This review is going to be quick because I am not in love with this sunscreen.

Before I start my rant, here’s an overview of the formula. The product contains exclusively chemical filters including L’Oréal’s proprietary Mexoryls XL & SX. It offers pretty decent anti-UV protection of SPF 30 and PPD 15. I think these two ratings would earn this sunscreen the encircled UVA symbol, however, it is not on the packaging.  

As this is a brightening sunscreen, the formula contains niacinamide and L’Oréal’s brightening complex of PhE-Resorcinol and LHA 0.3% whose results are comparable to that of hydroquinone. And there’s also the Gingko extract and ferulic acid combo providing a shot of antioxidants. The formula includes quite a bit of emollient dimethicone and a tiny amount of fragrance, which doesn’t seem to do much as the product smells like sunscreen. Safe for all skin types, even sensitive ones. 

This product is on La Roche-Posay’s sunscreens’ greasier side, but not as bad as newer releases. When I first used the product, one application of a quarter of a teaspoon (1.25g) gave me a pretty good-looking complexion, almost no shininess on my U-zone and a glistening T-zone, not ideal but acceptable. Another layer of the same amount of sunscreen left me with shiny, greasy-looking skin. But it wasn’t the worst part. After about 30 minutes of wearing the sunscreen, it started to waft all over my face. It trickled down to my mouth, it dripped down to my eyes, and when it reached my eyes, all hell broke loose. My eyes started watering, and they instantly turned red as if I had rubbed chilli in my eyeballs. I don’t know what happened, but I’d never had such a severe reaction to sunscreen before. I was ready to throw this product away, but then an idea came to my mind to use it for reapplications on top of Sesderma’s sunscreen, which creates an adherent film and is slightly drying in cold, winter weather. The Pigmentclar sunscreen works pretty well on top of the other sunscreen, but I hope to finish it off soon. 

I don’t have much to say about this product. It does not look cosmetically elegant if you apply and reapply it at the right thickness. Also, it irritates my eyes like no other. I cannot recommend this product to anyone. 

Ingredients:

WATER • C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE • GLYCERIN • OCTOCRYLENE • NIACINAMIDE • OCTYLDODECANOL • DIMETHICONE • BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE • VINYL D I M E T H I C O N E / M E T H I C O N E SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER • ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE • TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID • POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE • DROMETRIZOLE TRISILOXANE • PEG-100 STEARATE • STEARYL ALCOHOL • GLYCERYL STEARATE • ETHYLHEXYL TRIAZONE • TRIETHANOLAMINE • GINKGO BILOBA EXTRACT / GINKGO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT • PHENYLETHYL RESORCINOL • P O L O X A M E R 3 3 8 • AMMO N IUM POLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE / AMMONIUM POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE • DISODIUM EDTA • CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • XANTHAN GUM • FERULIC ACID • PHENOXYETHANOL • PARFUM / FRAGRANCE. (laroche-posay.com)