Sunscreen is the absolute most important skin-care product to use religiously, if you want to avoid dark spots and wrinkles and stay looking youthful for longer—we know this. But although formulations have significantly improved over the years, sunscreen is still one of the hardest products to get just right, which is why so many people (this beauty editor included) just can’t seem to commit to daily application. But I’m not getting any younger and my melasma isn’t getting any lighter, so I’ve been testing as many sunscreens as I can get my hands on, in my quest to find The One.
HydroPeptide Solar Defense Tinted ($48) promises to do a lot: hydrate with hyaluronic acid, soothe with cucumber and calendula, protect against UV rays with SPF 30, and provide subtle, matte tinted coverage. Does it actually check all the boxes? Contributing senior editor Jolene Edgar, senior content writer Julie Ricevuto, and I all added it into our skin-care lineup, then took to Slack to share our honest thoughts.
HydroPeptide Solar Defense review
Alix: I LOVE this product. I’m shocked by how passionate I am about it, because I’m really bad with sunscreen and basically only wear it if I’m at the beach or outside for hours—but I use this every day.
Jolene: I’m honestly surprised how much I like it too, because tinted sunscreens are ordinarily not my thing. Plus I went in thinking that these color-adjusting beads are sort of gimmicky. Remember when Almay launched something similar forever ago? But this really worked for my skin tone and didn’t look makeup-y.
Julie: Same! I like the idea of wearing sunscreen every day, but it tends to make my skin look oily and wash me out. But with this, my skin looks flawless when I put it on. It gives me coverage without looking like heavy foundation—like an IRL beauty filter that’s good for my skin.
Alix: I know, for me, it’s makeup-y in the best way—it covers the melasma on my cheeks enough that I haven’t been putting on concealer.
Jolene: I should add, I normally do wear sunscreen daily—usually a 50+ SPF, because of my melasma, which this formula blurred beautifully.
Alix: You don’t think it will blend at first, but then it settles in so quickly.
Jolene: Agreed. Are we all about the same skin tone? Type II? I wonder how it would blend on someone darker.
Alix: Yeah, it says it works for Types I–V, but I can imagine the pearlescence might look chalky on dark skin.
Jolene: Pearlescence is normally a turn-off for me, but this was so subtle and just gave the best glow.
Julie: Love the pearlescence…it wasn’t overkill.
Alix: Is the scent controversial? I love how the whole HydroPeptide line smells, but I can see how someone would hate it because it’s so strong. And it’s a weird choice for a science-backed line.
Jolene: How would you describe the fragrance? I’ve been trying to put my finger on it. Is it fruity? Cucumbery? WHAT IS IT?
Alix: It’s beachy.
Jolene: [Sniff, sniff.] Ooooh, you’re right!
Julie: It’s not my favorite, but it’s not enough of a turnoff for me to skip using it. I like how the product looks on my skin too much for the fragrance to matter.
Jolene: I’m usually a fragrance-free person, but this doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t really linger once on, I don’t think.
Julie: Also, I’m pretty picky about any sunscreens or foundations that I put on my skin, because they often lead to breakouts—but I’ve used this for a while now, and my skin has been totally fine.
Jolene: Fine lines are more my concern, and I was happy to see that it didn’t settle in or magnify the lines around my mouth. Added antioxidants make me happy too.
Alix: There really isn’t anything I don’t like, although for the price, I wish I had a bit more product. I probably would keep repurchasing because it’s the only tinted sunscreen I’ve ever wanted to wear, but I go through it quickly.
Julie: Yeah, agreed, I’m going to fly through this tube. I wish there were more in it, for the price.
Jolene: Good point. Applied as directed, this tiny tube won’t last very long. Good for travel though.
Julie: To sum it up, 8/10 I would recommend to a friend. I wouldn’t wear this on the beach, but I will wear it every day.
Jolene: Yes, same page for sure, 8/10—mainly because I wish it had a higher SPF.
Alix: It’s a 10/10 for me.
