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EltaMD

UV AOX Elements SPF 50.

EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50
Sunscreen

About this product

A tinted mineral sunscreen with SPF 50 featuring zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, designed to protect skin from UV damage while providing medium coverage and hydration.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

81%

Yay

5 experts · Moderate agreement
5Gurus
5Yay
0Mixed
0Nay

What they liked

  • Lightweight, non-greasy texture
  • Medium coverage with universally flattering tint
  • Hydrating formula with antioxidants

What they flagged

  • Not water resistant; unsuitable for beach wear
  • Single shade may not match all skin tones

What the gurus are saying

This tinted mineral sunscreen earns consistent praise for its creamy, lightweight texture and medium coverage that hides dark spots without feeling heavy or greasy. Gurus highlight the hydrating formula and universally flattering tint, though one reviewer notes the reformulation removed water resistance, making it unsuitable for beach wear, and caution that butyloctyl salicylate may irritate sensitive areas like the neck or eyelids in some people. Those with warmer or deeper skin tones may find the newer, darker tint a better match than before.
Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take June 2026

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
Yay
"If you're looking for a spray, the EltaMD UV AOX Elements is mineral sunscreen only. It's a little bit pricier option, but it's pretty good formulated, worth knowing about if you want mineral body sunscreen with a little bit more elegant finish."
Yay
"If you have hyperpigmentation, go for a tinted sunscreen. [...] The iron oxides are important to block visible light, and you can see that in EltaMD's UV Elements."
All 4 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai
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"If you have hyperpigmentation, go for a tinted sunscreen. [...] The iron oxides are important to block visible light, and you can see that in EltaMD's UV Elements."
Dermatologist Explains: How to Manage Hyperpigmentation/Dark Spots on the Face
"The most classic one that my staff loves here in the office is EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50. It has mineral sunscreen with tint."
MY THREE BEST SKINCARE TIPS as a Dermatologist
"My staff likes the EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50 -- that one's a really popular one. It's a thicker BB cream texture that has a good tint to it that will help hide blemishes."
Dermatologist Explains: Ten Ways to Manage Melasma!
"EltaMD's UV Clear Tinted and UV Elements are just great tinted options."
Yay
"This is another one of my favorite sunscreens that was reformulated this year, it's an SPF 50, it's a tinted sunscreen, it only comes in one shade, it's still a fantastic sunscreen."
All 6 takes from HotandFlashy
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"This one is actually water resistant and it says it on their website but it doesn't say it on the bottle for some reason, so you can wear this one to the beach as well as under your makeup. This one actually is better under makeup than the old one. It goes on feeling very lightweight and it does dry back really nicely. My problem with it with the reformulation is that they changed the color and now the color is darker and a little bit warmer, so it almost goes on orangey now whereas before it just looked a lot more natural on my skin tone. It does wear great under makeup, so that is still a really excellent sunscreen that I can highly highly recommend."
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"This is the reformulated version of one of my all-time favorite sunscreens. It is still pretty good. I find that the color match on this is just not great for me anymore, so I don't use it as much as I used to. But this is an awesome sunscreen. This is a tinted mineral sunscreen. It just rubs in really easily. It's not heavy. It's not super greasy, feels really nice on the skin. It's got antioxidants in it, so it helps to fight those free radicals that are caused by sun exposure."
I Tried $900 Of Mineral Sunscreen So You Don't Have To! White Cast? Greasy? Good Under Makeup?
"The foundation has really lasted so I am really happy with this. I'm giving this one a four out of five as a standalone sunscreen and a four out of five under makeup."
FAVES + FAILS! Best & Worst in Skincare, Beauty, & Fashion Over the Last 4 Months!
"Second runner up in this year's video was a reformulation of one of my longtime favorites. This is EltaMD UV AOX Elements, so this is a reformulation from UV Elements, which was an SPF 44. This newer version with the reformulation is an SPF 50. The tint on this one is a little bit darker than it used to be and a little bit warmer, so if I put on a sunless tan it matches pretty well. This one is actually a little better than the old formula as far as how it wears under makeup. So if you are a little warmer skin tone, a little bit darker than me, this could be the perfect sunscreen for you and it could be like your Holy Grail, because it does work really well under makeup and better than the original."
