The best sunscreens for summer: Sali Hughes's 57 favourite face and body SPFs
We are bad at engaging with sun protection unless there's a heatwave, or we're venturing on holiday – and the gunky, greasy, spot-causing sunscreens of yore, which stained clothes and couldn't be shifted, are partly to blame. TikTok misinformation and scaremongering (unsupported by significant clinical data) around rising cancer diagnoses on protected skin don't help either. The dermatology community is united: high protection, broad spectrum SPF is the most important product you'll use and the key defence against skin cancers and premature ageing of the skin.
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The most important aspect of sun care is that people use it. The elegance of a modern sunscreen formula, the texture on fingertips and the comfort on skin, the smell, the packaging, the price, the finish and its ability to play nicely with other skincare and makeup products – these are, in my view, often the difference between someone's decision to protect themselves or not. What follows are 57 user-friendly sunscreens I've enjoyed trying in recent years, all of which have proved popular with those to whom I've recommended them and none of which make sun protection a bind. I would gladly use any of them on my own family.
Best overall:
Vichy Capital Soleil hydrating solar protective water
£17.20 at Look Fantastic£19.49 at Superdrug
Extremely easy, comfortable SPF spray with an attractive (and subtle) golden tone. Everyone I offer it to loves it.
Size: 200mlSPF: 50 UVA: yesPrice per 100ml: from £8.60
Also consider:
Bondi Sands sunscreen lotion
£7.32 at Superdrug£7.32 at Amazon
A terrific, fast-absorbing, everyday body lotion that leaves limbs gleaming and protected. Affordable enough to be appropriately lavish in application.
Size: 150ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £4.88
Sun Bum Original sunscreen lotion
£12.59 at Cult Beauty£16.79 at Look Fantastic
Don't be fooled by the delicious smell and cartoon branding … this is a wolf in sheep's clothing. A top-notch lotion that even kids enjoy.
Size: 237ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £5.31
Shiseido Expert sun protector lotion
£15.20 at Look Fantastic£20 at Space NK
If money were no object, this (or Ultra Violette's Extreme Screen) would be my weapon of choice. It's like the most luxuriant, rich, fragrant body cream, only armed with hi-tech Japanese sun protection. Works as well on the face.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £30.40
Saltee Body Sea & Sun lotion
£28 at Face the Future£35 at Space NK
I love everything about this sunscreen – the packaging, the gel-creme texture, the fast drying. But the addictive summery smell takes it to the next level.
Size: 150ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £18.67
Best overall: Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face brightening sun serum
£38 at Mecca Cosmetica
My sunscreen of the year and on my face almost non-stop. Moisturises my dry skin without being greasy (I can skip the day cream) and leaves a glowy but non-oily sheen. 10/10, I have no notes, awards must be given.
Size: 50mlSPF: 50+UVA: yesPrice per 100ml: £76
Also consider:
Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV anti-dryness protection cream
£6.49 at Superdrug£7.50 at AmazonMy favourite bargain sunscreen ever. Super-moisturising, non-stinging and makeup priming. Excellent.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £12.98
Vichy Mineral 89 72H moisture-boosting daily fluid
£20.40 at Look Fantastic£25.50 at Escentual
For dehydrated skins, from balanced to dry, which hate the heaviness and sweatiness of rich sunscreens. Elegant and fresh.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £40.80
L'Oréal Paris Revitalift clinical vitamin C UV fluid
£9.99 at Boots£9.99 at Amazon
In truth, this works for everyone, but I've popped it here because dry skins won't believe something so thin and light could feel so comfortable. Gives noticeable glow, too.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £19.98
The Inkey List polyglutamic acid dewy sunscreen
£12 at Look Fantastic£10.50 at Amazon
Polyglutamic acid has skin scientists excited for its ability to hold plumping water in the skin. This makes great use of it in an affordable, makeup-friendly sunscreen.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £21
Best overall:Bioré UV Watery Essence sunscreen
£14.99 at Superdrug£14.83 at Amazon
Japanese skincare formulas are famous for their fine, weightless textures, and this one is a classic case in point. Fresh, watery, hydrating and transparent, it's an ideal choice for gym-goers, sufferers of hot flashes, oily types and humid city dwellers. Terrific value.
