I‘m back! Sorry for the lack of updates but I was on a cruise for a holiday, and spent my days sunbathing on deck, being fed grapes by some hot European waiter whose name I can’t pronounce … Oh, a girl can dream can’t she? ;-)
Anyways, I did know I would be out in the sun a lot so I picked up La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluide Extreme Face Cream before leaving. I chose this because it is basically mentioned in every Allure issue, and was recommended and used by tons of dermatologists. (And we all know how important sunscreen is!) Either way, I’m really glad I picked it up – I really love it, except one gripe that I must ask you guys about, ’cause I’m clueless!
Texture
The texture is amazing! The formula is quite runny and milky, and was so easy to apply. It was also made for combination to oily skin, so you don’t have to worry about looking greasy or oily – the sunscreen goes on matte and did not leave a white cast on my face, which I was really happy about. Basically, it ended up looking like I had nothing on my skin at all.
Benefits
You can’t ignore the benefits of this sunscreen:
- Very high protection against UVA/UVB rays (SPF 50+)
- Broad UVB/UVA Ultra protection thanks to the photostable filtering system with Mexoryl SX and XL filters, enriched with Senna Alata extract
- Non comedogenic.
- Water resistant.
Application
Alright, and now for the bad. There seems to be a problem when I apply this. I apply my Clinique moisturizer first, wait a few minutes for it to sink in, then apply the sunscreen. However, when I do apply it, some of it seem to “rub” off and looks like eraser rubbings (you know when you erase something on paper, those little weird things!)
Am I not supposed to apply moisturizer first, do I have some kind of expired bottle, or is my skin flaking off?! I have a sneaky feeling it’s because my moisturizer is a gel formula, but I’m really not sure. I can’t tell what’s wrong because this is the only sunscreen I’ve tried that does this. I really want to continue using this sunscreen but something needs to be done about this! Can anyone help? :D Thanks so much!
Hello and welcome! 
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Hey I seem to have this one staring at me everywhere I go recently LOL… How much is this in Singapore? I can’t find it here and refused to pay for it in HK
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haha :) yes, i seen this promoted a lot in Allure mag. Haven’t picked it up myself tho. dunno why you would have those rubbings though :(
ParisB – I’m terrible, I just kinda dumped it with the other stuff I was buying so I’m not too sure on the price – but it is not more than $40, that’s for sure. Think it was 30-something.
Lesley – Yeah, I have no idea either! :(
Hi! first time here :)
anw, the flaking should be due to the incompatibility between your moisturiser and sunscreen, i face that often. so you either have to change a moisturiser that you wanna apply beneath the sunscreen, or if you insist, you can apply the sunscreen before the moisturiser dries up completely (not encouraged though, ’cause it compromises the protection it can provide), so there wouldnt be as much flaking. HTH :)
Hey Shin!
Thanks for the tip. I had a feeling it was because my moisturizer is a gel version, and like you said, thought the gel and the sunscreen’s formula just didn’t match. I’ll try different “techniques” like what you’ve suggested. The only way it fully works since I wrote that post is if I skip moisturizer altogether, but then my skin just feels so weird without it! (Not to mention tight and dry!)
Anyways, it’s great to see you! Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you here more often :)
Hi, Renee! I know this is an old post, but I was exploring your website (again, I love it) and I came across this post. I just wanted to say I also experienced this using my Clinique DDMG and L’Oreal UV Perfect Advanced Fluid Protector over it! And what the L’Oreal sunscreen has in common with this one is the Mexoryl.. hmmm maybe that’s the incompatible ingredient? Just speculating. Anyhow I’ve taken to just using my sunscreen alone when I know I’ll be out in the sun for a long time, or using my Clinique DDMG and layering another sunscreen of lower SPF over it. I’m eyeing Clinique’s Age Defense Moisturizer because it has SPF 25 PA+++.
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No problem! That’s why I moderate comments, so even though the post are from months ago I can still see your comments and reply to them :)
You might be right about that ingredient, actually. I tried this sunscreen the other day without moisturizer and it was absolutely fantastic. I kinda thought those ‘eraser rubbings’ came because my moisturizer was the gel version, but thinking back, it’s fine with another sunscreen I used so I think these two just don’t match. (Gonna buy the new Clinique sunscreen, it better work with their moisturizer!) :-P
And you have to let me know if you buy that moisturizer! I’ve heard so much about it but haven’t tried it out myself. I love the added SPF and it seems to have other benefits as well.
where on earth do you buy this in the US? I cannot find this particular formula for sale anywhere here.
Hey! I believe this version is available only in Europe and Asia. :( There is an ‘equivalent’ in the States but I think the name is slightly different.
The product is sold at skincarelab.com in the US, and it costs $45.00 for a 1.7 oz bottle.
Kinda pricey!
Whoa Layne that’s way too much. I bought it here for around US$27!
I have done a huge amount of online research on suncreens as I burn V easily & suffer from pigmentation if not properly protected from the sun. Dermatologists reccomend that chemical sunscreens should be applied to clean dry skin as to work at their optimum, the ingredients need to be absored by your skin & interact with the cells directly, they should always be applied 20 minutes before sun exposure to take effect. If you use sunscreeen with Physical sun blockers eg Titanium Dioxide & Zinx Oxide (to name the most popular) this goes on last. In either case I found that using powder foundation eg bare minerals is better than foundation to take any shine away & add colour so as not to disturb the sunscreen. Hope this is helpful! There are lots of informative posts on this subject at wwwvivawoman.net I use Anthelios XL Fluide Extreme SFP50 if I’m going to be in direct sunlight for an hour or two then re-apply & for day use when I’m just popping in & out the office I use Marie Veronique creme de Soleil SPF30 with 20% non micronised zinc oxide – only downside is this is not water resistant. All a moistureisor does is hydrate your skin, if your sunscreen does not dry your skin out then there is no need to apply one as it just clogs up your pores with unecessary product, a lot of sunscreens now contain sufficient emollients/hydrators so you can skip moisturisor. Anthelios do a tinted cream spf50 whihc works same as Anthelios Exteme fluide but I found this too dark for my pale skin & too greasy.
hey girl! as an addict to this sunscreen {being using it for about 3 years now (and yes i know its weird for a guy to use sunscreens and the kind of products)} I have to say that just as Angela says, it is not a god idea to mix chemical sunscreens with moisturizers (liquids in general) … i would also recommend the vivawoman.net link theres a lot of info on this kind of issues there…be sun-safe!.