Sun-kissed: Our top 20 sunscreens for ultimate protection

You’ve got your hotel booked for a summer getaway, your flights purchased, and your clothes all packed. Now it’s time to take care of one little thing that is just as important: your sunscreen situation.

Protecting yourself from harmful UV rays is essential to slow aging and prevent cancer risks and the appearance of spots. These three things should be sufficient to make you want to reapply sunscreen every two hours!

Hence, to make your sunscreen search easier for you, we have selected 20 products for the ultimate sun protection and the exotic, glistening tanned skin you’ve been longing for. Below are some pointers before you head off to a sunshine paradise:

A protection tailored to your phototype

– Fair skin, freckles, blue eyes, red or blond hair and cannot tan: put on a solar SPF 50+ no matter what.

–  Pretty fair skin that tans gradually, with brown hair, auburn or blond: use a high protection (30 to 50) and set aside the high SPF sunscreens for extreme conditions.

– A mix of black or dark skin: put on an average protection (15 to 25 minimum). Contrary to popular knowledge, dark skin is not immune to sunburn! Not seeing red burnt patches does not mean the sun isn’t harmful to the skin.

Tip: forget sunscreens with low SPF, anything from 6 to 10.

A protection suited to the occasion

– On a boat: Beware, it’s a trap! Despite the cool air, a day on a boat is considered an extreme condition, just like being under the tropical sun or at the top of a glacier.

– Out in town: Without realizing it, you usually spend a lot of time outdoors. That includes having lunch on the terrace. The preferred areas to cover with sunscreen include face, neck, arms and hands.

– On the beach (and even in the shade under a parasol): Cover your body with sunscreen from head to toe. Opt for the spray or fluid textures to keep it simple. Don’t forget to reapply every two hours and after swimming.

– In the mountains: the UV increases with altitude (+4% every 300 meters, gasp!). Take good care of your face, the most exposed body part. If you’re hiking and enjoying the beautiful scenery, protect the neck, calves and the back area of the knees.

Tip:
– Do not leave between midday to 4 pm and absolutely not at 2pm.
– Think of clothing (shirts, sarong) and accessories (hat, sunglasses) for long-lasting protection.
– Do not wait until you have a sunburn to start wearing sunscreen! They don’t prevent tanning, but lets tan set in better (and for longer!).

The upcoming innovations

In the near future, brands are expected to reveal products relating to infra red technology sun protection and innovate better after-sun treatments and skin protection against pollution. In the mean time, check out our gallery for trustworthy sunscreens to pack with your sunhat and swimsuits!

Special thanks to Romain Desfresnes, global marketing director at Lancaster and  to Dr Michèle Sayag, allergist and medical strategist at Bioderma.

Alexandre Raillan and Natasha Gan