EltaMD UV Clear vs UV Daily: Daily SPF That Looks Like Skin
UV Clear is $45 and the one I wear under makeup. UV Daily is $36.55 and the moisturizer-SPF I want on dry weeks. Same brand, two textures, no chalk cast.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, The Deals Home may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I would actually use.
I will spend money on a coat I will wear a hundred times. I will not spend money on a sunscreen that leaves a chalk line on my jaw in daylight. Daily SPF is the one "luxury" I treat as non-negotiable, and it does not have to be a $90 vial from a marble counter.
Two EltaMD bottles sit in our catalog today, August 22, 2026. I have worn both under makeup in New York light. Here is how I choose.
EltaMD UV Clear: the one I reach for on camera days
EltaMD UV Clear is $45 in our catalog. Oil-free, zinc, SPF 46 (the listing also mentions an SPF 50 version). It is the fluid I want when my skin is a little reactive or I am wearing a base that pills on anything greasy.
It disappears. That is the whole review. No white cast I have to buff out in a cab. No perfume. It plays with a tinted moisturizer the way a good silk slip plays with a dress: you forget it is there, and the outfit looks more expensive.
I do not call this a miracle. I call it the sunscreen I will actually put on at 8 a.m. when I am late.
EltaMD UV Daily: the moisturizer-SPF for dry weeks
EltaMD UV Daily SPF 40 is $36.55 in our catalog, marked down from a $43 list on our compare page. It is a moisturizer with SPF, hyaluronic acid, same zinc family. I reach for it when the heat is off and my skin is thirsty, or when I want one fewer step before I run out.
It is not identical to UV Clear. UV Daily is the knit sweater. UV Clear is the clean tee. Same brand, different drape.
If you are dry and you hate a separate moisturizer-plus-SPF stack in the morning, UV Daily is the luxury-feel shortcut. If you are oily or you break out around the mouth when a sunscreen is too creamy, stay with UV Clear.
What I will not do
I will not tell you I ran a lab test. I will not invent a "wear test score." I will tell you what I see in a bathroom mirror and on a 2 p.m. Zoom: UV Clear stays flatter under makeup. UV Daily feels kinder on a dry cheek.
I also will not send you to a $70 "skin tint with SPF 18" and call it sun care. If the number on the bottle is the reason you bought it, buy a real face sunscreen.
Style on any budget, not a cheaper cast
Thirty-six to forty-five dollars is not drugstore SPF. It is still less than a lot of "prestige" bottles that photograph well and wear like paste. Quality over logo. I would rather finish an EltaMD than own three unopened prestige SPFs I hated on day one.
If $36 still feels like a stretch, you can live in a drugstore fluid that does not chalk. I would rather you wear something daily than wait for a mythical 50% off on UV Clear.
Who should skip both
Skip UV Clear if you want a rich cream and you will resent a lighter fluid. Skip UV Daily if you already have a moisturizer you love and you only need a thin SPF on top. Skip both if you need a body sunscreen for a beach day. These are face bottles.
I am a fashion editor. If you have a pigment condition or a prescription, ask the person who wrote the prescription.
Compare
Same brand, two textures, live prices. I would open this before I added either to a cart:
Compare EltaMD UV Clear vs EltaMD UV Daily
Products in This Review
EltaMD UV Clear Face Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide, Oil-Free, SPF 46 and SPF 50 | Calms and Protects Acne-Prone Skin and Rosacea, No White Cast, Dermatologist Recommended, Available in Three Tints and Sizes
.po-break-word { word-break: break-word; } .po-truncate-attribute .a-truncate-cut{ word-break: break-word; } #po-tta-action { padding: 0; } function logTechTermAssistMetric(nexusSchemaId, metricParameters) { if (typeof window.csa !== 'undefined') { var ttaEvents = csa("Events", {producerId: "cetech-tta"}); metricParameters.schemaId = nexusSchemaId; metricParameters.asin = 'B002MSN3QQ'; metricParameters.deviceType = 'web'; metricParameters.productType = 'SUNSCREEN'; metricParameters.obfuscatedMarketplaceId = 'ATVPDKIKX0DER'; ttaEvents("log", metricParameters, { ent: 'all' }); } } function logTechTermAssistEvent(nexusSchemaId) { logTechTermAssistMetric(nexusSchemaId, {}); } Scent Unscented Product Benefits (function(f) {var _np=(window.P._namespace("DetailPageProductOverviewTemplatesJava"));if(_np.guardFatal){_np.guardFatal(f)(_np);}else{f(_np);}}(function(P) { P.when('A').execute(function(A){ A.on('a:truncate:po-attribute-truncate-1:updated', function(data) { var isTruncated = !data.truncateInstance.getIfTextFits(); var seeMoreElement = document.getElementById('po-attribute-see-more-id-1'); if(seeMoreElement) { seeMoreElement.style.display = isTruncated ? '' : 'none'; } }) }); })); Helps protect normal, sensitive and acne prone skin from UVA/UVB rays without leaving behind a chalky white cast.Helps protect normal, sensitive and acne prone skin from UVA/UVB rays without leaving behind a chalky white cast. See more Sun Protection Factor 46 sun_protection_factor Item Weight 1.7 ounces Number of Items 1 About this item CLEAR SUNSCREEN FOR FACE: This lightweight face sunscreen with transparent Zinc Oxide provides broad spectrum SPF 46 protection and helps protect normal and sensitive skin types from UVA and UVB damage without leaving white cast residue behind FOR NORMAL, ACNE-PRONE, AND SENSITIVE SKIN TYPES: UV Clear uses an oil-free, non-comedogenic formula that’s designed for daily use on normal, oily, rosacea, and acne-prone skin so you get effective daily sun protection without feeling greasy SUITABLE FOR HYPERPIGMENTED SKIN: Contains Niacinamide which helps to visibly improve skin tone and reduce the appearance of discoloration and blemishes on the skin CONVENIENT TRAVEL SIZE SUNSCREEN: This face sunscreen is TSA approved and comes in a convenient travel-size pump bottle that easily fits in handbags, beach bags, and carry on luggage so you can protect your skin at home, work, or on the go SUITABLE FOR ALL SKIN TYPES: UV Clear comes in both tinted and untinted versions that support a wide range of skin types and complexions; it’s a dermatologist recommended sunscreen that’s fragrance-free, paraben-free, sensitivity-free, and non-comedogenic Show more
EltaMD UV Daily SPF 40 Face Sunscreen Moisturizer with Zinc Oxide, Daily Face Moisturizer with SPF, Sunscreen for Dry Skin
Ships from Amazon Amazon Ships from Amazon Sold by ExclusiveBeautyClub ExclusiveBeautyClub Sold by ExclusiveBeautyClub Returns FREE 30-day refund/replacement FREE 30-day refund/replacement Quick refund Usually issued within 24 hours. See exceptions FREE return At least one free return option available. Convenient dropoff At any of our 50,000 US locations. See return policy Payment Secure transaction Your transaction is secure We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more Gift options Available at checkout Available at checkout This item is a gift. Change At checkout, you can add a custom message, a gift receipt for easy returns and have the item gift-wrapped Add gift options at checkout