(Skin)

Get The Perfect Summer Glow While Protecting Your Skin With These 9 High-Tech SPFs

Meet the must-have formulations we’re constantly reaching for.

June 12, 2023

Beautiful Black woman with braids and glowing skin posing for a selfie in a white shirt

Gone are the days when sunscreen only keeps you safe from the sun. Sure, that’s the most important factor above all, but this is 2023 and the formulas certainly don’t stop there anymore. Today’s crop of high-tech, hybrid SPFs make that possible thanks to innovative, multi-tasking formulas that brighten, make your skin glisten, and help makeup go on like a dream.

Curious to know our favorites that not only deliver top-notch UV protection, but also go above and beyond in other categories? Here, we’re sharing the must-have formulas that keep our skin protected — and looking and feeling healthy and glowy at the same time. Take it from us: Your best skin, thanks to these SPFs, starts right here. And they’re all available at Ulta Beauty.

The Lip Elixir

COOLA

Liplix Hydrating Lip Oil Golden Glow SPF 30

$18

Your lips aren’t exempt from sun damage — in fact, they’re sometimes more prone to UV harm because the skin is so thin in this area. Enter this SPF-spiked lip oil. Swipe it on for mirror-like shine and intense nourishment thanks to camellia and jojoba oils, plus vitamin C for added antioxidant protection.

The Primer

Dermalogica

Age Smart Skin Perfect Primer SPF 30

$58

Enjoy smoother skin now and later thanks to this velvety SPF primer. Hyaluronic acid plumps up skin so makeup glides on like butter and makes your complexion look fresh and juicy. At the same time, peptides work to smooth fine lines and wrinkles while broad-spectrum SPF 30 shields skin from the damaging effects of the sun.

The Invisible Stick

Live Tinted

HUEGUARD Invisible Sunscreen Stick SPF 50

$28

Chalky sunscreen? We don’t know her — only this invisible sunscreen, which happens to be incredibly cute. Glide it over your face, neck, chest, and shoulders for a dewy sheen that makes skin look dewy, never sweaty. You’ll also love how effortless the portable stick makes on-the-go touch-ups. It makes reapplying throughout the day *so* easy-breezy, which is definitely worth writing home about.

The Two-in-One

BeautyStat Cosmetics

Universal C Skin Refiner Vitamin C Serum + SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen

$85

The irony of a sun tan is that it might make you look bronze and radiant right away, but will make your skin dull and prone to dark spots a mere few weeks later. This smart SPF serum has both under control: Mineral sunscreen filter titanium dioxide blocks out the sun’s rays while a whopping 20 percent vitamin C dissolves discoloration and brightens skin.

The Body Oil

Kopari Beauty

Rose Gold Sun Shield Body Glow SPF 45

$39

Make your body look like a glazed donut with this indulgent oil laced with UV filters and fine, pearlescent rose gold shimmer. Ideal for beach or pool days — that, or smoothing on exposed skin before brunch or running errands — it leaves skin with a glowy sheen. Not to mention applying it feels extra luxurious, and when’s the last time you said that about putting on sunblock?

The Tinted Serum

Undefined Beauty

R&R Sun Serum

$28

We love a product that helps us skip a few steps in the morning. This non-nano, zinc-based mineral sunscreen combines powerful skin-care ingredients with a universally flattering sheer tint, so if this is the only product you apply in the morning, you’re more than good. Inside you’ll find ingredients like niacinamide, raspberry seed, and jojoba that nourish, soothe, and protect from free radicals. On top of that, the tint itself helps to protect against hyperpigmentation.

The Facial Spray

Vacation

Super Spritz SPF 50 Face Mist

$24

Who doesn’t love a refreshing face mist? This one pulls double duty with added SPF, so you’re rehydrating and re-upping on sunscreen every time you spritz. Super ideal for applying over makeup, the fine mist formula dries down super quickly and leaves a beautiful satin finish behind — without disturbing your hard work.

The Sheer Mineral

Good Molecules

Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

$12

Like a skin-care treatment, only it’s an SPF. Enriched with grapeseed oil, tucuma seed butter, and hyaluronic acid, this moisturizing zinc-based formula glides on easily with very minimal residue left behind. Additionally, it’s packed with antioxidants to protect skin from damaging free radicals.

The Cooling Lotion

La Roche-Posay

Anthelios Cooling Water Lotion Sunscreen SPF 60

$39

There’s nothing less appealing than having to reapply sunscreen when you’re all hot, sweaty, and sticky. No excuses with this weightless, water-like lotion though, which features a built-in cooling effect that feels nice and refreshing on your skin as you rub it on your face and body. It also contains free radical-fighting antioxidants and soothing thermal spring water, making it an excellent option for even the most sensitive of skin types.