Sun cream

[Nina1013]

Disclaimer - factor 50 and aerosol are the only options, which make this more expensive.

We need circa 10 spray bottles for a 7 day holiday (I am like the sun cream police).

Always have been happy with the £4 supermarket own brand ones.

Can someone explain to me whether there’s an actual difference between these and an expensive bottle of Sol de Janiero at £36 (as an example, feel free to mentally insert any other extremely pricey alternative there too, or recommend one!)?

I’m completely happy with the level of sun protection - will the more pricey ones leave me with the skin of an angel? Genuinely curious…

Unlikely. I used expensive options in the past and wasn't much impressed. Only worth it on the face, perhaps to avoid sticky mess. If you are travelling to Spain, Mercadona has a fabulous gel-based factor 50 cream for about 6 euros.

The only thing that matters is the spf level and if it’s got 5 UVA stars

Not in terms of product safety / actual sun screening performance (that's all externally tested and rated!).

In terms of actual lotion ingredients / how long it lasts on my skin personally / whether it smells good / if it rubs in properly / if it doesn't mark my clothes etc then yes, for me there's a difference between brands.

I really want to know how many people are in your family to need that much sun cream for such a short trip... Or if there's just a small number of you running around looking like Casper the friendly ghost 👻

On a more helpful note, make sure the UVA rating is 5 stars, this is what matters. The more expensive ones tend to have a nicer texture and are less sticky. The Ultra Violet facial spray is amazing but ten bottles of that would probably cost the same as a holiday.

I can honestly say I’ve never had a sticky mess on my face from the ones we use - they’re just spray and done.

Thank you - I think I’ll just stick with what I know!

I like to get reef safe so that can be more expensive. However as I'm mostly in the water, I just wear a rash suit which I'd 50 spf anyway. Out of the water, I'm mainly in shade. If there's a Lidl near where you'll be going, just get it from there.

I tried an 'expensive' aerosol sun spray in the summer...not quite the level in your op but it was about £15 (expensive to me!). It was bloody awful and I quickly went back to Aldi's version which is fabulous.

Aerosols are crap as well because of the amount of pressurised air that sqooshes out alongside the product, making you think you’ve got enough on when actually it’s just a lot of air. Lotions are better as they properly coat the skin and you can control the amount.

I always use Tesco/Boots own brand spf 50 sensitive skin - no problems at all and I'm a redhead so really need a good SPF!

10 bottles for 7 days? How many of you are there? That is insane and by the sounds of it also not responsible behaviour in the sun.

We are a family of 4 and use 2 maybe 3 bottles for a week. We are very sensible with our sun use. One application in the morning, maybe a top up if going in water. Then by midday sun out of the sun and inside/shade for a rest = no cream needed. By time we get back to pool or beach later afternoon say 4pm one application needed maybe two applications if we go earlier. Stay at pool until 6/7pm when sun is a lot less strong so no extra needed.

10 bottles is insane

Have you ever used an aerosol? I’m guessing not, or you’d have been burned to a crisp on 2 bottles for a week…

My rough guess is you get a fifth of what’s in a rub in bottle (and that’s probably being ambitious).

If I was using rub in, I would take 2-3. But I would rather stick hot pokers in my eyes than use rub in sun cream!

Equally, you go out of the sun for hours of the day, of course you use less sun cream….that’s 4 hours less than anyone out all day.

My daughter mentioned the Sol ones and I was thinking that I might splash out and surprise her….
Which then turned to me thinking about how many we would need if I did, and it suddenly sounded like a bad idea!

Yes, this exactly.

When we go abroad (family of 4) I bring one bottle of suncream with me and then buy more when we arrive, usually in supermarket.

Boots soltan spray is on offer at the moment

I know you prefer aerosol but I still think you should wait till you get there and then buy. There's usually a much better selection and prices when you're abroad. Even in pharmacies, you'll get the likes of La Roche Posay, Avene, RoC etc. at much better price than here and some other brands that we can't get so easily but are very good.

I admit I haven't ever used aerosol sprays.

I'm funny with suncream. My partner loves the Hawaiian tropic one and the Malibu ones, but I absolutely hate them. The Hawaiian tropic one dyes me orange and the Malibu one is sticky.
I've discovered that factor 50 gives me prickly heat, so I'm not sure what to go next.
We go to Jamaica in a few months so I'm also looking to not burn to a crisp 😂😂

Ultra sun50 face cream/body cream/sports spray

it lasts 12 hours and is excellent. I work outside and wear it daily with great effect.

They’re life changing.

Seconds to cover the whole body, nobody screams or huffs or moans…

We discovered them when my eldest had an injury just before a holiday and I couldn’t get my head around sun cream/touching it etc. That holiday I bought it just for him. Seeing how amazing it was, we have never gone back, and everyone who’s been around us at times of sun creaming have all been converted too.

The only downside is the cost - because you have to buy so many more bottles. But once the supermarkets started doing them, that lowered hugely too.

I get a decent one for my face and Aldi for everything else. Find it very good

But all you're doing on your holiday is hanging out by water! OP doesn't say what she's doing. If you're seeing the place you're at (seeing landmarks, exploring the city), it's nonsense for most people to just carve out half the day for staying at home from that.

You're also performing 'unreasonable behaviour'. You should be wearing sunscreen in the shade too.

We are a family of 4 and use 2 maybe 3 bottles for a week. We are very sensible with our sun use. One application in the morning, maybe a top up if going in water. Then by midday sun out of the sun and inside/shade for a rest = no cream needed. By time we get back to pool or beach later afternoon say 4pm one application needed maybe two applications if we go earlier

If you're covering most of your body and we're talking a pretty average 200ml bottle...you're not using enough to protect your skin. Nowhere near in fact.

A typical 200ml bottle contains 6 x adult full applications. So assuming you use this size and not giant bottles, you have 18 full body applications out of 3 bottles.

If you roughly counted your family as '3 adults' (2a, 2dc), your three bottles covers your whole family for about 6 applications.

6 applications, when applied properly. Not even 6 days, just 6 uses if going all over. You've mentioned far more than 6 applications.

This is why SO many people burn. Generally, people significantly under-estimate just how much cream you have to rub in to get the full protective factor. You might not be burning (luck!) but you and your kids are NOT getting the full skin protective factors in suncream if you apply this little.

Your aibu is?