La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ — Efficacy 4.5/5.0, Safety 3.6/5.0 | DemythSkin
++++
[ DemythSkin Verdict ]
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+
La Roche-Posay

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+

SunscreenSun Protection
Efficacy
Exceptional
4.5 / 5.0
Safety
Caution
3.6 / 5.0
System Verdict
Strong UV protection, but the high alcohol and fragrance make this a compromised sunscreen for sensitive skin. Efficacy is 4.5/5 because several modern, photostable UV filters appear in the upper half of the INCI, providing broad UVA/UVB coverage; glycerin adds meaningful hydration, but the formula lacks published pH and filter-concentration details. Safety is reduced to 3.6/5 by Alcohol Denat. in position 5 and declared fragrance, which may sting or irritate sensitive or barrier-impaired skin. The botanical extracts and tocopherol are secondary support, not the reason this sunscreen works.
Active Ingredients Detected
S Tier: Gold StandardsHigh Clinical Proof | Skin-Transformative
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineEthylhexyl Triazone
A Tier: Good BasicsProven Results
GlycerinEthylhexyl SalicylateButyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneTocopherol
B Tier: Supporting IngredientsPromising Ingredients
Diisopropyl SebacateC12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate CopolymerAluminum Starch OctenylsuccinateIsopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
C Tier: Marketing IdolsHype | Limited or Weak Data
Scutellaria Baicalensis ExtractScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
D Tier: Potential IrritantsBe Cautious
Alcohol Denat.T-Butyl AlcoholTerephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic AcidParfum/Fragrance
What Each Ingredient Does
Aqua/Water
Solvent and formula base
Diisopropyl Sebacate
Light emollient and solvent
Glycerin
Humectant water binder
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Broad-spectrum UV filter
Alcohol Denat.
Solvent and quick-dry agent
Propanediol
Humectant and solvent
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UVB filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
High-efficiency UVB filter
C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer
Film-forming texture agent
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
Broad-spectrum UV filter
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UVA filter
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent texture modifier
Silica
Oil-absorbing texture agent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant formula protector
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Emollient and dispersing agent
Acrylates Copolymer
Film-forming stabilizer
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
Thickener and stabilizer
Caprylyl Glycol
Humectant and preservative booster
Citric Acid
pH adjustment agent
Disodium EDTA
Chelating stabilizer
Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract
Botanical antioxidant extract
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Botanical antioxidant extract
T-Butyl Alcohol
Solvent and processing aid
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
Broad-spectrum UV filter
Full Ingredient List (INCI)

Aqua/Water, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Parfum/Fragrance

Frequently Asked

Is La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ worth it?

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ scores 4.5 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Exceptional) and 3.6 out of 5.0 for safety (Caution) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. Strong UV protection, but the high alcohol and fragrance make this a compromised sunscreen for sensitive skin. Efficacy is 4.5/5 because several modern, photostable UV filters appear in the upper half of the INCI, provid

What are the key active ingredients in La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+?

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone.

Does La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ contain fragrance or known irritants?

DemythSkin flags these ingredients in La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ as potential irritants: Alcohol Denat., T-Butyl Alcohol, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Parfum/Fragrance. This product does contain fragrance.

How is La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF 50+ scored?

DemythSkin grades every product on two independent axes: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are classified S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. No brand pays for a score.

Analyze on DemythSkin →

Analysis last updated: 2026-10-09. DemythSkin is an independent ingredient analyzer. Scores are computed by a deterministic rubric from published clinical evidence — no brand pays for a score.