- Value: 19/20
- Functionality: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Aesthetics: 20/20
- Blendability: 18/20
- TOTAL: 94/100
I've said it before, and I'll continue saying it: SPF is mandatory. But that doesn't mean it has to smell like sunscreen and leave your skin all chalky looking. At least, that's what ILIA Beauty has been setting out to prove with its Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40—which is now available in a whopping 30 shades.
But let's start from the beginning. If you know me, you know that I'm a huge clean beauty fan—if it's not up to non-toxic standards, I typically don't put it on my skin. Once I learned how bad certain chemicals and preservatives (like parabens, sulfates and phthalates) are for us, there was no going back. And those same rules apply to sunscreen. There are actually only two active SPF ingredients approved by the FDA to be safe and effective: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. So slathering on any old sunscreen will undo all my hard work.
I also truly love a multitasking product (but really, who doesn't?). That means most of my favorite makeup can either be used a few different ways, or also includes some skincare benefits. Which brings me to ILIA's Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40. When I first learned that it's part serum, part makeup and part zinc oxide SPF, I was immediately sold. It's made with FDA-approved SPF 40 non-nano zinc oxide that shields skin from UVA, UVB, UVC, blue light and infrared light, which makes me feel a little bit better about being behind a screen all day. As far as the other ingredients? Think complexion-perfecting hyaluronic acid, plant-based squalane and niacinamide, which help to even tone, soften fine lines and fade imperfections over time, not to mention deliver tons of hydration to my easily parched skin.