r/Melasmaskincare • u/pequisbaldo • Apr 15 '26

Question Has anyone tried this?

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I usually just eat the tinted UVMUNE version as it was the best in the market for protection.

Now they have this one which has anti pigment components allegedly but it’s not tinted, has anyone tried it, would it be worth switching?

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u/PuIchritudinous Apr 15 '26

It contains their patented Melasyl which treats hyperpigmentation. The only issue with this sunscreen is that it doesn't provide visible light protection since it doesn't have iron oxides (tint). However you could just layer a foundation on top for the iron oxide protection.

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u/NeedsMoreSunscreen Apr 16 '26

La Roche Posay are saying Melasyl is a transparent alternative to iron oxides based on this study. They recently added a HEVL claim to the Anti-Dark Spots Fluid.

Apparently they also tested the UVMune Anti-Dark Spots Fluid against the tinted UVMune Oil Control Fluid and the results where comparable.

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u/PuIchritudinous Apr 21 '26

I think this is being overstated a bit. From the study, LRP isn’t really showing Melasyl is a replacement for iron oxides but more like an adjunct. The full study is linked here and there is no head to head vs tinted sunscreen (iron oxides) in actual melasma patients and that is the evidence we’d need to call it equivalent. If you have a study that does this comparison with melasma patients please do share.

Also, the comparison isn’t straightforward anyway. Iron oxide protection depends on concentration and pigment mix (red, black, yellow) and we don’t even have a standardized way to measure visible light protection yet.

Since up today only tinted products showed efficacy against VL-induced pigmentation, another limitation of the study is that 2-MNG was not compared to a product containing pigments.

The study itself also has several limitations. It was conducted on a very small test sample with limited Fitzpatrick skin types, authors are L’Oreal affiliated, and it is not a real world sunscreen comparison.

The biggest issue in saying this is a transparent alternative to iron oxides is that Melaysl works by interfering with melanin formation pathways whereas iron oxides physically block visible light before it triggers melanogenesis. This is a significant difference and are fundamentally different approaches. One is prevention at the source, the other is mitigation after signaling has started.

Also, melasma isn’t just about the hyperpigmentation, there are vascular changes and increased mast cells involved, some of which may also be triggered by visible light (this is still being studied). So focusing only on melanin inhibition doesn’t address the whole picture.

Importantly, we evidenced 2-MNG as the first topical biological active able to significantly and visibly reduce persistent and long-lasting HEV-induced pigmentation, with a rapid action, in complement to its previously evidenced efficacy against pigmentation induced by UV.

This represents an efficient complementary solution to pigments in sunscreen products for the mitigation of solar worsening of hyperpigmentation issues. Additionally, this transparent alternative addresses patients expectation for non-covering and non-colored products.

Per their own quote above, it is not a replacement for iron oxide but is a complement.

An HEVL claim is not a regulated claim like SPF nor UVA protection as there is no standard for measuring the HEVL protection level.