La Roche-Posay anthelios age correct SPF50
What’s in it?
First up, this product has high SPF50 for maximum protection. But it also contains a cocktail of active ingredients to treat the skin while keeping it safe from the sun’s rays.
The formula also contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide – the former hydrates and retains moisture on the skin, improving plumpness, while the latter helps to minimise the appearance of pores and improve uneven skin tone.
Not only that, but on the ingredients list you’ll also find beta-lipohydroxy acid, also known as LHA, a chemical exfoliant, which is a derivative of salicylic acid.
LHA sloughs off dead skin cells and dissolves clogged pores to leave your complexion clear from blemishes while still remaining gentle enough to suit sensitive skin too.
What does it feel like?
Unlike the anthelios ultra-light invisible fluid sun cream SPF50 (£13.12, Boots.com), this latest launch is creamier in texture, but not heavy. Where the original is runny, this looks like a lightweight cream moisturiser.
It rubs in very quickly – there’s nothing worse than using an SPF that takes ages to absorb – with no sticky residue or white cast on our pale skin.
Unlike the often tacky textures of sunscreens, the consistency is smooth and refreshing and is strikingly similar in feel to a moisturiser, so it's immediately comfortable. There’s a slight matte finish but it’s not chalky and doesn’t leave skin looking flat.
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It’s richer but not in a way that will exacerbate oiliness and we found it sat nicely on our dehydrated, combination skin that often suffers from dry patches, so we can vouch for its hydrating claims.
While it calls itself an SPF and moisturiser in one, if you typically have dry skin, we would still recommend applying a moisturiser as a separate step before you apply this, for an extra helping hand at keeping skin adequately hydrated.
If your skin is a combination or oily, you could easily get away with just wearing this, without your skin feeling parched.
Following a 30-minute run, we were pleased to see there was zero transfer, nor any of the eye irritation that can sometimes occur when sunscreen and sweat combine, so this is sure to hold up in summer.
The biggest test for SPF is how well it wears under make-up, as if you get a formula that’s too rich or greasy, it can ruin the staying power of your carefully applied foundation, concealer and other base products.
We use this under the KVD Beauty good apple skin-perfecting foundation balm (£29, Boots.com) and found it made no difference to the foundation. Our skin remaining looking and feeling smooth all day.
The verdict
If you love a high SPF rating and want a creamy, smoothing, richer texture from your facial sunscreen, this is ideal. We loved how lightweight it felt and it did a great job of hydrating drier areas of our skin, particularly on the cheeks.
We saw no disruption to our make-up and it even held up well when worn on a particularly sweaty run.
Our only gripe is the bottle. It’s a rounded cylinder, which is larger and heavier than its sun cream sibling. But, given both 50ml products aren’t exactly massive, this isn’t a huge cause for concern.
As for the anti-ageing benefits, only time will tell. But from first use, we’re already impressed.