I realised that I’d spent most of the summer so far banging on about oil-free “weightless” sunscreens that “disappear into the skin” and “don’t leave a residue”. But there are people who don’t particularly want a weightless sunscreen; they want to feel as though they’re wearing something protective, or they prefer a slightly richer texture, or they find the alcohol in some of the very light versions a little drying. And so I’ve spent the past few weeks testing out SPFs that aren’t quite so light and fluid texture as Anthelios or Clinique’s Even Better; these have a bit of weight to them and more of a silky, hydrating feel. They’re by no means heavy; just not entirely weightless.
The first that I tried and, actually, one of my favourite sunscreens of the year is the Anew Clinical E-Defence SPF 50 from Avon. This is a stonking buy, it really is; broad spectrum, an array of antioxidants to help further protect the skin and a beautiful velvety texture that absorbs quickly and sits well beneath makeup. I really, really like it. I imagine that if someone blind-tested it then they would think that this sunscreen was far more expensive than it really is – it has a luxe, plumpish feel to it but isn’t greasy in the slightest. I actually find it hydrating enough to use without a moisturiser underneath, which is a bonus – it’s also fragrance free, and it can be quite difficult to find sunscreens that aren’t scented.
Just top marks all round, really, and the best of it is that the Clinical E-Defence is a very affordable £20. You can find it at Avonshop here.
Read more sunscreen reviews…
Apparently the equivalent product value is over £500 – these valuations always seems unlikely when there are a lot of minis included, but the minis tend to be incredibly expensive serums and face creams and they always seems to bump the value up somewhat. 30ml of an ESPA face product, for example, is about twenty quid’s worth. The 20ml Dr Sebagh Serum Repair is actually a full size version worth £69. So it all adds up!
