16 face moisturisers with SPF that make daily sun protection simple

Ultra Violette specialises in SPF, with no less than ten sunscreen products in its brand arsenal. Supreme screen is the perhaps UV’s hero formula, boasting both the nourishing moisture of squalane for mildly dry skin plus the water hydration of glycerin for those with dehydrated, oily skin.

This expertise is immediately obvious. The formula felt deliciously silky and instantly left my face feeling softened and springy. I didn’t need much to cover all areas thoroughly (including my neck) and was pleased to see a sub-£40 price point even with its cruelty-free, vegan and vitamin-rich ingredients. What’s more, this SPF moisturiser is actually a physical – or mineral – sunscreen. This means it provides a physical barrier between you and harmful UVAs and UVBs, as opposed to absorbing them like a chemical SPF. Mineral sunscreens are often cited as being less irritating, too, and while Ultra Violette’s ingredients list has potential irritants in the form of fragrance and alcohol, these are softened with soothing vitamin E and healing tocopheryl acetate.

As the day wore on, this SPF moisturiser maintained my skin’s hydration and neither pilled nor produced a mass of midday shine. I adored it from dawn until dusk, and the fact that it covers the bases of pretty much all skin types is a big bonus.

The price of this SPF moisturiser wowed me at the time of writing. For less than £3.50, you’re getting a good chunk of skin-loving ingredients and even a fragrance-free, cruelty-free and vegan formula.

While it’s certainly moisturising, this formula isn’t perfect. Primarily water-based, it may not be nourishing enough for dryer skin types. What’s more, it pills when overworked – though the brand does explicitly suggest using lighter formulas before applying this one, as well as allowing them time to settle. Surprisingly, Simple also advises working any thicker creams (dry skin types, listen up) into the skin at the same time as this triple-protect moisturiser. This should minimise pilling.

As for the finish, I enjoyed the lack of shine prompted by this moisturiser. As someone who works on a laptop in between testing, the addition of blue light protection is intriguing. It’s one of the lowest SPFs I tested at SPF30, so it’s probably at its best in winter. It gives a flattering finish left on make-up free skin, but you might not want to use this before heading into the office - I wouldn’t want to mess about with pilling alongside my make-up before a commute.

A cult moisturiser with celebrity fans from Kate Hudson to Molly Mae Hague, Elemis’ pro-collagen marine cream harnesses the brand’s signature padina pavonica algae (the same ingredient at the heart of its cleansing balm) to maximise skin hydration and nourishment. In this SPF30 iteration, the two-in-one sunscreen moisturiser both helps to reduce existing sun damage with collagen-boosting carrot root and prevent further harm thanks to three different types of UVA and UVB filters.

This moisturiser is silky and glides across the skin with just a small amount. For those with dry skin, it even leaves a light top layer of longer-lasting hydration in the form of coconut oil-derived capric triglycerides and shea butter.

As someone with shine-prone skin, I was hesitant to use this oil-rich moisturiser under make-up and, while it was a touch rich for me, it didn’t prompt as much of a slick finish as I’d anticipated. Nonetheless, I’d suggest that those with oily skin look to some of the lighter moisturisers in this guide.

Anyone with combination-to-dry skin will find that the pro-collagen in this formula will be the solution to any skin tightness, dullness and flaking. It will also help to combat the signs of past, present and future ageing. Granted, it’s not cheap, but it’s a worthwhile indulgence if your budget allows.

This SPF moisturiser took me entirely by surprise as someone who primarily thinks of Rhianna’s Fenty as a makeup brand. Not only is the outer casing refillable (and refills are around £4-6 cheaper), but its size skews towards the upper end, with many brands offering around 10-20ml less product.

I loved how this felt on my skin, and I think you get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s creamy, lightweight and thirst-quenching for dehydrated skin. It doesn’t pill, and a little dollop easily spreads across a large area. It’s full of soothing and healing ingredients.

While it’s not uncommon to see the likes of glycerin, HA and niacinamide listed as components of an SPF moisturiser, Fenty adds baobab and Kalahari melon to promote healthy, hydrated skin. This is great for oily to dry skin types, but those with sensitive skin might want to request a sample in-store - this formula also uses fragrance and preservatives.

