Anthelios SPF50+ Dry Touch Gel-Cream (PPD31)

10 Reviews

1. 

   enviousTortoise4

   Reply

   I have a love-hate relationship with this sunscreen. I really like the matte effect it gives, especially when worn on its own. It blurs the fine lines and pores on my face and just makes everything look a little smoother. I like to wear it when I’m not wearing makeup, like when I’m running or during other outdoor activities. It has also never caused my eyes to sting, even though I apply it pretty close to my eyes and have worn it in very hot weather and sweated a lot. It wears fairly well under makeup, although it’s definitely not moisturizing and I find it’s necessary to wear moisturizer on top of it. The formula has never caused me to break out, or caused other skin issues, and I have moderately sensitive skin.

   Unfortunately, this stuff also has a tendency to pill in spots. I wear glasses all the time, and it pills really badly around my nose where my glasses touch. You have to apply a certain amount of sunscreen for it to be effective, so cutting down on the amount isn’t an option. The consistency is quite thick, and it has to be rubbed into your skin very quickly and thoroughly, or else you can get white patches in random places on your face and neck. It’s ok under makeup, but doesn’t play well with everything, and if the formula is drying, this will make it worse, even with moisturizer on top.

   The packaging is a basic tube, but because this is such a thick formula, I found it hard to squeeze out enough product when it was half-empty. Even though I always stored it cap-side-down, I had to tap it against the counter to get enough sunscreen to the end of the tube. When I got frustrated with this and cut it in half to get at the last bit, there was still a lot of product left inside that I had been unable to squeeze out.

   I’m undecided about whether I will repurchase or not. If I can find it on sale at a good price, I might, just to wear it on its own.

2. 

   needfulBobolink4

   Reply

   I panic bought the face version of this when I ran out of my stash of Asian sunscreens, and it is one of the worst sunscreens I have ever tried. It’s marketed as a fancy (expensive) French brand in Canada, so it must be good right? It is so thick, white and streaky, and if you actually use the amount you are supposed to for your face (1/4 tsp) it just balls up and flakes off. Forget layering makeup over it. I’ve tried using it up just on my chest but the same issue there – streaky, flakey, and balls off. Sigh – why can’t the western world have nice sunscreen? I’ve also tried the thin Anthelios version for face as well and that was an oily eye burning mess. I’ll just pay the shipping and continue buying Asian sunscreen from the internet.

3. 

   guiltyOrange2

   Reply

   I am very happy with this product. I use 2 pumps to cover my face, and I use a light touch to distribute it evenly and quickly. I use a third pump to cover my neck, and another for my chest, if it’s exposed. It goes on white, but absorbs within seconds to a clear, smooth finish. It has a bit of a dewy look when it sets, which might be a dealbreaker for some people, but I rather like the effect. It makes my aging skin look more youthful. It plays well with my other makeup (Clarins Instant Concealer, Pixi Sheer Check Blush Gel, as well as powder and bronzer) and has protected my skin through a very hot, dry summer. No breakouts or blemishes. No perfumes.

   I use tretinoin and sometimes have dry patches on my chin and cheeks, so I do have to use an extra moisturizer under it sometimes. CeraVe PM moisturizer works well for this.

   I find the price here in Europe quite acceptable.

4. 

   boastfulGarlic3

   Reply

   I’m on my 2nd tube of this sunscreen (with the pump dispenser packaging) and I absolutely LOVE IT. Finally, after wearing sunscreen for so many years I have found the one that is perfect for my face! I have dry/dehydrated skin so I was worried that it might dry me out or emphasise fine lines etc. but this doesn’t in the least. I love the finish, it reminds me of a smoothing primer, so much so that I even wear it at night before I apply make up as I LOVE the base it offers. I use a few pumps to get an even distribution and it dries to a smooth matte finish, I can apply make up over right away without ANY pilling, deformation etc. of any sort.
   I buy this at my local pharmacy in Greece for around 10 euros.

5. 

   murkyWildfowl3

   Reply

   This does indeed dry very fast. I do small parts of my face at a time. I’m also one of those people who will apply about three layers of sunblock as I live in South Africa and my skin shows pigmentation marks very quickly whether its due to an old pimple or long sun exposure. I found it a bit difficult to do the 2nd and 3rd applications as some of the first layer would start to rub off. After I was completely done, there were some white little dry pieces left on my face- don’t try and remove them immediately, wait a few minutes and then just brush away with clean hands.

   I am medium skin tone, Asian ethnicity and 33 years old. I do have an oily t zone and slightly dry cheeks in winter. Athelios XL dry touch does leave a very slight white cast on my skin but nothing compared to mineral based sunscreens. It’s mattifying without leaving the skin feeling tight and dry and so this is really great for my oily tzone. Sunscreens which are not catered to oily skins leave a terrible oily slick on my face so this Athelios XL has been awesome in that it truly delivers a matte finish.

   The only other mattifying sunscreen that has worked for me is the one Vichy offers. Unfortunately this is too expensive for me as I use sunblock every day throughout the year. Eucerin fluid for oily skin felt too strong (alocohol) on my sensitive skin.

