Sun ProtectionChemical Sunscreen
UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 — Reddit Reviews
by EltaMD
Updated October 13, 2026
Octinoxate-zinc SPF 40 hydrates dry skin with a dewy finish; irritation remains common.
What the community says
A combination SPF 40 moisturizer with 7.5% octinoxate, 9% zinc oxide, petrolatum, and sodium hyaluronate, it suits dry or dehydrated skin wanting one morning step. The dewy film layers under makeup, yet rosacea-prone users report heat, bumps, and irritation.
What this means for you
What people love
Watch out for
- Can irritate rosacea-prone skin, causing heat and bumps
- Breakouts appear in community reports
- Separates over some sunscreen layers
Product details
Concerns
Use caution
Skin Type
Key Ingredients
Where to buy
What the science says
Skin Barrier
Some evidence
Petrolatum: 13 studies tested it directly. See all 22 studies
What the studies found
- Most studies found it helped the skin barrier
- It often lowered water loss and helped skin hold more moisture
- It helped damaged skin recover faster and protected skin from some irritants
- It improved dry, itchy skin in some studies, including in older adults and babies
- A few studies found no clear extra benefit over a control or another moisturizer
Eczema
Some evidence
Petrolatum: 6 studies tested it directly. See all 8 studies
What the studies found
- Most studies found petrolatum helped eczema or related skin changes
- Studies found it could lower how bad eczema was and reduce scaling
- It improved hand eczema symptoms, but was not better than another moisturizer
- It improved how much water the skin held, though another product worked better in some areas
- One study found another moisturizer helped eczema more than petrolatum
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 33 mentions across 20 threads
EltaMD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 on Reddit, in one place — 20 threads from r/30PlusSkinCare, r/tretinoin and 3 more, summarized.
“I feel like their UV Daily is more popular and I wish they'd included it.”
Mentioned
“their UV Daily is more popular”
Mentioned
“Elta UV Daily tinted and Epionce Tinted SPF are what I keep repurchasing.”
Positive
“or EltaMD tinted sunscreen for a more sheer look”
Positive
“Elta MD or Colorscience!”
Positive
“then apply elta md uv daily 40 spf sunscreen.”
Mentioned
“Is the sunscreen causing this?”
Mentioned
“thank you for the kind words 💙. i just started using this sunscreen last week, might be the culprit”
Mentioned
“I use EltaMD as well, I like the Daily one.”
Mentioned
“I’ve been using the EltaMD one for years and really like it!”
Mentioned
“Elta MD!”
Mentioned
“I then used UV Daily for close to 10 years”
Positive
“but recently it’s become irritating and I’m unsure why.”
Positive
“Some have said there is a recent ingredient change?”
Positive
“EltaMD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 - Untinted”
Positive
“I bought the EltaMD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 - Untinted.”
Positive
“My skin has done a total 180 - where it used to be dry and cracked and flaky it's now actually soft and looks like normal skin.”
Positive