This moisturiser is marketed for use on both your face and body, and I have to admit that this initially put me off. In hindsight, I needn’t have been hesitant. This moisturiser was one of the favourites I tried – and that’s coming from someone whose favourite SPF of all time (moisturisers aside) is Supergoop! matte screen (£48.80, Amazon.co.uk).

Play everyday has a lotion-like, nourishing formula that’s both water-based for oilier skin types and full of emollients and fatty alcohols for dryer ones. I found it deeply hydrating, and though I came up a little shiny as the clock chimed into midday, it was nothing a little loose powder couldn’t fix.

While it maintained a serum-like texture, this Paula’s Choice sheer SPF moisturiser offered more hydration than both the Garnier and Nivea options in this edit. It also offered the highest quantity of formula at 60ml without requiring extra product to do the job. That said, it wouldn’t be moisturising enough for dry skin types and, for those with combination skin, would likely only be an appropriate choice during the warmer months when dryness is at a minimum. It’s a huge plus that the product is cruelty-free, vegan and on the higher end of the SPF scale. What’s more, it’s largely sensitive skin-friendly and only warrants a warning in this department because of its included preservatives.

This formula felt weightless, and all the skin brightening and rejuvenating benefits in such a featherlight formula certainly impressed me. If you don’t like the feeling of bearing down on your skin with layer after layer of vitamin serums, skin barrier oils and the like, then this SPF moisturiser will be right up your street. It’s a great all-in-one solution for those hurried slap-on-and-go situations.

For normal to oily skin, both underneath and without make-up, I think Paula’s Choice has done relatively well for the price. I’d probably buy it again, but I think it could do with a little more structural integrity in the form of some richness for those dryer skin days.

This SPF-free version of this product has cult status thanks to its effectiveness on blackheads and breakouts. Now, with the added SPF30, we can tackle clogged pores and the effects of UVA/UVB in one fell swoop without a host of lotions and potions. La Roche-Posay has always been a top choice for affordable, no-nonsense pharmaceutical skincare. LRP’s effaclar duo+ cream with SPF30 is no exception, coming in at around £20 at the time of writing.

It feels lightweight and more like a moisturising lotion than an intense moisturiser. In fact, I’d probably suggest that it’d be inadequate for those with dryer skin. This didn’t surprise me, as it’s always been a point of discussion in the world of skincare whether the original effaclar is a moisturiser or serum. However, when I used it in conjunction with additional serums, I found the formula to be suitably hydrating for oily skin.

Again, like a lot of SPF products, the dimethicone - designed to leave a smoother complexion - causes a little pilling if you agitate it with your hands. It wasn’t as bad with this formula as with others I tested, but it is worth noting if you’re an anxious face toucher.

Medik8’s advanced day total protect SPF moisturiser is undoubtedly a premium formula, but it’s one I come back to time and time again. In fact, I’ve been using the product since 2020 and have found it to be equally effective as a standalone moisturiser and as a supplementary SPF on top of an existing moisturiser. But that’s not to say it needs the hydration of another moisturiser. Instead, its ability to work with a variety of other products is part of the formula’s success.

It’s slightly thicker than some of the moisturisers in this edit and feels more indulgent to the touch, too. The consistency means you need to use a little more product than you think - around two to three full pumps usually does it for me, but at this price, you’d want slightly more effective coverage.

I love the scent of this SPF, thanks to its five fruit oils, and the finish leaves the skin looking plump without any grease. It neither weighs the skin down nor leaves it feeling sticky like those war paint-esque kids' SPFs. It provides a solid SPF50, but ironically, it’s not a great choice on holiday. It tends to run in water, which can be pretty painful - it’s stung my eyes in the sea and swimming pool on multiple occasions. The fruits and essential oils also mean that this pick might not be suitable during pregnancy or for those with sensitive skin.

True to form, CeraVe has an effective and affordable SPF moisturiser. While many brands focus on shine control with their SPF moisturisers, it was refreshing to see ceramides included in CeraVe’s iteration for those prone to dryness and flaking. In fact, the brand has somehow covered all bases: tackling shine control with niacinamide, avoiding alcohol for a sensitive skin-approved formula and using two types of humectants (moisture-attracting components) for a boost of hydration.

