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Since we have had a turnaround in the weather this last week and the sunshine has finally shown itself, I thought it was high time I ran through my best budget facial SPFs!
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SPF Daily
By now I’m sure you’re all aware that SPF is something I won’t forgo in my skincare routine and for good reason. UVA/UVB rays are one of the most damaging things out there and cause premature ageing, breakdown in collagen and elastin, can cause pigmentation and of course, cancer.
I read a great study1, courtesy of Dr Sam Bunting (Harley Street Dermatologist) this week, that shows that simply wearing just one good application of SPF daily can help repair wrinkles because the skin is able to work to regenerate instead of working to fight and repair after the fact, pretty great eh?
So the question is, what’s there to loose?
Granted, in the past sunscreens were, frankly yucky, and no, we didn’t want to wear them, but formulations have improved tenfold and they keep improving (just wait until we catch up with Japan & Korea in terms of sunscreen tech 😍)! With that, I want to share my top budget facial SPFs, sunscreens that are high street hero’s! One’s which I repurchase time and time again! Let’s crack on…
My skin type: Oily/combination. I tend to have an oily t-zone, with dry, sensitive area (Roseaca on chin and upper lip area). I have suffered acne and cystic acne in the past. Due to these skin conditions, I tend to prefer ‘mineral/inorganic’ formulas on my areas of Rosacea and eye area and ‘chemical/organic’ formulas on the rest of my face (I find these to be more lightweight and acne-prone skin-friendly).
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF50+ Sun Cream 50ml
Info: Chemical/Organic filters, Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB protection. PPD 46. Sweat & water resistant. No white marks. No white cast. Fragrance free.
The Anthelios Ulta-Light Fluid from La Roche-Posay has been an SPF I have bought countless times. I can’t tell you how many bottles of the stuff I have gone through, nor could I tell you how many times I have recommended it! It is the opposite of the thick, holiday creams of the ’90s and early 00s. Think uber lightweight milk that isn’t greasy yet still gives hydration.
This is my preferred version for my skin type, I’m also a fan of the LRP Shaka. La Roche-Posay also offers a hydrating version for normal-dry skins and a tinted version.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF50+ Sun Cream 50ml*
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF50+ Tinted 50ml*
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Hydrating Cream SPF 50+ 50ml*
Garnier Ambre Solaire Ultra-Light Sensitive Sun Protection Face Fluid SPF50+ 40ml
Info: Chemical/Organic filters. Offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Fragance free, no white cast.
A recent addition to my skincare wardrobe but my goodness a very welcome one, the Garnier Ambre Solaire Ultra-Light Sensitive Sun Protection Face Fluid is a dream for those who like lightweight SPF’s. This is a very lightweight milky formula and melts into the skin beautifully. Skin feels subtly hydrated, looks glowy and doesn’t feel at all cakey.
Rumour in the skincare community is that as Garnier, SkinCeuticals and La Roche-Posay are all owned by the same parent company, that the technology has filtered down to this highstreet option, it is very alike the La Roche Posay SPF mentioned above!
Garnier Ambre Solaire Ultra-Light Sensitive Sun Protection Face Fluid SPF50+ 40ml*
The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF 50 PA ++++
Info: Chemical/Organic filters. Offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. PA ++++, lightly fragranced, vegan.
This little number from The Body Shop is another SPF that I have recommended a lot over the years, simply because it is a pleasure to wear. While the original has been reformulated in the last year or two, a sister version has launched in the last few days Multi-Defense Light Lotion. Whichever you choose, they are still one of the most enjoyable budget-friendly SPFs out there.
Multi-Defense Light Lotion is a light fluid essence, fast absorbing, leaves no white cast, non-greasy, applies easily.
Skin Defence Multi- Protection Light Essence SPF 50 PA +++
The original (but reformulated):
Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++
Has a higher UVA rating, lotion consistency (still lightweight), moisturising, contains vitamin C and E for antioxidant properties.
Both are chemical/organic filters and offer broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Anti-Shine Sun Protection Invisible SPF50+ Face Mist 75ml
Info: Chemical/Organic filters. Offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Fragrance free.
