La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 100 for oily acne-prone skin
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Octisalate
Octocrylene
Cell-Ox Shield TechnologyAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other sunscreens fit it better.
- European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate sun protection for your oily skin due to the presence of avobenzone and octisalate, which provide UV filtering, but lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to target your acne and breakouts.
- Glycerin offers humectant action suitable for oily skin, but the formula lacks strong seboregulating ingredients to address oiliness or shiny skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this sunscreen AM as the final step of your morning skincare routine. Reapply every two hours when exposed to the sun for continuous protection.
- Apply after your moisturizer as the last step before makeup. Do not apply anything on top of your sunscreen.
- Gently spread a coin-sized amount evenly across your face and neck. Avoid harsh rubbing to prevent disturbing the protective layer.
- Apply on completely dry skin after your moisturizer has fully absorbed. This ensures the sunscreen forms an even, protective barrier.
- Avoid direct contact with your eyes during application. Do a patch test before first use to ensure no irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 900+ reviewsThis sunscreen is highly effective at preventing sunburns for fair and sun-sensitive skin, leaving a hydrated finish without a white cast. However, individuals with oily or acne-prone skin frequently report that the formula feels too heavy and greasy for facial use, sometimes leading to clogged pores or breakouts.
Highlights
Excellent sun protection Mostly Mentioned
- “Effective at preventing sunburns even in intense sun exposure.”
- “Provides a great barrier against sunburn.”
- “Provides very high sun protection with SPF 100.”
- “Skin always feels protected... stays in place even when out.”
No white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “Melts right in without leaving a white cast, even under makeup.”
- “Blends seamlessly into the skin without leaving a white cast.”
- “Does not leave a white cast or chalky film on the skin.”
- “No white-cast... doesn't feel like rubbing oil all over.”
Lightweight and moisturizing Often Mentioned
- “Texture is smooth and lightweight, making it easy to apply.”
- “Hydrating feel adds a bit of moisture without feeling oily.”
- “Vehicle is very moisturizing and feels nice to put on.”
- “Leaves skin feeling hydrated and smooth with a velvety finish.”
Safe for sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “Fragrance-free and gentle enough for sensitive skin.”
- “Works well on the body, especially for users prone to burning.”
- “Doesn't burn eyes like other sunscreens do.”
- “Gentle formula is fragrance, alcohol and essential oil free.”
Greasy on face Sometimes Noted
- “Formula feels very oily on the skin and takes quite a while to fully absorb.”
- “Way too greasy to put onto the face.”
- “Leaves oily acne-prone skin dewy at application... and shiny later on.”
- “Heavy, greasy feel may be a drawback for daily use.”
Bad taste Rarely Noted
- “Causes a strong, lingering bad taste in the mouth shortly after application.”
- “Persistent bad taste after application is a unique but common complaint.”
- “Strong, lingering bad taste... can last for hours.”
Causes acne Rarely Noted
- “Can cause acne breakouts on facial skin, particularly for oily or acne-prone types.”
- “Possible irritation or breakouts.”
- “Caused burning on all areas of skin... skin is swollen.”
- “May not be ideal for very sensitive or allergy-prone skin.”
Flaky residue Rarely Noted
- “Leaves a flaky white residue or peeling texture after use.”
- “Leaves streaks, especially around the neck area.”
- “Shows up white and ugly. It does not absorb.”
- “Inconsistent reports about yellow stains on clothing.”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, walmart.com, lovelyskin.com, skincare.com, shopsavvy.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 100 work for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, providing reliable sun protection without causing irritation, but it lacks specialized ingredients to actively target breakouts and excess shine. Sunscreens for this skin type need lightweight, oil-free formulas with oil-controlling agents and ingredients like salicylic acid to help manage acne.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen works for your skin because avobenzone and octisalate filter UV rays, and glycerin keeps your skin hydrated without feeling heavy. Chemical sunscreens containing these UV filters show minimal risks of skin irritation or photo-allergy in human studies. To truly fit oily and acne-prone skin, a sunscreen of this type needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to target breakouts and strong oil-controlling agents to manage excess shine.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Avobenzone do for oily acne-prone skin?
Avobenzone helps protect your skin from sun damage, but it does not treat oily or acne-prone skin on its own. Sunscreens for this skin type need ingredients that feel light, absorb excess oil, and won't clog your pores.
What does Homosalate do for oily acne-prone skin?
Homosalate acts as a UV filter in sunscreen to protect oily and acne-prone skin from sun damage without feeling heavy. Chemical sunscreens containing this ingredient show a very low likelihood of causing skin irritation or breakouts.
