Good News: These 16 SPF Moisturisers Allow You to Totally Streamline Your Skincare Routine
If you're the sort of person who struggles to keep up a decent skincare routine because you lack the energy, I hear you. In fact, I have to give myself a mental pep talk every night before I shuffle to the bathroom, bleary-eyed, to remove my makeup before I fall asleep. But the good news is that after many years of absorbing skincare information from experts, I have learned that there are shortcuts that can be taken to make your routine less daunting and maintain healthy, glowing skin while you're at it.
Forget 10-step routines. There's little need for any more than two or three steps in your morning and nighttime skincare regimens. These steps are comprised of what I like to call non-negotiables—consider them the core foundations for healthy skin. These non-negotiables are made up of three camps: cleansing, hydration and protection. While cleansing really does require its own step, what you apply to your skin after you cleanse can always be streamlined—particularly when it comes to moisturiser (hydration) and SPF (protection).
But before we go any further, I want you to listen very carefully: Using a moisturiser or a foundation that merely lists SPF as an ingredient does not tick that "protection" box. In order to protect your skin from damaging UV rays, it is imperative that you apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen. This means the product protects skin against skin-ageing UVA rays (this is typically illustrated by a "PA+++" or a star rating) and skin-burning UVB rays (illustrated by an SPF rating). The reason for this serious caveat is that in order to truly give your skin the protection it requires, a product has to contain a hefty amount of those all-important UV-blocking ingredients. Dermatologists recommend applying a half-teaspoon of SPF to the face in order to guarantee the level of protection on the bottle—if you're relying on a tinted moisturiser or foundation for such coverage, I'd bet my hat that you're not applying nearly enough.
What's the best advice a dermatologist ever gave me? Instead of shopping for moisturisers that have SPF credentials, look for SPFs that have moisturising credentials. Trust me—facial SPF formulas have come on leaps and bounds in recent years, with most good formulas providing just as much hydration and moisture as your standard day cream. If you want to only apply one product to your face in the morning post-cleanse, can the standard day cream and reach for a moisturising SPF instead. While these products might sit on SPF shelves in stores, trust me when I say they're far closer to truly great moisturisers—and they deliver next-level sun protection while they work.
So if you're looking to save some time in the morning, keep scrolling to shop the best moisturisers with actual SPF protection for all skin types.
See the Best Moisturisers With SPF:
1. Best Budget SPF: CeraVe A.M. Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 50
2. Best for Dry Skin: Templespa Line Defence SPF 50
3. Best for Oily Skin: Beauty Pie Featherlight SPF 50 Sunscreen + Primer
4. Best Luxury SPF: Dr Barbara Sturm Sun Drops SPF 50
5. Best for a Dewy Finish: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF 30
6. Best for Under Makeup: Clé de Peau Beauté UV Protective Cream
7. Best for Dark Spots: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Age Correct SPF 50+ Sun Cream
8. Best for Added Protection: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
9. Best for Blurring: Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 30
10. Best Overall: The Body Shop Multi- Protection Light Essence SPF 50 PA +++
11. Best Lighweight SPF: Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF 50
12. Best for Glow: E.l.f. Suntouchable! Whoa Glow SPF 30
13. Best for Mature Skin: L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Filler + Hyaluronic Acid Anti Ageing Anti-Wrinkle SPF 50 Replumping Day Cream
14. Best for Matte Finish: Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect™ SPF 50+ PA++++
15. Best Drugstore SPF: Byoma SPF 30 Gel Moisturiser
16. Best Moisturiser SPF with Vitamin C: Lumene Brightening Day Fluid Mineral SPF30
1. CeraVe A.M. Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 50
Best Budget Moisturiser With SPF
Sadly, most of the best hybrid SPFs I've tried cost a little more than a basic face cream. However, this stuff from CeraVe is probably the best affordable option I've tried. Is it totally weightless? No. But it provides really impressive hydration (more than many luxury face creams do) and super-high sun protection. I'll admit it's thicker than I'd like, but for £17, I'm not complaining.
2. Templespa Line Defence SPF 50
Best Moisturiser With SPF for Dry Skin
This stuff is probably one of the most loved SPF products out there, and for good reason. It's lightweight like a luxurious moisturiser but has high-level SPF 50+ coverage, too. Formulated with vitamin E, it helps to nourish dry skin and create a great base for makeup, leaving the skin with a gorgeous satin finish that lends itself more to dull, dehydrated complexions than it does to oily ones. If you're after a healthy, dewy finish, you'll want to try this.
3. Beauty Pie Featherlight SPF 50 Sunscreen + Primer
Best Moisturiser With SPF for Oily Skin
Price shown is member price.
If you have oily skin, finding a good SPF moisturiser isn't easy. The filters used in sunscreens are a little greasy by nature and risk leaving skin shiny—not something you want if you're battling excess oil production. This product, however, has a refreshing featherlight water-like texture that sinks into skin in seconds and delivers a shine-free finish. Oh, and of course, it's jam-packed with antioxidants to help boost your complexion as you wear it, and it primes your skin for makeup. is there anything this SPF can't do?
4. Dr Barbara Sturm Sun Drops SPF 50
Best Luxury Moisturiser With SPF
If you want to invest in your skincare, streamline your routine, and already spend £100+ on your day cream, you can get super-luxurious SPF and skincare hybrids like this one from Dr Barbara Sturm. These SPF drops are ultra-lightweight with a serum texture and come infused with skincare ingredients such as vitamin E, cassia extract and beta-glucan, which work to soothe the skin while preventing oxidative stress. They're particularly great if you have sensitive skin and they feel virtually weightless on the skin.
5. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF 30
Best Moisturiser With SPF for a Dewy Finish
If you're dubious about an SPF/moisturiser hybrid, start with this stuff. Ideal for summer months when skin requires a little less richness from moisturiser, this gel is full to the brim of plumping hydrators like hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5. It's like giving your skin a big slurp of dew-boosting moisture while ensuring you're protecting it against the sun's harmful rays. What more can you ask for?!
6. Clé de Peau Beauté UV Protective Cream
Best Moisturiser With SPF for Makeup Application
Another bougie option, this high-protection moisturising cream from Clé de Peau is potentially one of my favourite skincare finds of the year. The sun protection is next-level (against both UVA and UVB rays), and the texture is beyond rich and luxurious without feeling greasy or buttery. It leaves skin feeling so soft and smooth and makes for the ultimate pre-foundation base. My only niggle is that it does sting the eyes a tiny bit if you sweat, so keep that in mind if you're a sweaty gal like me.
7. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Age Correct SPF 50+ Sun Cream
Best Moisturiser With SPF for Dark Spots
I understand that the reason people feel the need to load up on an abundance of serums in the morning is because they have a number of skin concerns that they want to address. But what if I told you there's a product that tackles it all with equal effect? This SPF from La Roche-Posay (which, by the way, produces some of the best sunscreens around), is specially formulated to reduce the appearance of dark spots (hyperpigmentation) and fine lines while it works. Plus, it's rich enough to use as a daily moisturiser if your skin is particularly dry.
8. Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
Best Moisturiser With SPF for Added Protection
Yes, this product is a broad-spectrum SPF. However, the reason I say it's best for added protection is that I would personally apply an SPF on top of it on particularly sunny days because this is, first and foremost, a moisturiser, and using half a teaspoon of it on your face would simply be too much. Instead, I'd recommend using this as a daily moisturiser and, 20 minutes before you leave the house, applying another lightweight SPF on top. Ideal for those with dull, dry skin, Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 will give skin a next-level glowing plump and help supercharge the protection of any SPF you apply on top.
9. Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 30
Best Blurring Moisturiser With SPF
This is, without a doubt, my favourite facial SPF of the past year, and it's so moisturising that it's often the only product I use in the morning. The formula has a sheer tint with a luminous finish that makes your skin look like your own, but healthier and glowier—so I tend to skip foundation altogether when I'm using it. The entireBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK team are obsessed with it.
10. The Body Shop Multi- Protection Light Essence SPF 50 PA +++
Best All-Round Moisturiser With SPF
I've lost count of the number of friends I've gotten onto this product. It is, without debate, a facial moisturiser first. It leaves skin juicy and glowing (thanks to red-algae extract and vitamin C) while delivering what is basically the highest level of sun protection money can buy. If you only want to use one product in the morning after cleansing, make it this stuff, whatever your skin type.
11. Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF 50
Best Lightweight Moisturiser With SPF
I fell in love with this Korean SPF years ago and only recently rediscovered it. Trust me when I say it's lightweight—almost invisible, in fact. However, with soothing aloe extract, sacha inchi oil, and lotus-flower water to soften skin, it just leaves your skin looking and feeling like its very best self. If you like your moisturiser to leave your skin feeling tacky, this one isn't for you. However, if you want your skincare to be traceless, add this to your basket.
12. E.l.f. Suntouchable! Whoa Glow SPF 30
Best Glow-Boosting Moisturiser With SPF
My latest moisturising SPF discovery is this stuff from E.l.f. It has a hint of sheer peach shimmer which adds instant luminosity to all skin tones to give your complexion a healthy, lit-from-within kind of glow. It looks great worn alone, or as a primer underneath makeup to give your complexion products extra glow. I love it.
13. L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Filler + Hyaluronic Acid Anti Ageing Anti-Wrinkle SPF 50 Replumping Day Cream
Best Moisturiser with SPF for Mature Skin
Ageing is a beautiful thing, but as we grow older it's only natural that our skin starts to lose its natural plumpness as our collagen levels drop and elasticity dwindles. This moisturiser tackles that lack of firmness by delivering a replumping dose of macro and micro hyaluronic acid to restore a little juiciness to the skin. The fact that it also contains SPF50 to protect skin from the sun's rays is just an added bonus for this ultra-hydrating day cream.
14. Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect™ SPF 50+ PA++++
Best Non-Greasy Moisturiser with SPF
If there's a skincare brand every beauty editor has something good to say about, it's Medik8. Sensible, efficacious products that do the job and then some, the brand's cult following is well earned. This gem of an SPF moisturiser is imbued with high levels of SPF, as well as hydrating squalane and hyaluronic acid. Sorted.
15. Byoma SPF 30 Gel Moisturiser
Best Drugstore Moisturiser with SPF
SPF isn't something we'd suggest skimping on, so, when a brilliant, sub-£20 formula comes a-knocking, we're listening. Created by the clever clogs over at Byoma HQ, this gel moisturiser is also an SPF30, leaving skin feeling bouncy and smooth, without the white cast others can leave behind.
16. Best Moisturiser with SPF and Vitamin C
Beauty editors rave about Lumene, and for good reason! This lightweight moisturiser has added vitamin c so it boost glow while protecting your skin.
This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed toBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing ’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, includingBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous. Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics. While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best. When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.
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