The Best Sun Creams Reviewed

Stay safe in the sun with Blue Stream Academy’s pick of the best long-lasting, water-resistant and noncomedogenic sun creams!

If there’s one thing that doctors, dermatologists, beauty experts and Baz Luhrmann all agree on, it’s the importance of sun protection for your skin.

Whatever cream you choose, the most important thing to get to grips with is the level of protection the product offers.

What’s the difference between UVB and UVA rays?

The sun emits two types of ultraviolet radiation. UVB is responsible for sunburn and can increase the risk of skin cancers, while UVA affects the skin’s elastin.

The British Association of Dermatologists suggests that an SPF of 30 and a star rating of four out of five is “generally considered as a good standard of sun protection” (as long it’s paired with protective clothing and periods spent in the shade). The SPF 50+ formulation is designed for sensitive skin.

1. Garnier Ambre Solaire Dry Mist Sun Cream Spray with SPF 50

Best all-rounder. Price: £9 (200ml) | Boots

Affordable, easy to apply and suitable for all skin types, this dry spray from Ambre Solaire scores highly on all fronts. It dispenses as a fine mist, and you can spray at any angle so it’s great for protecting those tricky-to-reach body parts – not to mention hosing down hyperactive kids.

The SPF 50+ formulation is designed for sensitive skins, so there’s no alcohol and it’s both hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic (so it won’t clog your pores).

2. Piz Buin Mountain Sun Cream

Best for skiers and snowboarders. Price: £7.50 (50ml) | Boots

High altitude skiing calls for a high SPF cream. The sun is stronger at mountain level than sea-level, even if it doesn’t feel like it when you’re surrounded by snow. Areas like your nose, chin and ears are particularly vulnerable so it’s a good idea to look for a cream that offers protection from severe cold and wind as well as UVA/UVB rays.

Piz Buin’s Moutain Sun Cream offers SPF 50+ protection and is enriched with Edelweiss to provide anti-oxident properties as well as a Cold Shield Complex to guard against extreme weather conditions. It’s sweat and water-resistant too and the 50ml bottle is small enough to stuff into your ski jacket pocket.

3. SunSense Kids Roll On with SPF 50

Best for kids. Price: £10 (50ml) | Ocado

Gloopy lotions don’t mix well with sand, so if you’re travelling with children, we’d recommend using a spray or a roll on to slather on the SPF. This deodorant-style applicator from Aussie brand SunSense is simple to use with one hand, and the small 50ml bottle is handy to slip into your changing bag or carry-on suitcase. Offering both UVB and UVA protection, it has an SPF of 50 with a three-star UVA rating.

It’s unscented, water-resistant for up to four hours and specially formulated for delicate skins, so it can be used on babies from six months.

4. Avène Very High Protection Cream with SPF 50

Best for sensitive skin. Price: £20 (200ml) | Boots

If you’re susceptible to redness, allergies or prickly heat – or have very fair skin – it’s best to keep things simple on the sun protection front.

This high-coverage cream from French skincare brand Avène is free from fragrance, parabens and chemical filters, and is also non-comedogenic. It may be thick, but this broad-spectrum SPF 50+ product feels light and soothing on the skin and is easy to apply via a spray pump dispenser.

5. Alpha-H Daily Moisturiser with SPF 50

Best facial suncream. Price: £29 (50ml) | Lookfantastic

It may seem pricey, but this lightweight cream doubles up as both an excellent moisturiser and a high-coverage SPF 50+ sun cream. It’s good for all skin types, offering a healthy dose of hydration without feeling greasy. Enriched with vitamin E, aloe vera and honeycomb extract, it has antioxidant properties and leaves a matte finish, so it also works well as a make-up base – and it’s easy to control how much you’re applying using the nifty pump dispenser. Incorporating a daily SPF moisturiser into your routine can save you minutes in the morning as well as freeing up space in your toiletry bag, and it’s a great way of protecting your face from the sun without even thinking about it.

6. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Anti Shine Sun Cream Gel

Best for acne prone skin. Price: £16.50 (50ml) | Boots

If you’re prone to acne you might feel hesitant about adding an extra layer of product to your skincare mix – but this super lightweight formulation has been specially developed for oily and sensitive skin types. It’s hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and free from preservatives, parabens and fragrance, and it mattifies quickly on application to help combat shiny T-zones.

One of the standout ingredients is Air Licium, which forms a resistant layer on the skin’s surface and has the capacity to absorb up to 100x its weight in water as well as excess sebum.

7. Ultrasun Sports Gel SPF 30

Best water-resistant sun cream. Price: £14 (100ml) | QVC

Designed for active types, this clear, nongreasy gel from Swiss brand Ultrasun rubs in smoothly and sinks in quickly. It offers SPF 30 protection for up to eight hours and is water-resistant – although as always, it’s best to reapply after lengthy swimming sessions.

It’s free from fragrance, mineral oil, silicones and preservatives and can be used for up to two years after opening, so it could well see you through more than one holiday. It also contains antioxidants (including grape seed extract) which may offer an extra layer of protection against harmful infrared rays (IR) as well as UVA and UVB rays.

Prices correct at the time of publication.