   Clinique Sunscreen Fluid 50+ is a very gentle sunscreen and overall mineral sunblocks are considered to be a healthier option because they contain less chemicals. I wear this one when I’m having a lazy day and don’t mind what I look like! It does leave a very noticeable white oily sheen on my face but it’s probably the most gentle sunblock I’ve used and doesnt break me out.

   Sorry! I’ve just given a review on 3 other sunscreens too!
   For those of you who dont know of Dr Sam Bunting and Dr Gray (both dermatologists with very different styles but I’ve found that the information they deliver is the same), please check out their YouTube videos. I’m their biggest fan right now and have posted about them in another review. The importance of sunblock is incredible and while they are not colleagues, they both use a sunblock called Eltamd. Seems to work wonderfully and I would love to try it out but unfortunately the brand isnt sold in my country.

6. 

   debonairJaguar6

   Reply

   It has a pump dispenser these days, which is a plus. Anyway, this is not a bad sunscreen as it does the job of offering good UVA and UVB protection while not looking super shiny on my oily skin. It starts to dry fairly quickly so you have to work fast to work it into your skin before it’s too tacky to spread around. It doesn’t do much in terms of oil control, though. It goes on well enough under make-up and I never experienced patchiness or accidental sunburn while wearing it.

   It’s not the cheapest sunscreen out there, so once I found a cheaper one that does a better job I switched to that one. I did use this for some years though since it does genuinely dry down matte.

7. 

   curiousSmelt2

   Reply

   Seems like I am in a minority here because I love this product. I purchased the tinted version thinking that I may use this as a foundation base. It comes in a pump pack and you can get it in Australia for $21 to $25 if you buy it at Chemist Warehouse. I use a lot of La Roche Posay products because they are consistently good. I apply a layer of SPF 50+ sunscreen on my face every day prior to applying makeup, so I thought this might be good under some mineral powder foundation. The first time I used this, I applied two pumps of this using my Beauty Blender. Usually when I apply an SPF product, my skin looks quite oily. This actually did what it says. It is advertised as anti shine and on my mature (but really good) skin, it applied not quite matte, but certainly not oily or shiny. There is only one colour in this and it is probably close to a true beige, but I found it super flattering in both colour and finish. It covers up redness and minor flaws because it is a moderate level of cover. I did not even bother powdering it down. I applied concealer to my under eye area and then got on with applying the rest of my makeup. I am generally pretty fastidious about using an ivory/porcelain foundation, but I was really pleasantly surprised to find that this (a sunscreen product) warmed up my face. I guess the true test is how it looks after wearing it for an entire day and this held up beautifully. The colour isn’t going to suit dark skinned ladies or really pale ladies. It can take a little bit of time to blend properly, but it isn’t cakey or shiny. It sets to a really smooth finish. If there is one thing I am very fussy about, it is that my makeup looks smooth. If it cakes, it goes straight in the bin. I was so impressed with this, that I purchased another one to pack in my holiday makeup kit.

8. 

   affectedHyena8

   Reply

   I have gone through 5 tubes of this sunscreen and I can definitely say that it is the best budget option! It is not the best sunscreen of all times, but it is certainly a must-have if you cannot spend a lot!

   I would recommend it because:
   – it dries completely matte, so if you have very oily skin or combo skin with certain oil slick areas (like me), then you would love this! if you are on the drier side, I would get something else from the Anthelios range, like the cream or the fluid
   – it wears beautifully under make up and it does not disturb it
   – it never gets cakey, no matter how many times I reapply it throughout the day (depending on the weather, I have gone for 4 layers maximum and it never looked ashy or thick)
   – it is a physical sunscreen, so it stays on top of the skin and has not clogged my pores
   – it feels like nothing on the skin

   I do not like only two things about this product:
   – it does set very quickly so you must be fast when applying it, otherwise you could be left with a white cast or an unblended patch..I like to apply it section by section on my face
   – because I have combo skin, it could feel tight on my dry patches, but I always apply a moisturiser underneath and problem is solved

   Overall, if you have oily or combo skin and you are looking for an excellent inexpensive sunscreen, which is also a good makeup base, then go for this Anthelios dry touch gel cream.

9. 

   grudgingPear7

   Reply

   I dont really recommend, when you apply your face, it immediately dries and leaves white cast, you have to be super quick, otherwise you have to scrape it from your face, my skin is super sensitive and it hurts when I apply slow, but your sk,n feels matte thats a plus

10. 

    contentPlover4

    Reply

    Judging by the reviews here I would have never tried this sunscreen but then I received a tube as a gift so here we are.
    First I have to say it that the texture has medium thickness, not really runny but definitely not a cream. I still wonder why it say ”gel” on the packaging when it clearly isn’t.
    Unfortunately it does smell like plastic although the scent is not potent.
    The thing is that it dries fast so I squeeze small batches and apply them instead of dotting my face. It would be harder to blend this way since it gets a bit tacky while setting.
    After that there are no problems at all. Leaves a non sticky semi-matte finish and since I’m pale anyway don’t notice any white cast. I had no problems applying full face makeup over it and didn’t notice any flaking.
    Provides some oil control, good sun protection and there were no negative effects on my skin overall.
    Despite its merits there are far more cosmetically elegant sunscreens and that’s the reason why I wouldn’t repurchase.