In practice, these elements make for a well-rounded product and one that doesn’t pill, either. While it does require a few more pumps of product than I might have anticipated and is a tiny bit sticky/heavy to the touch, it’s good value for money and a solid choice for those making their first foray into SPF.

I think this is the perfect make-up primer-in-SPF for normal to combination skin, but it won’t work for oily skin. I have an oily complexion and spotted a telltale 3pm sheen around my chin and cheeks after using this SPF. Together with the fact that the moisturiser doesn’t feature an occlusive – a barrier-like layer of nourishment that dryer skin types need – leads me to conclude that this is best for normal-to-combination skin.

It’s creamy and surprisingly thick. Unlike a moisturiser designed for dry skin, it doesn’t offer that slippery indulgence, but I did appreciate the light glow it left as soon as it absorbed into my skin. Much like the Estée Lauder product below, it takes a minute for the pigment to develop after the white formula sinks in; however, once apparent, it has a similar finish to Charlotte Tilbury’s airbrush flawless filter.

With the addition of SPF30, it performs similarly to flawless filter, too, and my makeup sat nicely atop this SPF with a flattering, satin-like texture. This satin texture didn’t last as long as I would have liked. The product and my foundation split against my oily complexion, but, again, I suspect this is the result of its formula not being suitable for my skin type, not an innate flaw in the product.

On the whole, it’s accurately priced for its roster of ingredients and is well-placed to moisturise and prime normal to combination skin. It offers a subtle tint, so I’d prefer to use it for priming, but I’ve been known to reach for a sheer, ultra-light coverage moisturiser in the past for those WFH Zoom meetings.

Boots’ niacinamide moisturising lotion provides a medium level of hydration, so I think it’s most suitable for normal to oily skin types. A little goes a long way with this formula. It dries quickly, but you still have enough time to work it into the skin, and it dries relatively matte.

That said, as the hours passed, I noticed a little pilling, and this SPF won’t take well to excess buffing of cream blushes or brozers. However, I found that the lotion’s consistency combined well with my underlying skincare as I was rubbing it in.

Contrary to popular skincare advice – to leave each step of your skin/make-up routine time to settle onto the complexion – I’d argue this product is best suited to a layered application in quick succession. So long as you avoid pilling, this will provide a high level of sun protection while keeping shine at bay. It’s fragrance and alcohol free as well as non-comedogenic, so it’s sensitive and acne-prone skin approved. For £8, it just about gets my seal of approval.

For starters, this SPF moisturiser is one for winter and not for high UV days abroad. SPF15 is not high enough to shield the skin against UVA and UVB rays in summer. With that in mind, I still like the idea of a three-in-one moisturiser, SPF, and skin tint. It’s perfect for low make-up days when you want just a touch of glow without the heaviness. This moisturiser succeeds in attaining that goal and takes a skincare-in-makeup approach with a whole host of nourishing ingredients, from vitamins to antioxidants.

It’s lightweight, spreads easily and instantly hydrates, so I was initially very impressed with its performance. But the formula (which dispenses as a white cream) doesn’t begin to develop its tint until it’s had a moment to sit on the skin, and it’s at this point when users may begin to see some issues.

I have concentrations of blackheads around my upper cheekbones and chin, and in those areas the bronze hue appeared to have built up where it had clung to that texture. From a distance, this wasn’t too much of an issue, but upon closer inspection, it gave me a peppered-looking complexion. I’ve also seen reviews from individuals with dryer complexions pointing out that the formula clings to any flaking or dehydrated patches, so I’d recommend the product to those with normal, relatively smooth skin.

Though the above review might sound as though Estée Lauder’s sheer tint isn’t worth its high price tag. However, it’s an excellent winter SPF option for a healthy wash of colour, especially for this with normal skin. Had I not suffered from blackheads since my teens, I know I’d be reaching for this.

