Sun ProtectionChemical Sunscreen
UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 — Reddit Reviews
by EltaMD
Updated October 21, 2026
Hydrating SPF 40 with zinc oxide and octinoxate; dewy, makeup-friendly finish.
What the community says
A combination sunscreen with 9% zinc oxide, 7.5% octinoxate, petrolatum, and sodium hyaluronate, built to double as morning moisturizer. Dry or dehydrated skin gets the cushy, dewy finish; reactive or acne-prone users report irritation, bumps, and breakouts.
What this means for you
What people love
Watch out for
- Irritates some rosacea-prone faces, causing heat, dryness, and bumps
- Breakouts reported, including with the tinted version
- Separates over some other sunscreens
Product details
Concerns
Use caution
Skin Type
Product Traits
Key Ingredients
Where to buy
What the science says
Skin Barrier
Some evidence
Petrolatum: 13 studies tested it on its own. See all 22 studies
What the studies found
- Most studies found it helped the skin barrier
- It often helped dry, rough, or itchy skin look and feel better
- It helped the skin's protective layer heal faster after damage in some studies
- It could lower water loss through the skin, even after a single use
- Some studies found no clear difference for diaper rash or irritated skin
Eczema
Some evidence
Petrolatum: 6 studies tested it on its own. See all 8 studies
What the studies found
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 31 mentions across 17 threads
EltaMD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 on Reddit, in one place — 17 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
Dupes & Alternatives
Beauty of Joseon
Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh: Rice + B5 SPF50+ PA++++
Better for Sun Protection
9 shared traits
520 mentions
