What’s your favourite body sunscreen?

Posted by cbaotl@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 41 comments

My go to is La Roche Posay anthelios mist for hot days in the UK, but unfortunately it’s a bit too pricey for me to continuously lather my entire body on holiday. What’s your go to sunscreen?

I used Nivea sunscreen last year but it just piled and sat on my skin leaving an awful white cast after maybe the second application.

I’ve been recommend Bondi Sands or Garnier Ambre Soliare but just wondering other options or thoughts on these.

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FakeNordicAlien@reddit

I have not found a good western sunscreen - Nivea sprays are probably the best of the lot, but mostly I find sunscreens here very sticky and sweaty. I used to use the same one as you, but Boots have started carrying some Korean brands in their bigger stores, and I like Skin 1004 Centella, which is sticky for 5-10 minutes but then feels fine, though I haven’t tested it on incredibly humid days. It’s £16, which I think is around the same as the La Roche-Posay. I’ll probably try Beauty of Joseon next, which I used in Hong Kong and liked it a lot, but I heard they change their formula for the US (and it’s not nearly as good as the original Korean) and I’m not sure if they do the same for the UK.

I sometimes order Korean or Japanese products from Hong Kong, which often works out cheaper (especially if you buy a few at a time) and there’s frequently no shipping or import charges, but they take a while to arrive. I’m not crazy about spending a ton on…well, anything, really, since I’m pretty poor, but I just accept it as a line item in my budget, like expensive vitamins, because the discomfort from other products - or from burn or dehydration - isn’t worth the savings.

There used to be gel sunscreens available in the 80s and 90s that weren’t too bad. I can’t remember brands though. Not sure if they’re still around.

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aaymz@reddit

Replying despite this post being quite old but please try the CosRX sunscreen!! I tried a lot of kbeauty sunscreen and this one was my favorite by far. Smells great, no white cast and dries to be completely matte. It’s also really cheap

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Milam1996@reddit

Try out the eucerin dry touch 50+. It’s the only spf I’ve used that truly leaves no greasy feeling.

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Heavy-Camel-3946@reddit

My wife bought Bondi Sands Sport SPF 50 sunscreen last week. I typically use Supergoop. I used Supergoop on everything I could reach and my wife used Bondi Sands on my back where I could not reach. My back broke out pretty bad for days, leaving scabs. It itched to the point that it would wake me up while I was sleeping and I couldn’t reach to scratch. I will never be using this stuff again. The rest of my body where I applied the other sunscreen was fine.

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Legitimate_War_397@reddit

I’ve been using biovené on my face, anti ageing, hyaluronic acid etc, works a treat never get dry skin on it, quickly absorbs and doesn’t leave the sticky texture feeling some sun creams do

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LittleSadRufus@reddit

I don't like the creams, they're wet and gloopy. My usual is the Amber solaire dry spray, but recently used Boots soltan clear and protect spray and prefer the smell.

You don't use them until you can feel them, just do the lightest spray and it forms all the barrier you need, any wetness dries nearly instantly.

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TSC-99@reddit

Also la Roche possay as it is anti chlorogenic and I’m prone to heat rash.

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HybridCelt@reddit

Bondi Sands! I used to be a cheap and cheerful sunscreen wearer, but this stuff soaks in and doesn’t make me break out. It’s a tenner a bottle but it’s worth it.

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Every-Implement-1271@reddit

Have been using Bondi sands for years and it’s worth it.

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leapyeardi@reddit

Sun Bum 50spf spray

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Rhubarb-Eater@reddit

Check the BBC investigation into which suncreams didn’t pass all the safety checks - I think bondi sands was one of them. I’ve just got Nivea’s new fast absorbing formula and love it! So much nicer to use.

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cbaotl@reddit (OP)

I read about this today for Bondi Sands. Apparently the testing which? does isn’t that useful. Bondi Sands is approved by the Australian authorities who are one of the toughest

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Pitiful-Hearing5279@reddit

Nivea.

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GrouchyArachnid4031@reddit

Hawaiian Tropic spf 15

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Norman_debris@reddit

SPF 15 is dangerously low.

