Summer Suncare
If you are off on holiday soon, then don’t forget your sunscreen! It’s one of the most important things you can pack, so make room in your luggage for at least a couple of bottles of suncare to suit you.
I’ve popped another post on here looking at new, innovative, specific sunscreens, and one that covers facial sunscreens, this one covers mists and oils, and body creams and lotions.
MISTS AND OILS
Let’s start with my favourite, mists and oils. I am a massive fan of Clarins as a brand, and the suncare is excellent. It does smell so good, insects do get attracted to it, but I would choose the Clarins Body Oil-in-Mist SPF30 (£22) all the time for my week in the sun. It’s a dry oil, so isn’t greasy, and contains senna, baobab, plane tree, pea and aloe vera, to protect the skin from sun-related ageing and dehydration.
Caudalie’s Beautifying Suncare Oil SPF30 (£21, harveynichols.co.uk) is enriched with grapeseed oil and Caudalie’s patented antioxidant polyphenol and vitamin E complex – this formula protects the marine eco-system, preventing the damage of coral reefs whilst simultaneously protecting the skin from free-radical damage caused by UVA and UVB rays.
I have yet to try anything from this brand, but I do love the look of Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Sol Oil SPF30 (£36, harveynichols.co.uk) It is an illuminating, non-greasy dry oil SPF30 which protects as it illuminates with broad-spectrum 30 and UVA/UVB protection. It’s fragranced with the cult Cheirosa ’62 scent with notes of salted caramel, pistachio, vanilla – perhaps the wasps might love this one too much too!
If you prefer a milky texture to oil, but not a cream, you can get a milky mist spray. Caudalie does one which is also reef-safe, like the oil. The Caudalie Milky Sun Spray SPF30 or SPF50 (£21, spacenk.com) has a light texture and easy to apply formula that quickly absorbs into the skin, without leaving a sticky residue. Rich in soothing organic grape water and a patented anti-oxidant complex, it hydrates the skin.
Sisley suncare is not cheap. But many moons ago, when I was sent samples of Sisley regularly, I was lucky enough to use it. And if I could afford this price for sunscreen, I would buy it. This is a new format to one I used to use, and the good news is, there is 33 per cent off it right now at Harvey Nichols. The bad news is that only makes it £64.05, instead of £91.50 for the Sisley Super Soin Solaire Milky Body Mist Sun Care SPF30. Sisley is an excellent skincare brand, and the suncare is as fantastic and has won all sorts of beauty awards. It also smells heavenly, thanks to shea butter, camellia oil and mango extract.
Finally, in the mist category, there’s The Body Shop Skin Defense Multi-Protection Mist SPF30 PA++ (£18) which is a facial product and is fantastic on the go. YOu massage into your skin before your makeup if you are wearing any, and then throughout the day, you can top up at least every two hours/. It’s a great 60ml size, so it fits into hand luggage, your handbag, gym bag, backpack, etc, and it won’t smudge your makeup like another sunscreen might. It’s a 100% vegan and is enriched with Community Trade marula oil from Namibia, red algae extract from the North Atlantic and skin-brightening vitamin C.
BODY SUNCARE
If you prefer a traditional sunscreen, then you could do worse than the Boots Soltan range. It is tried and tested over the years, and it works. There are products for kids, for the face, for the body, in all formulas. Try the classic Soltan Once Advanced 8hr Protect Lotion SPF50+ (£10). I’ve never been a fan of suncreams that say you only need to use them once, not because I don’t trust them – well, not completely – but mainly because I kind of enjoy reapplying.
The Clarins SPF30 Sun Care Cream (£22) smells delicious and goes on like a dream, and you can reapply until your heart’s content. Or the tube runs out. And if you are wondering when that will be, if you are using enough it should be after one week on a holiday. I usually take two or three bottles with me for two of us over 10 days.
La Mer The Reparative Body Sun Lotion SPF30 (£85, harveynichols.co.uk) is for la Mer fans. It’s an expensive one, but if you are a fan of the brand, then you might want to use the suncare too. Obviously, it offers extensive anti-ageing benefits, infuses skin with moisture and helps shield it from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Thre’s not much more I can say about this one other than, if you love La Mer, and you think it is worth it, buy it.
Sesderma REPASKIN Sunscreen Gel Cream Body SPF50 (£28.80) is a clinically proven non-greasy solar sunscreen with a light texture. It has something called SHIELD-SYSTEM technology, which both protects the skin and repairs it with enzy AAZ – a combination of amino acids, zinc and photolyase repair enzymes that are activated by visible sunlight. The enzymes are encapsulated in liposomes using Nanotechnology, that allows them to be transported to deeper levels of the skin whilst offering skin optimal protection from UVA, UVB and IR-A rays. Phew! Super-science there. I have never used this product before, but the brand is a Spanish pharmacy brand. You can find the products at pharmacies, and visit sesderma.com for more – there is a HUGE suncare range.
Finally, another great brand that I have used – Ultrasun SPF50 Extreme (£22, spacenk.com) is perfect for sensitive skins, and if you are going to be in particularly tropical conditions and you are not used to it. I always start with factor 50 when I go on holiday, because my skin is pale, and has little melanin in it. It will get a wee bit of colour eventually, but it will also burn if I am not careful. And burning is never good.
