I get irritated when I think of this product; it is so terrible. I have given it a fair chance, even twice. It is a mattifying sunscreen, and usually, I would buy SPF 30, but it isn’t available, so I’ve opted for SPF 50+. Now I regret it.
This sunscreen was formulated for acne-prone skin. It is chemical only, alcohol-free, and it contains quite a bit of fragrance. There are also antioxidants, Pre-tocopheryl + Thialidin, but not too many. The sunscreen itself is not dense in texture, but once applied it creates a visible white layer. It leaves a white cast that I can only compare to mineral sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens shouldn’t leave such a white cast. You need to cover it up with some BB cream; otherwise, your face will look oddly pale. I am not sure who at Avène thought that this product would be a good sunscreen.
I reckon there’s a lot of silica and other mattifying agents in the formula. However, the sunscreen doesn’t mattify much. My oils were going through about an hour after application. The worst part is that it breaks me out. I have tried the product twice for over a week each time. I gave a two-month break between each testing, and both times it was the same story. It left me with clogged pores and breakouts. I don’t recall a sunscreen breaking me out this badly, honestly. I used the sunscreen during cold months, but I cannot imagine wearing it in summer. It is just too much for oily skin. Perhaps if you apply a drop of it, there wouldn’t be any problems, but then you might as well not apply it at all. You need to use a generous amount of sunscreen to get sun protection.
Unfortunately, this sunscreen is not for me. I cannot recommend it either; it leaves a horrible white cast and clogs pores. It doesn’t mattify despite the claim. I will bin the rest of my sunscreen, as there’s nothing I can do with it. It’s just too bad.
Ingredients: AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA). C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE. METHYLENE BIS-BENZOTRIAZOLYL TETRAMETHYLBUTYLPHENOL [NANO]. WATER (AQUA). DIISOPROPYL ADIPATE. ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE. SILICA. DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE. BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE. DIETHYLHEXYL BUTAMIDO TRIAZONE. ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE. BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE. DECYL GLUCOSIDE. 1,2-HEXANEDIOL. C10-18 TRIGLYCERIDES. GLYCERYL LAURATE. VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER. ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER. BENZOIC ACID. BUTYLENE GLYCOL. CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE. DISODIUM EDTA. FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). GLYCERYL BEHENATE. GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE. GLYCERYL STEARATE. OXOTHIAZOLIDINE. PEG-100 STEARATE. PROPYLENE GLYCOL. SODIUM BENZOATE. TOCOPHEROL. TOCOPHERYL GLUCOSIDE. TRIBEHENIN. XANTHAN GUM. ZINC GLUCONATE. (avene.fr)
Avène’s CLEANANCE SOLAIRE SPF 50+ retails for €12, available worldwide.
Dom's Vault 
10 responses to “Avène CLEANANCE SOLAIRE SPF 50+ – Review”
Hi! Just a random question….what is your favorite sunscreen for your body?
Hi, last year, I enjoyed using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 30 both for my body and face, and I will return to it this year. I like Clarins Sunscreen Milk Lotion in a spray bottle the pre-2019 version (I haven’t tried the new one yet). I also like La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Spray.
lol you seem extremely triggered! this products works very well for me. it is getting high ratings everywhere!
No, I am not triggered, it was just my experience with the sunscreen. If it works for you, my question is: how much of this sunscreen do you apply and reapply? At least a quarter of a teaspoon each time?
The exactly same thing happened with me . I would buy SPF 30, but it wasn’t available, so I’ve opted for SPF 50+. I had a terrible breakout. What a regret.
I completely understand how you feel. It is frustrating when a sunscreen intended for oily and acne prone skin types causes breakouts.
I know , it gives a white cast , but its because of tinosorb m (one of the best filters out there) so unless I find something with a better formulation , I prefer the white cast … really , the filters that most of the laboratories use are not that good or even harmful . I am still in the search for a good UVA sunscreen , a nice texture, acne free formula and affordable, its imposible ! this one for me its the best one yet, the only bad thing is the white cast. (excuse my English )
Finding the right sunscreen is a struggle, but there are a lot of great options available. If you like this sunscreen, then keep using it. Have you tried Garnier’s Ultra-light Sensitive Sun Fluid? It offers pretty good UVA protection and looks cosmetically elegant on the skin (I have already reviewed it).
This is THE WORST! Painful rash all over my neck and face. I also stupidly gave it two chances, thinking a product for sensitive acne prone skin couldn’t possibly ravage my skin like this. Have been slathered in Hope’s relief cream (an Australian product that is a true miracle worker) for days trying to save my skin. Will never use another Avene product.
That sounds really painful! I hope your skin will recover soon. Usually Avene’s products are great for sensitive skin, but they clearly struggle with formulating good sunscreens.