This story first appeared on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
EltaMD UV Clear is an ostensibly perfect sunscreen. But in my experience (and the experience of lots of other people with deeper skin tones), the formula isn’t as clear and “universal” as it purports to be. When I was testing the formula for our “Best Sunscreens” story, I found myself frustrated by the slightly ghostly hue that wouldn’t go away no matter how well I rubbed it in. It felt great on my skin, drying down to a glowy, whisper-light finish, but something wasn’t quite right. It looked fine in some lighting but a little off in others. It was better than most other mineral formulas I’d tried, which were chunkier and more blue-white toned than the EltaMD but still not quite good enough. That led me to the tinted formula, which has the same formula but with added pigment to offset the white cast. I started using that one for a few weeks and was pleased. It was definitely better than the Clear formula, but I still found myself reverting to my holy grail, Black Girl Sunscreen.
Recently, I saw that the brand launched a deep-tinted version designed specifically for darker-brown skin tones, EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 — Deep Tinted, and I immediately called it in. I wore Deep for a week straight to see how it fared. I felt protected through wedding food tastings, a sweaty D.C. summer day, and a brisk walk around the park. It didn’t run or sting my eyes, and I didn’t burn. I asked my editor Crystal Martin to try it, and she was similarly impressed by how it blended in. She also noted the new formula had a natural finish (“not shiny like Supergoop Play”) and blended into her skin. It’s important to note that Crystal’s tanned skin color and mine are about the same (a medium brown), so EltaMD Deep working for us both wasn’t that surprising. She and I decided it was important for someone who has a skin color darker than ours to try it to make sure the non-whitening claim worked for them too. I honestly suspected that on a dark skin color, it might read similar to how the original tannish tint looked on me — not completely ashy but not quite right. Crystal’s friend, who agreed to test the Deep tint, has a skin color similar to Jodie Turner-Smith’s. After wearing it for a couple days, she reported zero whitening — even after closely inspecting fine lines on her forehead (where mineral sunscreens often settle and create an ashy finish). It is a nearly perfect formula, but there is one issue: It transfers. I’ve destroyed two white shirts in the span of a week, my sunscreen-slick hands accidentally brushing against my collar or shirtfront. The stain is similar to what you’d get with foundation: splotchy brown and almost impossible to quickly remove. I had to change outfits. This doesn’t turn me off from the formula completely, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Finally, I wanted to compare the new option to the original tinted formula, so I applied each formula to one-half of my face (original tinted on the left, deep tinted on the right) and took photos in sunny lighting. The original tinted formula looked a little off, basically just too light, compared to the new Deep sunscreen. I had never noticed that the tinted version wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t until I had the better version in hand that I realized how whitening the original tinted really was. Though a non-whitening mineral formula that works on dark skin is admittedly a big deal, I’m not yet convinced EltaMD Deep will replace my go-to sunscreen altogether. But for the first time ever, it has some real competition.
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