Please note that Ducray creme 50+ has been reformulated. The one I'm reviewing right now is made in 2006 and expires in 2009, looks very much like a light clay-containing or zinc creme.
I've tried many, many high PPD European sunscreens, and for my current location (I travel), which is subtropical and insanely hot and humid, Ducray creme 50+ is my holy grail, especially because it is so waterproof and the weather here makes you sweat like crazy.
On the other hand, I can see why some people really can't wear this ss because it might leave a very visible white-cast on someone with darker skin. With my skin there is zero white cast, but rather evens out my skin tone and hide my dark circles a bit.
I bought it because it was on sale for about US$27 for TWO 50 ml bottles. The pharmarcy had it on sale, buy one get one free, because it is due to expire in one year from now. That is US$13.5 per 50ml bottle for a super-high PPD ss with Tinosorb M, better protection against long wave-length UVA than La Roche Posay or any other L'Oreal sunscreens. A great deal indeed.
I have in my current posession LRP Dermo-Peds lait, Bioderma anti-aging creme, Neutrogena Dry-Touch 55, L'Oreal UV perfect XL block, and Avene very high protection stick 40. I just used up Doctor Wu's tinosorb sunscreen and Bioderma Fluide. I must say, LRP just looks too shiny and I didn't want to powder over it; Bioderma has Avobenzone so I can't powder over that either. Same goes for the Neutrogena. But with Ducray, which doesn't have Avo, I can powder over it, and make it matte; its originally finish is somewhat dewy, and I would be fine with that, aside from the fact that the locals here are obsessed about having zero shine on the face. Sure the Ducray does feel heavy on the face, but not sticky like Avene ss, or initially greasy (even Cleanance solaire emulsion). I get to have bangs that are not stuck to my forehead and face. That is such a plus.
In the past I've worn Avene kids lait happily for two years, when I lived in colder weather. It gave me a semi-dewy look that I found flattering during winter months. But since I live on a subtropical island now, I'll stick to Ducray, cuz it's more water-proof and not sticky.
Edit July 30, 2008: I did a waterproof test yesterday. I poured some Ducray into a clear glass and added water to it. It slowly dissolved in water in an hour, and in two hours it completely mixed with the water, creating a murky white liquid. LRP Dermo-Peds doesn't do that. It stays in the water on its own, never dissolving even after three hours. I guess Ducray, while substantial, isn't as waterproof as everyone thought it was...

This is my main sunscreen now! I wanted something that was high in tinosorb M (the best UVA blocker) and had a high PPD, and that was also highly water resistant, since I'm a guy who sweats very readily. From many hours of reading this website (starting from Sunscreens's notepad) and a few other websites, I concluded that Ducray SPF 50+ Cream and Roc Minesol SPF 50+ Fluid Cream would likely suit my needs the best. I tried both (as well as a few other sunscreens that weren't reputed to be as water resistant), and the Ducray looks better on me than the Roc and likely has a higher percentage of tinosorb M, though I'm just guessing that from reading the ingredient list. Unlike what some previous reviewers said, the Ducray is not difficult to rub in or apply. Maybe the formula has changed recently?? The secret is to rub it in appropriately as soon as you apply it to an area of your skin. If you let an excessive amount sit on your skin for a couple minutes, it dries and rubbing away the excess becomes difficult. If you rub it in as soon as you apply it, you should have no problems. The Roc was thicker (and was a little annoying to apply).

For several years I was using La Roche Posay sunscreens thinking I was getting the best protection, but recently I was disappointed to find out that their filters don't block the longest wavelengths (380nm-400nm) of UVA light well. Tinosorb M is by far the best filter against 380nm-400nm UVA light, but La Roche Posay sunscreens don't use it. Companies that use tinosorb M include Ducray, Bioderma, Avene, and Roc. La Roche Posay sunscreens come labeled with high PPD values, but I've been reading that PPD doesn't tell the whole story about a sunscreen's UVA-blocking ability.

Not only is the Ducray 50+ Cream more effective (probably) than La Roche Posay's sunscreens, it also looks better on me than most La Roche Posay sunscreens did. It makes my skin a little pale and shiny, but not as shiny as most sunscreens. If you need something that gets the job done and keeps working, get Ducray 50+ Cream.

