La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk SPF 60
A dermatologist darling that earns its hype for protection — but real users say it's greasy, pills, and leaves a white cast on deeper skin tones. Pricey, too.
What real owners actually say
Here's the thing: this sunscreen has serious dermatologist credibility — multiple commenters mention their derms recommending it, and one person's doctor literally wrote 'the best sunscreen is one you'll wear every day.' People who love it REALLY love it: one former Shiseido loyalist switched on a whim at Target and adores the feel and matte finish. Consumer Reports gave it high marks three years running, which clearly built trust. But the unglamorous truth? The complaints are loud and specific. Multiple users report it makes them look 'SUPER SHINY/OILY' — to the point where strangers tell them they didn't blend in their lotion (they did). It 'does not blend' and 'sits on top of your skin.' On Fitzpatrick V skin, it leaves a visible white cast. At least two users experienced significant pilling — one tried it on her face with different techniques, gave up, and used it on her bare legs and STILL got pilling along her calves. Another simply said 'Underwhelmed personally. It pilled a lot.' Eye-stinging is a real issue: one person said it 'stings my eyes like all hell' and feels 'like a greasy lotion.' The smell divides people — some find it mild and nice, others find it 'a little weird.' Price is the loudest complaint by upvotes: the top comment (235 upvotes) is simply 'the price does not agree with my wallet.' People actively hunt CVS deals and stack coupons to get it under $10. Also worth noting: it's not reef-safe and is banned in Hawaii, which matters to some. Several commenters point out the US version uses older FDA-approved filters, not the modern ones in Asian formulations — and suggest Korean sunscreens as alternatives at a fraction of the cost.
What Glow loved
- Top-tier SPF protection dermatologists consistently recommend
- Consumer Reports high performer three years running
- Absorbs well for some skin types with a matte finish
- Widely available at Target, CVS, and drugstores
What Glow didn't
- Pills badly for multiple users — even on bare skin
- Leaves a white cast on deeper skin tones (Fitzpatrick V)
- Can look extremely greasy/shiny despite claims of a matte finish
- Eye-stinging is a real problem for sensitive users
- Expensive — the price is the #1 complaint by a wide margin
The YouTube reviewers who actually tried it
Dermatologists absolutely swoon over this product line. Dr. Dray features La Roche-Posay sunscreens across multiple videos — in her 'sunscreens I love enough to use up' empties video, an LRP sunscreen makes 'pretty much every empties video' because she likes it that much. She highlights L'Oreal's pioneering work on Mexoryl, one of the greatest UVA filters, which you'll only find in L'Oreal-family sunscreens. The Doctorly duo (Dr. Shah and Dr. Maxfield) have a 'mostly love' relationship with the brand despite calling it a 'love-hate' dynamic. Dr. Daniel Sugai includes LRP in his top sunscreen picks and his top five must-have LRP products (not sponsored, he notes). Dr. Sarah Sheu specifically reviews the Melt-in Milk SPF 100 and praises how well it absorbs, the lack of white cast (noting chemical sunscreens generally don't leave one), and its purely chemical filter blend of homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, and avobenzone. Abbey Yung does a thorough six-sunscreen LRP roundup with ingredient breakdowns and on-camera application. Sarah's Favorite Finds — who has a personal history of skin cancer — calls it her go-to for both court days and everyday, praising it as lightweight, reliable, and wearable for an SPF 100. The Style and Beauty Doctor includes it in a darker-skin-focused sunscreen roundup. Across the board, the video layer is overwhelmingly positive, with derms praising protection, absorption, and the brand's R&D pedigree. Notably absent from any video: mentions of pilling, greasiness, eye-stinging, or the price barrier that dominates user discussion.
The caveats nobody puts on the bottle
When user voice and video reviewers contradict each other, that's usually where the truth lives. Here's the disagreement.
- VIDEO reviewers (especially Dr. Sarah Sheu) praise the Melt-in Milk for absorbing beautifully with no white cast, but USER comments report it 'does not blend,' sits on top of skin, and leaves a visible white cast on Fitzpatrick V skin.
- VIDEO layer is silent on texture complaints, but USER comments specifically and repeatedly flag greasiness, shininess, and pilling — even on bare legs with no other products underneath.
- VIDEO reviewers (dermatologists) don't discuss price at all, while the single most upvoted USER comment is about the price being unaffordable, and multiple users share coupon-stacking strategies to afford it.
- USER comments report eye-stinging ('stings my eyes like all hell'), which no VIDEO reviewer mentions — a notable gap given multiple dermatologist-led channels reviewed the product.
- Both USER and VIDEO layers align on dermatologist endorsement — derms genuinely love this brand, and users confirm their doctors recommend it, creating strong credibility consensus.
- USER comments flag that the US version uses older FDA-approved filters vs. modern Asian filters, a nuance no VIDEO reviewer addresses despite several being board-certified dermatologists.
- USER comments note the sunscreen is not reef-safe and banned in Hawaii — an environmental and travel consideration completely absent from the VIDEO layer.
The 9 videos that informed this verdict
Top YouTube reviews ranked by views. Tap a card to watch on YouTube — no autoplay, no creep tracking, no “you might also like.”