EltaMD Skincare

EltaMD is an American skincare brand best known for sunscreen. Most of its formulas are built on transparent zinc oxide, a mineral filter that sits on top of the skin and bounces UV away instead of soaking in. That matters for skin that flushes, stings, or breaks out under heavier sunscreens.

The one people search by name is UV Clear SPF 46. It is light, oil-free, and carries niacinamide, which calms redness and helps keep oil down, and the oil-free base will not clog pores. That combination is why it built its following with acne, rosacea, and easily irritated skin.

UV Daily SPF 40 is the other one people ask about. It is the more hydrating pick, better on normal to dry skin that wants moisture in the same step, where UV Clear is the lighter one for oily and acne-prone skin. Both are in stock. We compared them properly here: EltaMD UV Clear vs UV Daily.

The range goes well past sunscreen, into cleansers, moisturizers, a serum, and the Skin Recovery line for a barrier that has taken a beating.

Three EltaMD sunscreens carry a tint, and they are not interchangeable.

UV Clear Tinted SPF 46 is the same oil-free formula as the original UV Clear with a sheer universal tint added. Like UV Clear, it pairs zinc oxide with a chemical filter, which is how it stays so light. It suits acne-prone and sensitive skin that wants a little evening out without a foundation.

UV Physical SPF 41 is the 100% mineral one, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide only, with the tint built in. This is the pick for anyone who avoids chemical filters entirely, or whose skin reacts to them. It is one of three fully mineral options on this shelf.

UV Clear Deep Tinted SPF 46 is made for deeper skin tones and it is currently sold out. If that is what you came for, use the back-in-stock notice on its page rather than settling for the universal tint.

A tint is worth having whichever formula you choose. It cancels the faint cast that even transparent zinc can leave, and on most people it replaces a light base entirely. None of EltaMD's sunscreens use fragrance, tinted or not.

Still deciding across the whole range? Our guide to which EltaMD sunscreen suits your skin walks through every formula by skin type.

The one people describe as "the green EltaMD" is UV Skin Recovery Red Color Correcting SPF 50. The green tint is not a mistake. Green sits opposite red on the color wheel, so it neutralizes visible redness on contact rather than covering it.

It is the pick for rosacea-prone skin, for skin that flushes, and for anyone whose redness is the first thing they see in the mirror. It goes on green and settles to neutral within about a minute, so do not judge it in the first thirty seconds. Full broad-spectrum SPF 50 underneath, so it protects while it corrects.

If redness is your main concern and you are choosing one EltaMD product, choose this one.

Skin Recovery is EltaMD's range for a barrier that is over-exfoliated, sensitized, or raw. The Amino Acid Foaming Cleanser is the entry point and it is on the shelf at $10.50, down from $15, which makes it the cheapest way to try the line. The Skin Recovery Serum and the AM and PM Restore moisturizers build the rest of the routine around it.

The original Foaming Facial Cleanser, EltaMD's most-searched cleanser, is sold out in both sizes. The Amino Acid Foaming Cleanser is the closest thing we have in stock and it is gentler, built for compromised skin rather than daily oil control.

Nava Beauty carries EltaMD as an authorized retailer, so every unit is genuine and current-season, not gray-market. The shelf was chosen by Kiki Fan, a licensed cosmetologist who has run Nava's Great Neck boutique since 2014. She has tested products from more than a hundred brands over two decades, and she picked these herself. EltaMD is on the shelf in the Great Neck store as well as online.