Major UK supermarket sun creams ranked and one costs just £2.99
We all know the importance of putting suncream on each day - especially during a heatwave, and now there's no excuse with these supermarket own branded lotions
With temperatures predicted to soar to up to 34C, it's important to be layering on your SPF regularly. - You can pick up a bottle of sun-cream during your next food shop with these top ranked supermarket own brands.
So now you don't have to get burned literally or financially with prices as low as £2.99 you can save on the pricey sun-care and instead put your savings towards an ice cream or cocktail in the sun instead. With the likes of Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco all offering up their own versions, you have no excuse for not reapplying while out enjoying the sun.
Staying safe in the sun doesn't have to break the bank, and whether you're out and about, sunbathing or trying to avoid it, and consumer champions at Which? found some of the best deals out there.
The cheapest sun creams
Aldi – Lacura SPF50+ – £2.99 (200ml)
Asda – Protect Sensitive SPF50+ – £3.04 (200ml)
Morrisons – Sun Lotion SPF50 – £4.50 (200ml)
Sainsbury's – Sun Protect SPF50+ – £5.50 (200ml)
Boots - Soltan SPF50+ - £5.50 (200ml)
Superdrug - Solait SPF50 Sun Lotion - £5.50 (200ml)
Tesco – Piz Buin SPF50+ – £7.00 (200ml)
What does SPF mean?
So when it comes to buying the right sun protection, it's crucial to know what it all means. The sun protection factor (SPF) indicates the amount of protection sun creams offer against UVB radiation. It tells you how much longer skin that's covered with the sun cream takes to redden in response to UV, compared with unprotected skin.
What factor sun cream should I use?
It all depends on what type of skin you have, but the NHS and Cancer Research UK both recommend you pick a product with an SPF of at least 30. If your skin burns easily, it's best to stay on the safe side and opt for a higher SPF. For kids and SPF for your face, it's recommended to use factor 50, as kids skin is more sensitive, and our faces are typically more exposed to the sun.
What is UVA/UVB/UVC?
According to Which? UVA (ultraviolet A) is a type of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which has been linked with premature ageing. Both UVA and UVB have been linked with skin cancer. UVB (ultraviolet B) is another type of radiation from the sun and is the main cause of sunburn. It has a shorter wavelength than UVA.
UVC (ultraviolet C) is the shortest form of UV radiation and the most dangerous to our skin, although luckily it cannot penetrate the earth's atmosphere. Of the UV rays that get through our atmosphere and can affect our skin, UVB makes up 5% and the other 95% is UVA.
What does the UVA seal mean?
The UVA seal indicates that a product meets the EU recommendation for sun creams to offer a UVA protection factor equivalent to at least a third of their SPF.
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Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Daily Record
Popular sun cream fails safety tests as families warned 'don't buy'
A popular sun cream aimed at families and costing £28 a bottle has failed safety standards as consumer group Which? warns shoppers "don't buy" it. A sun cream on the market for £28 and aimed at families has been deemed unsafe. Consumer group Which? Is urging people to avoid the Ultrasun Family SPF30 due to the fact it failed safety tests. Which? revealed the product failed to meet minimum UVA (ultraviolet A) protection levels. The Ultrasun lotion, which comes in a 150ml bottle, had a UVA score of 9.1 which was then 9.5 in a retest. Ultrasun markets the cream as 'perfect for the whole family' and 'especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin'. Products need to get a 10 or more in the safety tests to pass. The product did pass the UVB protection test. SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, is a measurement of how well a sunscreen product protects skin against UVB rays—the type of UV rays that can cause sunburns. Another brand that failed the safety tests and was labelled a 'don't buy' by Which? was Morrisons' Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30m which costs £3.75 for a 200ml bottle. The sun block passed for UVA protection but failed for SPF against UVB. Which? Was carrying out an annual study into sun creams available to buy and conducted lab tests on 15 popular brands using what it says were industry-recognised methods, as reports the Mirror. They state that if a product fails first time round, the test is repeated. If it passes a second time, a third test is then carried out. Goods that fail the SPF or UVA test twice become a 'don't buy' product. Those that passed include budget giant Aldi's Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs just £2.99 for 200ml. The researchers revealed that it protected skin from both UVA and UVB rays, as claimed. Aldi's offering also earned the supermarket chain a Which? Great Value badge. Lidl also had a one of its own brand sun sprays achieve success, garnering the same rating as Aldi with their Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High, £3.79 for 200ml. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: 'It's really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging. There's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.' A spokesperson from Ultrasun told Which? it was fully confident in its testing protocols and that its detailed testing processes continued to not only meet, but fully surpass industry standards. They also stated their testing protocol is one of the "strictest" available. Morrisons told Which? that it will be looking closely at the results of the testing programme and is working with its supplier to independently verify the findings with additional independent testing. Full list 'Don't Buys' Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30, £3.75/200ml Ultrasun Family SPF30, £28/150ml Passes SPF30 sunscreens Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion, £5.50/200ml Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30, £7.90/200ml Lidl Cien Sun Protect Spray SPF30 High, £3.79/200ml Sainsbury's Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30, £5.50/200ml Superdrug Solait Sun Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml PF50/50+ sunscreens Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Sun Spray SPF 50+, £11/150ml Sainsbury's Sun ProtectMoisturising Spray Lotion SPF50+, £5.75/200ml Aldi Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, £2.99/200ml Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray SPF50+, £7.90/200ml SPF50/50+ kids sunscreens Childs Farm Sun Cream Fragrance-Free SPF50+, £12/200ml Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Major UK supermarket sun creams ranked and one costs just £2.99