La Roche-Posay gets a second mention with their Sun Protection Invisible Face Mist. If you’re looking for an easy way to top up your SPF throughout the day then this comes highly recommended. It won’t disturb your makeup and has anti-shine properties and covers evenly.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Anti-Shine Sun Protection Invisible SPF50+ Face Mist 75ml
BeautyPie Featherweight UVA/UVB SPF 50 Suncreen/Primer
Info: Chemical/Organic filters. Offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Contains Fragrance.
I hesitate somewhat at including this SPF in this particular blog post as it is only a budget option if you are a Beauty Pie member. However, there are many members out there and lots of people interested in becoming members so why not! You can of course buy this at the full market price, it is just heavily discounted if you are a Beauty Pie member and it is this that makes it a budget option.
The SPF is a very nice lightweight lotion, it applies well and doesn’t look or feel like a traditional SPF.
My oily skin can become a little greasy throughout the day when wearing this but nothing in comparison to some other formulas. It’s really quite lovely. I have used the SPF 35 before they launched this one and that was nice also, but why go for SPF 35 when you can now have SPF 50?
BeautyPie Featherweight UVA/UVB SPF 50 Suncreen/Primer
And to finish, a couple I am yet to try but that look promising…
Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Sunscreen Lotion
Info: Chemical/Organic filters. Offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Fragrance free.
Bondi Sands has launched a facial SPF 50 which ranks high with reviews is nicely priced and promises to be lightweight and non-greasy. This shall be one I will check out!
Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Sunscreen Lotion*
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Facial Suncare SPF50+ 50ml
Info: Chemical/Organic filters. Offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Contains fragrance.
I wanted to highlight the No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Facial Suncare SPF50+ as I like that it’s been formulated with peptides, has a nice blend of antioxidants and hydrating ingredients as well as sun protection. So it really is caring for your skin. From the description, I’m not picking up that it’s a particularly lightweight formula so I’m going to stick my neck out and hazard a guess that it’s most likely a lotion/cream best suited to normal/dry skin types. This is of course merely going off descriptions and ingredients, there are no reviews yet and I can’t test in store! I did feel it was worth a mention, however!
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Facial Suncare SPF50+ 50ml
To ‘Sun-arise’… (Too Much??)
These are a few of my favourite budget facial SPFs that I have repurchased time and time again and will continue to do so, with a couple more that have recently caught my eye! They are effortless to apply and I enjoy wearing them. Yes, every single one is an SPF of 50. The reason being, we tend to not apply enough SPF (here’s looking at you Paltrow…don’t even get me started!) so the higher the SPF, the better protection we get, even if we don’t quite apply as much as we should. It just makes sense.
If you’re wondering which SPF is best for you, the answer is simple, it’s the one you will wear. The one you’ll apply without thinking. One that will become part of your daily routine.
Choose one that suits your skin type, not one that your best mate loves, or your favourite beauty influencer raves about. If you love a lightweight moisturiser, chances are you’ll prefer a lightweight SPF. The same goes for lovers of rich creams, you’ll most likely look for hydrating SPF’s.
Because I have an oilier skin type, I tend to forgo a moisturiser during the summer and replace it with a hydrating serum and my SPF. Too many layers on my skin type equal too much slip.
I hope this has been helpful and do look out for my “Best mid-high range SPF” post coming soon!
[1] DAILY USE OF A FACIAL BROAD SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN OVER ONE-YEAR SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES CLINICAL EVALUATION OF PHOTOAGING. DERMATOL SURG. 2016 DEC;42(12):1354-1361.
Catch up on the latest: Colourway Keratin Shampoo & Keratin Restoring Therapy
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If you have access in your country, try NIVEA SUN UV Face Suncream SPF 50 Shine Control 50ml.
It’s the most cosmetically pleasant UV filter I have warn, is completely mat, very lightweight and is not waterproof (which for me is important as it’s easier to remove in the night, and for non beach/non sport why would you need a waterproof SPF anyway)
Highly highly recommended, I’m not an usual NIVEA fan at all. Share result if you try it, I’m curious!
Oh thank you so much for your recommendation! I’ll def look out for this and report back if I can find it!