Where does this sunscreen go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen goes as the last step of your morning skincare routine, right after your moisturizer. It is unlikely to cause irritation, but because this skin type needs oil-control ingredients and targeted blemish fighters like salicylic acid to work best, other sunscreens may fit it better.
Can I use this sunscreen with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this sunscreen in the morning after applying your retinol and moisturizer step, as it provides safe UV filtering without adding irritation. Sunscreens of this type for oily acne-prone skin also need ingredients like salicylic acid and oil-controlling elements to clear breakouts and reduce shine.
How often should I use this sunscreen?
You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine, as chemical sunscreens like this are unlikely to cause irritation and have a safe profile. To best care for oily acne-prone skin, this type of product needs salicylic acid to target breakouts alongside ingredients that help control oil and shiny skin.
Can this sunscreen clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen is unlikely to cause irritation or allergic reactions on your skin, though it may feel greasy and lacks ingredients to help with breakouts. An ideal sunscreen for oily acne-prone skin needs ingredients like salicylic acid to target acne and oil-controlling components to manage shine.
Is this sunscreen fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Encapsulating avobenzone in low-porosity TiO2-embedded mesoporous silica (TiO2/SBA-S) reduced cutaneous avobenzone absorption from 0.76 to 0.50 nmol/mg while providing effective pollutant adsorbability, UVA protection, and a two- to three-fold reduction in photoaged skin cytokines/chemokines compared to the non-treatment control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Chemical sunscreens containing avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and octisalate showed no to minimal risks of dermal irritation, sensitization, photo-allergy, and photo-irritation in human subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025Encapsulation of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles significantly reduced their in vivo human skin penetration compared to nonencapsulated filters.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011Microencapsulation of the BMDBM/HP-beta-CD complex in lipid microparticles significantly decreased the percutaneous penetration of the UV filter into the stratum corneum of human volunteers compared to the non-encapsulated sunscreen agent.
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2011Following human skin application of an O/W emulsion containing 2% BMDBM loaded in lipospheres, 15% of the sunscreen accumulated in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum without remarkably modifying skin permeation compared to unencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008Dermal application of a sunscreen containing 10% homosalate in four volunteers resulted in delayed elimination with terminal half-times around 24 h and a bioavailability of cis-homosalate a factor of 2 lower than trans-homosalate, while metabolite ratios supported using oral-route urinary excretion fractions for dermal exposure assessments.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Homosalate exhibited the highest permeation among tested filters with a relative permeability rate of 4.2% and a depth of 60 um, and specific thickeners and emulsifiers successfully reduced its permeation without inhibiting the skin permeation of niacinamide.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2026An online-SPE-LC-MS/MS method successfully quantified specific urinary homosalate metabolites for up to 96 hours after dermal sunscreen application in a volunteer and detected metabolites exclusively in three German pilot participants who had used sunscreen within five days.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2021Simulated real-life dermal sunscreen exposure in twenty human volunteers leads to the systemic bioavailability and urinary excretion of the UV filter 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and its metabolite, reaching concentration peaks at 7 to 8 hours with 70-80% of overall excretion within 24 hours.
Archives of Toxicology, 2019The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024Controlled single dermal exposure to an EHS-containing sunscreen in three volunteers resulted in delayed systemic resorption with elimination half-lives between 6.6 and 9.7 hours, where the parent compound EHS occurred as the dominant urinary parameter.
Archives of Toxicology, 2024Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Early application of sunscreen after ablative fractional skin resurfacing significantly increased the sensitization rate of the UV-filter, octocrylene, and the sunscreen compared to intact skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2015Dermal sunscreen exposure in 20 healthy volunteers led to plasma concentrations of avobenzone, octocrylene, and its metabolite CDAA reaching up to 11 μg/L, 25 μg/L, and 1352 μg/L, respectively.
Environment International, 2019Sunscreens containing Mexoryl SX provide superior protection against UVA- and solar-simulated radiation-induced biological damage, including pigmentation, DNA damage, immune suppression, and dermal alterations, compared to formulations without it in human volunteers and patients.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2008Mexoryl SX (5%) efficiently prevents UVA-induced skin alterations including pigmentation, stratum corneum thickening, and protein expression changes in human skin.
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 1998Topical application of both a UVB absorber and a broad-spectrum Mexoryl SX sunscreen effectively prevented UVB-induced damage in in vitro reconstructed human skin, whereas only the Mexoryl SX-containing preparation successfully prevented UVA-specific dermal fibroblast disappearance.
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2000
Why other sunscreens fit oily acne-prone skin better
Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025
Ingredients
Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Water, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Silica, Caprylyl Methicone, Acrylates Dimethicone Copolymer, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Peg-8 Laurate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Chlorphenesin, P-Anisic Acid, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Edta, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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