Neutrogena costs far less. Anthelios is the one to buy if fragrance bothers your skin.
All three are chemical sunscreens built on the same four filters: avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene. All three are broad spectrum, water resistant for 80 minutes and labeled non-comedogenic. So the SPF number is not where they really differ.
The difference is the base. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer contains added fragrance, beeswax and jojoba esters and dries to a matte, dry-touch finish. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk is fragrance-free, oil-free and paraben-free, and adds antioxidants. It also costs at least twice as much per ounce. If you want a sunscreen you’ll use generously on your face and body every day, buy Neutrogena SPF 55. If your skin reacts to fragrance, spend more on Anthelios.
Which sunscreen should you buy?
Why SPF 55, 60 and 70 are closer than they look
SPF measures UVB protection, and the gains shrink as the number climbs. SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB and SPF 50 about 98%. Anything higher only edges closer to 100%. Between SPF 55, 60 and 70, the difference is well under one percentage point when each is applied at the tested amount.
Most people apply far less sunscreen than the tested amount, and that cuts real protection more than any of these number differences. That's why the cheaper bottle often wins in practice. You're more likely to use a generous layer on your face and neck, and about a shot glass's worth on your body, when you aren't rationing it.
All three use the same four filters: avobenzone 3% for UVA, plus homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene for UVB. All three are labeled broad spectrum and water resistant for 80 minutes. So the choice comes down to fragrance, finish and cost per ounce.
Reapply at least every two hours outdoors, and right away after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating or after towel drying. A higher SPF doesn’t stretch that window.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55: the everyday value pick
Matte, low-cost daily sunscreen.
Ultra Sheer SPF 55 uses avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10%. Silica and a styrene/acrylates film give it the dry-touch, low-shine finish it’s named for, which suits oily and combination skin.
It’s labeled non-comedogenic and oxybenzone-free, and it’s water resistant for 80 minutes. The catch is the base: it contains added fragrance, plus beeswax and jojoba esters. If scented products make your skin sting or itch, go with Anthelios instead.
The 3 fl oz tube costs far less per ounce than Anthelios, so you can use it on your face, neck and arms every day without rationing it.
- Broad spectrum SPF 55, water resistant for 80 minutes
- Dry-touch, low-shine finish suits oily skin
- Labeled non-comedogenic
- Costs far less per ounce than Anthelios
- Contains added fragrance
- Matte finish can feel dry on dry skin
- Small 3 fl oz tube
Anthelios Melt-In Milk SPF 60: fragrance-free protection for sensitive skin
Fragrance-free SPF 60 for face and body.
Anthelios Melt-In Milk uses the same filter family as Neutrogena: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 7%. It adds an antioxidant blend of cassia alata leaf extract and vitamin E.
The bigger difference is what’s left out. It’s fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free and oxybenzone-free, and it’s labeled non-comedogenic. That makes it the safer choice if your skin reacts to fragrance or gets irritated easily.
It’s a smooth, fast-absorbing lotion for face and body, water resistant for 80 minutes. It does contain denatured alcohol, which can feel drying on very dry skin. And it costs at least twice as much per ounce as Neutrogena, so it’s the harder bottle to use generously all over.
- Fragrance-free, oil-free and paraben-free
- Broad spectrum SPF 60, water resistant for 80 minutes
- Added antioxidants (cassia alata extract, vitamin E)
- Labeled non-comedogenic for face and body
- Costs at least twice as much per ounce
- Contains denatured alcohol
- SPF 60 adds almost nothing over SPF 55
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 70: same formula, a little more protection
Higher-SPF version of Ultra Sheer.
SPF 70 is the SPF 55 formula with homosalate raised from 10% to 15%. Avobenzone 3%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10% are unchanged, and so are the dry-touch finish, the added fragrance and the 80-minute water resistance.
That bump moves UVB protection from about 98.2% to about 98.6% at the tested amount. It’s a small gain. But if you’re fair, burn easily or spend whole days outdoors, it usually costs about the same as SPF 55, so there’s little reason not to take it.
It has the same downside as SPF 55: fragrance. If your skin is sensitive, go with Anthelios.
- Highest SPF of the three
- Same dry-touch finish as SPF 55
- Water resistant for 80 minutes
- Usually costs about the same as SPF 55
- Contains added fragrance
- More homosalate than SPF 55
- Doesn’t let you reapply any less often
Best value Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55 Lotion | Fragrance-free La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk SPF 60 Sunscreen | Highest SPF Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 70 Lotion | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| SPF | 55 | 60 | 70 |
| Active ingredients | Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 10% | Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 7% | Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 15%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 10% |
| Water resistance | 80 minutes | 80 minutes | 80 minutes |
| Fragrance | Added fragrance | Fragrance-free | Added fragrance |
| Finish | Matte, dry-touch | Smooth, fast-absorbing lotion | Matte, dry-touch |
| Cost per ounce | Low | High | Low |
| View | View | View |
Neutrogena and Anthelios share the same four filters, the same 80-minute water resistance and the same non-comedogenic label. The real difference is the base. Neutrogena adds fragrance, beeswax and jojoba esters. Anthelios is fragrance-free, oil-free and paraben-free, with added antioxidants.
If fragrance has never bothered your skin, the extra cost of Anthelios buys you very little. If it has, that’s exactly what you’re paying for.
Choose Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55 if you want the best value. It’s broad spectrum, water resistant and matte, and it costs little enough to use generously every day. It’s the better fit for oily and combination skin.
Choose La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk SPF 60 if your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance. It uses similar filters in a fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free base, and that base is the only reason to pay more for it.
Choose Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 70 if you’re fair, burn easily or spend whole days outside. Whichever you pick, use enough and reapply every two hours outdoors.
