Supergoop Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil review

The importance of wearing sunscreen year-round may be the most valuable thing I’ve learned in the years I’ve been interviewing dermatologists as Reviewed’s beauty expert. Using SPF is vital to your skin’s health, as it protects it from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Even knowing this, I’m often lax about applying sunscreen in the winter months when I’m seeing minimal sunlight in Boston—the only thing I can bring myself to reach for is a bottle of moisturizer for soothing my dry skin. When I heard about Supergoop’s Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil, I thought it might be just the ticket to get me back into wearing sunscreen on the regular and protecting my skin.

What is the Supergoop Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil?

Supergoop is a popular sunscreen brand sold at stores like Sephora, Ulta, Dermstore, and Nordstrom. The brand’s lineup includes plenty of cream and gel SPF options, as well as SPF-infused makeup, but the Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost is its first oil. The formula contains ceramides to protect the skin and lock in moisture, squalane and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, a “pre- and post-biotic complex” to help your skin microbiome, and rice germ extract to soothe the skin and combat blue light and pollution. For sun protection, it uses avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene—making it a chemical sunscreen that works by absorbing into the skin and converting the sun’s rays into heat that releases into the air.

If you’re using the oil mostly for its moisturizing abilities, Supergoop recommends patting six to eight drops into the skin alone or over a water-based moisturizer before layering with a thicker sunscreen. For those wanting a one-and-done step, the brand recommends you “apply generously and evenly 15 minutes before sun exposure” and reapply every two hours.

What’s it like to use the Supergoop Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil?

I’ve used the sunscreen oil on its own, over moisturizer, and under makeup to see how well it could integrate into my morning routine. After washing my face with the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, I applied several drops of the oil to my hands and patted it into my cheeks and forehead, diffusing it outward to coat my entire face. I blended the formula around my orbital bones but avoided getting it near my eyes or applying it to the lids. I used the same technique when I applied it over my Cerave Moisturizing Cream but made sure to let the moisturizer fully absorb into my skin to avoid any pilling between the products.

The sunscreen has a thin, velvety smooth texture—it’s not thick like syrup or greasy like olive oil—that leaves the skin soft to the touch with or without moisturizer under it. My normal-to-dry skin felt adequately moisturized with this oil alone, but I noticed that applying a moisturizer underneath left my skin looking shinier post-application than it did when I nixed the extra step. On its own, the sunscreen appears to absorb better into the skin for a matte-looking finish. That said, how it looks on you will likely vary depending on your skin type and what moisturizer you use.

The first time I tried the sunscreen under my current favorite Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation, my skin looked patchy and textured. Knowing it could be a fluke, I exfoliated my skin using the Tatcha The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder to buff off any dry skin cells that night and re-tried the next day. To my satisfaction, the foundation went on much smoother, and the oil didn’t interfere with the foundation’s medium coverage or semi-matte finish. All subsequent products I used on top of the foundation went on as usual, too.

What do I like about the Supergoop Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil?

This product is my first introduction to a sunscreen oil and it gives a good name to the concept. I’m sure the palm-sized bottle with its pastel pops—it reminds me of a kid’s toy—contributed to my enthusiasm to apply it daily, but the oil itself was also so low-fuss that I didn’t mind slathering my skin in it. I also like the ingredients—it contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid like my favorite products by Cerave. It made my skin feel moisturized all day long, whether I reapplied it or not.

What did I dislike about the Supergoop Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil?

My main complaint is that you need a lot of oil to make this product reliable in the face of intense sun exposure. Let me explain: The instructions recommend six to eight drops if you’re using it with another sunscreen, like a cream formula, that will provide extra assurance. I wanted to wear it as my sole source of sun protection, for which the instructions offer a vague “apply generously” recommendation. I already felt that six to eight drops was a generous amount, especially given that the bottle only contains 1 fluid ounce. If I love a product, I’ll spend a pretty penny on it, but I would hesitate to spend the oil’s $46 price when the instructions make it seem like I’d have to apply $3 worth of sunscreen to my face every day for adequate protection. Sure, I could use this for its moisturizing abilities and layer on a more affordable cream or gel SPF but, to me, that defeats the purpose of this face oil having SPF in it in the first place.

Should you try the Supergoop Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil?

I’m torn. I think it's genius to make sunscreen in an oil formula that's lightweight and moisturizing. This oil made me excited about wearing sunscreen this winter and I love how my skin feels when I use it. My hesitation comes down to the price and the sun protection it may or may not provide if you don’t apply enough of it. I can layer an SPF on top and use less oil, but do the moisturizing properties alone provide enough reason to spend $46? That I’m unsure about, and I certainly can’t make the call for you. What I will say: If you’re unmotivated to use any sunscreen at all, this could be a great way to start on the routine, especially in the winter and/or if you have normal to dry skin.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.