Beyond50Skin has worked her way through more than 40 sunscreens and has strong feelings about most of them. She approved about three in five, gave a few a mixed take, and skipped more than one in four. Her approval rate for sunscreens sits at 61%, which tells you she is choosy. Mature skin is her frame of reference for everything, and a formula that works on younger skin does not automatically get a pass from her.
What does Beyond50Skin recommend in sunscreen?
The through-line in her approving takes is hydration and a clean finish. She reaches for sunscreens that feel moisturising and dry down without a white cast or a greasy film. She praised The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 for being 'super moisturizing' with a beautiful dry-down. She liked that Naturium Dew Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50 was 'super hydrating' and dried down with no cast at all. She has a soft spot for tinted formulas too, naming Ciele Tint & Protect SPF 50+ Tinted Serum Foundation as a favourite because light, skin-perfecting coverage suits mature skin particularly well. Her outright winners are the EVY Technology Face Mousse SPF50 and The Outset Hydra Sheer 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.
Beyond 50 Skin's sunscreen picks, in her words
"If you love a mineral sunscreen and want one with no white cast, I'm back to MDSolarSciences. I used it years ago, just started picking it up again, and I've forgotten how much I love it. If you're looking for an amazing mineral sunscreen that doesn't leave a white cast, this is it."
"My two top picks for sunscreen from Sephora are a mineral sunscreen, the Mirad City Skin age defense four pluses SPF 50 mineral sunscreen which is soothing and calming to the skin, and another favorite is the one I travel with all the time, the Unseen Sunscreen by Supergoop, and this is a chemical sunscreen."
"This is the one by The INKEY List, their Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30. It is really moisturizing, I like it a lot and I don't have any irritation from it. It dries down beautifully and it is super moisturizing and absolutely of course no white cast. It has the typical US filters, so if you're looking for a hydrating sunscreen that gives you a lot of moisturizer and you're not going to be out and about and you don't need that high sunscreen protection, this is a great one to try."
"If you prefer a matte sunscreen, I've been recommending Black Girl Sunscreen. It's easy to find at the drugstore, and everyone I've recommended it to says it's a thumbs up. If you're looking for something more on the matte side, or you live in a humid environment, or you have slightly oily skin, Black Girl Sunscreen is the way to go."
"I love a skin tint for mature skin. It just gives that beautiful light but skin perfecting coverage. I'm going to use the CL today. I'm in the shade light number three. And I finally found the dropper to this, thanks to you guys. You just pull the cap off and there the dropper is. I like to apply this on the back of my hand because I have more control over how much product I'm using. I like to apply with my fingers. I just tap it in. And then my next tip is to use a brush."
"I love the iNNBEAUTY PROJECT their glow screen. It just gives my skin a little pick me up and is so pretty. It doesn't dry down matte. It definitely has a glow to it, but it is my perfect shade match once I get this blended out. And it's been one of my favorites ever since I picked it up. And I picked up my backup recently at the Sephora sale."
How many sunscreens has Beyond50Skin reviewed?
Beyond50Skin has reviewed 49 sunscreens, for an approval rate of 61%. 30 approved, 5 mixed, and 14 skipped.
What has Beyond50Skin skipped in sunscreen?
The fastest way to lose her approval is to pill, sit greasy, or dry out the skin. She skipped d'Alba Piedmont Waterfall UV Essence SPF 50 entirely because it pilled. Allies of Skin One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel never made it to a keep because it stayed greasy no matter how long she waited. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint Lotion SPF 30 Fragrance-Free was also a skip: she found it too drying and hard to spread, which on mature skin is a real problem. Her point across all three is the same: a sunscreen that does not actually settle into the skin is not doing its job.
"This was way too drying a formula on my mature skin, definitely difficult to spread and didn't perform like a skin tint in my opinion."
"It would be pretty tough to get a couple layers of this even with some dry down time. What I've noticed about the sunscreen is it separates so you have to shake it before every time you use it, which I find is kind of a pain. So personally I find this sunscreen really challenging to get enough coverage without the white cast and it also tends to separate, so it's a little bit more troubled than it's worth in my opinion."
"I love their products they are on the pricey side and I was really excited because they came out with a clear sunscreen and it is a chemical formula but unfortunately this is so greasy on the skin it doesn't sort of set to my skin and set up like most sunscreens you put them on they might be a little tacky a little greasy or a little bit dewy at the beginning and then you let them sit for like 5 or 10 minutes and they adhere to the skin but unfortunately this one never does it just sits on top of my skin and the amount that you have to use to get the teaspoon that you need for your face is just way too much and it just ends up being a greasy mess so unfortunately [...] this was a fail for me."
"A tinted sunscreen that I'd written off years ago was the EltaMD because it made my skin look too Oompa Loompa. [...] I was given this after my facelift, and it is a close match for my skin tone. It's close, but it's a little bit too opaque for me. [...] It's a little bit hard to work into my skin. [...] I'd rather reach for the In Beauty Project. It's a little bit better of a match."
What should you take from Beyond50Skin's picks?
Beyond50Skin is a useful guide for anyone whose skin runs dry or mature, because she tests sunscreens against exactly those needs. She is generous when a formula earns it, but she will tell you plainly when something pills or sits wrong. That honesty is what makes her record worth checking before you spend.
Watch Beyond50Skin say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- EVY Technology Face Mousse SPF50Named a winnerWatch at 8:53
- The Outset Hydra Sheer 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30Named a winnerWatch at 14:09
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint Lotion SPF 30 Fragrance-FreeSkipped itWatch at 27:02
- Good Molecules Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 1:47
- Allies of Skin One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen GelSkipped itWatch at 2:36
- EltaMD UV Daily TintedSkipped itWatch at 10:15
- d'Alba Piedmont Waterfall UV Essence SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 11:11
- First Aid Beauty Weightless Liquid Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 7:21
- ThinkSport Sunscreen SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 11:19
- Tula Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Skin Tint SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 11:58
- Tirtir Mask Fit Tone Up Essence SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 13:45
- Omnilux Mineral SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 9:58
- Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen FoundationSkipped itWatch at 9:02
- RMS Beauty Sun Coverup Super Tint SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 2:21
- Bloom Effects Tulip Dew Sunscreen Serum SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 1:18
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ PA++++ (Korean formula)Skipped itWatch at 0:46
- MD Solar Sciences Mineral Crème SPF 50Rated itWatch at 4:49
- Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40Rated itWatch at 6:49
- The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30Rated itWatch at 6:44
- Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30Rated itWatch at 5:11
- Ciele Tint & Protect SPF 50+ Tinted Serum FoundationRated itWatch at 2:45
- iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Mineral Sunlow Broadspectrum SPF 43 PA+++Rated itWatch at 9:42
- Naturium Dew Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50Rated itWatch at 7:55
- Innisfree Daily UV Defense SPF 36 SunscreenRated itWatch at 9:53
About this expert
See everything Beyond50Skin has reviewed
Expert rankings
Related guides
This guide reflects what Beyond50Skin said across her videos about 49 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.