This business has taught me that British people don’t much like the feeling of sun protection. If I got an hour’s sun for every time someone asked me if a greaseless facial sunscreen exists, then my summer could be counted in long, hot months rather than stolen days between downpours.
But while the past five years has seen leaps and bounds in skincare technology, particularly in the area of hydration (thanks to the now-widespread use of hyaluronic acid, which causes skin to hold on to water, leaving it plumped and comforted without the use of heavy oils), only now are we seeing suncare lighten up.
Watery, whisper-light textures that cut the grease but not the hydration or protection are a speciality of east and south-east Asian brands, and Singaporean Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50 (£8.03, 50g), is a perfect example: thin, entirely ungreasy (oily types will love it) and non-ashy, all at a terrific price. It’s so watery, in fact, that one feels slightly worried that it isn’t doing much, but my face was reassuringly and determinedly Celtic-pale at the end of a lengthy dog walk along a sunny beach.
Also brilliant (and more luxurious) is Coola’s Mineral Face SPF30 (£36, 50ml). This fresh-smelling lotion uses no chemical sunscreens in its vegan-friendly formula and yet, unusually, doesn’t appear remotely chalky even on dark skin tones (zinc oxide, used in mineral sunscreens, is often guilty of making skin appear whitish lavender). It contains antioxidants and has a matte, blurring finish that dry skins won’t appreciate, but oily and combination types very much will.
If you’re as exacting about body sunscreens, allow me to rave about Vichy’s wonderful new Idéal Solait Solar Protective “Water”(£19, 200ml). I add inverted commas because these are not oil-free (they’re bi-phase, like the sort of makeup remover you have to shake), but frankly, all the better for it. The two editions (Hydrating, containing hyaluronic acid, and Tan Enhancing, with beta carotene, for a very subtle glow) feel gorgeous and much more like posh body lotion. They’re light, very moist and refreshing, not claggy or clothes-smearing, protect beautifully, and can be spritzed anywhere – face or body. Why can’t they all be like this?