I was on the fence as to whether or not this formula actually counts as an SPF moisturiser. That said, for oily skin types - and those fond of a hydrating serum underneath their SPFs - it provides an adequate amount of moisture to healthy complexions.

I frequently reach for this SPF as someone who loathes the heavy feeling of a thick sun cream and, as you can see in the imagery here, Garnier’s formula has a runny and oh-so-lightweight consistency. It doesn’t pill, and silica and perlite work to absorb excess oil on your skin throughout the day.

The key ingredient here is niacinamide, which tackles the cause of excess shine by helping to regulate oil production within the skin. Essentially, it takes a 360 approach to the trials and tribulations of having oily skin (aside from the delayed fine lines, naturally), using the BHA element – salicylic acid – to slough away debris from the pores and keep blackheads at bay. For oily skin types, a high SPF of 50 and at less than £10 at the time of writing, I’m utterly obsessed. However, you need to combine it with other moisturisers or serums for proper hydration.

I love the original Clinique moisture surge hydrator, but this opaque cream texture, seemed closer to the brand’s moisture surge intense. For those not familiar, moisture surge intense also has an opaque cream appearance and features more dry skin-loving ingredients, whereas the original moisture surge formula is sheer and gel-like. Naturally, I was then quite curious as to how this thicker-in-appearance SPF would perform on the skin, especially as it’s SPF25, not 30.

As a long-time Clinique fan, I thoroughly enjoyed how the sheer hydrator sank into my skin, sliding under my fingertips with ease and leaving a perfectly hydrated, dewy glow. Indeed, I can’t fault the mid-range price or the finish.

The pilling, however, was a real shame. After applying make-up, my buffing brushes seemed to sweep away the SPF with each stroke, leaving little crumbs of product on the end of the bristles.

Admittedly, I left some time between SPF and foundation application, so perhaps this product would have been better suited to a swift layering of formulas – especially given how I saw no pilling problems using it on top of my existing skincare.

Had it not been for the flawless and healthy finish the sheer hydrator left on my make-up free skin, I’m not sure it would have made the cut for best SPF moisturisers. Then again, I’ve been repeatedly reaching for it on my make-up free days.

A new release from Nivea, the brand’s expert filler hyaluronic acid daily UV serum is actually an upgrade on its predecessor, the cellular luminous 630 anti dark spot daily UV fluid. Comparing the two, it would seem that Nivea’s newer fluid offers licorice extract to help soothe sensitive skin, as well as silica to minimise shine in oily skin types. What’s more, the more recent HA iteration arguably offers a broader spectrum of sun protection through an extra UVA filter, diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate.

As for the texture, despite having more advanced emollients in the form of silky carnuba wax, I found the formula to be a little less slippy than I might have liked. In fact, I found that I needed quite a few pumps of product (more than ten) to adequately cover from neck to hairline, versus just one or two with other SPF moisturisers I tested.

The good news is that it doesn’t pill and really is weightless. I think if you’re a fan of layering serums and using lots of cream makeup products like tinted moisturisers and liquid bronzer, then this fluid will be just the ticket. Plus, where cream products and oily skin don’t often mix, this SPF serum is a bit of a game changer. It leaves room for more moisture in the latter half of your beauty regimen.

I’m a big fan of the lightness and high SPF, but those with normal to dry skin won’t find this sufficiently moisturising. I also think the price is a few pounds too high given the number of pumps required, so it’s best to get this in a sale.

I was hesitant to include this formula given its heavy white cast, something which doesn’t feel inclusive to all skin tones. That said, there is a place for mineral formulations like Cetaphil’s, with the included titanium dioxide (a physical UV filter) to blame for the white cast in this instance.

Indeed, the visibility of this SPF moisturiser makes it easier – especially in high UV climates – to know when reapplication is necessary and to ensure that all areas of the face have been effectively covered. This, plus the fact that titanium dioxide can help to prevent the development of hyperpigmentation, all play in the formula’s favour.

I didn’t love how it pilled when layered with my prior skincare and subsequent make-up, but for £13 (at the time of writing) those with dry skin will find it appropriately priced for sun protection in summer. On top of that, mineral sunscreens tend to prompt less irritation for those with sensitive skin.