Bioderma • Photoderm MAX Fluide SPF 50 PPD 35 • Sunscreen

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indiangirl on 5/4/2013 5:46:00 PM more reviews by indiangirl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Tan, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I bought this in Paris. I am NC30 of Indian origin. This sunscreen was slightly greasy on my dry skin so I prefer to wear it on days I stay home (I wear sunscreen everyday rain or shine, in or out). White cast dissipated quickly so no complaints there. Did not feel it made any difference to my sunspots much. It did sting my eyes when I washed my face to take it off. I much prefer La Roche Posay to this so probably will not buy again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Abbieness on 1/26/2013 11:01:00 AM more reviews by Abbieness

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Purchased based on info from MUA skincare board. I have repurchased about 4 times now at least. I use daily. I have sensitive, combo, clog prone skin. This sunscreen does not feel heavy or greasy to me. Does not leave a white cast. Is "cosmetically elegant" as they say. I feel it has helped the dark spots I have both from acne scars and sun, to slowly fade, though it has taken patience waiting to see results. I am very happy with this product for how it feels and for the high quality protection. It has a similar texture to Sofina which I loved however the Sofina did not protect my skin enough. This offers excellent protection.

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alousek on 7/3/2012 6:53:00 AM more reviews by alousek

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Because I am very pale and I get sunburn easily I need to use a high sunscreen very often. I absolutely hate the sun protecting creams leaving greasy film on the face. For a long time I wasn’t able to find a product, that would have a high spf and leave a natural finish on the skin and feel like a normal skin.
I am so happy that in the pharmacy I was recommended the Bioderma Fluid. I buy several tubes per year and I couldn’t be happier. It is a very good sun protection and it absorbs quickly and is even a good base underneath makeup.
I use it also on my chest and shoulders (sometimes arms) and it works just perfect.

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*TOP REVIEWER* canesfan on 4/3/2012 2:59:00 PM more reviews by canesfan

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Bioderma Photoderm Max SPF 50+ Solaire Ultra-Fluide
Very High Protection Intolerant Skin

Definition of "cosmetically inelegant" for me. Didn't blend in; "pilled" or balled up on skin, even lightly dabbing and not rubbing. Slightly stung; felt greasy.

Also, annoying packaging, in that the cap is completely removable.

Definitely would not repurchase.

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ascatterheart on 12/26/2011 6:14:00 AM more reviews by ascatterheart

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Light, but moisturizing (it can actually get pretty oily if you don't have dry skin). Very light fragrance. It lasted for about a year of daily use. The packaging is pretty bad though, the product can easily leak. It's pricey.
I wouldn't buy again, there are better products.

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jgtyd on 8/6/2011 1:22:00 PM more reviews by jgtyd

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

An absolute waste of my money! Did not live up to its promise of leaving no white residue and made my skin extra oily! An upsetting waste of money and would not recommend anyone to buy this product!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Sarasotagirl on 7/31/2011 11:17:00 AM more reviews by Sarasotagirl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

If you're serious about protecting your skin from the widest range of UVA rays, then you owe it to yourself to try this. It goes on thinly, spreads easily and has no fragrance. Yes, it can get greasy, especially in the hottest weather -- but the right powder foundation can fix that.


This is my go-to facial sunscreen as soon as the UV index climbs to "moderate." (I use the La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 15/PPD 15 daily moisturizer when the UV index is low, since it's half the price and easier to get in the U.S.) I order it from a variety of on-line sources, since it isn't sold in the States. I also use this on the backs of my hands and forearms religiously. I like to apply it over a spritz of Cinema Secrets' Moisture Spray. The spray helps the Bioderma to spread more easily, so I can apply the required 1/4 teaspoon on my face.


Then I let the sunscreen set, which can take 10 minutes or more. It will not get matte, exactly, but it will get un-tacky. Over that, I use my beloved BECCA Luminous Skin Colour and then BECCA's mineral foundation over the spots that need more coverage. This is the sort of sunscreen that really does best with a powder foundation, especially in hot weather. I also keep blotting papers handy.


I have yet to find a high PPD sunscreen that is truly matte and doesn't irritate me. (I am Baumann skin type DSPW, with some tendency to redness with the wrong ingredients. I can tolerate avobenzone, for instance, if I'm careful with the rest of my routine.) If you simply can't tolerate the shininess of the Bioderma fluid, then try Avene's Very High Protection emulsion sunscreen, which is more matte -- but it has a heavy floral fragrance that my nose and skin just can't handle.


One more note: My DH, who has pink Irish skin and yet a hatred of sunscreen, uses this willingly. The tube is small and easy to slip into a pocket and he likes that it's fragrance-free. For that blessing alone, the Bioderma is an HG.

