Published Jun 24, 2020

These 9 Sun-Care Products Are Secretly Skin Care In a Bottle—And You Can Get Them All From Ulta Beauty

Looking for skin-care products with SPF? These nine sun-care must-haves from Ulta Beauty also have skin-boosting superpowers.

Published Jun 24, 2020

In Partnership With

Ulta Beauty

Written by

Well+Good Editors

Summer is the time for sun, sangria, and simplifying. One thing that’s at the top of your pare-it-down list? Your beauty routine. But that doesn’t mean forgoing everything in the name of your newly minted laidback attitude. It all comes down to one (hyphenated) word: Multi-taskers.

Namely, the ones that prioritize the season’s most important ingredient (SPF, duh). From probiotic-boosted moisturizers to sun-friendly lip balms, there’s now a whole world of SPF skin care.

And good thing, too: “Only 25 to 50 percent of people apply the recommended amount of sunscreen,” says board-certified dermatologist Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, MD, founder of Entiere Dermatology. For your face and neck, she recommends a whole tablespoon, so knowing that you’re get extra skin-nourishing goodness is just added incentive to slather it on.

Before you start shopping SPF skin-care—which, hot tip, is a total breeze at Ulta Beauty—Dr. Levin suggests looking for these three things on any sun-care bottle: broad spectrum, SPF 30+, and water-resistant. Now you’re ready to dive right in.

Keep scrolling for 9 skin-care products with SPF that do way more than protect your skin from the sun (as if that wasn’t enough already).

Skin feeling parched? This one’s for you. Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Broad Spectrum SPF 45 Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer (ahem, it has “water drench” in the name) pairs hydrating hyaluronic acid with a super moisturizing plant extract called Pentavitin to keep your face extra dewy.

Great for anyone who deals with redness or dryness, the Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 is still lightweight and extra hydrating (nice to see you again, hyaluronic acid), even while physically blocking UV rays with zinc oxide. Mushrooms (the buzzy skin-care ingredient of the moment) are added for an irritation-busting assist, while green tea makes an appearance for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Meanwhile, Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 amps up the dew factor while protecting against the sun’s harsh rays. Made with a unique Mediterranean algae (to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles) plus mimosa (a plant-based astringent known for its anti-inflammatory properties), it’s a total anti-aging powerhouse.

SPF might not be your only must-have—which is where these solution-specific gems come in. Case in point, Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Sunscreen Multi-Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 50, which helps protect skin from environmental and free-radical damage (thanks to cantaloupe melon extract) and works to calm redness (with black currant extract).

Speaking of redness, if you struggle with acne, applying something new to your skin can be job-interview-level nerve-wracking. But Proactiv Daily Oil Control SPF 30 is oil-free (hello, matte finish), so it keeps the sun’s rays at bay without clogging pores or causing you skin-care-related stress.

Another free-radical fighter, Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30 is zeroed in on anti-aging with ingredients like aloe vera, St. John’s wort, and green tea. And if a shiny T-zone is one of your biggest beauty woes, the oil-free formula is here for you.

Summer still calls for glowy bombshell status. To that end, Tula Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Gel helps your skin stay plump with probiotics that help lock in moisture, and works to even skin tone with exfoliating pineapple and papaya extracts (the summery scent is just a bonus).

Sounds pretty ambitious, but this Philosophy Ultimate Miracle Worker SPF 30 lives up to its name. The beauty gem is designed to protect, moisturize, and rejuvenate all at once, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dial up the radiance meter.

And while you’re slathering skin-care products with SPF all over your face, don’t forget about your lips. Sun Bum SPF 30 Coconut Lip Balm hydrates and protects your pucker, and, if you want to add some color, still does its job when applied underneath lipstick. Not to mention, every time you get a whiff, you’ll be transported to a tropical beach—at least for a few seconds.