We all know the importance of putting suncream on each day - especially during a heatwave, and now there's no excuse with these supermarket own branded lotions With temperatures predicted to soar to up to 34C, it's important to be layering on your SPF regularly. - You can pick up a bottle of sun-cream during your next food shop with these top ranked supermarket own brands. So now you don't have to get burned literally or financially with prices as low as £2.99 you can save on the pricey sun-care and instead put your savings towards an ice cream or cocktail in the sun instead. With the likes of Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco all offering up their own versions, you have no excuse for not reapplying while out enjoying the sun. Staying safe in the sun doesn't have to break the bank, and whether you're out and about, sunbathing or trying to avoid it, and consumer champions at Which? found some of the best deals out there. The cheapest sun creams Aldi – Lacura SPF50+ – £2.99 (200ml) Asda – Protect Sensitive SPF50+ – £3.04 (200ml) Morrisons – Sun Lotion SPF50 – £4.50 (200ml) Sainsbury's – Sun Protect SPF50+ – £5.50 (200ml) Boots - Soltan SPF50+ - £5.50 (200ml) Superdrug - Solait SPF50 Sun Lotion - £5.50 (200ml) Tesco – Piz Buin SPF50+ – £7.00 (200ml) What does SPF mean? So when it comes to buying the right sun protection, it's crucial to know what it all means. The sun protection factor (SPF) indicates the amount of protection sun creams offer against UVB radiation. It tells you how much longer skin that's covered with the sun cream takes to redden in response to UV, compared with unprotected skin. What factor sun cream should I use? It all depends on what type of skin you have, but the NHS and Cancer Research UK both recommend you pick a product with an SPF of at least 30. If your skin burns easily, it's best to stay on the safe side and opt for a higher SPF. For kids and SPF for your face, it's recommended to use factor 50, as kids skin is more sensitive, and our faces are typically more exposed to the sun. What is UVA/UVB/UVC? According to Which? UVA (ultraviolet A) is a type of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which has been linked with premature ageing. Both UVA and UVB have been linked with skin cancer. UVB (ultraviolet B) is another type of radiation from the sun and is the main cause of sunburn. It has a shorter wavelength than UVA. UVC (ultraviolet C) is the shortest form of UV radiation and the most dangerous to our skin, although luckily it cannot penetrate the earth's atmosphere. Of the UV rays that get through our atmosphere and can affect our skin, UVB makes up 5% and the other 95% is UVA. What does the UVA seal mean? The UVA seal indicates that a product meets the EU recommendation for sun creams to offer a UVA protection factor equivalent to at least a third of their SPF.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Families urged to avoid this popular sun cream after it failed safety tests
Research by consumer group Which? found two sun creams that failed its safety checks - plus others that others, including budget brands that passed with flying colours A popular sun cream aimed at families with a £28 price tag has failed safety tests. Consumer group Which? urged shoppers to avoid the product - Ultrasun Family SPF30 - while also revealing supermarket alternatives at a fraction of the price had passed with flying colours. The results are especially timely, given Britain is in the grip of a heatwave and people will be rushing to buy sun block. Which? found the Ultrasun product - which comes in a 150ml bottle and is marketed as being 'perfect for the whole family' and 'especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin' - failed to meet minimum UVA (ultraviolet A) protection levels. Ultrasun's UVA score was 9.1 and 9.5 in a retest. It needed to be 10 or more to pass. It did, however, pass for the alternative UVB protection. Another sun block that failed was Morrisons ' Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 at £3.75 for a 200ml bottle. It passed for UVA protection but came up short for SPF (sun protection factor) against UVB. Like the Ultrasun product, Which? labelled it a 'don't buy'. As part of an annual exercise, the group carried out lab tests on 15 popular sun creams using what it says were industry-recognised methods. If a product failed on a first test, it was repeated. If it passed the second time, a third test will be done. But if a product failed the SPF or UVA twice overall, it became a 'don't buy'. Among those that passed was budget supermarket Aldi 's Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs just £2.99 for 200ml. Researchers found it protected skin from both UVA and UVB rays, as claimed. At £1.50 per 100ml - six times less than Ultrasun - the product also earned a Which? Great Value badge. Another given the same rating was rival Lidl 's Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High, at £3.79 for 200ml. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: 'It's really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging. While shoppers should avoid buying our Don't Buys, our results prove that there's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.' A spokesperson from Ultrasun told Which? it was fully confident in its testing protocols and that its detailed testing processes continued to not only meet, but surpass industry standards. It stated that its chosen testing protocol is one of the strictest available. Morrisons told Which? that it's looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing. Full list 'Don't Buys' Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30, £3.75/200ml Ultrasun Family SPF30, £28/150ml Passes SPF30 sunscreens Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion, £5.50/200ml Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30, £7.90/200ml Lidl Cien Sun Protect Spray SPF30 High, £3.79/200ml Sainsbury's Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30, £5.50/200ml Superdrug Solait Sun Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml SPF50/50+ sunscreens Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Sun Spray SPF 50+, £11/150ml Sainsbury's Sun ProtectMoisturising Spray Lotion SPF50+, £5.75/200ml Aldi Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, £2.99/200ml Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray SPF50+, £7.90/200ml SPF50/50+ kids sunscreens
