AliceintheRabbitHole, also known as Alice Specht, has tested more than 70 sunscreens and holds an approval rate of 67% for the category. She approved about two in three, gave a mixed take on most of the rest, and skipped only a handful. She named more than 10 of them outright winners, including Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ and Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick. Her record is well worth reading, especially if you wear makeup over your SPF.
What does AliceintheRabbitHole recommend in sunscreen?
She keeps coming back to the same things: a sunscreen has to apply fast, sit smoothly under makeup, and not tug or pill. She has dry skin and wears makeup every day, so she weighs finish and how easily a product glides on just as heavily as the SPF number. Products she praised, like Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen and Numbuzin No.1 Clear Filter Sun Essence SPF 50, won her over partly because they work like primers and vanish into the skin without a trace. She also noted that niacinamide causes her problems, so she flagged niacinamide-free options like Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Aqua Fresh SPF 50 as a real bonus for anyone in the same situation. Packaging matters to her too. She called out Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick for its shape, saying it was ideal for reaching around the eye and nose area.
Alice in the Rabbit Hole's sunscreen picks, in her words
"It is the perfect sunstick for my needs, it's SPF fifty plus PA plus plus plus plus, the Hyaluronic Acid Sun Stick. This is not just my favorite product from Anua but also my absolute favorite sunstick, I always have one in my bag."
"My final product, my absolute favorite sunstick. A lot of the other sunscreens ranked lower because I said there was a little bit too much shine, but I feel like it might be that exact property that's making this my favorite sunstick. As somebody with dry skin I do not like sunsticks that tug, [...] and I need them to glide really well because I wear makeup and often apply my sunstick on top of it."
"This is also unquestionably the thickest texture I've ever encountered in a sunscreen. It's actually free from boosters, so it does have [...] a higher level of zinc oxide in the formula, but it's completely non-irritating to my eyes, and I think that's down to both the formula and the thick texture, it's not going to drip into my eyes because of how thick it feels. [...] My goal isn't to recommend specific products, but at the same time, this is best in category."
"The texture is perfect, [...] not too runny, just thick enough to [...] work with. The only real catch [...] is that it's easy to under apply because it sinks into your skin so beautifully. It uses four sunscreen filters [...] so you get absolutely no white cast. [...] This is as close to perfect as I feel you can get in a sunscreen, as long as you're okay with those two ingredients."
"Then I tried it, and no, it is fantastic. It has this incredible lightweight feel, sinks in rapidly, and doesn't leave behind a white cast on my skin. It does have Tinosorb M so this may not be true for everyone, but it applies beautifully and sits fantastically under makeup, with a little bit of a dewy look on its own."
"I'm going with my Purito sunscreen, I think this is still my favorite. I think it's because I do wear makeup, and like I say all the time, it's just such a good priming sunscreen."
How many sunscreens has AliceintheRabbitHole reviewed?
AliceintheRabbitHole has reviewed 76 sunscreens, for an approval rate of 67%. 51 approved, 17 mixed, and 8 skipped.
What has AliceintheRabbitHole skipped in sunscreen?
Mineral sunscreens are where she pulls back most often. She said AXIS-Y Complete No Stress Physical Sunscreen takes about eight times longer to apply than a chemical one because you have to buff out the white cast. She found the same problem with Prequel Sun Barrier Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50, calling it heavy and uncomfortably shiny. Good Molecules Moisturizing Rich Sunscreen SPF 30 pilled badly and actually stung her skin. She linked that to booster ingredients similar to octocrylene, which her skin does not get on with. She does note zinc oxide may help acne-prone skin, so she is not ruling mineral formulas out entirely. The real trade-off, she says, is the longer application time.
"The Supergoop Resetting SPF 35 powder, I just think this is not worth it, this was PR and I already put this in some kind of a fails video. You're going to have such a hard time getting an SPF of 35 from a powder without also looking extremely cakey. I can never recommend you an SPF powder for your face for actual SPF protection, you're not going to get it from that powder. At the very least try a stick instead, but really nothing replaces a good liquid sunscreen."
"Applying it did not go well, it pilled badly and my skin actually started stinging, and I'm not sure if that's from the booster ingredients, which are similar to octocrylene, an ingredient my skin typically doesn't do well with. It only has a three star rating on the Ulta website too. This sunscreen is definitely not for me, and this is why I don't love mineral sunscreens in general, they just take so long to apply."
"I just do not like this sunscreen. It's got 18% zinc oxide plus bioactive antioxidant compounds plus bisabolol, which sounds wonderful in theory, but it is so heavy feeling, so shiny, I almost feel like it's glittery. It's [...] a mineral sunscreen so I can actually use it without reacting, but [...] I just simply hate how it feels."
"To its credit they're [...] claiming excellent adhesion, and [...] I do actually like the way this sits on my skin, I'm just not the biggest fan of that slight white cast. [...] For me it's my least favorite in the video, but I'm still glad I got it just for getting to finally see the actual filter percentages."
What should you take from AliceintheRabbitHole's picks?
If you wear makeup daily and want a sunscreen that primes and disappears, her record points strongly toward lightweight chemical SPFs, especially the Korean beauty ones she keeps returning to. Her named winners make a solid shortlist. For anyone thinking about a mineral formula, she is honest that the payoff can be worth it, particularly for acne-prone skin, but be ready for a longer application routine.
Watch AliceintheRabbitHole say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++ (Korean formula)Named a winnerWatch at 7:04
- Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 6:44
- Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 13:01
- Naked Sundays Collagen Glow 100% Mineral Perfecting Priming Lotion SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 16:24
- Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick SPF 50 PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 30:09
- Merit The Uniform Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 19:13
- Bloom Effects Tulip Dew Sunscreen Serum SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 17:41
- Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Glow Sun Ampoule SPF 50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 15:32
- Peom Water Barrier Sun Cream SPF 50 PA4+Named a winnerWatch at 14:36
- Nivea UV Super Water Gel EX SPF 50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 5:02
- Anua Hyaluronic Acid Sun StickNamed a winnerWatch at 22:08
- Supergoop Resetting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 35Skipped itWatch at 24:13
- Good Molecules Moisturizing Rich Sunscreen SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 27:26
- Prequel Sun Barrier Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 16:49
- Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 10:44
- Versed Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 14:39
- Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 21:23
- AXIS-Y Complete No Stress Physical Sunscreen SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 1:47
- Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++Skipped itWatch at 9:12
- Isntree Onion Newpair Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 2:55
- Klairs All Day Airy SunscreenRated itWatch at 17:38
- COSRX Ultra Light Invisible SunscreenRated itWatch at 17:46
- Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Air-Fit Suncream Plus SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 7:59
- Kopari Bright As Day Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50Rated itWatch at 6:51
About this expert
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This guide reflects what AliceintheRabbitHole said across her videos about 76 products in sunscreen, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.