EltaMD AM Restore does not contain sunscreen. The letters "AM" only mean the product is meant for morning use. They say nothing about sun protection. This lotion has no UV filters, and the brand's own directions tell you to follow it with a sunscreen.
This matters because it is easy to assume a daytime moisturizer has you covered. It does not. Sunscreen is a separate step, every morning.
The lotion itself is led by niacinamide, which has good evidence for barrier support, oil control, and evening out pigment. That is a genuine strength — just not a substitute for SPF.
| Key active | Niacinamide + hyaluronic acid |
| Texture | Sheer, silicone-based lotion |
| Best for | Oily and sensitive skin; a light daytime moisturizer |
| Approximate price | $48 for 1.7 oz |
| Fragrance | Fragrance free |
Niacinamide is a genuinely good ingredient, and it leads this formula — real evidence for barrier support, oil control and pigmentation.
Fragrance-free, dye-free, and oil-free, in an airless pump that keeps the formula clean.
The texture is excellent for oily skin — sheer, silicone-based, and it disappears under sunscreen and makeup rather than fighting them.
Note the name change: this was called AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer, and many retailers still list it that way. Same product.
It has no SPF, and the name does not make that obvious. "AM" implies daytime protection. There are no UV filters in it at all — we checked the full ingredient list. EltaMD's own directions tell you to "follow with an EltaMD sunscreen."
This is a real consumer-confusion risk. If you are using an "AM" moisturizer and assuming it has you covered, it does not. You still need sunscreen.
The claim "clinically proven to increase thickness of the epidermis" is a striking one, and we could find no published study supporting it. That is a structural, almost drug-like claim for a cosmetic product, and it should come with evidence anyone can read.
$48 for 1.7 oz of a niacinamide-and-hyaluronic-acid silicone lotion is steep. Drugstore niacinamide moisturizers cost a quarter of that.
The formula appears to have been quietly reformulated — older retailer listings show ingredients the current one does not. Trust EltaMD's own list, not the retailer's.
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Allantoin, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Caffeine, Disodium EDTA, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol
1. Nicotinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides as well as other stratum corneum lipids to improve the epidermal permeability barrier (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2000.03705.x) — Backs the claim that niacinamide supports the skin barrier: topical nicotinamide raised stratum corneum ceramides and free fatty acids and lowered transepidermal water loss. 2. The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production (https://doi.org/10.1080/14764170600717704) — Backs the oil-control claim: a double-blind trial showed topical 2% niacinamide significantly reduced facial sebum excretion/casual sebum levels. 3. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer (https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04834.x) — Backs the pigmentation claim: a clinical trial showed niacinamide significantly reduced facial hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanosome transfer to keratinocytes. 4. Cosmeceutical Aptitudes of Niacinamide: A Review (https://doi.org/10.2174/2772434416666211129105629) — Supports the general claim that niacinamide is a well-evidenced dermatology ingredient with barrier, anti-pigmentation, and sebum/acne benefits. 5. EltaMD AM Restore Moisturizer (https://eltamd.com/products/am-therapy-facial-moisturizer) — Confirms product-specific facts: contains niacinamide, is oil-free and fragrance-free, has no SPF/UV filters (directs users to follow with a sunscreen), and reflects the AM Therapy to AM Restore name change.