Size: 50mlSPF: 30 UVA: yes Price per 100ml: from £29.66
Also consider:
Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face matt sun serum
£38 at Mecca Cosmetica
My love for this Australian brand deepens. A new and very successful take on my beloved SPF50 serum, this has been tweaked to mattify oily skins without any chalky dryness, so now everyone can enjoy.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £76
Heliocare 360° oil-free gel
£23.25 at Boots£25.50 at Amazon
One of the most popular oil-free sunscreens among hardcore beauty fans, and with good reason. A cult classic.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £46.50
Nivea UV face shine control
£8.50 at Boots£9.99 at Superdrug
This skincare brand has bottomless pockets for research and development and, consequently, some of the best formulas on the high street. This is one of my favourites.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £17
Eucerin dry touch, oil control, gel cream
£14.25 at Look Fantastic£16 at Boots
One of my go-to recommendations when friends ask for a budget sunscreen for their spot-prone teens, who love the fresh gel texture, gentle feel and matt finish.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £28.50
Evy daily defense face mousse
£25.60 at Cult Beauty£32 at Amazon
This airy mousse sunscreen dispenses high, lasting protection under and over makeup, at any time, leaving an imperceptible finish.
Size: 75ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £34.13
Best overall:
Altruist sunscreen
£5.25 at Victoria Health£11.50 for two at Amazon
A great-quality, affordable and doctor-founded sun care brand with philanthropy at its heart: 10p from each tube sold goes to charities supporting children with albinism in Africa.
Size: 100mlSPF: 50 UVA: yes Price per 100ml: £5.25
Also consider:
Sainsbury's sun protect moisturising spray
£5.75 at Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's own-brand sun care is excellent and considerately priced. My favourite of the supermarket ranges.
Size: 200ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £2.88
La Roche-Posay Anthelios dermo-pediatrics invisible spray
£20.40 at Look Fantastic£25.50 at Boots
Ask a beauty editor or dermatologist which sunscreen brand they use on their own children, and there's a very good chance they'll say Anthelios.
Size: 200ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £10.20
Ultrasun extreme
£19.20 at Look Fantastic£19.20 at Amazon
My for ever first choice for children with eczema and extreme sun sensitivity.
Size: 100ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £19.20
Sun Bum Original moisturising sun cream spray
£13.43 at Face the Future£15.99 at Boots
This sunscreen meets the most rigorous standards, smells delicious, and can be aimed and fired efficiently at wriggly children.
Size: 200ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: from £6.72
Best overall:
Beauty Pie Traceless mineral sunscreen + primer
£30 at Beauty Pie
Beauty Pie smashed this one out of the park. A mineral face-and-neck protector with minimal white cast (the nature of zinc and titanium means you'll never be able to avoid one altogether) that feels light on the skin and stays smooth and grippy under makeup. Outstanding effort.
Size: 50mlSPF: 30 UVA: yes Price per 100ml: £60
Also consider:
Ultra Violette future fluid
£30.40 at SpaceNK£38 at Cult Beauty
This new release is probably my favourite mineral sunscreen ever for drier skin types. Almost invisible, even on deeper skin tones, its squalane-rich zinc formula will be sufficiently moisturising for most skins to wear without an additional layer of day cream. I find I can apply it all around the eye area without any stinging or streaming, too.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £60.80
Summer Fridays ShadeDrops sunscreen
£28.80 at Cult Beauty£36 at Space NK
A light, elegant screen, much-loved by oily and combination types (drier skins will feel parched).
Size: 50ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £57.60
Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen
£29.20 at Sephora£29.20 at Cult Beauty
This sinks in faster and has the faintest white cast of any commercially available mineral sunscreen I've tried. Even the deepest skin tones should have a clear finish about five minutes after application. Spreads on easily, feels nongreasy.
Size: 45ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £68.49
Kinship self reflect probiotic moisturising sunscreen
£16.20 at Cult Beauty
Mineral sunscreens are zinc or titanium dioxide and cannot be transparent, but some cleverly added glow particles can mitigate the white cast on more skin tones. This does a great job of that on dry skins (oily skins, avoid).
