Sunscreen.
It’s come a long way from the Baz Luhrmann-accounted days of being the bane of wannabe beach-bronzed belles everywhere. We remember it well… Thanks to ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that left a gloopy white residue in their tracks, sun-warmed skin could appear pastier than clotted cream.
It has always been a necessary evil of the season – but times are changing, and the new kids (or rather, expertly-crafted formulas) on the block are paving the way for sheer, antioxidant-enhanced SPF. From organic mists to travel-friendly sticks, nothing gets past this luxurious lot.
This Works
Come rain or shine, maintaining your defences against UVA and UVB rays isn’t up for debate; in fact, if there’s one area that shouldn’t be overlooked in your morning routine, it’s helping your skin to a generous splodge of SPF. Cannily doubling-up as both a moisturiser and a broad-spectrum sun protection with SPF30, the lightweight In Transit Skin Defence from This Works – which boasts a protective superblend of anti-aging and hydrating hyaluronic acid and calming vitamin E – ticks off two-steps in one, making it a makeup bag must-have.
Institut Esthederm
If you thought the fast-track to becoming a sun-kissed goddess meant baring it all sans SPF, think again! For a faster, longer-lasting tan, the answer is a protection system that trains your skin to fortify itself at a cellular level. Enter Institut Esthederm’s Adaptasun Face Cream that uses advanced technology to stimulate the production and disruption of melanin and UV inCellium to provide external protection. Instead of an SPF rating, choose your sunscreen by your skin type and the intensity of the rays you’ll be exposed to – making it perfect for travels afar or a jaunt through the local park.
Soleil Toujours
Natural beauty doesn’t stop at skincare – oh no! The thirst for organic-everything has trickled down to our sun protection, to be met with Soleil Toujour’s paraben, oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate-free Organic Sheer Sunscreen Mist, that comes in at a whopping 70% of organic ingredients. Backed with SPF50, the miraculous sheer spray contains green tea leaf-extract to neutralise free radicals, plus a powerful formulation of red algae and Vitamins C and E to prevent loss of skin’s firmness.
Clinique
When it comes to sunscreen, our lips, eyes, ears and nose have, historically, been left out of the party. Clinique has made this a thing of the past with its Targeted Protection Stick – a nifty travel-friendly twist-up tube that attends to these sensitive areas in one easy application. At SPF35, it makes for the perfect holiday (heck, every day) plus-one.
Crème De La Mer
The words ‘Factor 50’ may evoke visions of tan-proof visages – but, on this occasion, your instincts couldn’t be more wrong. Crème De La Mer’s light-as-a-feather UV Protecting Fluid is the proof and the pudding with its rich SPF50 formula that prevents the appearance of future discolouration in your skin pigment, while keeping the surface texture itself suitably hydrated.
