There’s a heatwave in the UK and it’s playing havoc with our skin. Everyone is complaining about the sweltering heat (at 35°C it’s hotter than Barbados). I couldn’t think of a better time to talk about sun cream.

I know what you’re thinking. Sun cream is so not a sexy thing to think about, right? True, perhaps but neither is sunburn. A final note before I reveal my latest beauty haul:

Please don’t forget to apply your sun cream before sun exposure and reapply frequently!

Solar Very High Protection Tinted Cream SPF50+ 50ml, £10.90, Eau Thermale Avène at Sanareva 

The dispenser on this lightly tinted sun cream made application super easy. Suitable for hypersensitive, pale and intolerant skin, this was lovely to use.

Ingredients include Avène’s Thermal Spring Water to soothe skin and the vitamin E precursor pré-tocopheryl, which tackles free radical skin damage such as ageing.

The lightweight formula quickly rubbed into my skin. It protected my face and made it feel moisturised. This sun cream is hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and water-resistant too.

Sun Care Cream for Sensitive Areas SPF50+, Eau Thermale Avène at Cocoon Centre, £5.59 

This hypoallergenic sun cream is small but it still provides a high level of protection against UVA and UVB rays. Specifically formulated to use on sensitive areas (such as the nose and ears), it’s great for anyone with intolerant or irritated skin.

It’s made with Avène’s soothing Thermal Spring Water and pré-tocopheryl. It’s also free from chemical filters, fragrances and parabens.

The handy size meant there was no excuse not to have it with me at all times. Admittedly, it didn’t last very long but then again it’s only supposed to be used on extremely fragile areas of the face.

I usually dislike tinted sun creams as they’re a nightmare to wash off. They can often mark clothes too but as this is for smaller facial areas, that wasn’t an issue. I loved the creamy, waterproof formula.

I’m thrilled to say this was marvellous to apply, it rubbed into my skin very quickly. It’s perfect for sensitive skin. I’d definitely buy it again.

Sun Protect Lip Balm with SPF 30, Labello at Müller, £1.85

This pleasant-smelling lip balm kept my lips moisturised and gave them SPF 30 protection against harsh UVA and UVB rays. The waterproof formula claims to leave a colourless finish, which sadly wasn’t the case. I had to be careful how much I applied so I didn’t look washed out!

Ingredients include antioxidant vitamain E to help fight against skin damage. I’d think about buying this again because although it offers a high level of protection, I’d prefer to use a colourless SPF lip balm.

Capital Soleil Milk for Children 300ml, Vichy at Cocoon Centre, £12.43

This was fantastic value for money. I’m fully aware this sun cream is for children but I must confess, I often use sun cream targeted for children as they suit my sensitive skin very well.

I loved the cute packaging and the 300ml size. It contains Vichy’s Thermal Spring Water and is water-resistant, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and paraben-free.

It’s made with photostable Mexoryl XL sun filters and minerals to offer further protection. The formula is gentle enough to use on the face and body too. I couldn’t fault this sun cream for its high level of protection. It shielded my skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays and kept it moisturised.

It was so easy to apply. I found myself reapplying it just to cool down. FYI: I spend a lot of time in the shade, I’m very cautious in the sun!).

Although this gave exceptional coverage, I don’t think I would buy it again because I found it extremely difficult to wash off. No matter how much exfoliating soap I used, this just wouldn’t come off. It also marked my clothes, which was frustrating.

Lip Balm with SPF 30, Sundance at dm-drogerie markt, 96p

I like wearing SPF lip balms to shield my lips from harsh UV rays. This vegan lip balm was excellent value for money. It had a subtle scent of peppermint and immediately moisturised my lips. UVA and UVB filter ingredients helped protect them.

Although I loved using this, I would have preferred a more natural scent. The smell was rather synthetic. Also, it would have looked better if the lip balm had been clear on my lips instead of white.

Photoderm MAX Cream SPF50+, Bioderma at Escentual, £14.10

I’m a huge fan of the French brand (their Micelle Solution is the best!) and I couldn’t wait to try this. It claims to offer high protection with maximum photoprotection against UVA and UVB rays, sunburn, sun intolerance as well as photoageing.

Photoageing is caused by UVA and UVB exposure and can result in pigmentation, wrinkles and a breakdown of collagen. This sun cream is made for normal to dry skin and contains Bioderma’s exclusive patented Cellular BIOprotection® to prevent cell damage.

It’s non-comedogenic so it won’t block pores and it’s photostable. Photostability in sun cream means its quality won’t be affected by sun exposure.

It had a lovely texture and didn’t leave any white marks. The waterproof formula was incredibly long-lasting. Initially, I was impressed and looked forward to reapplying it.

Unfortunately, after using it for a few days my face felt very hot whenever I applied it. It looked like I had sunburn because my skin was so red and irritated.

My skin took a few days to recover with a change of sun cream (one of which was my usual Sunprise Mild Airy Finish by Etude House). I’m surprised my skin reacted so badly to this because the fragrance-free formula is meant to be suitable for sensitive skin. Perhaps my skin was sensitive to one of the ingredients.

I used the rest on my arms and didn’t suffer from the same allergic reaction. Strange. Oh well, you can’t have everything…

Tags:  beauty addict beauty haul beauty junkie bioderma bioderma photoderm eau thermale avene escentual labello paraben free paraben-free sun cream pré-tocopheryl sensitive skin spf stay safe in the summer summer sun cream sun cream 50+ sun creams for summer sundance top sun creams top sun creams for summer vichy vichy capital soleil milk for kids