EltaMD UV Daily
EltaMD's sunscreen for normal-to-dry skin. Same filters as UV Clear, but a richer, dewier base built to moisturize rather than mattify.
Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist
A dermatologist’s take
Recommend.
This is UV Clear's formula in a richer base — the same zinc oxide and octinoxate, but petrolatum and hyaluronic acid underneath, so it hydrates and finishes dewy. On dry or mature skin it can replace your morning moisturizer. Do not read anything into SPF 40 against 46. If you are oily or acne-prone, take UV Clear.
Pros
- Good fit for dry skin
Cons
- Dewy finish may feel shiny on oily skin
- Untinted formula can leave a white cast
Skin fit
Who is it best for?
Dry Skin
Good fitDry skin loses water through the surface faster than it can replace it, so it needs something sealing on top. Most sunscreens are built to feel light and do the opposite.
This one puts petrolatum and dimethicone in the base, so it can stand in for your morning moisturizer.
Sun Damage
Okay fitMost sun damage arrives in small daily doses rather than on holidays, so the sunscreen that matters is the one you wear on an ordinary Tuesday.
This is comfortable enough for that, and SPF 40 is well above the SPF 30 minimum.
Melasma
Okay fitDaily broad-spectrum cover is the foundation of any melasma plan, because ultraviolet light switches pigment cells back on.
This version is untinted, so it does not screen visible light, which also drives melasma. A Deep Tinted version of UV Daily exists, and iron oxides are what you want.
Oily Skin
Poor fitThis is made to look dewy. Oily skin reads that as shine within a few hours.
Feel & smell
What does it feel like?
Lotion
A light lotion that spreads easily and finishes dewy rather than matte. On dry skin it feels like a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, which is what it is meant to be.
On oily skin the same finish reads as shiny within a few hours, and EltaMD UV Clear is the version built for that. There is a slight white cast, as with any sunscreen carrying 9 percent zinc oxide. This one is untinted, so the cast shows more on deeper skin. A Deep Tinted version is sold if that matters.
UV filters
UV filter type
- Mineral
- Hybrid
- Chemical
Combines mineral and chemical UV filters.
Filter type describes the formula, not its protection level.
Inside the formula
What do the main ingredients do?
More ingredient roles
How this formula works.
Sunscreen filters do one of two things. Mineral filters such as zinc oxide sit on the surface and block ultraviolet light. Chemical filters such as octinoxate absorb that energy and release it as heat. Zinc oxide covers a wide span including UVA, the longer wavelengths that reach deeper and drive most collagen loss, while octinoxate covers UVB, which burns.
Full clinical explanation
Sunscreen filters do one of two things. Mineral filters such as zinc oxide sit on the surface and block ultraviolet light. Chemical filters such as octinoxate absorb that energy and release it as heat. Zinc oxide covers a wide span including UVA, the longer wavelengths that reach deeper and drive most collagen loss, while octinoxate covers UVB, which burns.
EltaMD UV Daily and EltaMD UV Clear use the same two filters at the same strengths. The difference is the base. UV Clear is oil-free and matte. UV Daily adds petrolatum, dimethicone and hyaluronic acid, so it seals, hydrates and finishes dewy. That decides who each suits: oily and acne-prone skin takes UV Clear, dry and mature skin takes UV Daily.
The SPF is 40 here against 46 in UV Clear. That gap is not clinically meaningful. Both sit well past the SPF 30 floor, and how much you apply matters far more.
Full ingredient list · 17 ingredients
Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5% Sunscreen Zinc Oxide 9.0% Sunscreen Inactive ingredients: water, petrolatum, isopropyl palmitate, dimethicone, cetearyl alcohol, oleth-3 phosphate, phenoxyethanol, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, polyisobutene, cetearyl glucoside, polyether-1, butylene glycol, PEG-7 trimethylolpropane coconut ether, sodium hyaluronate, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, tocopheryl acetate, triethoxycaprylylsilane
All ingredient roles
Petrolatum
Forms a thin film on top of the skin that slows water loss while the barrier recovers.
Dimethicone
A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.
Cetearyl Alcohol
A fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the product. Despite the name, it is not drying.
Sodium Hyaluronate
A form of hyaluronic acid. Its molecule is large, so it stays on the surface and holds water there.
Phenoxyethanol
The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.
Use & results
How to use it.
How much
About a quarter teaspoon for the face alone. SPF 40 is measured at a thickness most people never apply, and half as much does not give you half the protection — it gives you considerably less.
Where
Face, ears, neck and hairline. The eyelids and the front of the ears are missed most.
Reapply
Every two hours outdoors, and after sweating, swimming or towel drying. This is not water-resistant.
What to expect
Protection is immediate and there is nothing to build toward. If it looks shiny by midday, that is the base doing its job for dry skin, and it is why UV Clear exists.
Price spectrum
Where does the price fall?
Paying more doesn’t guarantee better results. A good buy is a formula with the right ingredients, strength and texture for your skin. Use price per ounce to compare cost, then weigh it against the pros and cons above.
The product line
Which EltaMD product should you choose?
EltaMD’s sunscreens differ in finish, tint, moisturizing feel and filter combination. The names are easy to confuse, so compare the exact version. The best fit is one you can apply generously and wear consistently, with a tint and texture that work for your skin.
UV Daily Hydration+ SPF 50
The richest of the five. More hydration and a higher SPF, same idea as this one.
UV Daily
The dewy base, untinted. Built to moisturize rather than mattify.
UV Daily Tinted
The same lotion with iron oxides, so it evens out skin tone as it goes on.
UV Clear Tinted
The oily-skin base, tinted. Lighter and far less dewy, with niacinamide.
More about the lineup
EltaMD's face sunscreens come in two bases. UV Daily is the hydrating one, UV Clear is for oily and blemish-prone skin, and each comes tinted or untinted.
Alternatives
If it didn’t work for you
EltaMD UV Clear
The same zinc and octinoxate filters in an oil-free, matte base with 5% niacinamide. Pick it if you run oily or break out.
Read the review →EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Sunscreen
The same hydrating base with iron oxides added. They cancel the white cast and block visible light, which helps melasma.
Read the review →
La Roche-Posay Toleriane UV Moisturizer
A ceramide and niacinamide moisturizer with SPF 30 built in, around $26 for 3.4 oz. Same idea, lower SPF.
Read the review →Questions
Before you buy
Is EltaMD UV Daily mineral or chemical?
Both. It uses zinc oxide and octinoxate.
How is EltaMD UV Daily different from UV Clear?
Same filters, richer base. UV Daily is dewy and hydrating; UV Clear is matte and oil-free.
Is EltaMD UV Daily good for oily skin?
Not really. It finishes dewy. Choose UV Clear.
Is the SPF 40 in EltaMD UV Daily enough?
Yes. It is well above the SPF 30 minimum.
What SPF is EltaMD UV Daily?
SPF 40.
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