La Roche Posay Non-perfumed Dry Touch Gel Cream SPF 50+ review

It’s been quite the feat: trying to fine the best facial sunscreen to wear underneath makeup. For years now I have wanted to use a sunscreen that I could wear underneath my makeup that wouldn’t cause any irritation, my foundation to slide around or to leave a greasy feeling on my skin. In my experience, finding the right one seemed impossible as anything I would try, even from brands that promised to be great for your skin, I ended up using it just a few times before realizing that a) the product left a white cast that was difficult to blend in, b) the product didn’t sit well under makeup and c) the product didn’t go with my skin at all. I was recommended to try some La Roche-Posay: one of my favorite skincare brands and this is how it went.

Skincare review: La Roche Posay Anthelios XL non-perfumed dry touch gel cream SPF 50+ sunscreen

First of all, this wasn’t the product that was actually recommended to me. That was from the Shaka Fluid line and that is the one I am currently using, but for most of the year I have been using the Dry Touch Gel Cream as my daily SPF. At nearly €15 it is the most expensive facial SPF I have ever tried, but since many of the cheaper versions never really worked for me, I figured I could give it a whirl. La Roche-Posay was one of the first skincare brands I found that worked for my dry, dehydrated, sensitive skin and so I have had high hopes they would deliver when it came to sunscreen.

What does this SPF have to offer?

This gel cream is a broad spectrum SPF which is suitable if you need all the protection you can get. With my fair NC15 skin, I need just that as I burn easily and just need something to keep those rays at bay. The reason why I bought this and tried it first was because this is the first sunscreen I have found that claims to have been formulated specifically to work well under makeup. It should sink in immediately and leave no white marks. It is also water-resistant and includes a special product to create a dry touch feel that should control oils, sweat and any other reasons to add shine to your face.

What are the ingredients like?

Now the reason I was intrigued by this product is a few reasons. The fact that it claims to work well under makeup is one. It sounds very much like this works a bit like a primer keeping anything at bay that might help your makeup break up. This is also the unperfumed version which means this is fragrance free which is an added bonus. The ingredient list is as follows:

AQUA / WATER • HOMOSALATE • SILICA • OCTOCRYLENE • ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE • BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE • ETHYLHEXYL TRIAZONE • BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE • DROMETRIZOLE TRISILOXANE • ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE • GLYCERIN • PENTYLENE GLYCOL • STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER • POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE • DIMETHICONE • PERLITE • PROPYLENE GLYCOL • ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE • p-ANISIC ACID • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • DISODIUM EDTA • INULIN LAURYL CARBAMATE • ISOPROPYL LAUROYL SARCOSINATE • PEG-8 LAURATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS EXTRACT / SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS ROOT EXTRACT • SILICA SILYLATE • STEARIC ACID • STEARYL ALCOHOL • TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID • TITANIUM DIOXIDE • TOCOPHEROL • TRIETHANOLAMINE • XANTHAN GUM • ZINC GLUCONATE

I am no expert on ingredients as I am no chemist, but I can at least see it has no added fragrance and it does have some hydrating ingredients too. Now I prefer to use this as my last step in my skincare routine so on my dry skin I don’t notice any effect of this not working as I already went in with a serum, moisturizer and eye cream before this goes on. However, if you have dry skin, this may not be the best as it mattifies your skin instantly.

How does the SPF work?

This ended up being the first SPF for the face that I have used up completely. Often I end up throwing them in the bin after using them sparingly as I don’t use them enough as I feel they don’t work for me. Now I wouldn’t use this if I were to go out for a swim and I am not wearing anything but SPF on my face, but this sits really well sandwiched in between some layers of skincare and makeup. Because of the dry touch feel, this disappears instantly and where most of the time SPF needs time to sink into the skin I can continue with applying my makeup straight away when I use this. This made implementing it into my routine seamless and foolproof. This also never broke me out or caused any other reasons for me to know love this product.

My final thoughts

I really like the La Roche-Posay Dry Touch Gel Cream SPF 50+! This product is the first SPF I wanted to continue using after a few uses and that says something. It caused no irritation, worked well over my skincare and sat well under makeup. It also protected my face from the sun very well. We had some nice days in the spring and those are usually the moments I end up sunburned as the weather doesn’t feel quite like you might need an SPF yet, but actually you do. Because I was able to work this product into my skincare routine without any effort, I wore it also on days where I might not have used SPF otherwise, meaning I didn’t burn and have kept my skin protected as a result.

Would I recommend the La Roche Posay Dry Touch Gel Cream SPF 50+?

This is a great SPF and I will be repurchasing this for sure. It is a lovely SPF that not only protects your skin from the sun, but it also works well with other products I already use in my routine. Because this sinks in quickly and makeup can be applied pretty much straight away I have found this SPF the easiest one to use that I have found to date. The pump bottle means you can easily figure out how much to use (I use two pumps) and even with daily use I was able to make this last for quite some months. That means that also the price point is worth it. So yes, I would recommend this if you are in the market for an SPF that works well if you are used to wearing a full face of makeup.

Waht is the best facial SPF you have ever used?