We’ve all tried sunscreens that left us looking ghostly, feeling greasy, or blinking through watery eyes. The best La Roche-Posay sunscreens, thankfully, give us plenty of reasons to stick to wearing SPF daily. The French pharmacy favorite has built a solid reputation for its sun-protection formulas, with everything from lightweight serums to mineral options for sensitive skin and body lotions for seamless, all-over protection. They’re all fragrance-free, too, which is one less thing for easily irritated skin to worry about.
La Roche-Posay was also among the first to introduce a sunscreen with bemotrizinol (also known as BEMT), a UV filter newly approved for use in the US. And with 25(!) sunscreens to choose from, there’s a lot to sort through. Rather than leave you to play SPF roulette, we asked dermatologists for their picks and extensively tested the formulas ourselves to narrow down the field.
Best Chemical Overall: Anthelios UVDefense SPF 50 Sunscreen with BEMT, $40
Best Mineral Overall: Anthelios UVAir SPF 50 Mineral Serum Sunscreen, $43
The One-and-Done Moisturizer: Toleriane Double Repair Facial Moisturizer SPF 30, $25
Great for No-Makeup Days: Anthelios Tinted Mineral Light Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50, $40
Why it’s worth it: Some sunscreens win us over with their texture, others with their ingredients. La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UVDefense SPF 50 Sunscreen doesn’t make us choose. It’s among the first sunscreens to contain 2% bemotrizinol (BEMT), a newly FDA-approved sunscreen filter—and a pretty big deal, considering it’s been more than two decades since the U.S. last approved a new one. BEMT protects against both UVA and UVB rays and is photostable, meaning it doesn’t break down in sunlight. The formula also includes antioxidants that protect against skin-damaging free radicals, while glycerin, butylene glycol, and dimethicone moisturize skin and leave it feeling smooth.
As for how it feels on your skin? “It’s silky on the skin with no white residue,” Jane Yoo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure. Even those with sensitive skin may get along with this formula, despite BEMT being a chemical sunscreen filter. “BEMT is a partial exception for those with sensitive skin because it is a huge molecule and it sits on the skin so there is minimal absorption,” says Dr. Yoo.
Why it’s worth it: Do you like the idea of La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UVAir SPF 50 Serum Sunscreen but your skin tends to get along better with mineral formulas? You’re in luck: This version swaps the chemical filters for 15.3% zinc oxide and 2.7% titanium dioxide, which may be a better match for sensitive skin that’s easily irritated by chemical sunscreens. Of course, anyone who’s tried mineral sunscreen knows it can be a challenge to avoid being left with a chalky white cast. La Roche-Posay addresses this with its Miner•ALL technology, which combines mineral filters with emollients like dimethicone that aid in spreading it more easily and feel lighter on your skin.
Despite the different filters, the two formulas share plenty in common in terms of skin-care benefits. Both contain niacinamide to help even out skin tone, along with glycerin and hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin without adding heaviness. They also share Senna alata leaf extract—a plant native to Central and South America widely used in traditional medicine—which contains antioxidants that help defend against free-radical damage that can contribute to premature signs of aging.
Why it’s worth it: If you’d rather not layer moisturizer and sunscreen every morning, La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Facial Moisturizer with SPF 30 makes getting out the door easier and faster. It combines broad-spectrum sun protection with ingredients that keep skin feeling comfortable throughout the day. Ceramide-3, a type of fat naturally found in your skin, strengthens the skin barrier to prevent water loss, while glycerin draws in hydration. There’s also niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that calms redness and evens out skin tone over time, plus the brand’s mineral-rich thermal spring water to soothe irritation—both welcome additions for dry or easily reactive skin.
Why it’s worth it: If you’ve ever skipped SPF because you couldn’t deal with the greasy finish or the inevitable pilling under makeup, La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UVAir SPF 50 Serum Sunscreen gets it. As the name suggests, it has a watery, lightweight texture that glides on more like a serum than your typical sunscreen lotion. It absorbs quickly, leaves no chalky white cast, and doesn’t feel like yet another layer sitting on top of your skin.
But don’t let the barely-there feel fool you into thinking it’s skimping on protection. The formula uses chemical filters to shield skin from UVA and UVB rays, along with the brand’s Cell-Ox B3 Shield technology, which adds another layer of defense with niacinamide (vitamin B3) and antioxidants like Senna alata leaf extract. Even with sunscreen on, UV exposure can generate free radicals—unstable molecules that contribute to fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots over time—and these antioxidants help neutralize them. And because nobody wants their sunscreen to dry out their skin, glycerin and hyaluronic acid hold onto moisture without weighing down the formula.
