Banish all thoughts of the sunscreens of your childhood: those thick white creams, which seemed to have the consistency of paint, layered uncomfortably with scratchy sand and sticky melted ice lollies. Sunscreens have now achieved a whole new level of sophistication.
The good old British sunshine has made a few appearances this year already – so, before you head out to the beach, park or garden, remember that a decent sunscreen really is a non-negotiable, whatever type of skin you have.
Lisa Bickerstaffe, spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, gave us the lowdown: “SPF stands for sun protection factor and refers to the level of protection from UVB radiation, linked to skin cancer.”
“The British Skin Foundation recommends using SPF30 or more. In addition, look for a 4 or 5-star UVA rating, which will help protect from UVA radiation, associated with skin ageing as well as skin cancer,” says Bickerstaffe.
“‘Broad spectrum’ means the sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays. You may sometimes see a PA+++ rating, this is the American and Japanese rating system for UVA protection in sunscreen. PA+ being low protection, and PA++++ being high,” she adds.
If your sunscreen has the letters UVA in a circle, the British Association of Dermatologists states that this shows the level of UVA protection in the product meets EU recommendations.
When it comes to applying sunscreen, Lisa advises doing it “ideally 20-30 minutes” before going outside, then reapplying at least every two hours. “Reapply again after swimming, sweating or towel drying. If your sunscreen says once a day, better to reapply every two hours just to be on the safe side as a sporting activity, swimming or sweating can all cause it to wash or wipe away.”
Before you reach for that sunscreen at the back of the bathroom cabinet, “bear in mind that if your sunscreen is out of date it will no longer be effective”.
As well as sun protection, the latest sunscreens offer beautifying skincare benefits too, such as hydration and glow. Here is our pick of the best.
The best body sunscreens for 2022 are:
- Best overall – Ultrasun family SPF30 body sunscreen: £20, Marksandspencer.com
- Best for tanning – Saltee body active sun lotion SPF30: £35, Saltee.co.uk
- Best for a light sunscreen – Vichy solar protective water SPF50 body sunscreen: £19, Boots.com
- Best for babies and pregnany women – Mustela high protection sun spray SPF50, 200ml: £16.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best spray sunscreen – Coola pina colada sunscreen spray SPF30: £25, Spacenk.com
- Best for sensitive skin – La Roche-Posay anthelios invisible spray SPF50+: £20.50, Notino.co.uk
- Best for sport – Dermalogica protection 50 sport SPF50 body sunscreen: £34, Lookfantastic.com
- Best budget-friendly sunscreen – Soltan once advanced 8hr protect suncare lotion SPF50+: £10, Boots.com
- Best for wearing under make-up – Zelens body defence sunscreen SPF30: £27.50, Lookfantastic.com
- Best for a non-greasy formula – Caudalie beautifying suncare oil SPF30: £21, Lookfantastic.com
- Best for scent – Sol de Janeiro bum bum sol oil SPF30 body sunscreen: £36, Lookfantastic.com