EltaMD UV Glow Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 36
Product summary
Based on the ingredient list, we assess that "EltaMD - UV Glow Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 36" can provide reliable sun protection. It can protect from both UVA and UVB rays. This is great news because not all sunscreens with SPF ratings give UVA protection. (UVA rays do not cause sunburn, but still damage our skin and lead to early aging).
It also works as a moisturizer, so you do not have to use an additional hydrating product. Like all broad-spectrum sunscreens, this product helps prevent early signs of aging.
Sunscreen filters
This product is a mineral sunscreen. It uses zinc oxide for sun protection. Zinc oxide almost never irritates the skin or stings eyes, but it can leave a white cast.
Irritation risk
It contains some common irritants, including those without a benefit for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of it to be medium. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails from 38.50$ up to 40.50$ in the United States and for 108.18A$ in Australia.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Benefits
Promise: Sun protection
This product offers a good level of protection against both UVB and UVA rays.
It is a mineral sunscreen. In other words, it contains non-organic UV filters. It will probably not sting your eyes but might leave a white cast.
This product can be considered "reef safe" because it does not contain the UV filters (oxybenzone and octinoxate) that can be harmful to coral reefs when present in the water in high concentrations.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| zinc oxide | HIGH |  |  |
Promise: Anti-aging
What does the product description say?
Key Benefits UVA/UVB ProtectionBrightens and enhances luminosityTransparent Zinc Oxide formulationContains antioxidants to combat skin-aging free radicalsColor correcting sunscreen hides imperfections and evens skin toneSun Protection with built-in color correctionMinimizes the appearance of dark spots and helps even skin tone while protecting your skin from the sunPrevents sunburn skin
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains niacinamide.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
This product can also help prevent early signs of skin aging because it offers a good level of broad spectrum sun protection. Sun damage is the main cause of premature skin aging, and protecting your skin from the sun is the best anti-aging strategy.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| niacinamide | HIGH | | |
| lactic acid | MEDIUM |  | |
| aloe barbadensis leaf juice | LOW | | |
Promise: Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
Key Benefits UVA/UVB ProtectionBrightens and enhances luminosityTransparent Zinc Oxide formulationContains antioxidants to combat skin-aging free radicalsColor correcting sunscreen hides imperfections and evens skin toneSun Protection with built-in color correctionMinimizes the appearance of dark spots and helps even skin tone while protecting your skin from the sunPrevents sunburn skin
This product offers broad spectrum sun protection. It means that it can prevent hyperpigmentation and help keep the skin tone even (sun damage is the main factor causing age spots, darkening of post-acne marks and other discolorations).
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| niacinamide | HIGH | | |
| lactic acid | HIGH | | |
Promise: Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
This all-mineral sunscreen brightens and hydrates skin for a dewy, healthy glow.
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, sodium hyaluronate.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: cocos nucifera fruit extract, isopropyl myristate.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: niacinamide
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| glycerin | HIGH | | |
| isopropyl myristate | HIGH | | |
| niacinamide | HIGH | | |
Other benefit: Anti-blemish
This product might be able to help reduce blemishes and clogged pores because it contains niacinamide.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| niacinamide | HIGH | | |
| aloe barbadensis leaf juice | LOW | | |
Honesty check
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Sun protection | |
| Anti-aging | |
| Moisturizing | |
| Evens skin tone |
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Potential irritants
| Ingredient | Irritancy | Skin Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| zingiber officinale root extract | | |
| polyglyceryl-3 diisostearate | | |
| ethyl macadamiate | | |
User reviews (1)
Similar products & dupes
 EltaMD - UV Glow Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 36 | MALIN + GOETZ - SPF30 Sunscreen High Protection | Replenix - Tinted Oil-Free Face Sunscreen SPF50+ | Supergoop! - CC Screen 100% Mineral CC Cream SPF 50 - 215N – light with neutral undertones | SkinMedica - Total Defense and Repair SPF 50 | Radical Skincare - UV Skin Perfecting Screen SPF 30 | Dr Sam's - Flawless Daily Sunscreen | Sun Bum - Daily Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer SPF 30 | CeraVe - Hydrating Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 with Zinc Oxide | NEEDLY - Mild non-nano sun milk SPF 50+ PA++++ | Colorescience - Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield SPF50 | |
| Price | |||||||||||
| WIMJ similarity score | 88% | 88% | 86% | 86% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 84% | 83% | |
