Tinted Moisturizer Guide

What is tinted moisturizer? A lightweight tinted moisturizer offers a sheer hint of coverage while helping skin retain moisture. In summary, tinted moisturizers are moisturizers that contain pigments in various skin tones. They offer the benefits of moisturizer as well as a nice step toward a foundation which will be followed by additional cosmetics.

Moisturizer First, Tint Second

Moisturizer, or emollient, is a cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing and lubricating the skin. Tinted moisturizer is simply moisturizer that has a slight tint of coloration in it. It can add a slight foundation to the skin: similar to foundation, it is intended to be worn on the face as a base makeup product, to gently even out discoloration and blemishes on the skin. The goal is a moisturizer that is “tinted” the same color as your skin, with sheer to light coverage — your skin, evened out, rather than your skin covered up.

Choosing One: Lightweight and Breathable

Find a moisturizer that helps with hydration but also avoids clogging your pores or feeling greasy. Finding a lightweight and breathable consistency is the way to go. Find something that blends effortlessly into the skin to build your desired level of coverage: one sheer layer for the lightest finish, a second pass over the areas that need more evening out. Because the coverage is sheer, shade matching is more forgiving than with foundation — but the tint should still sit close to your own skin tone, and a formula that separates, pills or turns shiny within the hour is the wrong formula for your skin, however good its reviews.

Skin Care Product, Makeup Product — or Both?

Would you consider tinted moisturizer a “skin care” product or “makeup”? It is both. Its first job is the moisturizer’s job — protecting, moisturizing and lubricating the skin, helping it retain moisture through the day — and its second job is the base makeup job: a sheer, buildable tint worn under whatever additional cosmetics follow. That is why it lives here in the skin care section and is cross-linked from the Cosmetics Guide: readers arrive at it from both directions. Its closest relative is CC cream, which leans further toward color correction.

Make Your Own, or Shop the Stores

If you are interested in DIY beauty products, you can actually make your own tinted moisturizer: blend a small amount of your regular foundation into your regular moisturizer, adjusting the ratio until the coverage is as sheer as you want it. It is the fastest way to learn whether the product category suits you before buying anything. Ready-made tinted moisturizers can be shopped for at beauty product stores such as Nordstrom, Sephora and Ulta. Learn about the top beauty product brands and the best beauty product stores to find what you need.

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