James Welsh has tested a lot of sunscreens. He has rosacea, so he watches closely how a formula sits on skin, whether it triggers redness, and how it looks on the face. His approval rate of 58% tells you he is picky, and his skips are just as useful as his approvals.
What does James Welsh recommend in sunscreen?
James tends to approve sunscreens that feel like skincare rather than sunscreen. He loves a lightweight, non-sticky finish and keeps coming back to formulas that both hydrate and soothe. The Tirtir Hydro UV Shield Sunscreen SPF 50+ impressed him with its hyaluronic acid, collagen and panthenol. He said it felt like a lightweight moisturiser, layered well under makeup, and left no stickiness. His category winner is Undefined Beauty RNR Sun Serum SPF 50. He called it probably his favourite sunscreen of all time after two years of steady use. He also praised Prequel Sun Barrier Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 for people with rosacea, noting that centella asiatica in the formula helps calm redness. Because it is a mineral sunscreen, he flagged it will not suit deeper skin tones. Most mineral filters still give him a grey cast, so finding one with a peachy tint that worked for him was a big deal.
James Welsh's sunscreen picks, in his words
"It does have a slight fragrance, which has never been an issue for me. If you want glowy, dewy, well-hydrated, plumped-up skin without irritation or that sunscreen feeling, this one's perfect. I've been reaching for it nonstop over the vast majority of my sunscreen collection."
"Probably my favorite sunscreen of all time, [...] this is a fully mineral tinted sunscreen available in three shades, it's got cica mushroom in it which is very hydrating, and niacinamide, it gives you a very natural looking glow, sometimes [...] people ask if I'm wearing makeup but it's not heavy coverage. I've been using this solidly for about 2 years now, absolutely love it, never going to stop using it."
"One of their best and I would say most iconic products is their unseen sunscreen, purely because everyone can use it, it works great as a sunscreen, a lot of clear sunscreens can be very greasy and oily looking, this one isn't, in my opinion, and it doesn't sting my eyes."
"The ginseng moist sun serum is another amazing sunscreen I've not seen enough people talk about. If you are super oily and you hate layering sunscreen throughout the day and reapplying every two hours because you just feel like other sunscreens get greasy, it sits on your skin, makes you look oily, then you should try this. This is super lightweight."
"The elf one I still use, very, very nice. Made my rosacea a little bit red, a little bit rosacery. But to be honest with you, I expect that from chemical filters. It's something that triggers my skin. So I'm at a stage, though, where the sun will trigger my rosacea or sunscreen will, unless it's like a real zinc sunscreen. So it's just a thing for me. I'd rather wear sunscreen if I'm going to flush either way. How it looks on the skin and how it feels on the skin was really, really nice."
"And super goop play. This is a mineral sunscreen"
How many sunscreens has James Welsh reviewed?
James Welsh has reviewed 40 sunscreens, for an approval rate of 58%. 23 approved, 4 mixed, and 13 skipped.
What has James Welsh skipped in sunscreen?
He skipped Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mattifying SPF 50 Zinc Sunscreen after independent lab tests returned an SPF of just four or five, nowhere near the SPF 50+ on the label. He felt the price made that gap worse. He skipped Sol de Janeiro Rio Radiance SPF 50 Body Lotion entirely on smell, calling it horrific. He skipped Supergoop Glow Screen Sunscreen SPF 40 because the pearlescent finish clung to every pore and made his skin look dirty and sweaty.
"I hate the smell of this sunscreen. Horrific. It was horrible. And I was doing a meet and greet [...] and the queue was going past the display and I saw people in the queue who were coming to meet me and Robert picking up the product and smelling it and pulling a face. A lot of people didn't like the smell."
"Despite being marketed as having an SPF rating of 50 plus, Choice revealed that their test returned an SPF rating of just four. This rating was so low that Choice actually sent a sample to another lab in Germany just to double-check the results, [...] and that came back with an SPF rating for Lean Screen of five. So slightly better, I guess, but not the rating they promised. [...] A drop from a rating of 50 plus to just four or five would be bad enough for any sunscreen product."
"I've tried it so many times. I wanted to give it a really fair chance, but every time I use it, I end up like squinting. My eyes are burning. I end up having to wash it off. It's irritating. My rosacea flares up. For me, it's just one of those like cult favorites that I just cannot get to work no matter how hard I try."
"I didn't want to waste money on this and I didn't—it was in a Sephora gift bag. [...] I've said before [...] I don't really get along with tinted sunscreens. [...] In real life [...] it's showing up every single bit of texture on my skin. [...] It looks like I've got liquid bronzer on all over my face. The pearlescent finish is clinging to every pore and makes me look dirty and sweaty. It doesn't sting and feels fine, but I [...] don't like it at all. I want to take it off immediately."
What should you take from James Welsh's picks?
James Welsh is a genuinely useful guide on sunscreens because he tests them on real skin with rosacea and is honest about formulas that disappoint him. His approval rate of 58% means he skips roughly one in three, and his reasons are specific and practical. If you want to know which sunscreens actually feel good to wear every day and which ones fall short on finish, SPF accuracy or value, his record is worth reading.
Watch James Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Undefined Beauty RNR Sun Serum SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 30:43
- Sol de Janeiro Rio Radiance SPF 50 Body LotionSkipped itWatch at 30:48
- Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mattifying SPF 50 Zinc SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 30:36
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 29:01
- Supergoop Glow Screen Sunscreen SPF 40Skipped itWatch at 16:26
- Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen FoundationSkipped itWatch at 2:17
- The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 16:12
- Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 10:35
- Supergoop Resetting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 35Skipped itWatch at 10:30
- Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sun SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 6:03
- Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Brightening Fluid Invisible SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 20:20
- Keep Cool Soothe Bamboo Sun Essence SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 6:41
- Bondi Sands SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen LotionSkipped itWatch at 37:52
- Bondi Sands Daily Moisturizing Face SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 11:24
- Tirtir Hydro UV Shield Sunscreen SPF 50+Rated itWatch at 37:05
- Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40Rated itWatch at 45:26
- Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 26:53
- e.l.f. Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30Rated itWatch at 13:00
- Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50Rated itWatch at 3:12
- Bloom Effects Tulip Dew Sunscreen Serum SPF 50Rated itWatch at 18:37
- Beauty of Joseon Day Dew Sunscreen Lightweight SPF 50Rated itWatch at 11:02
- Undefined Beauty RNR Mineral SunscreenRated itWatch at 3:11
- Ultra Violette Queen Screen Luminizing Skin Screen SPF 50+Rated itWatch at 9:28
- Ultra Violette Vibrant Screen SPF 50 Sweat-Safe Face and Body SunscreenRated itWatch at 40:25
About this expert
See everything James Welsh has reviewed
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This guide reflects what James Welsh said across his videos about 40 products in sunscreen, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.