This is a thick sunscreen that feels very uncomfortable on my face. It feels heavy and tacky, and it looks that way, too. It's not very cosmetically elegant IMO; it gives a shiny white cast.

I've had a tube of this for some time now, and have used it on and off when i wanted to use an avo free ss. Its quite moisturising compared to other ss's which i like time to time if my skin is dry. This is quite thick and harder to spead around than most ss, but at the same time its probably easier to apply than LRP dermo kids spray, as this never balls up no matter how much you rub. On me this leaves little white cast if i spread it well. Its also suprisingly matt, with little or no shine, but there is some tackiness to the skin. Sounds good so far, and i when i tried this again recently (with drier skin) i thought i'd rediscovered something great. I went out with on and my skin looked calm and none irritated all until i went into a heated shop. Instantly my skin started to itch and feel uncompfortable. I'd never really noticed this with this ss in the past, but then i never wore it extensively. I notice a few reviewer mention this itching aswell so at least im not alone. Itching aside (which may not occur for all) this is a good none drying, fragrance free, avobenzone free ss. I wont buy again though.

I bought this because I wanted to try a sunscreen with both Tinosorbs (M & S) but no avobenzone. Avobenzone can degrade if make-up is worn over it and even though I love Bioderma Photoderm MAX Lait I wanted a sunscreen I can wear on the days I feel I need make-up. Unfortunately, make-up looks awful over this, really cakey and obvious. It is quite a thick sunscreen with some white cast and fairly shiny so it does need powder over it. I won't buy it again because I prefer a similar product-Avene SPF 40 Lait/Lotion for children which also has both Tinosorbs and no Avobenzone but is much more cosmetically elegant and works out more economical. The Ducray does have Pros: no alcohol or fragrance or other nasty ingredients. And it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. continued >>

My second try at high ppd sunscreens.Strike 2,sigh.I thought it was going to work out,but by the fourth day of use, my whole face was itching furiously.I thought I was going to claw it off.I have rosacea and itchy skin is coming to be a serious issue for me.Now that I think about it, Bare Escentuals mineral makeup made me itch furiously by the 4th day too.What is it about the 4th day for me?!I have been using it on my hands,arms and neck area.No problems there,
so it's not a total loss.

I'm reviewing the new version. I wanted to find a lovely, high PPD, avobenzone-free SS, that I could happily slap MU on top of without worrying about mucking up the SS. This was my last hope.
This is probably the least cosmetically acceptable SS I've tried. I say that because it's the only one my DH has actually fallen about laughing over, when he saw my face 30 minutes after I'd put it on. I say probably, because he's never seen me wearing Avene emulsion, which is also dreadful on me. This Ducray and the Avene emulsion are similar in that both are very thick and heavy. They differ in that whereas the Avene is like cold-cream, thick and greasy, this is like zinc oxide cream, thick, pastey and difficult to spread. I looked like a clown with this on, and after an hour I couldn't stand it anymore. It felt and looked really awful. Rubbing it in is very difficult, and I wouldn't want to inflict such rough treatment on my skin on a daily basis. I have found SS's that I like and am happy to wear daily. They all contain avobenzone. I've decided that this is probably a very minor issue, and I'm not going to worry about it one little bit. I am just amazed by how differently SS's work on different skin, so of course you might well find you love this one. In case it helps you to decide, the high ppd SS's that work for me are LRP dermo-peds 40 spray and 50 lait, and Vichy ultra-fluid.

Leaves quite a white cast with full 1/4 tsp. Also is pretty greasy and shiny but not as bad as many others. Difficult to rub in, it takes a lot of rubbing. Also tends to cling to dry flakes and highlight them and such. Won't be buying this again.