Size: 50g; SPF: 32; UVA: yes; price per 100g: £32.40
InnBeauty mineral glow
£90.37 at Ninth Avenue
Owing to outdated FDA regulations in the US (where sunscreen is treated as a drug rather than a cosmetic), American synthetic sunscreens are notoriously inelegant in their formulation. But a modern approach to mineral sunscreens using old-fashioned zinc or titanium dioxide is where US cosmetic brands focus their efforts. This is a gorgeous cream available in two shades (light/medium and medium/dark) that goes on lightly and sinks in fast. Makeup lies obediently on top. Suitable for all skin types, it's currently only available expensively as a US import, but hitting the UK soon, so do keep an eye out. It's brilliant.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 43; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £180.74
Best overall:
Ultra Violette daydream screen
£27.11 at Sephora£30.40 at SpaceNK
Tinted sunscreens are a great way of adding additional protection, but are insufficient alone. It's not that the SPF is in any way inferior to that of a dedicated sunscreen (all have to meet the same stringent cosmetic regulations), but it's simply not possible to apply a sufficient amount of tinted sunscreen without looking caked in makeup. This tinted SPF from Ultra Violette is the most versatile and easy-to-use tinted SPF, with enough long-lasting coverage to skip foundation altogether. The shade range is good, and the formula is fluid and pleasing to all skin types.
Size: 50mlSPF: 50 UVA: yes Price per 100ml: £54.22
Also consider:
Ilia Super serum skin tint
£42 at Sephora£42 at SpaceNK
The best way to wear mineral protection is to tint it, but this is one of the few brands that does it comprehensively rather than banging out an 'American Tan' and calling it a day. In summer, I layer this over my chemical sunscreen, and it works as a foundation with benefits. Everyone but those with oily skin should love it.
Size: 30ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £140
Supergoop! Glowscreen
£29.20 at Cult Beauty£36.50 at Boots
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This is ideal if you're looking for a sheer glow rather than a makeup substitute. Four flattering, radiant tints that add subtle pearlescence rather than glitter.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £58.40
Dr Sam's flawless gossamer tint
£35 at Sephora£35 at Dr Sam's
This tinted mineral screen, ideal for sensitive skins and stingy eyes, now comes in four shades plus the untinted original. Gives a satiny look.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £70
Elf Suntouchable Whoa Glow
£13.99 at SuperdrugFrom £8.99 at Amazon
Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and squalane give this peachy-tinted formula even more bang for your buck. Easy for even makeup haters to wear.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £17.98
Best overall: Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV over makeup mist
£6.49 at Superdrug£8.67 at Amazon
An accessible and reasonably priced milky mist that becomes invisible over makeup, allowing for the recommended two-hourly top-ups of high-factor SPF. Makeup is undisturbed, and the aluminium canister keeps the sunscreen pleasantly cool. Top marks.
Size: 75mlSPF: 50+ UVA: yes Price per 100ml: £8.65
Also consider:
Ultra Violette mini preen screen
£12 at SpaceNK
I could have included at least half a dozen products from this feted Aussie brand, but this is my most-used, personally. A fine mist that makes diligent sun care a pleasure.
Size: 30ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £40
La Roche-Posay Anthelios face mist
£18.50 at Boots£13.24 at Amazon
Very sensitive and rosacea skins can be sensitive to even fingertips during a flare-up. This gentle mist tops up the protection without poking the bear.
Size: 75ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £17.65
Elf Suntouchable mist
£13.99 at Superdrug£14 at Boots
There's frankly not much Elf isn't good at – this mist for midday sunscreen top-ups is just the latest in the gold run.
Size: 60ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £23.32
Sculpted by Aimee sun mist
£19 at John Lewis£19 at Amazon
The newest SPF mist on the block. Cooling, refreshing and glow giving.
Size: 70ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £27.14
Best overall:Shiseido clear suncare stick
£32 at SpaceNK£23.98 at Amazon
I carry this everywhere in summer so I'll never be caught short. Transparent, glide-on protection that's (unusually) good on any skin type – there's zero grease or fuss.
Size: 20gSPF: 50 UVA: yes Price per 100g: £119.90
Also consider:
La Roche-Posay Anthelios stick
£14 at Boots
The ever-dependable, sensitive skin- and family-friendly Anthelios SPF in a Pritt-Stick-style delivery. Chuck it in a pram, nappy bag or glove compartment so it's always handy.
Size: 9g; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100g: £155.56
Supergoop! Glow stick
£19.80 at Sephora£22 at Boots
There's much love in the beauty community for this, which simultaneously offers high protection and the glazey glow of a highlighter. Oily skins should swerve it.
Size: 20g; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100g: £99
Clarins invisible sun care stick
£25 at John Lewis£25 at Sephora
Clarins sun care is reliably terrific across the range. This solid SPF is invisible and unsticky, smells great and doesn't sting my eyes.
Size: 17g; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100g: £147.06
Thank You, Farmer silky calming sun stick
£18.40 at Boots£18.40 at Amazon
A characteristically fine-textured, elegantly formulated balm from South Korea. No grease or white residue.