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GrouchyArachnid4031@reddit

I’m quite dark skinned so it takes ages for me to burn so I just constantly re apply it throughout the day.

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jdirbfif@reddit

I like the boots soltan one, I use it everyday as I work outside. Top protection, rubs in well, not oily, no damage to clothes and doesn’t break the bank either!

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PuzzleheadedLow4687@reddit

I love the way it smells the same now as it did in the 90s. Brings back memories of holidays as a kid.

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Overheard_Support283@reddit

To add to this, what’s a good facial suncream? I currently have La Roche Posay which is a liquid which I don’t particularly like. I’ve used the Nivea one which I liked but it easily piled when I added on top of moisturiser in the morning.

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SarkyMs@reddit

I can only use amber solaire, because for me it is the smell of summer.

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Ok-Refrigerator-3919@reddit

I got a 400ml bottle of bobdi sands sport edition (blue bottle) and quite like that as it doesn’t sweat off and is a little cooling .

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Poser-Dispozer@reddit

The only one that doesn't feel utterly disgusting on my skin is Supergoop!, but it costs a small fortune.

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Megatonks@reddit

The calypso stuff is pretty good too..has an alcohol gel consistency. Not cream at all, more like a thin gel that evaporates fast after spreading. Really good stuff - can be found in the likes of BnM and Savers etc etc

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Milam1996@reddit

Try out the eucerin Dry Touch 50+. I HATE the feeling of greasy spf on my face and this one is specifically formulated to not be greasy and it truly is dry touch. It’s the only one I can tolerate on my face and it has 0 white cast at all. Tested it out on my Nigerian friend with dark skin and it didn’t leave a spec of white cast

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Poser-Dispozer@reddit

I'll have a look for it, thanks!

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cbaotl@reddit (OP)

Yes I used to use Supergoop before LRP. Both are extortionate though

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Agile-Emergency-9324@reddit

The E45 sun cream is good. Applies really nicely and soaks in pretty much straight away. It's probably the only sun cream that doesn't make my face itch. I usually use the la roche posay one for my face.

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damned-n-doomed@reddit

Calypso SPF 30 continuous mist. Hate the feeling of being all sticky and this is the only SPF I’ve found so far that I can’t feel on my skin.

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Milam1996@reddit

Eucerin dry touch 50+ is THE best face SPF out there. It’s a little expensive at £22 for 200ml but it’s the only spf I’ve ever used that is truly grease free. For the rest of my body I just blast myself in the Aldi factor 50 spray version. It’s a little greasy at first but I don’t mind that on my arms and legs but it dries down to be pretty grease free. I prioritise physical SPF over applied so I tend to stick to shade, wear SPF clothing, wear a wide brim hat and then wear sunglasses which are UV400 certified. The sun can make you go blind over time. It’s really important you wear sunglasses rated UV400 from a trusted respectable brand.

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DaddyKingPeanut@reddit

Coconut oil. SPF 8

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Milam1996@reddit

Coconut oil is not an spf… it’s super oily so it just runs off your skin, it’s got a suspected rating of 4-7 which is basically the same as nothing and there’s no evidence it blocks UVA rays. The single study mentioned above used Petri dishes not human skin (or the fancy new double plate method) meaning that any SPF claim is almost certainly bullshit. SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays and that only gives you roughly 2 hours of protection. In UV 8 (what we mostly get in summer) you can burn in as little as 10 minutes. SPF 50 when PERFECTLY applied gives you 50x as long so roughly 8 hours. The problem is nobody applies spf properly so the general rule of thumb is that whatever the bottle says the actual protection is half so SPF 50 gives you 4 hours of protection. SPF 8 would not only block less rays but it would give you far less time, about an hour and 20 minutes. Are you trying to say that you reapply coconut oil to your entire body every 1.5 hours ish? Coconut oil as SPF is absolute brain rot conspiracy bullshit that is just a speed run to melanoma.

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hp17nw@reddit

La Roche Posay is worth the money imo. It doesn’t stain clothes either which I find every other suncream does. My second favourite is the Aldi invisible mist but it’s just not as good as LRP despite how much cheaper it is. I buy LRP from boots and use points to make it less painful.

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