Saving Face: My Pick of Facial Sunscreens

Wearing a good SPF is such an important part of caring for your skin, and one that I never leave out of my daily regime. As well as providing protection from harmful rays, it combats ageing, prevents skin discolouration, and over time, helps to reduce redness and blotchiness. When you consider all of that, it amazes me that some people would rather brave the damaging UV rays through want of a tan, or just outright laziness, especially considering the huge range of products available which cater for sun care. A stickler for sun protection, Ruth over at amodelrecommends.com stresses it's importance better than I ever could, so go and have a little peek at her video if you're interested. Now, with that mini rant out of the way, on with the post.

The sunny season has finally arrived here in the UK, meaning I've been giving my sun care routine some extra special attention. Now that the weather has mellowed out somewhat, I wanted to share with you the sun protection that has gotten me through the last few weeks unburned (NOT sunburned, naughty spell checker).

I always lean towards the higher factors, as I have an English Rose complexion (that's pasty with a positive spin), but it is always recommended that you use at least a factor 30 if you're going to be in the sun all day. With that in mind, my first pick is Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Sun Defence for Face SPF 50. This has been slipped into my suitcase for a couple of years now, and I can't really fault it. It's quite a thick cream, and it's slightly greasy, but it suits my personal taste as I have dry skin that tends to get a lot dryer in the hot weather, so I find the moisture boost of the cream incredibly nourishing. It has that distinct Elizabeth Arden smell, despite claiming to be unscented, so if you're not a fan, maybe steer clear of this one. You can get it on feelunique.com for £21.25. I got it on offer this year, with a free Targeted Sun Defence Stick, usually £12.75, which I'm loving. Such a bargain! I like to use it on my lips, as it's a lot nicer than just slathering on the cream, something I have been known to do in the past.

Next is a new purchase this year, on the recommendation of Ruth from amodelrecommends.com (I consider her a bit of a sun care guru if I'm honest), and it is the Alpha H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+. I wanted to give this a try, as I have been on the hunt for a good moisturiser with a higher SPF in it, and I've heard great things about Alpha H. It's a lot lighter than the Elizabeth Arden one, sinking into the skin instantly, leaving you with a soft, smooth visage, so I feel this would be perfect for the more oily among us. Packed with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera to combat premature ageing and save collagen, it has a lot more benefits than just sun protection. Brilliant. As for the scent, it isn't particularly strong, but it reminds me of holidays in a way that I can't quite put my finger on. I've only been using this for a couple of days, but so far, I'm really enjoying it, and I have a feeling that it's going to become my go to moisturiser. It retails for £27, and you can get it at cultbeauty.co.uk. A bit pricey, I know, but you only get one face, better not to skimp!

Now for lips. My weapon of choice is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. I got these as a gift from Sephora last year, and have since used the entire clear one, and have now almost gotten through the tinted version, so it looks like a repurchase is on the cards. They're only SPF 15, so I tend to use them on milder days, and now, having run out of the uncoloured one, only on days where I want a rosy pink sheen to my lips. Beautiful on occasion, but I'm a peachy girl myself. They also have a delicious lemon scent and taste to them, not dissimilar to the Lanolips Lemonaid, although not as strong. I don't think they're that easy to come by in the UK, unfortunately. The only place I could easily find them online was Amazon, at £12.87, plus a ridiculous amount for post and packaging, so if you know of anywhere slightly more local, please do let me know.

Another great way of fighting the rays is through your foundation. Although not really enough to be hugely helpful, so many foundations have SPF in nowadays, that there's really no excuse not to have some kind of protection on your face, however little. And none of that flashback malarky please, if you're using flash photography in the sun, you're doing it wrong. My all time favourite is the bareMinerals Original foundation, which I use on a daily basis. Containing SPF 15, it's perfect for summer as it's so light, it feels like you don't have anything on, but it gives a decent amount of coverage the same time. I always go for the original edition as it gives the dewy finish that I'm quite partial to, but they also make a matte version if that's more to your taste. Readily available at larger Boots stores and places like Debenhams in the UK, you can also get it at feelunique.com for £19.95.

So there you go, my fave face products for the sunny season. I hope you've all been keeping protected this summer. What is your favourite SPF product for protecting your wonderful faces? Let me know!

S.