Size: 14g; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100g: £131.43
Best overall:
Naked Sundays CabanaClear water gel serum
£22.50 at Boots£25 at Sephora
Outstanding. An almost weightless, smooth and fairly hydrating gel (oily skins may be happy to skip moisturiser) that primes skin for makeup. Can also be reapplied over it in the afternoon with minimal disruption.
Size: 30mlSPF: 50 UVA: yes Price per 100ml: £75
Also consider:
Glossier Invisible Shield
£25.60 at SpaceNK£32 at Glossier
Clear, gel-textured sunscreen with a weightless feel. To my eye, the original SPF30 is a tad shinier than the newer, more blurry SPF50 version, so be governed by your preferred finish.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £51.20
Murad multi-vitamin clear coat
£33.60 at Look Fantastic£42 at John Lewis
The new wholly transparent sunscreen from the all-around impressive (and pricey) Murad. Gives a skin-blurring primer-like finish and sits comfortably and nicely under makeup.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £67.20
Garnier Ambre Solaire vitamin C daily UV fluid
£8.60 at Look Fantastic£8.63 at Amazon
Garnier Ambre Solaire is, in my view, leagues ahead in high-street sun care. This clear version leaves a good glow without any pore-clogging grease.
Size: 40ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £21.50
Black Girl moisturising sunscreen lotion
£15.98 at Amazon
I wanted to include this because most transparent sunscreens are geared towards oilier skins. This (despite looking opaque at first) is clear while being full of oils to moisturise dry skin.
Size: 89ml; SPF: 30; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £17.96
Best overall:
Medik8 advanced day ultimate protect
£47.20 at Look Fantastic£47.20 at Cult Beauty
I would not change a thing: I truly believe this to be the perfect SPF moisturiser for all skin types but oily. Practical packaging, high UVA and UVB protection, a highly moisturising but nongreasy cream that absorbs quickly and behaves immaculately around the eyes and under makeup. Only superlatives will do.
Size: 50mlSPF: 50+ UVA: yes Price per 100ml: £94.40
Also consider:
Cle de Peau Beauté UV protective cream
£77.60 at Cult Beauty£78.40 at Look Fantastic
Outrageously expensive and utterly exquisite Japanese moisturiser that feels nothing like a sunscreen but gives high-level protection all the same. Like taking your face to the opera.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £155.20
SkinCeuticals advanced brightening sunscreen
£41.60 at Look Fantastic£52 at SkinCeuticals
There's a reason why this hi-tech, evidence-driven brand is so loved by dermatologists and aestheticians. I love all of its sunscreens, but this one, containing skin-soothing niacinamide and tranexamic acid to help fade discoloration, is the star.
Size: 40ml; SPF: 50; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £104
Lancôme UV expert supra screen
£30.75 at Debenhams£34.85 at Boots
The brand practically snuck out this beautiful and elegant product that I think is worth shouting about. Vitamin E, niacinamide, a fresh, nongreasy, hydrating texture and invisible finish make it a good all-rounder for anyone but the very dry.
Size: 40ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £76.88
Institut Esthederm Into Repair face care
£66 at John Lewis£66 at SpaceNK
Sensitive skins miss out on many of the more luxurious creams and instead have to shop the pharmaceutical aisle. This protective day cream bucks the trend. Gentle but decadent.
Size: 50ml; SPF: 50+; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £132
Best overall:Kérastase Soleil crème sublime
£34.05 at Sephora£29.25 at Amazon
Well, I couldn't not say Kérastase, since I never summer holiday without it. It softens sun-scorched hair without making it greasy or fluffy, protects the scalp, aids a smooth bun or topknot on the beach, and smells like paradise. I will love it for ever.
Size: 150mlUVA: noPrice per 100ml: £19.50
Also consider:
Hair By Sam McKnight Sundaze sea spray
£26 at SpaceNK£26 at Cult Beauty
For anyone looking for sexy tousles with their sun protection. It's the only salt spray I've used that doesn't make my hair feel dirty. Smells so good you could skip your perfume.
Size: 150ml; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £17.33
Aveda sun care protective hair veil
£32 at John Lewis£32 at Boots
Aveda is the gold standard in more sustainable beauty practices. This vegan-friendly mist adds natural fragrance, UV protection and moisturising glycerine to parched hair.
