Daily delight: a bagful of La Roche-Posay

One of the best beauty brands on the block according to Allure magazine – who constantly sing their praises – is France’s La Roche-Posay. I know I’m going all Francophile of late, but one of the top things on my to-do list after arriving in France was to get my hands on some La Roche-Posay of my own as it’s not yet available in New Zealand. I did that a couple of days ago in the little mountain town of Lectoure, where it held pride of place in the local pharmacy next to Avene, another top notch French beauty star that’s equally as kind on the wallet. The first product I grabbed was La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Extreme Fluid, which Allure recently named the best facial sunblock on the market. I’m getting a lot of sun of late in these warmer climes, so it was a no brainer to reach for this first. As well as being a beautifully light formula on the skin that sits effortlessly with any moisturiser, this super fluid is fragrance-free, paraben free. non-comedogenic and water resistant, making it perfect for the upcoming Great New Zealand Summer. It’s been designed with “skin subject to sun intolerance, commonly known as sun allergies” in mind, and is the perfect choice for women wanting to avoid pregnancy mask or pigmentation, or suffering from drug-induced photosensitivity. It offers optimal SPF 50+ protection reinforced against UVA rays (in a formula that is stricter than the European recommendation) thanks to a new filter system that combines Mexoryl® SX and XL and Senna Alata extract, a natural cell protector.
It also has the bare minimum of chemical filters and is deliciously non-greasy for such a hardcore sunblock. It’s just one element in the Anthelios range, which covers face and body, women, men and bubs too, and is growing by the day. This stuff is pure gold – I just may have to fill my suitcase before I go!