Mad About Skin has worked through more than 40 sunscreens, for an approval rate of 63%. That means roughly a third did not make the cut. That is a harder standard than most reviewers apply. His winners land across price points, from budget to premium, so the pattern is less about cost and more about what a formula actually delivers.
What does Mad About Skin recommend in sunscreen?
What he keeps coming back to is finish and feel. He praises sunscreens that sit invisibly on the skin, like the Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV Sunscreen SPF50 Clear, which he calls a dupe for the pricier Allies of Skin One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel. He also rates formulas that actively make the skin look better. He points to the K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Sun Lotion SPF 50+ as a product that plumps and hydrates rather than settling into fine lines. For oily skin especially, he prizes sunscreens that control shine without feeling heavy. He names the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Pure Mineral Relief Daily Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ as his go-to for anyone who wants a mineral option with a genuinely matte finish. He named several products outright winners, including the Geek & Gorgeous 101 Zero Feel SPF 50 Day Cream, which he calls about as close to zero shine as a sunscreen can get.
Mad About Skin's sunscreen picks, in his words
"You can get that next level protection without having to worry about irritation, prickling, watery eyes. It's just amazing. It's also dead matte, which I love. If you're somebody that wants matte, you don't want any dewiness, you don't want any gloss to the skin, you want a sunscreen that is dead matte, this is the closest to zero like shine you will ever ever get. Stunning."
"I mention this all the time. It's still my favorite and it just does everything I want it to do. [...] You've got everything in here to make a comprehensive skincare routine. You could cleanse the skin, put this on, and you would get great results. It's broadspectrum and I think this is great for [...] people that are prone to fine lines and wrinkles and want a sunscreen that won't grab onto them, won't sit in them and make them more noticeable. This plumps everything out."
"So if you're a mineral sunscreen fan then I think the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 should be your summer savior, just such such a nice product."
"This I absolutely love. If you want a mineral sunscreen, this is the one that I would go for. [...] They've got a great shade range. [...] This is really really nice. [...] You get 30 mil, so it's not the biggest bottle but that's pretty standard for tinted sunscreens. I just love how this pairs on the skin. It's got a really nice applicator. [...] It's not ashy."
"I'm back using it and it's just really, really nice. If you like the Allies of Skin Invisible Sun Gel, which is a true invisible gel that doesn't distort the skin at all, [...] but you don't like to pay that price point, this is a great dupe for it. Truly invisible. Feels great on the skin. It gives like a really nice silky finish to the skin. I absolutely love it. [...] Definitely one that I would recommend in terms of sunscreen if you want impossibly invisible for summer."
"It doesn't have any white cast to it, which is really rare for a mineral sunscreen. A lot of the times they have quite a visible cast to them, which puts people off, particularly if you have a deeper, darker, and richer skin tone. Mineral sunscreens often don't work. This one doesn't. It actually works beautifully on skin. [...] It takes a little bit longer to rub in than a chemical sunscreen. That's normal. That's just mineral sunscreens for you. The finish is invisible."
How many sunscreens has Mad About Skin reviewed?
Mad About Skin has reviewed 41 sunscreens, for an approval rate of 63%. 26 approved, 1 mixed, and 14 skipped.
What has Mad About Skin skipped in sunscreen?
His skips tend to come down to three specific failure modes: formula integrity, finish, and irritation. He skipped the Ultra Violette Mineral Sunscreen after independent testing showed it at SPF 4 despite an SPF 50+ claim, and he was direct that no explanation from the brand changed that concern. He skipped the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 40 because every shade left skin looking ashy and distorted, with a formula too thick to reapply over itself. He also skipped the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 after a week of daily use left his skin flaking and tight. He traced that to drying alcohol sitting high on the ingredients list. He noted it feels fine occasionally but would not rely on it daily, which is worth keeping in mind for anyone who uses sunscreen morning and evening year-round.
"You put this on and you look in the mirror and think, 'Yeah, it was giving distortion, white cast. It was giving like almost a blotchy appearance to the skin, too.' People hated how thick the formula was and you couldn't reapply on top of itself. So when it came to reapplication, people just said, 'Well, it wasn't possible.' Everything that could go wrong with the sunscreen launch went wrong with this product. [...] There was nothing good or salvageable from that launch."
"If a sunscreen claims to be SPF 50 plus and tests as an SPF 4, that's not good. There's no amount of well, it was decanted for a brief period of time that really makes that amount of difference, and that was the same for all of the sunscreens and it didn't impact any of the other sunscreens to that extent. There was clearly a problem. Now it might be a problem with that batch, it might be a problem with the whole formula."
"The Then I Met You one is a bit like a primer and like the best under makeup. [...] It definitely from the appearances of people trying it on has a nice gripping texture, so great if you want to put foundation over the top of it. However, I think those old style filters for $36, that's too much. That is way, way, way too much."
"It also has drying alcohol in it, which a lot of people like to avoid. I think in sunscreens in small quantities it's fine, but it's quite high up the ingredients list, which makes me a bit worried. The [...] first couple of uses felt great, alcohol in sunscreens helps it [...] feel more lightweight on the skin because it absorbs, it evaporates off the skin and helps it sink in quicker, and I loved it, I was like this sunscreen is everything, it's amazing."
What should you take from Mad About Skin's picks?
Mad About Skin's sunscreen record rewards invisible, skin-flattering formulas and punishes anything that compromises protection or piles on irritants. His named winners span mineral and chemical options, matte and more natural finishes, and a wide price range, so there is likely a match for most routines. His skips are as useful as his approvals: if a formula tested poorly, sat badly on skin, or built up irritation over days, he said so plainly.
Watch Mad About Skin say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 2:41
- Good Molecules Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30Named a winnerWatch at 12:28
- Allies of Skin One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen GelNamed a winnerWatch at 11:20
- Geek & Gorgeous 101 Zero Feel SPF 50 Day CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 10:22
- Purito Deep Sea Pure Watery Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++Named a winnerWatch at 3:12
- K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Sun Lotion SPF 50+Named a winnerWatch at 17:49
- Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 40Skipped itWatch at 3:53
- Ultra Violette Mineral SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 183:16
- Then I Met You Light Essence Broad Sunscreen Moisturizer SPF 50Skipped itWatch at 9:58
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60Skipped itWatch at 39:43
- The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 14:33
- Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mattifying SPF 50 Zinc SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 4:59
- Bondi Sands Daily Moisturizing Face SPF 50+Skipped itWatch at 37:21
- Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect SPF 50+ HD Fine MoisturizerSkipped itWatch at 6:18
- The Ordinary SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 4:15
- Neutrogena Collagen Bank SPF 30 Facial MoisturizerSkipped itWatch at 8:17
- The Ordinary Mineral UV Filters SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 12:53
- Skin1004 Helika Sun Stick SPF 50 PA++++Skipped itWatch at 5:48
- Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++ (Korean formula)Skipped itWatch at 4:24
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50Rated itWatch at 8:06
- Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen FoundationRated itWatch at 17:09
- Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV Sunscreen SPF50 ClearRated itWatch at 12:04
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Pure Mineral Relief Daily Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 6:43
- COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++Rated itWatch at 9:27
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Mad About Skin said across his videos about 41 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.