Size: 100ml; UVA: yes; price per 100ml: £32
Charles Worthington sunshine UV protect leave-in spray
£3.49 at Boots£3.50 at Tesco
UV protectants for hair are invariably pricey. This one works just as well for under a fiver. Softens scorched hair without adding gunk.
Size: 50ml; UVA: no; price per 100ml: £6.98
Wella Professional Invigo sun protection spray
£18.75 at Look Fantastic£18.75 at Amazon
Adds welcome shine and moisture while protecting the integrity of your dye job.
Size: 150ml; UVA: no; price per 100ml: £12.50
You should be applying about half a teaspoon (or two adult finger lengths) of product to your face and neck each morning, regardless of whether you'll spend time outdoors (skin-ageing UVA comes through closed windows). Synthetic filters need 15-20 minutes to absorb before exposure, while mineral filters (which use zinc and/or titanium and usually leave a slight white cast) are effective upon application (which looks best done in two thin layers).
Protection of either kind should then be reapplied every couple of hours, which few people do in everyday life, which is why I've included some SPF top-up sprays (such as the Garnier Ambre Solaire mist) to make this more practical.
The article was originally published on 26 June 2024. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor's discretion. The date of an article's most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page. This article was amended on 13 June 2025; three new products were added, and prices and retailers were updated throughout.
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Sometimes a long weekend full of lazy lie-ins is all you need to feel well rested and rebooted. But, once in a while, treating yourself to a week-long health retreat, preferably with a picturesque backdrop and luxurious facilities, is required to feel truly reset. If you can spare the holiday, here are four that offer impressive results when it comes to sending you home feeling and looking a whole lot healthier. With all the best will in the world, it can be tricky to make big changes to your diet when you're surrounded by temptations at home, so taking yourself for a gut reset at a clinic is a great way to initiate true change. The Original Mayr Medical Resort opened in 1976 and for almost 50 years has treated visitors with the Mayr cure. This is a programme that involves alkaline foods, lots of chewing, lower calories and fasting, alongside medical appointments, treatments and movement. A week in the historic and luxurious Austrian clinic allows your digestive systems — and your brain — to relax, de-stress and reset. Recently it realigned one of its programmes to hone in on gut health. It provides stool, urine and breath testing, allergy testing and ultrasounds (you can add a colonoscopy if your doctor thinks it necessary). Your meals will be 'gut friendly' (with nothing inflammatory or tricky to digest) and treatments will be orientated towards gut issues, including colonic hydrotherapy and abdominal massages to move things along. There will also be a focus on stress (which is proven to slow digestion and disrupt gut bacteria), so wellbeing coaching with the in-house psychotherapist, plus soothing therapies such as shiatsu, are also recommended. A week at the clinic (or two if you're feeling brave) can facilitate an impressive amount of immediate change, and it can also be a useful fact-finding mission. The lead doctor, Dr Ursula Muntean-Rock, is trained in general medicine but also passionate about holistic healing (she spent many years training in traditional Chinese medicine in China). She is well placed to assess all of your results to form a lifestyle plan to keep up the good gut work and, hopefully, keep the bloating and blockages at bay. Original Mayr Medical Resort seven-day Detox and Gut Health programme, from £4043. Includes programme, meals and accommodation in single room. Situated at the northern point of the German island of Sylt (their version of the Hamptons, according to many) and in a building that looks like a Bond villain's lair, Lanserhof Sylt is a clinic synonymous with medical excellence. The medical programme here is not predetermined, but a bespoke itinerary is compiled — after diagnostics, examinations and lots and lots of questions. This makes it a great choice for those without specific ailments but who just want to feel (and look) better. 'People often come here who aren't ill by definition but have things they can't put their finger on,' says the chief marketing officer, Nils Behrens. 'On a scale of one to ten for 'health', most people arrive saying they feel around five to seven. We want them to leave feeling as close to ten as possible.' Inside the 50,000 sq ft medical clinic are ten full-time doctors, with 32 further specialists (from physiotherapists and hypnotherapists to facialists and acupuncturists). There's even a cardiologist and gastrologist, for more serious medical complaints that might come up via testing. The testing itself could include a full-body scan using 96 cameras and AI, a liver fat scan, or a more familiar ECG. Your programme will likely combine medical treatments with natural or alternative practices such as craniosacral therapy. The food is also tailored to your plan and goals. It can be a measly 400 calories per day if called for (which might mean a cup of nut milk and rice cake to start your day) or bulked up with lots of in season fruit, vegetables and meat to create