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, an issue that’s no fun if your skin is also sensitive and acne prone (like mine). Now that I’ve finally nailed down a skincare routine that works for me and keeps my skin clear, I’d like to start experimenting with tinted moisturizers for lighter coverage.
Although my acne has gotten a lot better, the oil issue still seems to rear its ugly head. That’s why I decided to ask board-certified dermatologist Lauren Penzi, MD, for advice on the matter. She offered some great tips for those with a similar skin type who would like to shop around for a good tinted moisturizer for oily skin. She says to avoid occlusive ingredients in a moisturizer that can clog your pores like paraffin, mineral oil, lanolin, and petroleum. She also mentions that there might be a few other tweaks needed to make sure your skincare routine is optimized for your skin type. “Avoid alcohol-based products that seem to temporarily help but, in the long run, make skin more oily as the skin tries to compensate for the sebum that is lost by producing more oil,” she says. For her tinted-moisturizer recs and a few of my own favorites for oily skin, keep reading below.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
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.
E.l.f.’s noncomedogenic formula contains aloe, cucumber, and vitamins A, C, and E. It offers lightweight hydration that won’t weigh the skin down and barely-there coverage.
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.
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.
This matte formula from Covergirl helps even out your skin tone with water-based ingredients in a formula that’s totally noncomedogenic.
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.
