Is Tula Protect + Glow Daily Facial Sunscreen Gel SPF 30 worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 74%.

Tula

Tula Protect + Glow Daily Facial Sunscreen Gel SPF 30.

Q: What is Tula Protect + Glow Daily Facial Sunscreen Gel SPF 30's Guru Score?

Tula Protect + Glow Daily Facial Sunscreen Gel SPF 30 holds a Guru Score of 74%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

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Sunscreen

About this product

A non-tinted, daily facial sunscreen gel with SPF 30 that protects skin from UV rays while leaving a luminous, glowy finish.

Full ingredients

Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Aqua/Water/Eau, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Pentylene Glycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Ectoin, Glycerin, Arginine, Hydroxyectoin, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract, Pyrus Communis (Pear) Fruit Extract), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract, Mica, Tocopherol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Propanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin

Guru Score

74%

Mixed

5 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

The glow is the headline: a non-tinted, shimmery finish that melts in with no white cast, which the experts say gives skin a radiant look on no-makeup days. Many found it hydrating, gentle on sensitive skin, and easy to wear under makeup, though it is a chemical sunscreen rated SPF 30. The dissenting view centres on the citrus extract in it, so anyone who avoids citrus may want to skip it.

Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take November 2024

What they liked

Radiant glowy finish
Melts in smoothly
No white cast

What they flagged

Citrus extract may irritate
Only SPF 30
Limited water resistance

Type

SunscreenGel

Key actives

AHAVitamin ESPF

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Tea with MD

115k subs

~Yay

"But what is really interesting about this one is it really does make my skin glow. [...] It's shimmery and it rubs in really easily. It's a chemical sunscreen with no white cast, it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin, and it really does actually feel hydrating. Beyond that, I've never used a sunscreen that leaves my skin looking so radiant and glowy. It [...] gives my skin a nice radiant kind of glowy finish. I've just never really used a sunscreen like that so I think that's kind of cool."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

~Yay

"This is a chemical sunscreen with avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate. It does have a nice texture though, I swatched it in store, it's a nice yellow based sunscreen, blends in beautifully."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Nay

"Tula has an SPF 30 sunscreen, a chemical sunscreen that shouldn't leave a cast, but it has a bunch of citrus extract in it, similar to the IT Cosmetics CC cream, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend that."

The Budget Dermatologist

724k subs

~Yay

"It is so luminous and so radiant and glowy. I love to wear this alone. It is non-tinted so anybody can wear this. [...] Once this is on the skin it is so amazing. I always go back to this multiple times a year. I restock this. It is not cheap but you can usually get it on sale if you time it right. It is so nice on the skin. I get a ton of comments from people loving this one too. It comes in a jumbo size now which was on like 57% off for the holidays."

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All 8 takes from The Budget Dermatologist

Day 2 Amazon Prime Day Best of Skincare! | The Budget Derm

"It just really completely melts into the skin. I love to use this on my no makeup days. I'll put this on my skin, mascara, lip gloss, and I am done, and I have this nice summer glow. It does not smell like sunscreen and it does not burn the eye area. It has a nice pearly glow and also has other great ingredients in it like probiotic extract that supports the skin barrier. It's easily in my top 10 of sunscreens, maybe even top five of all time."

GRWM! Skincare Favorites on Sale Now

"Tula has a lot of my favorite sunscreen products. The Protect + Glow, which is a nice pearlescent finish."

Ulta Beauty’s Big Summer Sale | My Skincare Top Picks!

"The Tula Protect + Glow Daily Facial Sunscreen Gel SPF 30 is one of my all-time favorite skin care products, [...] period. [...] It's non-tinted but it has such an interesting texture. [...] When you first look at it I was very skeptical of it, but what's interesting is when you rub this in it melts in immediately and feels very nicely on the skin. It [...] has a really really nice luminous glow on the skin."

My Favorite Skincare of 2022! | The Budget Derm Approved

"Tula Protect and Glow is my favorite sunscreen of the year. It has a really interesting texture that is luminous, and when you rub it in the skin it feels so nice and hydrating. It does not pill and you can definitely layer makeup right over it. It's so brightening with lots of other skincare hero ingredients, and [...] I wear this so many days of the week with absolutely nothing over it and just feel refreshed and glowy all day long."

Black Friday Skincare Sales! | The Budget Dermatologist’s Top Picks

"Here are the three products that I use daily for my morning glow-up routine. It is the Protect and Glow Sunscreen, the makeup with SPF radiant skin tint, and the brightening eye balm under the eyes. I have a video showing you my demo like a little get ready with me on my channel [...] if you want to see those up close."

Anti-aging Must Haves! | TULA Brand Review by The Budget Dermatologist

"I also love the Protect and Glow, which is the chemical sunscreen option. This is more of a shimmery glow finish, which I do love, especially during the summertime and on no makeup days where you just want a nice complexion with glowing skin. This contains antioxidants and the probiotic extract blend. Both this and the Mineral Magic sunscreen have no white cast and can really pair well under or over makeup."

GRWM: 3-Step Morning Glow Up Routine!

"This is the one that I am obsessed with and I keep coming back to since the summer. It's not tinted and has absolutely no white cast. It has an interesting texture, almost [...] chunky, but as soon as you put it on your skin it melts into your skin and absorbs nicely. It does not sit on top of your skin like a lot of sunscreens do where you feel like you can just sweat them right off. This actually absorbs beautifully."

Best of Sunscreens 2023! | The Budget Dermatologist

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

~Yay

"This is a beautiful sunscreen it gives a gorgeous glow. Given that it's a chemical sunscreen I was really expecting it to be a higher SPF, it is only SPF 30 and I believe it's only water resistant up to 40 minutes, but I love this. It gives a subtle glow to the skin it's so pretty. [...] If you find this a little bit too glowy you also have in the kit your matte sheer powder that you can put over it."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine