Find out what MNers of Soltan Kids Once Water Play - £300 to be won for feedback NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

We were asked by the team at Soltan to find 250 MNers with at least one child aged under 10 to try Soltan Kids Once Water Play and to then share feedback on Mumsnet!

Soltan say: "Soltan Kids Once is the only extended wear sun protection range designed especially for kids delicate skin. This product offers up to 6 hours sun protection and 3 hours water resistance, meaning it’s perfect for sunny days out, days by the pool or on the beach”

Here’s their feedback:

Testers please share the below

Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday?
How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?

Everyone who takes part and who shares feedback as required will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Who did you try the sun cream on? 6yr old, 3yr old and me.
Where did you go on holiday? N/A use it in UK
How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child? Soltan is always well recommended and high level coverage. You never know until you try these things though.
What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product? high factor comprehensive cover. Ease of putting it on, packaging - for travelling without spills and stickiness. If the kids can put it on themselves, if their skin reacts to it.
What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion? Terrible. It's thick and cloying, difficult to put on wriggly children and ensure complete coverage.
Would you buy this sun protection again? Why? No. Terrible application and the kids and I react to the formula.

1. A 6 year old, a 4 year old and me. South coast of the UK.
2. I had confidence that it would work as described.
3. High spf, UV protection, suitable for sensitive skin. I prefer a spray on one.
4. The kids liked the fragrance and the texture. I didn't mind the fragrance, but found the texture a bit sticky.
5. Maybe. As mentioned, I prefer a spray on suncream.

Thanks for letting us test this product.
Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday?
Tested on 2 DDs and my DH and I. My third DD didn't want to use it: she has had allergic reactions to Soltan in the past, and was worried the same would happen. We were on holiday in Dorset in one of the few sunny weeks.
How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
I was confident: the SPF factor was the one I would normally buy, and I am confident in Soltan as a brand.
What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
As well as SPF rating, the type of applicator is important. I like the solid stick type ones for the children to use themselves at school (though I can rarely find these). Durability of the product is also important, now the children are older and spend hours in a pool or the sea. Price is important too.
What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
The product was easy to apply in that it was obvious where it had been applied because it was so thick. However, it did take a lot of rubbing in and still felt a little sticky after doing so (I learnt to use less than I might ordinarily apply which helped). Fragrance was pleasant enough - well, no one commented about it.
Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
Yes, I would. I trust the brand, and the thickness of the lotion helped me be reassured that it was covering my children's skin. I know it works too, because I managed to do only one shoulder one day, and got slightly burnt on the one I'd failed to cover.

Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday?
I used the sun cream on my six year old son (and myself) during a week to the north Wales coast and for day trips to the beach whilst at home.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
There were a lot of instructions of care on the back of the bottle, about how much to apply and when which I read carefully and found useful.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
Doing what it claims is always important. It is always hard when children are going into water to know if the sun cream has washed off and needs to be reapplied.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
It was quite thick but this made it easy to see what you had covered and it did absorb into the skin quite quickly so there was not too much of a sticky layer for the sand to stick to. We normally buy roll on sun cream as it makes it easier for my son to apply himself and I find that the bottle does not get as sticky.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
Yes I would buy this sun cream again especially if I knew my son would be in and out of the water. I would definitely buy it if it came in a roll on application.

Who did you try the sun cream on? My DS aged 2 and myself. Friends children also used it in the garden on an unexpected sunny day
Where did you go on holiday? We stayed in the UK
How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child? Very confident, we normally use Soltan but not the waterplay type
What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product? The waterplay factor of this product was good for us as my son loves all types of water play but hates being fussed with creams etc
What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion? It was easy to apply and the fragrance didn't bother us
Would you buy this sun protection again? Why? Yes, it does the job is good value and I can earn advantage points too

Who did you try the sun cream on?
My daughter age 5. She needs her skin well protected because she is on medication that makes her skin extra vulnerable.

Where did you go on holiday?
This arrived whilst we were on hols so have tried it since we've been back as it's been hot here the past few days.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
I felt confident and wasn't fussing and reapplying like i normally do!

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
easy to rub in and good protection - feeling confident in it! Also good to use on all the family.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?

I have to admit I was worried as in the past I wasn't impressed with the once range when it first came out so i stopped buying it for my older children as it was so hard to rub in and felt horrible! This one though has really improved and definitely easier to apply so i'm pleased with it overall.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
yes like the 'once' concept because schools won't reapply sunlotion and on sunny days kids need good coverage to last a long time.

My kids are 5, 3 and 2 so suntan lotion is essential. Ive found that Soltan dries in really quickly, and as any mum knows, it can be a struggle to get the lotion on kids. I have always used Soltan for my babies but maybe that's because I would always use it on my face too. It's very well priced and very effective as we've never had any sunburnt babies.

