Mercier Natural Skin Perfector SPF 20
Pros: Blurs out imperfections, provides a soft matte finish, oil-free, skincare ingredients soothe irritated or sensitive skin.
Cons: May be too drying for those with combination skin.
Laura Mercier's Natural Skin Perfector is oil-free and mattifying, making it great for oily, acne-prone skin. The shade range is also incredibly impressive if I do say so myself.
Customer Review: "This tinted moisturizer has a flawless finish that doesn’t leave my skin dry or greasy. It blends well into my skin and I can wear it casually or for special events. It is perfect for the extremely popular no makeup-makeup look!"
7. Milani Glow Hydrating Skin Tint
Pros: Budget-friendly, great for combination skin, provides a dewy finish.
Cons: Contains coconut derivatives so it may not be suitable for highly acne-prone skin.
Milani's formula contains hydrating squalane and coconut water to help balance combination skin. It also provides a luminous, dewy finish for those who like a sun-kissed glow. I will note that this product contains coconut water which may not be great for those with acne-prone skin. I will share, however, that coconut water is usually noncomedogenic and doesn't bother my own acne-prone skin. Everyone's skin is different, but that has been my experience so far.
Customer Review: "Love this for a light coverage foundation. Feels great on the skin. Would love to see a few lighter shade options."
8. Pacifica Kind Tint Tined Serum
Pros: Breathable, tinted serum packed with skincare ingredients, provides a natural, dewy finish
Cons: Can pill a bit if used with too many other products.
Pacifica's tinted serum is infused with vegan collagen boosters, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide, and caffeine to hydrate and brighten. All of the above ingredients are also great for calming oily, acne-prone skin.
Customer Review: "Very nice with a touch of coverage without looking cakey. I actually wear this over another moisturizer as it is more of a tint than a moisturizer in my opinion. I chose a perfectly matching color. This is a nice alternative to foundation for people who don't want a lot of 'stuff' on their skin."
9. Honest Beauty CCC Clean Corrective With Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
Pros: Noncomedogenic, color corrects and diffuses the appearance of fine lines and blemishes, evens out skin tone.
Cons: Coverage may be too sheer for some.
This six-in-one formula from Honest Beauty is a makeup-skincare hybrid that's breathable, diffuses the appearance of fine lines, masks blemishes, and leaves your complexion looking extra radiant.
Customer Review: "I really like this CCC cream. It provides decent coverage. The trick to applying it is with a brush. I applied it with my fingers initially and didn't like it at all. The second time I tried it I used a brush and was sold! I have a light olive complexion and typically find neutral shades work best. My veins are blue/green and purple and I can tan easily. The shade light (terra) works great with my complexion."
10. Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream
Pros: Masks blemishes, provides a matte, skin-like finish, oil-free, evens out skin tone.
Cons:
This matte formula from Covergirl helps even out your skin tone with water-based ingredients in a formula that's totally noncomedogenic.
Customer Review: "I have a decent range of foundations. From Wet n Wild to Pat McGrath. This Covergirl product is the only one I have ever gone through and repurchased several times. I have combo skin and I don't use primer or powder with this product. It dries down well, does not accentuate my texture, and stays matte all day. I work in a place with some steam so the fact that I use it all day and it still looks really decent when I get home is impressive. I don't see much hype around this product which is a shame. I would say it's a lighter coverage but can be built. A small product is good enough to get a nice even coverage. I 100% recommend this product. My favorite part is it's non comedogenic! No pimple problems with this one!"
11. The Lip Bar Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner
Pros: Oil-free, contains hydrating ingredients like rose water and hyaluronic acid, SPF 11 sun protection, can be worn under foundation.
Cons: Packaging could be better.
Oil-free and filled with hydrating ingredients like rose water, hyaluronic acid, cucumber extract, and Irish sea moss, this formula can actually be used as a primer/base for regular foundation or worn alone for light coverage.
Customer Review: "Love this product, it gives great coverage and feels light on my face. It pairs great with the finish powder, I went back and purchased two different shades, one for now and one for my summer shade. My next purchase will be the lipstick and lip gloss."
Up Next: 9 Tinted-Moisturizer Dupes With Better Reviews Than Their Expensive Counterparts.
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Shawna Hudson has worked in editorial for over six years, with experience covering entertainment, fashion, culture, celebrities, and her favorite topic of all, beauty. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, Mane Addicts, and more. She is currently an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.
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