Ingredients: Rose apple leaf extract, octinoxate and zinc oxide

Formulated without: PABA

Product Description: A highly nourishing sunscreen lotion for the face and body that defends against powerful UVA/UVB rays, which cause sunburn, cell damage, dryness, roughness and premature signs of aging such as fine lines.

My Experience: I’m fanatical about sun protection. If the sun is strong I find the nearest scrap of shade and plant myself there. I hate most sunscreens because they’re usually difficult to blend in, leave me looking like Casper, stain my clothes and are somehow both sticky and greasy. This year, fed up with these flaws, I went in search of something different. And I found it. Shiseido’s sunscreens have long been hailed as superior to many western products for their quality and broad spectrum protection. They also contain some ingredients that are beneficial for sensitive skin such as zinc oxide, which sits on top of the skin and is not absorbed by it, therefore less likely to irritate. This sunscreen is white and since it’s a lotion, quite runny in texture. It blends like butter and although it can leave a very slight white cast, it’s not nearly as bad as most sunscreens and I tend to wear tinted moisturizer or a beauty balm over it anyway. And makeup applies so easily over this sunscreen because my skin is left feeling softer and smoother. It also seems to calm down redness. There’s no stickiness or greasiness. Remember when I said there’s only one product of mine that my husband uses? I was wrong – this is another one. In his opinion it’s ‘pretty good’ (which is quite a compliment from him!) because it glides on and isn’t greasy. I haven’t noticed any staining of my clothes, either. It does everything I want a sunscreen to do. I just wish it was cheaper.

The Skinny: A great broad spectrum sunscreen that blends easily, leaves skin soft and smooth and isn’t sticky or greasy.

Cost:

UK: £27.50 from House of Fraser

USA: $34 for SPF38 fr0m Sephora

Rating: 4/5