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La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 With Melasyl™ + Niacinamide

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 With Melasyl™ + Niacinamide

49/100 overall score

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About this sunscreen

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV is an SPF 30 mineral daily moisturizer that pairs Titanium Dioxide as its sole UV filter with niacinamide and the brand's Melasyl ingredient. It has a balanced finish, does not commonly sting, and works okay under makeup, though a medium white cast is possible from the single mineral filter. Protection rates as weak, which caps the score. At 49.0/100 it leans more toward its skincare benefits than toward high sun defense.

Ingredient & SPF scores

☀️

UV protection

Weak 20
  • +31.4 Titanium Dioxide at #7, UV filter (UVA1 +4.8)
  • ×0.6 Almost no UVA1, poor aging protection
  • +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
How we rate uv protection →
☢️

Health safety

High 100
  • +100 Starting score
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🤧

Allergens

Low 70
  • +100 Starting score
  • −18 Fragrance
  • −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
How we rate allergens →
👻

White cast

Medium 50
  • +100 Starting score
  • −35 Titanium Dioxide at #7
  • −15 Pure mineral formula
How we rate white cast →
🔥

Eye sting

Low 98
  • +100 Starting score
  • −8 Fragrance
  • +6 Mineral filter system, low-sting filters
How we rate eye sting →
🪨

Heavy feel

Low 79
  • +100 Starting score
  • −16 Titanium Dioxide at #7
  • −5 Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit at #8, butter/occlusive fat
How we rate heavy feel →
🔴

Comedogenic

Low 100
  • +100 Starting score
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🍄

Fungal acne

Low 86
  • +100 Starting score
  • −14 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
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👕

Fabric stains

Low 90
  • +100 Starting score
  • −10 Titanium Dioxide at #7, white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
How we rate fabric stains →
💧

Moisture

Hydrating
LightNourishing
  • ← 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
  • → 10 Glycerin at #4, the anchor humectant
  • → 1 Humectant polyols
  • → 2 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
  • → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Arachidyl Alcohol)
How we rate moisture →

Finish

Balanced
MatteDewy
  • ← 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Silica)
  • → 3 1 emollient lipids (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit)
How we rate finish →
💄

Makeup base

Okay
PillsPrimer
  • → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
  • ← 5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
  • ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
  • ← 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
  • ← 6 High mineral load at #7 greys under foundation
How we rate makeup base →
🌊

Water resistance

Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant

Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.

How we rate water resistance →

Skincare extras

Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.

  • ✨ Niacinamide

Full ingredient list (32)

What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / → shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.

  1. 1 Water

    Solvent base, the water phase

  2. 2 C15-19 Alkane

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

  3. 3 Niacinamide

    Soothing, skin-conditioning active

  4. 4 Glycerin

    Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
  5. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
  6. 6 Silica

    Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish

    • light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
    • matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
  7. Mineral UV filter (Titanium Dioxide)

    • ↑ 31.4 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
    • ↑ 10 white marks, worst on dark fabric (washable)
    • pills ← 6 High mineral load greys under foundation
  8. Botanical extract

    • ↑ 5 butter/occlusive fat
    • 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
    • 3 → dewy emollient lipid
    • ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
  9. 9 Tin Oxide

    Colorant or pigment

  10. 10 Hydroxide K

    pH adjuster

  11. 11 Carbomer

    Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  12. Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind

    • 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
  13. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

  14. 14 Behenyl Alcohol

    Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind

  15. Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin

  16. Protein, peptide or amino acid, conditions and hydrates skin

  17. Supporting ingredient

  18. Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  19. Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  20. Supporting ingredient

  21. 21 Caprylyl Glycol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  22. 22 Citric Acid

    pH adjuster

  23. Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable

  24. 24 Xanthan Gum

    Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  25. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

  26. Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  27. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

  28. Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  29. 29 Phenoxyethanol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  30. 30 Ci 14700

    Colorant or pigment

  31. 31 Mica

    Colorant or pigment

  32. 32 Fragrance

    Fragrance

Does La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV leave a white cast?

A medium white cast is possible. It uses Titanium Dioxide as its only filter, and single-mineral formulas can show some cast depending on skin tone.

Is the La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 With Melasyl™ + Niacinamide mineral or chemical?

It is a fully mineral sunscreen, with Titanium Dioxide as its only UV filter, paired with skincare ingredients like niacinamide and the brand's Melasyl.

Is La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV any good?

Its protection rates as weak, which caps the score at 49.0/100, so it leans more toward its skincare benefits than high sun defense. It is gentle and does not commonly sting, but it suits low-exposure daily use.

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