Is Bioderma Pigmentbio Daily Care SPF 50+ the best sunscreen for dark spots?
Bioderma swears it helps you both fade away the dark spots you already have and prevent new ones from forming – without leaving a greasy, white mess all over your skin.
Is it too good to be true? I’ve put it to the test to find out:
What’s In Bioderma Pigmentbio Daily Care SPF 50+?
UV FILTERS TO PROVIDE BROAD SPECTRUM PROTECTION
Sunscreen is key to treating any form of hyperpigmentation, especially sun spots. Think about it. UV rays play a main role in the development of dark spots.
Using skin-lighteners without sunscreen totally defeats the purpose. Those dark spots you’re desperate to fade away will come back with a vengeance after a few days in the sun.
The higher the SPF of your sunscreen, the better. Bioderma Pigmentbio Daily Care SPF 50+ has a high SPF thanks to:
- Octocrylene: An UV filter that protects from ALL UVB but only short UVA rays. It also makes sunscreens water-resistant and boosts the effectiveness of other UV filters (like avobenzone).
- Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetreamethylbutylphenol [Nano]: A.k.a., Tinosorb M, it’s highly photostable and provides broad spectrum coverage. It also helps stabilise other UV filters, so they last longer, too.
- Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane: A.k.a. avobenzone, an UVA filter that’s very unstable (i.e. stops working quickly when exposed to light) on its own. It’s absorbed by the body (and expelled quickly through urine), so it’s not recommended during pregnancy.
- Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine: A.k.a. Tinosorb S, it offers excellent protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
Related: What Are The Best UV Filters?
SKIN-LIGHTENERS TO FADE AWAY DARK SPOTS
Bioderma Pigmentbio Daily Care SPF 50+ doesn’t just protect your skin from UV rays to prevent new dark spots from forming. It also has its fair share of skin-lighteners to help you fade away those you already have:
- Ascorbyl Glucoside: This is a stable form of Vitamin C that fights free radicals, boosts collagen production, and fades away hyperpigmentation.
- Niacinamide: A form of Vitamin B3 that reduces sallowness and dark spots. While it’s at it, it hydrates skin, soothes irritations, and even helps treat acne.
- Azelaic Acid: An acid your skin’s microbiome (the good bacteria and yeast that live on your skin) produces. Research shows that azelaic acid is more effective than 4% hydroquinone (the gold standard for hyperpigmentation) at reducing dark spots and Melasma. It’s also gentler on the skin. It can also help treat acne and rosacea.
The catch? All these 3 ingredients are present in small amounts. That means they work really slowly.
Translation: this sunscreen can slightly boost the effectiveness of skin-lightening products, but it’s not a substitute for them. Use it for hyperpigmentation prevention, not treatment.
Related: The Battle Of The Skin-Lighteners: Which Is The Best Alternative To Hydroquinone?
How effective is your sunscreen? Subscribe to my newsletter below and download the “Sunscreen Audit” to find out:
SILICONES TO MINIMIZE IMPERFECTIONS
The base of this sunscreen is made up of silicones. It’s not as bad as you think. Silicones do a lot of good things in skincare:
- Enhance texture: They allow the cream to glide on smoothly, without tugging or pulling.
- Fill in fine lines and wrinkles: It’s a trick to make them look temporarily smaller.
- Softens skin: It makes it feel silky soft to the touch.
They don’t even cause pimples: silicones have a particular molecular structure made up of larger molecules with wider spaces between each molecule. They create a barrier that keeps moisture in but still allows skin to perspire.
But if you use anything comedogenic before this moisturiser, then yes, silicones can trap them underneath their protective barrier and cause breakouts.
Bottom line: don’t use comedogenic ingredients in your skincare and you’ll be fine.
Texture
A bit thick, but absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving a subtle sheen on. But no greasy residue.
Fragrance
It smells like sunscreen. It’s subtle, too.
How To Use It
It’s the last step of your morning skincare routine. Apply it generously (at least 1/3 of a teaspoon for face and neck) without rubbing. Reapply as often as necessary.
Wait until 15 minutes before applying sunscreen. You need to give the sunscreen time to settle, or the foundation will rub it off.
Related: Is Your Foundation Application Messing Up Your Sunscreen?
Performance & Personal Opinion
I’m a skincare minimalist. If I can use one product instead of two, I will. That means I always opt for moisturising sunscreens that provide both hydration and sun protection.
Bioderma Pigmentbio Daily Care SPF 50+ doesn’t. This is strictly a sunscreen. It doesn’t even add one drop of extra moisture to my skin. That’s cool if you have oily skin.
Everyone else – me included – need to layer this on top of moisturiser if you don’t your skin to dry out during the day. FYI, you may want to keep a mist or Hyaluronic Acid serum in your bag with you so you can add back the moisture while touching up sunscreen.
Just don’t mix them. Mixing anything with sunscreen dilutes the SPF!
One more thing: you may need to wait a few minutes in between moisturiser and sunscreen. When I don’t, I experience pilling.
That aside, I love the texture of this sunscreen. It glides on smoothly, sinks in quickly, and doesn’t leave any greasy or messy residue on the skin. On my pale complexion, it doesn’t even leave a white residue. If only every sunscreen were like this!
The sunscreen dries to a slightly dewy finish that gives a subtle glow to the skin. Nope, it doesn’t look shiny. Just glowy. And it makes a good base for makeup, too.
In case you’re wondering, it does provide excellent sun protection. As long as you apply it generously, it’ll keep your skin safe from UV harm, tans, and new dark spots.
Related: How To Reapply Sunscreen While Wearing Makeup
Who Is This For?
Oily and combination skin.
Who Is This NOT For?
Dry skin.
Packaging
A sleek white tube with a pump applicator. It’s practical to use and easy to carry around with you for frequent reapplication.
Does Bioderma Pigmentbio Daily Care SPF 50+ Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Instantly illuminates and protects, unifies & brightens lastingly. | It has a slightly glowy finish that instantly illuminates skin and protects from UV rays, but it can’t unify and brighten skin on its own. |
| Helps to reduce the appearance of existing dark spots and prevents new ones from appearing. | True. But it works way better at preventing new dark spots than treating the ones you already have. |
| Offers a very high sun protection UVA / UVB SPF 50+. | True. |
| Brightens complexion and evens out skin tone. | Very slowly. |
| Prevents visible signs of premature ageing. | True. UV rays are responsible for up to 90% of premature aging, so anything that provides broad spectrum protection does this. |
| Provides long lasting hydration. | It’s NOT hydrating at all. |
| Its pearly texture provides an instant glow. | True. |
| Very good cutaneous tolerance – Non-comedogenic – Excellent make-up base. | True. |
Price & Availability
£18.50 at Escentual
Do You Need It?
If you’re looking for a non-greasy sunscreen for oily skin with hyperpigmentation, this is a great option to consider.
[penci_review]
Dupes & Alternatives
Ingredients
Aqua/Water/Eau, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Octocrylene, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetreamethylbutylphenol [Nano], Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dipropylene Glycol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Oil, Niacinamide, Silica, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Jojoba Esters, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Decyl Glucoside, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, C20-22 Alcohols, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Lysine, Azelaic Acid, Mannitol, Polyglycerin-3, Xylitol, Andrographics Paniculata Leaf Extract, Rhamnose, Propylene Glycol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Saccharide Isomerate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Tocopherol, Fructooligosaccharides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Fragrance (Parfum).
