La Roche Posay Anthelios UV Hydra Daily Invisible Sunscreen (SPF 50) fulfills every single requirement. When I first tried the product, I was shocked and double-checked the label to make sure it was actually sunscreen. Although it features solid SPF 50, it doesn’t feel like sunscreen at all. No tackiness, no dryness, no off-putting smell. The texture goes on silky smooth, almost like a lightweight moisturizer or serum, leaving your skin feeling plump and hydrated. It absorbs beautifully and vanishes into your complexion. Seriously, you won’t be able to detect you’re even wearing sunscreen.
What is this sorcery, you ask? According to the brand, it’s Cell-Ox Shield Technology, which combines UVA/UVB protection with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. As most skin care buffs know, hyaluronic acid is a holy grail humectant used in skin care and makeup to retain moisture, retain elasticity, and fight aging. In other words, it contains a whole lot of good stuff and none of the bad stuff like parabens, oxybenzone, or octinoxate. In fact, it feels so much like regular skin care that sometimes I forgo moisturizer and serum altogether. Scandalous for a beauty editor, I know, but it’s that good.
If you really pile it on the way I do (roughly one teaspoon is the dermatologist-recommended amount), you’ll catch the faintest whiff of that sunscreeny smell. But other than that, I have zero complaints. No notes. This is a 10/10 sunscreen that I will continue to recommend to everyone I know and evidently to strangers on the internet. At $39.99, it’s a bit pricier than your regular drugstore formula, but the splurge is definitely worth it. And if you’re a luxury devotee, this formula is miles better than any fancy sunscreen I’ve ever tried—and trust me, I’ve tried them all—so it’s practically a steal.
Ariana Yaptangco is the senior beauty editor at Glamour.
