The Battle Begins: Foundation vs. Tinted Moisturizer

I know ladies, it’s confusing – which do you choose, foundation or tinted moisturizer?! When some women think of foundation think of a heavy cover up that masks their skin, but that simply isn’t true. Foundation has advanced just like everything else. It now has ingredients that help with anti-aging and acne reduction, in addition to coming in light-weight, air-whipped formulas – it’s much more than a cover up for imperfections! But then of course there is a surge of tinted moisturizers that claim to hydrate the skin while simultaneously evening out your skin tone… Okay, now it really got confusing! First, let’s figure out how they’re similar.

Both foundation and tinted moisturizers contain a solvent (water), mixtures of humectants (chemicals that bind water to your skin) and emollients (oily chemicals that smooth the skin and create a moisture barrier). We all know from elementary school that oil and water don’t mix so they both contain surfactants to keep the water and oil-soluble ingredients mixed together in a creamy base. Like most products on the shelf, they both have preservatives to keep them from spoiling – who wants to put moldy foundation or tinted moisturizer on – yuck!! And of course, since they’re designed to provide some color to your skin, they contain pigments. So how do they differ you ask?

Well, they’re definitely similar, but not identical. When looking for more coverage, I recommend going for foundation because it typically provides more pigment, with little to no imperfections in sight. As previously mentioned, both have humectants, but tinted moisturizers tend to have more so they’ll hydrate your skin better than a foundation typically would. They also give more of a sheer coverage so your natural skin, imperfections and all will still show through. Because changes are pretty minimal, it boils down to personal preference and which would be better for your skin type.

Also Read: Hydration vs. Moisture

If you’re looking for minimal coverage a tinted moisturizer would be best. Additionally, if you have dry skin this would be a great option for you due to it containing more humectants. Foundations normally work best for women with oily skin and looking for more complete coverage. There is no one-size-fits-all for foundation or tinted moisturizer so it’s really trial and error.

At the end of the day, they both deliver skin-tinting pigments and do essentially the same thing. It’s going to be more of a personal preference and likely depend on how much coverage you’re looking to achieve at any given time. I would recommend having them both in your beauty arsenal because as the seasons change, it’s always great to have options!