Product Overview
A lightweight facial sunscreen that pairs SPF 50 with serum-like hydration. Hyaluronic acid supports the skin barrier and lasting moisture, while Zinc-AOX Pro Technology combines zinc oxide with four antioxidants to help defend against environmental stressors.
Recommended For
Normal, dry, dehydrated and mature skin seeking high daily protection with sustained hydration.
Texture and Experience
An easily blendable, quick-absorbing lotion with a comfortable hydrated finish.
Care Step
Protect SPF — final morning skin care step before makeup; reapply throughout the day as directed.
Key Ingredients
- Zinc Oxide 11% and Octisalate 5% — broad-spectrum UV protection
- Hyaluronic Acid — supports hydration and barrier function
- Zinc-AOX Pro Technology — antioxidant support against environmental stressors
Conscious Formula
Fragrance-free, paraben-free, dye-free, oil-free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.
Available Size
1.7 oz / 48 g
Professional Recommendation
Choose UV Daily Hydration+ SPF 50 when your skin feels tight or looks dull and dehydrated by the end of the day and you still want a high level of daily protection. Within the EltaMD daily range this is the most cushioning option: UV Daily SPF 40 gives a lighter moisture boost, UV Clear SPF 46 suits blemish-prone and oilier skin, and UV Skin Recovery SPF 50 is built for stressed-looking skin after professional treatments. Hydration+ sits at the moisturizing end of the line — hyaluronic acid plus a transparent zinc oxide finish — so for many people it can take the place of a separate hydrating step rather than sit on top of one.
Apply it as the last skin care step of the morning, while skin is still slightly damp from serum, and give the layer about a minute to settle before foundation; that is when the finish looks most even. Use enough to cover the whole face plus the ears, hairline and neck, and do not thin it out with moisturizer or facial oil — a stretched, patchy layer is the most common reason daily protection underperforms. After a salon facial or another in-studio service, follow the timing your provider gives you before going back to daily sun care.
Safety Information
Apply liberally 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapply at least every two hours, and again after swimming, toweling off or heavy sweating. Sun protection works alongside shade, a wide-brimmed hat and covering clothing, not instead of them, so keep time in the midday sun limited as well. For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes; if the product gets into your eyes, rinse thoroughly with water.
Not recommended for:
- Children under 6 months of age.
- Broken, freshly wounded or bleeding skin.
- Anyone with a known sensitivity to zinc oxide, octisalate or any other listed ingredient.
- Use straight after an in-studio treatment, before the professional who treated you has cleared it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from UV Daily Hydration+ Tinted SPF 50?
The formula and the level of protection are the same. The tinted version adds a sheer universal tint that evens out the look of the complexion and removes any hint of a pale cast, so some people wear it in place of a light base. Choose this untinted version if you prefer a clear finish or wear your own foundation over it.
How does it compare with UV Daily SPF 40?
UV Daily SPF 40 is a lighter moisture boost aimed at normal to combination skin. Hydration+ moves up to SPF 50 and leans on hyaluronic acid for a fuller, more comfortable hydrated finish, which usually suits dry, dehydrated and mature skin better.
Will it leave a white cast?
It is built around a transparent zinc oxide finish and blends in quickly, so it is designed to disappear on the skin rather than sit on top of it. On deeper skin tones the tinted version blends away even more invisibly.
Do I still need a moisturizer underneath?
Often not. The texture is closer to a hydrating lotion than to a classic sunscreen, so on most mornings a serum followed by Hydration+ is enough. If your skin is very dry, keep a light moisturizer and let it absorb fully before the SPF layer.
Does it sit well under makeup?
Yes. It absorbs quickly and layers well. Let it settle for about a minute, then press base products on with a light hand instead of rubbing them in, so the sunscreen layer stays even.
Pairs Well With
- EltaMD UV Daily Hydration+ Tinted SPF 50: the same formula with a sheer tint, for days when you want the look of an even complexion without a base.
- EltaMD UV Lip Balm SPF 36: covers the lips, which a face sunscreen is not meant to cover.
- EltaMD UV AOX Mist SPF 40: makes the two-hourly top-up simple over makeup.
- Explore the full EltaMD collection.