Sunburn, shadowy brown patches, loss of elasticity, an excess of fine lines in your near future, shamefully teenage peeling and skin cancer? Now we’ve got the obligatory bit out of the way, how about something we can all get behind, like the SPF oils, lotions and creams that are so joyous to use we’ll be running to our suncare stashes as fast as our pom-pommed sandals can carry us.
So, from pool party glitter to selfie-friendly tan enhancers, here are six face and body buys that make sun protection a summer must-have…
We’ve teamed up with Feelunique to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to win a £1000 shopping spree at feelunique.com. Enter online here.
Because it’ll help you tan faster
Contrary to belief, an unprotected half hour in the sun here and there does nothing for your tan other than make it a little bit less safe, and a lot less likely to last (dry, damaged skin sheds faster, taking your tan with it). The smarter option is this: sunscreen that speeds up the process in a less hazardous way by boosting melanin production (the pigment that turns skin brown). Brilliant.
Lancaster Sun Beauty Satin Sheen Oil Fast Tan Optimiser SPF30, £24, available at Feel Unique
Because it’s a little bit of disco
This ticks so many holiday boxes it’s unreal; one coat gives all-day protection (true story: we’ve used it before and didn’t burn one bit), the careful avoidance of fragrance, mineral oils and artificial emulsifiers means it can be tolerated by even the most sensitive skin, and it’s water-resistant. Plus, it leaves skin shimmering with a fine and flattering veil of golden particles. Did someone say pool party?
Because it contains self-tan
Once, oiling up for a faster tan meant a pre-sun basting with something from the baby care aisle. Times have changed and today’s tanning short cut is this nourishing dry oil (for ‘dry’, read not too slick and sinks in fast) with SPF50 and a gradual self-tan. Shimmer particles provide instant pay-off while the colour develops, and if you do choose to soak up some sun, you’ll be well protected.
Vita Liberata Marula Dry Oil Self Tan SPF50, £39.95, available at Feel Unique
Because it offers environmental protection
If you’re already a daily user of SPF, how about throwing a little pollution protection in there? Airborne irritants such as car exhaust and cigarette smoke can have a calamitous effect on hydration levels and collagen production, but this clever facial sunscreen helps to future-proof against loss of moisture and elasticity by stimulating the skin’s own environmental defences as well as acting as a topical barrier. A chic and sensible city must-have.
Because it’s an instant #filter
If anything’s going to persuade the protection-refuseniks among us that religious application of facial SPF is A Very Good Thing, it’s this little bottle of skincare magic. A moisturiser, make-up primer and lightweight sunscreen in one, it leaves skin looking fresher, smoother and (thanks to some soft-focus hocus-pokery) looking less lined, patchy, red and uneven that it otherwise might do. Summer selfies here we come.
Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF30, £55, available at Feel Unique
Because you won’t even know you’re wearing it
We get it, sun protection is a drag. It gets on your clothes, it gets in the way of your day, it gets everywhere… until you want it on the small of your back, when it gets anywhere but. Which is why this barely-there spray gets our vote for least bothersome sunscreen ever. Mist it on one-handed (hello tricky spot between the shoulder blades), feel smug and forget about it.
Garnier Ambre Solaire Dry Mist SPF20, £13.60, available at Feel Unique
We’ve teamed up with Feelunique to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to win a £1000 shopping spree at feelunique.com. Enter online here.
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