Sun cream reviews
75
As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors I am naturally concerned about the effects of the sun on my skin. Not only cancer, as worrying as it is, but from a girly point of view wrinkles and leathery skin are not attractive as you grow older. So I try every day to apply sun cream or a moisturiser with sun cream in it at least to my face. What I use tends to vary throughout the year, but even in winter it’s important to apply sun cream, those UV rays still get through clouds!
Below is in my opinion the top five sun creams out there on the market. This is a personal opinion though as I don’t tend to burn easily so I don’t go for the really high SPF ratings.
This comes in a variety of SPF’s so you can pick and choose for the family which ones suit you best. Personally I think you need two different ones anyway, one for the summer and one for the winter so I like the fact that this range allows me to do that.
The bottle is a bit boring, but at least the blue will stand out at the bottom of most handbags.
The smell is practically non existent which is a bonus. I want to smell of my favourite perfume so I hate it when all I can smell is sun cream.
The product had a really nice texture but it can take awhile to get it really absorbed into the skin.
It does have really good moisturizing qualities although if your skin tends towards being greasy you might find it too moisturising for you. My skin tends towards dry so I fond this perfect.
Rating 4/5 Good moisturizing, easy to tailor to your own need but the packaging lets it down.
This again comes in a variety of SPF’s although don’t think they have as many as Nivea. They do go up quite high though if you want some extra protection if you are really fair. They do sun cream sticks and children’s lotions as well.
The packaging is great, a funky black square container that doesn’t look out of place on my dressing table like most sun creams do.
They also do a separate face cream which is great. I like to apply higher SPF protection to my face as it gets more of the sun and I find some sun creams too thick and greasy for my face.
This product does smell but the smell is nice and not too strong so it doesn’t overpower you.
The consistency is great and makes your tan nice and even as it is easy to rub into the skin.
Rating 5/5 Good range of products in funky packaging and a nice clean smell.
E45 is of course the main moisturizer of choice for people out there with dry skin so as expected this sun cream is fantastic for keeping your skin moisturized.
I find it a bit too thick for my face though, I prefer to just use it on my legs where I get my driest skin.
They packaging is the traditional white E45 packaging, easy to spot, plain and simple the way they always do it.
The small isn’t great, it smells a bit chemically. You can tell from the smell that you’ve put something on that’s good for your skin, but it’s a bit too much for me personally.
This cream takes a lot of work to get it absorbed into your skin and because it’s white rather than clear like some sun creams, you really do have to make sure its all absorbed before you go out.
There are only three choices of SPF and with the lowest being fifteen I find this too much in winter where I want more like an SPF of eight.
Rating 2/5 Good if you need a really strong moisturiser, otherwise the small range and smell is a bit off-putting.
- Johnsons ultra sun cream
This is a thickish consistency sun cream which does take awhile to rub in. However the smell is subtle and quite nice, almost like bubblegum. Maybe a little too girly for the men out there though! The smell fades quite quickly so I find if I leave it a few minutes my perfume smell comes through it.
The bottle is a little boring and you tend to find as you get to the bottom of it that you just can’t get the last of the sun cream out of there which seems a waste.
It’s supposed to be for sensitive skin however it is not hypoallergenic so if you do have sensitive skin be aware of this.
There is again a range of SPF’s out there however if you are looking to buy over the internet be aware their website is notoriously bad and the product is difficult to find. Stick to buying it from the shops.
Rating 3/5 Good product but nothing to make it stand out from the crowd and a little too girly in smell for everyone.
This is one of my favourites. The packaging is black and funky and looks good with my other outdoor gear.
Being a walker at heart I like products that are designed for walkers rather than sunbathers so this sun cream is exactly what I’m after.
There is only a choice of two SPF’s though which means in winter this really is too strong for me.
There’s not much of a smell to it and it’s not girly in any way so this is good for men and women. I find it takes a while for the smell to wear off though but when I go walking I don’t ten to wear perfume anyway.
It also has something in it to repel jellyfish apparently which I find quite amusing although I guess you never know when that might come in handy.
The consistency is good but it is only a bog standard sun cream, I don’t find it leaves my skin feeling any more moisturized after I’ve put it on so I have to then put moisturizer on as well.
Rating 4/5 If you are an outdoors type of person then this if for you. Its just a shame it doesn’t come in more SPF’s or in a moisturizing formula.
Finally if you really can afford it:
La Prairie Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Sun Cream SPF30
I can’t write a review because at about £90 a bottle there’s no way I can afford it!
