I love luxury skincare, but this £13 SPF moisturiser will be all I’m using this summer

I’ll try not to spend too much time waxing lyrical about how important it is to wear SPF every day because, truth be told, I think most of us know. Besides the obvious—that it protects your skin from the major health issues that exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause—skincare experts are also unanimous about the fact that wearing sunscreen prevents the kind of damage that leads to pigmentation, dehydration, and uneven texture.

Having said all that, though, I know that many people struggle to get on with SPF. Traditionally, a lot of facial sunscreens have been thick and pore-clogging (not appealing if you’re oily-skinned like me), and mineral formulas in particular can leave behind a chalky white residue, which just won’t fly with deeper skin tones. However, over the years I have tested hundreds of sun creams, SPF moisturisers and lightweight sunscreens, and I truly believe that there is now an abundance of brilliant sun protection options on the market that protect skin, feel incredible, and leave no hint of greasiness or whitecast.

The catch? A lot of my favourites come with a hefty price tag. In my experience, the best sun protection products cost more as you’re paying for the technology and product development that has created an advanced and wearable formulation. So when I heard fellow beauty editors raving about a certain SPF moisturiser that costs just £13, I was intrigued. Enter: ELF Skin Holy Hydration Face Cream with SPF 30.

My honest review of the E.L.F. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream SPF 30

First impressions

I know so many beauty journalists who rave about E.L.F Cosmetics when it comes to the best affordable beauty products, and nearly always at the top of the list will be their cult Holy Hydration Face Cream. I tried it for myself the first time a couple of years back and was hugely impressed by the formula—for a high-street brand, it delivered on ingredients, texture and hydration. Yet I wasn’t sure whether an SPF-infused version would be up my street. Why? Well, typically, I’m not big on SPF moisturisers as I prefer to use a face cream followed by a dedicated sunscreen to ensure I’ve got enough coverage and protection. However, if you do avoid using SPF, then I can see the value in these products, particularly during the autumn and winter months here in the UK when sunlight is not exactly in abundance.

Anyway, like the original formulation, the E.L.F. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream SPF 30 at first glance looks like quite a basic moisturiser. And I don’t say this in a bad way. A lot of skincare comes with huge claims, extensive ingredient lists, and new-fangled textures to entice consumers. This one looks and feels exactly what you’d expect from a face cream—it has a nice viscosity (not too thick and not too thin), blends in fairly easily (although I wouldn’t say it sinks in as effortlessly as some of my favourite moisturisers), and has a fresh slightly floral scent. Plus, I love how lightweight the pot is, which would make it a brilliant summer holiday option for packing in your case.

The formula

So, let’s get into the formula itself. In terms of sun protection, the E.L.F. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream SPF 30 contains a broad-spectrum SPF 30, which means it’s going to protect skin from both UVA and UVB rays—essential for me when I’m picking a sunscreen. And while I know that lots of people don’t wear less than SPF 50 on their face, I’ve always been happy to wear an SPF 30 for normal days here in the UK. Plus, all of the skincare experts that I speak to tend to agree that SPF 30 as a minimum is a good place to start.

For me, though, beyond the sun protection, it’s the skincare ingredients in this moisturiser that appeal. There’s hyaluronic acid to help skin retain moisture and stay hydrated all day, niacinamide to even skin tone and minimise the appearance of pores, and peptides to smooth and plump. E.L.F has taken some of the most versatile and beneficial skincare ingredients and put them all into one everyday formula, meaning that this moisturiser will work just as well for oily skin as it will for dry.

I will say, though, that if you're used to a gel moisturiser or a cream that's more lightweight, then at first this might take some getting used to. While it definitely isn't greasy or tacky once applied to the skin, it is a little thicker than some of my go-to formulations and does require some massaging in, much like a classic sun cream. However, once it's on my skin, I feel hydrated, soft and supple, and not in the slightest bit tacky.

The results

I have to say that since receiving this a few weeks back, I’ve been surprised at how frequently I have reached for the E.L.F. Skin Holy Hydration! Face Cream SPF 30. It’s become a morning staple for me, particularly while we’ve been enjoying some early signs of summer with some beautiful sunny days recently. I love how well it hydrates and plumps my skin, and the fact that I can layer my other sunscreens and base products on top without any pilling (something that happens more often than I’d like with SPF). And while I will continue to wear my usual sun protection on top of this one, on days that I’m just inside the house working or during the winter months, I’d personally be happy enough to just wear this—safe in the knowledge that my skin looks fresh, bright and healthy and is protected from UV rays at the same time. And for £13, who can argue with that?