| SPF | SPF 36 | SPF 30 | SPF 50 | SPF 50 | SPF 50 | SPF 30 | SPF 50 | SPF 30 | SPF 50 | SPF 50 | SPF 50 |
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Ingredients & concentrations
- niacinamide
- caprylic/capric triglyceride
- cocos nucifera fruit extract
- glycerin
- isopropyl myristate
- sodium hyaluronate
- bisabolol
- zinc oxide
- +4 more
| Ingredient | Estimated concentration |
|---|---|
20.15%
Declared
| |
| A broad spectrum sunblock (protects from both UVA and UVB rays). Is suitable for most sensitive skins. In small concentrations, can be used as a colorant | |
| 45% - 55% | |
| Plain old water | |
| 6.4% - 7.9% | |
| Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin without creating a greasy texture | |
| 5% - 6.1% | |
| Is proven to be effective in reducing blemishes, evening out skin tone and helping to improve lines and wrinkles. It helps the skin to repair sun damage, calm down inflammation and keep maintain good levels of moisture. The concentration of about 2% is effective for supporting the skin barrier and evening out the skin tone. Concentration of 4-6% is better for helping with acne and balancing the sebum production | |
| 3.1% - 3.8% | |
| An emollient that helps soften the skin. Could be comedogenic | |
| 2.2% - 2.6% | |
| Helps oil and water mix together | |
| 1.8% - 2.2% | |
| Helps water and oil mix together | |
| 1.7% - 2.1% | |
| Creates an illusion of smoother and more radiant skin tone. Adds shimmer to the skin by reflecting light | |
| 1.6% - 1.9% | |
| One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant | |
| 1.3% - 1.6% | |
| Acts as a solvent for other ingredients. Speeds up the absorption of other ingredients into the skin | |
| 1.2% - 1.4% | |
| 0.95% - 1.15% | |
| Helps soften the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.75% - 1.1% | |
| Helps create a non-greasy finish on the skin | |
| 0.7% - 1.05% | |
| A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin | |
| 0.55% - 0.85% | |
| Helps create a dry, non-greasy finish of the skin | |
| 0.55% - 0.85% | |
| Helps oil and water mix together | |
| 0.55% - 0.8% | |
| A type of clay that is used to thicken the product consistency | |
| 0.5% - 0.75% | |
| A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products | |
| 0.5% - 0.75% | |
| 0.45% - 0.7% | |
| Used to stabilize mixtures of oil and water, and create thicker, gel-like product textures | |
| 0.4% - 0.6% | |
| Used to create a thicker product consistency | |
| 0.35% - 0.6% | |
| A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients. | |
| 0.45% - 0.7% | |
| Used to create a nice product texture | |
| 0.35% - 0.6% | |
| An emollient. Found to be as effective as a moisturizer for dry skin as mineral oil. Could be comedogenic | |
| 0.3% - 0.55% | |
| Used to create a thicker product consistency | |
| 0.25% - 0.45% | |
| An active component of chamomile plant that historically has been used to calm down irritated skin. A recent study shows that bisabolol indeed can have some anti-inflammatory effect on skin, even though conclusive data is lacking. Bisabolol has a sweet floral scent and can be added to products for its aromatic properties | |
| 0.4% - 0.6% | |
| Used to absorb oil and can temporarily mattify skin | |
| 0.2% - 0.35% | |
| One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Traditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome) | |
| 0.1% - 0.15% | |
| A plant extract that can contain an irritating essential oil. Might have some anti-oxidant effect, but evidence is lacking | |
| 0.1% - 0.15% | |
| Can help neutralize free radicals in skin. Preliminary studies show that it can be more effective than coenzyme Q10 but studies on effective concentration for topical applications are lacking | |
| 0.05% - 0.15% | |
| An umbrella term for the following three colorants: CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499. They might be able to offer some protection against visible light, but the degree of the protection is not clear | |
Show more | |
Sources
- A review of inorganic UV filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
- Risk assessment of zinc oxide, a cosmetic ingredient used as a UV filter of sunscreens
- Characterization of the UVA protection provided by avobenzone, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide in broad-spectrum sunscreen products
- Ultraviolet Protection Properties of Commercial Sunscreens and Sunscreens Containing Zno Nanorods
- ZnO nanoparticles and organic chemical UV-filters are equally well tolerated by human immune cells
- Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters as Used in Cosmetics
- Niacinamide - mechanisms of action and its topical use in dermatology
- Gehring, W. (2004). Nicotinic acid/niacinamide and the skin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 3(2), 88–93. doi:10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00115.x
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Safety Assessment of Magnesium Sulfate as Used in Cosmetics
- α-(-)-Bisabolol Reduces Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Production and Ameliorates Skin Inflammation
- Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging
- Hyaluronan (Hyaluronic Acid): a natural moisturizer for skin care
- Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acid
- Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin
- Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): A review of recent research
- A comparison of the relative antioxidant potency of L‐ergothioneine and idebenone