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fancypants7 on 7/14/2011 5:44:00 PM more reviews by fancypants7

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Man on man does this product leave your face oily! After waiting 20 min for it to absorb I'm still an oil slick. However, I'm very pale, I live in Texas and it's 108 degrees this summer; I need some major UV protection and this does the job. I haven't burned or freckled since using this.....and trust me, I know right away if a sunscreen works, I will start burning walking from the door to the car. This does required using using powder to help mattify it. When I put some loose powder on top (after giving it some absorption time) I will have a nice dewy finish......I will have to repowder in a couple of hours which I don't have to do with other sunscreens, but hey, with the UV protection this bad boy gives, I'll live with it......at least until the end of the summer.

UPDATE: since we have been having a month of over 105 degree weather where I live I can't use this anymore as it melts like a mofo in heat. I went out shopping for an hour and as I was walking around my husband asked me if I felt okay because my face looked like it was drenched in sweat......nope, that's just my sunscreen melting all over my face and neck. I've since switched to Image matte sun defense as it works better in heat and staying matte. Maybe once this awful heat streak is over I'll come back to this.

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pimenta on 6/2/2011 5:13:00 PM more reviews by pimenta

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Other   Eyes: Hazel    

It's not greasy and doesn't leave a white cast, great texture, very easy to apply but it flakes after applying, and it's too expensive, so I won't buy it again.

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Decadence on 3/9/2011 7:11:00 AM more reviews by Decadence

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

MY SKIN: combo/dry (winter); combo/oily (summer); prone to breakouts and surface dehydration

TEXTURE: runny, yet thick lotion

PACKAGING: convenient tube with flip-cap; however, due to the runny nature of the fluid, it's easy to spill out too much and waste excess product around the cap's pour-opening

WEARABILITY: this was great on my winter dry and dehydrated skin; no burning even if I over-did acids on my face; will never dry to a matte finish and leaves a distinct shine on my face; while waterproof, this is definitely not sweatproof (white rivulets on my face and neck during workouts); makeup does not apply easily over this since it remains tacky on my skin; product ran into my eyes by end of day if I didn't set it with foundation and/or powder

CONCLUSION: this is great for sensitive, dry or dehydrated skin; I liked this for days when I knew I was going to be home all day and didn't need to put on makeup; this is definitely a winter sunscreen for me and not one I'd consider a favorite or something I'd use everyday

MY USAGE/TIP: to combat the drying effect from the Sofina Lucent sunscreen and to combat winter dryness, I've been applying slightly less than the 1/4 teaspoon of this suncreen followed by almost a 1/4 teaspoon of the Sofina (wait a few minutes in between at least for max absorption). I found the alcohol would dry out the tackiness and after waiting a few minutes, the Sofina would dry to a smooth, semi-matte finish...

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fanaticfringer on 4/23/2010 6:32:00 PM more reviews by fanaticfringer

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Really like this sunscreen.

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karamino on 2/12/2010 3:30:00 PM more reviews by karamino

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

It is much lighter than the cream version but what I don´t like about it is that you have to check for white casts on your face after application but I guess this is normal with high sunscreens like this. At first it seems greasy on your skin but after some minutes it sinks nicely leaving it in a normal state but still feels kind of heavy so I don´t think I would use this with make up during summer time

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mabel2026 on 1/8/2010 4:51:00 PM more reviews by mabel2026

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have an oily nose and chin and am super dry everywhere else. I am also a light skinned Asian with beige undertones. Over the past year and a half I really noticed some hypopigmentation developing on the sides of my cheeks to where it became very pronounced white circles on several spots on each cheek. I tried all sorts of exfoliators, acids, peels, serums and nothing seemed to make them go away. I've also been an avid sunscreen wearer since I was in my teens (I'm 34 now).

After reading the Skincare Board and how they many of them repeat how a high ppd sunscreen is so important I decided to give Bioderma and Avene a try. Previously I only thought a high spf mattered. I tried Avene first but it made my skin even drier even with moisturizer underneath. Then I tried the Bioderma Photoderm MAX Fluide SPF 50+...have been in love ever since. Within 2 weeks I noticed a significant difference in the white spots on my cheeks...they were so much less noticeable! My foundation actually covered them up whereas before nothing concealed them. I'm on my 4th or 5th tube of this sunscreen and my white spots are almost gone. I don't have any problem putting this over my moisturizer, and it doesn't bother my eye area either. It can have a slight white cast at first, but I just pat it onto my face until it almost dissappears. Nothing a little powder won't fix...and my liquid foundation goes on nicely over it.