This is the second s/s with a PPD of >20 I have tried. The first is LRP fluide extreme, and my only qualm with that is I can't wear it under my mineral makeup.
I was hoping this ducray would be the one that would work for me when I need high protection and want to wear my BE.
Well, I like the finish well enough (once it is rubbed in and then given about 20 minutes to absorb) but it is a bit too heavy for me to wear under the mineral makeup. So if I wanted to wear this I would probably put nothing on top of it.
It took a while to sink in (appearing white on my skin for about 10 min) but then it did sink in, and left no white cast.
Updated to say that I think this is too heavy after all, maybe I wasn't applying enough before, but this is really too heavy to wear on my face, I can feel it all day. continued >>

First, just so people know, some of the reviews for this are referencing the old version, which had a pink-ish tint to it. The new version is white. I found this product when I got samples of the old version from Tubotica.com. The first time I applied it, I was tempted to wash it off immediately- it felt very very thick and sticky. However, after 5 minutes, this feeling was mostly gone, and after 1/2 hour, it had sunk in beautifully, and didn't have that tacky feeling that some Euro SS have.
So, fast-forward to the new version of this. I actually think I might have preferred the old one. The pink tint it had sort of evened out my skin tone, and the thick consistency felt weird, but was very easy to control when spreading. The new version is slightly less thick, and while I suspect some people might prefer that, I like the thicker cream better, because it was easier to rub in for some reason. The new version takes me a bit longer to spread, because I have to keep rubbing it in. During that time, it looks VERY white, but it doesn't bother me- the white cast isn't noticeable after it has spread, and it actually is kind of nice for gauging where I've applied it.
This SS dries to the best, non-tacky/sticky, and matte finish I've found in the Euro SS. I like that it doesn't have any irritating ingredients (no avobenzine!), and doesn't dry me out. I will definitely buy again, and I'm so glad I found it!

Got some samples too. It is really creamy but spreads better if skin is completely dry. Not tinted, the white cast disappears soon and makeup can be applied after some minutes. I'd use it in winter, not sure how it would be in hot weather.

This is my favorite s/s with a PPD > 20. Wearing that level of protection has made the biggest difference in my skin of any other product I have tried. My skin is even-toned now and spots and marks that I thought were just there forever are slowly fading. I wear this s/s when I'm going to be in direct sunlight. It is a cream that spreads easily and is not very greasy. It does not leave any overwhelming shine on my skin like some other s/s's, and what I also like is that it powders really well down to a matte finish. I have never experienced any breakouts or irritation from it. It seems like it may leave a slight white cast on darker skin tones. I don't like the miniscule tube it comes in, and it is one of the hardest s/s's to get, but for me well worth it. Will definitely repurchase. I order online from Tubotica.

Update: I still like this sunscreen but I prefer the La Roche Posay Dermo-Pediatrics line for everyday wear. They are less stickly, less whitening, and more cosmetically elegant. This sunscreen also does not powder over very well. The powder tends to get stuck rather than going on evenly. continued >>

This is a preliminary review for this sunscreen. I wore this today for the first time and wasn´t particularly impressed. It´s a white cream that appears creamier than it is -- I actually had a hard time spreading it on my oily t-zone and then, much to my surprise, it gave me a slight white cast! My skin felt and looked matte, yet it left a strange "rubbery" feeling to the touch. I have very sensitive, rosacea-prone skin, so I only tested this on my t-zone for now. The sides of my nose and chin were mildly itchy all day, which is obviously a sign of irritation. Tinsorb S and M are supposed to be gentle on the skin, so I´m hoping my skin gets accustomed to them. However it may be the cinnamate that´s causing problems. Will test this all over the face soon. UPDATE: Okay, I´m definitely allergic to "something" in this. Woke up with teeny pinhead bumps on my cheeks and two red zits on my forehead. Too bad, because the formula is very confortable and nice, quite possibly the best I´ve found so far. I´m gonna be using this on my hands now, since I fear wrinkly hands as much as a wrinkled face. Ingredients: Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Methylene Bis-benzotriazolyl, Tetramethylbutyphenol, Cyclomethicone, Glyceryl Sterate, Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylxexyl Palmitate, PVP/Eicosene Copolymer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Octocrylene, Stearyl Alcohol, Butylparaben, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Methylparaben, o-Cymen-5-OL, Phenoxyethanel, Proplyparaben, Tribehenin, Xantan Gum.
continued >>