nutritious and filling meals. Walking or cycling around the shores of the island feels like it's doing good things for you too, especially in the spring and early summer, when wild roses grow bountifully in hedgerows, their heady scent mingling with sea salt. It's just one of the many resources you can tap at Lanserhof to work your way to better health, and hopefully have you heading home feeling ten out of ten. Seven to eight nights at Lanserhof Sylt in theLanserhof Cure Classic exclusive accommodation starts from 2,980 EUR, Being such a buzzword in wellness, most clinics will now have a programme dedicated to 'longevity'. But at SHA it's the reason it exists. The founder, Alfredo Bataller Parietti, opened his first SHA property in rural Spain as a place for guests to experience the integrative medicine and healing nutrition that helped with his own health issues (including a cancer diagnosis). More than 15 years later he — and SHA — are still going strong. Cancun — the Mexican city famous for its vibrant party scene — might not seem the obvious choice for the group's second property, opened in 2024. But just a short drive from the airport down the Riviera Maya you'll find the most zen beachfront, Costa Mujeres, where the impressive SHA Wellness building (designed by local architects, the design is based on the shape of a DNA strand) ripples elegantly along the shoreline, with ocean views on one side and green fields of mangroves on the other. Against the backdrop of rolling waves and tropical birds, longevity takes centre stage via diet and treatments focused on living a healthier, happier life for longer. There are lessons in a more sustainable way of healthy living, with an emphasis on your emotional wellbeing alongside the physical. Leaving SHA you should feel refocused, relaxed and re-energised. Your first few appointments will be focussed on fact-finding: biometric readings of your body composition, blood tests, doctor-led consultations, a cognitive assessment and stress-level measurement, for example. The results of these will be used to personalise your programme. There's a seemingly endless range of ways your time could be filled: body therapies such as targeted massages and detox wraps, personal training sessions, medical treatments, cosmetic appointments such as facials, exercise classes or guided meditation. There are also cooking classes on offer, alternative therapies like shiatsu, reflexology and acupuncture, or just wallowing and reviving in the hydrotherapy area or outdoor pools… The list goes on. However, the people you'll perhaps be most thankful for during your stay are the team of chefs, led by the charming Lixi Lineas from France. The food at SHA is famously delicious, which might come as a surprise if you've ever been to a detox retreat that is more broth-and-potato focused. From baked polenta with mushrooms and tom yum sauce to vegan 'tuna' (made from chickpeas and cleverly deployed seaweed). There's even puddings, some of which include chocolate. Rates at SHA Mexico start from $2,700 for a four-day Recover & Energise programme. For more information, please visit The little sister of the grand Bürgenstock hotel — a glamorous, brutalist showstopper — Waldhotel is, by contrast, quiet, refined and discreet. Part private medical centre, part five-star spa hotel, everything about the building welcomes in the surroundings. These include the structure's larch-latticed exterior and the decks where guests lie, soaking in the mountain scenery and inhaling the scents of rosemary, forests and farmyards. Inside it's all Swiss efficiency and charm. Conceived as Switzerland's leading private medi-spa, where ill or injured patients check in for rehabilitation or recovery, it has a medical facility with 23 specially equipped bedrooms for postoperative recovery and gyms fitted with high-tech rehabilitation and fitness equipment. Above this centre are 137 hotel rooms and suites, an enormous, light-filled stone-and-wood spa, plus a dentist and aesthetics area, should you want a top-up of your injectables while you're there. Though you could check in for a bog-standard health retreat, this is really built for initiating significant improvements. In one day you could have (deep breath…) three blood tests, a consultation with a doctor, an abdominal ultrasound, a session with a nutritionist, a head-to-toe examination and precancerous cell removal by a dermatologist, and a mobility test and PT session. All before lights out at 7.30pm. What really stands out here is high-spec technology. If you have lung or breathing issues, for example, there is a contraption that involves you standing in a glass box, connected to monitors that measure not only the power of your lungs but the concentration of gases you're exhaling. There's an ECG test connected to an exercise bike and a Dexa machine that scans your body for the exact make-up of (healthy) bones, (good) muscle and (excess) fat. Essentially, if there is an ailment hidden somewhere, it's going to have trouble staying hidden here. Treatments will be personalised to help get you back to peak health. They could equally be high-tech or may simply harness the serene surroundings, such as breathing exercises to the backdrop of tinkling cowbells or mindful mountain treks. The team of doctors and therapists will do their best to put you right in the time they have, sending you home more knowledgeable, well rested and healed — or at least on the right track. POA,