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Tiger_sist on 11/5/2008 1:00:00 AM more reviews by Tiger_sist

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I wanted to try Bioderma's sunscreen so much after the amazing result from its Crealine H2O cleanser. When I went on holidays in Macau, I bought this fluide at discounted price from local beauty store, but still expensive compare to France's retail price. After 3-4 days of layering it on my face, I was fairly pleased with its sun protection considering how intense the sunlight was in Macau - my skin didnt tan or get burn at all. However when I got home and started to use it on daily basis from 7am-6pm, I started to break out into tiny pimples and my face became pretty oily half way through the day. When I switched to my usual SPF30 sunscreen, pimples stopped coming up. I am not sure which ingredients clogged and irritated my skin, but if I'm not wrong, SD alcohol is present in this sunscreen. All in all, if you have an acne prone skin, study the ingredients before purchase.

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dalenna on 10/26/2007 7:22:00 PM more reviews by dalenna

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

PROS:
- The protection, of course :D
- Light yet very moisturizing, even for my dry combo skin
- It does leave a very shiny film after application, but I've found that skipping moisturizer eliminates this problem. It actually goes on dewy and dries to a beautiful semi-matte finish on bare skin, much like the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++

CONS:
- This stuff burns!!! If you would believe it, it stings my eyes during application around the forehead and chin - not even close to the eye areas! I am guessing the culprit must be the avobenzone...After just 1 week (that felt like an eternity) of watery and irritated eyes, I couldn't take it anymore and gave up :(
- The sunscreen never really absorbs into my skin. Yes, it dries to a beautiful semi-matte finish on bare skin but would slowly separates and shifts around in patches as the day wears on. I'd look so awful by the afternoon that I'd have to wipe it all off and reapply.
- Perhaps because it never really absorbs into my skin, it has ZERO substantivity! Forget the "water resistant" claim, just blowing my nose and wiping my mouth during lunch would take it right off!

Verdict: I won't repurchase ever, even with the high protection. Very sad indeed...

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wetmango on 10/9/2007 7:07:00 AM more reviews by wetmango

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is working well so far (4 weeks) no breakout and no irritation like other SS, I can even use it on my eyes without problem. I'm on differin and now taz on nose and forehead and my skin is very pale but much better than before. The tube is very small for the price but since I don't need foundation, concealer or moisturiser it's actually a cheap regimen.
I do wonder how much sunprotection it really gives after a few hours and might try LRP dermo pedriatics just to see how I get on.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Emma13 on 7/4/2007 5:29:00 AM more reviews by Emma13

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I was impressed to find my local pharmacy stocking this! They did not have the Lait though. In terms of texture this is very liquid but easy to apply and spread. There is a noticeable white cast at first (though I have to say my skin is medium/light, not pale) but it disappears almost completely in 15 minutes or so. I don't really feel like there is anything on my face once the product has sunk in. It claims to be matte, but isn't, however I can deal with that by applying powder on top. Of course, the fantastic texture means it's not water or even sweat resistant. It's the payoff basically between effectiveness and elegance. This is great for a daily sunscreen, but on the beach I would use something more tenacious like Vichy SPF50 cream. All in all, I'm not sure if I will actually repurchase this as it's very expensive, and the Elta Gold spf45 oil-free is comparable in terms of wearability.

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*TOP REVIEWER* josiecat on 6/13/2007 11:11:00 PM more reviews by josiecat

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I like that this sunscreen is so protective, but it's not the "best" as far as how it feels and looks cosmetically. It can sting occasionally too. It's pricey because you have to order overseas, but I will still repurchase because I use a prescription retinoid and need a very good sunscreen for days when I'm going to be exposed to prolonged direct sunlight. I use US drugstore s/s on my body and also on my face if I'm only going to be outdoors in the morning or late afternoon.
***I am adding to this review because I've been reading some disturbing things about octocrylene, which is an ingredient in this sunscreen that may actually cause damage to your skin and accumulate in your body :(

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pocari on 4/21/2007 5:14:00 PM more reviews by pocari

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

The Fluide has a lighter texture than the Lait and so feels lighter on the face as well. But it is not any less shiny or whitening than the Lait (my HG), and so for me there is no reason to buy this again. It is a lot more expensive than the Lait - in a pharmacy in Paris, the 40 ml Fluide was about 10 euro and the 100ml Lait was only 12 euro!!

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mrsdalloway on 4/4/2007 3:09:00 PM more reviews by mrsdalloway

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is a very nice and light sunscreen with phenomenal protection. It goes on shiny but subsides. It has not caused me any irritation or clogged pores. For the protection, the finish of this is quite impressive and superior to most sunscreens I've tried (except the LRP Dermo-Pediatrics Spray SPF 40). I won't repurchase, however, because as other reviewers have mentioned the bottle is absolutley miniscule and the Lait, which is very similar, is twice as cheap.



Update: The only downside of this s/s is its lack of water and rub resistance. It melts right off at the very sign of sweat and heat. It also doesn't powder over very well and tends to make a paste. One more lippie off.

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