And while the easily spreadable texture might tempt you to use less, don’t hold back. You’ll still want to apply about two finger lengths for adequate coverage.
Why it’s worth it: Like our tester, many of us have trust issues with untinted mineral sunscreens, and honestly, we get it. Too often, they leave behind a white cast or take forever to rub in. But La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Mineral Light Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50, a 2024 Best of Beauty Award winner, makes a pretty good case for giving them another shot. The lightweight, runny-in-a-great-way formula uses 6% titanium dioxide and 5% zinc oxide to protect against UVA and UVB rays, without the pasty feel you might associate with mineral SPF. Its silky, fast-absorbing texture sinks in instantly, and “it has a subtle mattifying effect that’s perfect to wear under makeup,” Shari Marchbein, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure.
It also contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects against free-radical damage from UV rays and pollution, which can lead to premature signs of aging. The brand’s signature thermal spring water is rich in minerals, including selenium, to soothe irritation and calm redness—a bonus for sensitive skin.
Why it’s worth it: As silky and lightweight as La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Mineral Light Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50 is, sometimes you just want a little extra help making your sunscreen disappear into your skin. Enter the Anthelios Mineral Tinted Sunscreen, which comes in four flexible shades to even out skin tone while minimizing a white cast. Like the untinted version, it relies on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection, though the concentrations are slightly higher here. The real bonus is the addition of iron oxides, which not only give the sunscreen its complexion-evening tint but also “protect against visible light” that can worsen melasma and dark spots, Kseniya Kobets, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure. Both formulas feature the brand’s Cell-Ox Shield technology, which pairs broad-spectrum sun protection with antioxidants like vitamin E and Senna alata leaf extract to defend against free-radical damage from UV exposure.
Why it’s worth it: Heading somewhere warm (or lucky enough to live in a sunny locale year-round)? La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UV Pro-Sport Invisible Spray Sunscreen SPF 45 is made to keep up with all that time outdoors. The brand put it through the test in hot, humid conditions, and our own experience backs it up: This spray sunscreen can handle a little (or a lot of) sweat. It’s also water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, meaning you won’t have to worry about it washing off the second you break a sweat. Better still, it doesn’t feel heavy or oily when you apply it.
In addition to broad-spectrum UV protection, it contains the brand’s Cell-Ox Shield technology and signature thermal spring water (both of which should sound pretty familiar by now). Like all the products on this list, it’s also fragrance-free, which is good news for sensitive skin—though it’s worth patch-testing first since chemical sunscreen filters can sometimes cause irritation.
Why it’s worth it: Some sunscreen lotions work just fine on your arms and legs but feel way too heavy once you apply them above the neck. La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 60 strikes a balance, with a creamy, moisturizing texture that feels comfortable on your face but spreads easily over larger areas, too. Compared to the brand’s thinner, serum-like facial sunscreens, this 2026 Readers’ Choice Award winner feels more like a traditional lotion, with glycerin to draw moisture into the skin and dimethicone to lock it in. “One of the biggest challenges with sunscreen is consistency, and elegant formulas like this make daily use much easier,” Jenna Queller, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Boca Raton, Florida, previously told Allure.
As for the rest of the formula, you’ll recognize a few ingredients from other Anthelios sunscreens: Cell-Ox Shield technology for added antioxidant protection, vitamin E to defend against environmental damage, and the brand’s signature soothing thermal spring water.
Why it’s worth it: One ingredient you won’t find in every Anthelios sunscreen? Lipo-hydroxy acid (LHA), a gentler relative of salicylic acid that helps loosen dead skin cells and smooth rough texture if you’re dealing with dry, flaky patches. It “has a smooth [consistency] that applies easily and absorbs quickly into the skin without feeling heavy or greasy,” Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Birmingham, Alabama, previously told Allure. Silica soaks up excess oil, while vitamin E and Senna alata leaf extract provide antioxidant protection against environmental damage.
SPF is the last step of your daytime
SPF is the last step of your daytime skin-care routine—but what about the rest? Scroll through more recommendations:
8 Best Face Washes for All Skin Types, According to Dermatologists and Editors
The Very Best Face Exfoliators for Refining Pores, Fading Dark Spots, and Boosting Glow
9 Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums to Deliver All-Day Hydration
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