Tinted sunscreens – what are they and when to use them?

Until a decade ago, sunscreens were mostly used for cancer prevention and not specifically for pigmentation. With Indians entering the sunscreen scene, the focus has shifted to protecting the skin from two main problems caused by the sun on Indian skin – photoaging and pigmentation. Mostly pigmentation, though.

To address this requirement, sunscreens which until then, were only protecting in the UVB spectrum for cancer, needed to move further into the UVA, visible light(VL) and the infrared(IR) segments of the solar spectrum. For this, we need antioxidants like Pycnogenol or Polypodium or tints like iron oxides.

So now, we have two classes of sunscreens to protect us against pigmentation: antioxidant sunscreens and tinted sunscreens. Though their goal is similar, they differ in their function – tinted sunscreens provide additional coverage, which is a very useful feature for those wanting to conceal their pigmentation, in addition to protecting against further pigmentation. Antioxidant sunscreens do not provide coverage but have other benefits like preventing skin collagen breakdown and increasing skin hydration, oxygenation and pigment cell support.

Typically, iron oxides, with or without titanium dioxides are used in tinted sunscreens, very similar to what is used in makeup products. And like makeup products, which are long stay, tinted sunscreens can also last long on the skin if formulated well. This is important, since it is practically difficult to reapply tinted sunscreens without looking patchy. Again, this is similar to foundations, which are not easy to reapply, something that makeup users will be well aware of. However, unlike foundation products, colour match with tinted mineral sunscreen depends on the underlying mineral filter, since the quantity of the mineral filter in a tinted sunscreen is much higher than the tint itself! Tinted chemical sunscreens are easier to use, since the colour match is more direct. Tinted sunscreens with titanium as part of the tint, provide more coverage compared to those with iron oxides alone. The difference is like painting with water colour on a coloured background versus on a white sheet of paper – titanium acts like the white sheet to bring out the tint.

Tinted mineral sunscreens are becoming very popular for Indian skin types, because of the coverage and the safety. A practical usage tip would be to add a light moisturiser, when working indoors in air-conditioned environments. This would protect the mineral ingredients from drying out your skin.

Tinted mineral sunscreens were one of the most trending products in 2024, replacing earlier versions like BB, CC and DD creams. We expect more refinement in this space in 2025. The main driver for this move comes from the rising desire to reduce “Body Burden" something we will discuss soon.