La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 for Face and Body (5 oz) Review
A broad-spectrum SPF 60 chemical sunscreen for face and body in a lightweight, fast-absorbing milk texture. The formula includes antioxidants and is oil-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, oxybenzone-free and non-comedogenic. Water resistant for 80 minutes. Sold here in the 5 oz tube.
Kylie Harker's review
By Kylie Harker ·
Category scores
- Value for money 4
The 5 oz tube is the right size for a household rather than a handbag, and because a little goes so far it lasts longer than the tube suggests. It costs more than a supermarket own-brand, and you are partly paying for the brand name, but the texture is the thing that gets it actually used rather than left in a drawer, and an unused sunscreen is bad value at any price.
- Ingredients and sensitivities 3.5
Fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free, oxybenzone-free and non-comedogenic covers most common concerns, which is why it gets recommended so often. But it does contain octocrylene, which a fair number of people deliberately avoid, and alcohol denat, which is what makes it dry down so quickly but can be noticeable on very dry or reactive skin. Neither is a dealbreaker for most people. Both are worth checking before you buy.
- Texture and speed of application 4.5
The best thing about it. It is a genuine milk, thin and runny, and it covers a lot of skin for a small squeeze. It absorbs fast and doesn't leave the sticky film that makes children object to being sun creamed. If you have ever tried to do both arms of a moving four-year-old, you will understand why this matters more than almost anything else.
- On the face and under makeup 2.5
The name says face and body, but this is a body sunscreen that tolerates a face. It is too slippery under makeup, things slide on top of it, and it can pill over a heavy balm or a silicone primer if you don't leave it to dry down. Applied generously it reads greasy. Fine on a bare face at the weekend, not what you want under foundation on a Tuesday.
- Protection and water resistance 4.5
Broad spectrum SPF 60 with 80 minutes of water resistance is a proper, serious spec for a family day out, and the antioxidants are a reasonable extra. It does the actual job of a sunscreen well. Half a star off only because the 80 minute figure gets quietly ignored by people who see a big number on the tube and assume they are covered until teatime.
The review
Sunscreen on a small child is one of the great unglamorous battles of parenting, and the deciding factor is almost never the SPF number. It's whether the stuff goes on fast enough that you can finish both arms before they escape. On that measure, this is one of the better ones I've used.
The texture is the reason to buy it. It's a milk rather than a cream, thin and runny, and it spreads a very long way for how little you squeeze out. It sinks in quickly and doesn't leave that sticky, tacky film that makes a four-year-old announce that they hate sun cream and everything associated with it. For arms, legs, shoulders and the back of a neck, it's genuinely quick. SPF 60 and water resistant for 80 minutes is a sensible spec for a day at the park or in the pool.
Now the honest bit, because the name says face and body and I think that's a stretch.
This is a body sunscreen that is also allowed on your face. The texture and finish are clearly built for large areas of skin, and it behaves like it. Reviewers who use it under makeup consistently say it's too slippery, and that things slide about on top of it. It can pill if you layer it over a heavier balm or a silicone primer without leaving proper dry-down time. And if you use a generous amount, which on your face you might, it reads as greasy. It's fine on a bare face on a weekend. I wouldn't build a workday makeup routine on top of it.
The white cast is real but manageable. It goes on white and turns clear as it absorbs, so the cast people complain about is usually a not-rubbed-in-properly problem rather than a permanent one. That said, on deeper complexions it's more visible and takes more working in, and if you're doing this at speed on a wriggling child you will miss patches and they will show. Worth a mirror check before you leave the house.
Ingredients wise, it's fragrance-free, paraben-free, oxybenzone-free and oil-free, which covers most of the things people ask about. Two things it does contain that some people specifically avoid: octocrylene, and alcohol denat. The alcohol is what makes it dry down so fast and it evaporates quickly, so it's not the villain it sounds like, but if your skin is reactive or very dry you may notice it. If you're avoiding octocrylene on principle, this isn't your sunscreen and no amount of texture will change that.
The verdict. As a body sunscreen for a family, it's very good and I'd buy it again. The 5 oz tube is a sensible size, it lasts, and it's the rare sun cream that doesn't cause a row. As a face sunscreen it's acceptable but unremarkable, and if you wear makeup daily you'll be happier with something actually designed to sit under it.
Who shouldn't buy it: anyone who needs a sunscreen that plays nicely with foundation, anyone avoiding octocrylene, and anyone with very dry or alcohol-sensitive skin. Also don't let the SPF 60 lull you. Water resistant for 80 minutes means 80 minutes, not all afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
It says face and body. Can I actually use it on my face every day?
On a bare face, yes, it is perfectly pleasant. Under makeup is where it falls down. The texture is built for covering arms and legs, so on the face it sits slippery, foundation tends to slide about on top of it, and it can pill if you put it over a heavier balm or a silicone primer without leaving a couple of minutes to dry down. If you use a generous amount it can feel greasy. If you wear makeup most days, keep this as your body sunscreen and buy something designed for the face for above the neck.
Will it leave a white cast?
It goes on white and turns clear as it absorbs, so most of the cast people complain about is really an it-wasn't-rubbed-in-properly problem. Work it in fully and it largely disappears. Two honest caveats: on deeper complexions it is more visible and needs more working in, and if you are applying at speed to a child who is already halfway out the door, you will leave streaks. Give it a mirror check before you go.
How often do I need to reapply it?
Do not let the SPF 60 make you complacent. It is water resistant for 80 minutes, which means after roughly that much swimming or heavy sweating it needs reapplying, and it needs towelling to be followed by reapplication too. For a normal day outdoors, every two hours is the sensible rhythm. The high factor buys you a better margin for the bits you inevitably apply too thinly, not permission to do it once in the morning and forget about it.
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