Something Old, Something New, Something Discontinued + I'm Blue . . .
"The new version does not mention being water resistant at all, so it's not a good choice to wear to the beach, where the old formula was always one of my go-tos. The good news is that it feels, looks, and acts very much like the original formula. It feels very lightweight on the skin, doesn't feel super greasy, and leaves a nice glowy, dewy finish. The new version actually wore under makeup better than the old version for me, because the old one always shortened the wear time of my foundation. With this one, my foundation lasted a good eight hours solid with no wearing off and no settling into wrinkles. I really like it a lot. The main reason I'm not super happy with it is that the butyloctyl salicylate tends to irritate my skin. I can't really use sunscreens with butyl salicylate on my neck, and depending on how much is in a formula, it sometimes irritates my eyelids and makes the rest of my skin sting. With this sunscreen, I don't think it's super high on the ingredient list (some sunscreens have it as the second ingredient after water), but this one hasn't irritated my eyelids or my face. I haven't used it on my neck yet. Overall, this is pretty good, and if you're switching over from the old version, you could be perfectly happy with the new one."
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"This is another one of my favorite sunscreens that was reformulated this year, it's an SPF 50, it's a tinted sunscreen, it only comes in one shade, it's still a fantastic sunscreen."
Yay
"This is medium coverage because it can cover up any dark spots or imperfections and it leaves my skin feeling really hydrated as well. This is a really great option for those who are looking for a sunscreen product that does more than just protect your skin from the sun because it does have that really nice coverage, it has those extra skin care ingredients, and it's just a really elegant formula. This is one of my favorite tinted sunscreens."
All 2 takes from Tea with MD
Tinted Sunscreens: Top 6 Picks | Dr. Joyce Park
"This is medium coverage because it can cover up any dark spots or imperfections and it leaves my skin feeling really hydrated as well. This is a really great option for those who are looking for a sunscreen product that does more than just protect your skin from the sun because it does have that really nice coverage, it has those extra skin care ingredients, and it's just a really elegant formula. This is one of my favorite tinted sunscreens."
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"The EltaMD UV AOX Elements has been a holy grail for a long time. I just really love how this goes on with a very creamy texture, it feels hydrating with the perfect amount of coverage. This one is a purely physical blocker, mineral blocker with zinc oxide 10 and titanium dioxide 5.5, and it really has a wonderful tint that's universally flattering. It also contains hyaluronic acid, so it gives you a little bit of that hydration and helps you retain moisture as well."
Yay
"The UV Elements is my top pick, the tinted one for sensitive skin."
Sponsored
All 2 takes from The Budget Dermatologist
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"The UV Elements is my top pick, the tinted one for sensitive skin."
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"The UV Elements is one of the most simple formulations of all the EltaMD sunscreens. They really push this one for post-procedure skincare, sensitive skin, and rosacea-prone skin. The formulation is simple, not a ton of ingredients. It contains both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, has a vitamin C derivative for antioxidant protection, hyaluronic acid, and iron oxides that give it a nice tinted pigmented coverage. The finish is actually a little more coverage than others, goes on a little bit thicker with light to medium coverage, and finishes with a really velvety finish that feels soft, not matte, not too shiny. I use this one under makeup if I want just a really non-sunscreen look."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50?

A tinted mineral sunscreen with SPF 50 featuring zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, designed to protect skin from UV damage while providing medium coverage and hydration.

Is EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50 worth it?

Yes. All 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 81%.

What is EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50's Guru Score?

EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50 holds a Guru Score of 81%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50 best for?

EltaMD UV AOX Elements SPF 50 is generally suited to sensitive skin.

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