12-05-2025
I've got fair skin and only buy SPF 50 – this is the £12 body sunscreen I'll be wearing on repeat all summer long
I've had to learn the hard way (read: repeated cases of sunburnt shoulders) that I can't leave the house without a layer of sunscreen as soon as the UV index hits 3 or above. (That's when, according to Cancer Research UK, the sun is strong enough to cause damage and those who burn easily should consider protecting their skin).
While I'm religious about applying SPF 50+ on my face year-round, I find the process of applying sunscreen on my body, especially when I'm not lounging in a bikini by the pool or on the beach, a little more tedious.
It's often sticky, meaning I can't immediately put my clothes on after and get on with my day. Or, it has that distinctive coconutty smell that doesn't layer nicely with my Twilly d'Hermès Eau de Parfum. Don't even get me started on the stains that some of these formulas leave on white clothing, which makes up the majority of my summer wardrobe.
However, all these arguments pale in comparison with the risk of skin cancer, and that's why, a couple of summers ago, I set out to find the best body sunscreen on the market. The criteria? One that's easy to apply, absorbs into the skin, is fragrance-free and affordable.
Sounds like an impossible checklist, right? Well, let me introduce the SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Body Sunscreen Lotion from Bondi Sands. (Yes, the self-tanning brand.)
Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Body Sunscreen Lotion
£10.99 Shop
The chemical sunscreen offers both UVA and UVB protection with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50+, and is water resistant for up to four hours. The fragrance-free formula is infused with aloe vera and vitamin E to be moisturising (but doesn't leave a greasy residue), fast absorbing and gentle on the skin.
It comes in a 500ml bottle (£19.99, Boots) that lives on my bathroom shelf throughout the summer months so I can apply it first thing, as well as a 150ml squeeze tube (£10.99, Boots) that I'll throw in my beach bag, and a mist spray (£10.99, Boots) that I'll keep in my work tote so I can reapply the product every two hours (or more often).