Who did you try the suncream on?
My two children, 7 and 12 and me.
Where did you go on holiday?
UK.
How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
I was confident about the SPF as we always go for a high one and have used Solton before, but not the once with waterplay.
What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
A high SPF, skin friendly ( psoriasis and eczema here), easy to apply.
What did you think about the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
I found it easy to apply, even though it is quite thick, the DCs found it easy to apply to themselves too. The fragrance is nice and subtle.
Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
Yes I would buy it again. It was easy to apply, no-one had a reaction to it, it didn't leak in my bag, and the DCs liked it too!

Thank you for letting us test it.

I used the sun cream on my 2 year old daughter.
The sample arrived whilst I was on holiday so I have only used it once on a day out in the UK. Despite it being only 18c and cloudy DD cheeks and nose were red after a few hours, had I taken the product out with us I'd have reapplied it. I didn't notice any particular fragrance to the product. The lotion was easy to apply but very thick and took a lot of rubbing in. DD complained that it was "yacky" so I didn't even try it on my DS 6 (he has asd and is a nightmare to apply sun cream to). I liked the yellow tinge to it, it stopped DD having a white as a ghost look after application.
When choosing sun protection for the kids I look for a high spf and uva rating and ease of application. I usually apply a lotion type to the face only and use spray on products elsewhere.
Would I buy this sun cream in future? No. I didn't find the protection lasted up to 6hrs as stated on the packaging. If I'm having to reapply regularly throughout the day I'll stick to the easier to apply sun protection I usually use.

Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday?

Me and the kids, UK holiday.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?

I don't like the name "once" when it says that you have 6 hours of sun protection - that's not a full school day and therefore not "once" to me. I think that could be misleading - there are other sunblocks out there which are 8 hours (or advertised as such). But for water-based outdoor activities it did provide peace of mind that it wasn't washing straight off and I could make an informed decision on when to reapply.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?

SPF Factor and price. And knowing that it's a reputable brand where I can trust the SPF on the bottle to match the SPF delivered by the product.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
It wasn't too bad to apply - easier than some of the "Once a Day" creams I've used. Not as easy as the spray sunblocks though. The kids put up with it, complained it was stickier than the usual spray but actually I thought it soaked in quite well. It was easier to check if I'd missed bits too. Remembering to apply it 15 mins ahead of going out is a bit of a bind but I know a few sunblocks have that rule. I'm not that keen on the fragrance - it smells like make up, if you know what I mean - neither are the kids.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
Yes, for holidays as it covers more bases than our normal sunblock. I wouldn't use it for school sunblock cover due to the stains it leaves on light clothing. (Although they don't really do water play much now they're older).

Who did you try the sun cream on?
My 3 children, aged 10, 7 and 4.

Where did you go on holiday?
UK

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
Very confident - I really like the once range and I use the 8-hr play for school. None of my children have burnt whilst using this suncream and the same applied with the water play version. I think this is a trusted brand and a quality product.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
That you can trust the claims on the label. I prefer a long-lasting cream as I need to rely on it for a school day.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
It was thick to apply. The kids didn't particularly like having it applied but tolerated it. It was easy to see bits I had missed. The texture did give me confidence that it would last. The fragrance is fine.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
Definitely for holidays, beach days and paddling pool days - we used it today as we had the paddling pool out in the garden. I will still use the 8-hr play for school days.

Place marking to post my feedback when I get back from holiday

I used the suncream on the three DC, aged 6, 4 and 1, and also on DH and myself. We were on holiday in Italy.
I was very confident. I felt much better applying a suncream that would last for 6 hours than one that needed to be reapplied every 2 hours as it's so difficult to keep on top of reapplying suncream that frequently.
For me, it's important that suncream is easy to apply and that it does its job i.e. stops us burning.
This was easy to apply and smelt ok. I quite liked it. Factor 50 cream is always very thick and can be difficult to rub in, but this was much better than most others I've tried.
I would buy this again (in fact, I already have, but in factor 30).
We all came back from a week in Italy in 30 degree sunshine looking very pale, with no sunburn between us.

Who did you try the sun cream on? - My three and one year old children.

Where did you go on holiday? - We went to south wales.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child? - quite confident, they did not get burned at all despite being in glorious sunshine at the beach and at the park.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product? - I want a five star uv rating, ease of application and that it is not too heavily fragranced as it agrivates my dc asthma.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion? - It was easy to apply, not too thick. The fragrance was great, and most importantly it did not cause a reaction to my dc.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why? Yes, but probably only when it was on special offer as £10 is a lot more than the usual £4 brand i buy.

We received the lotion an though how can we review it in the rain.
My kids love water.... Eldest and DC2 have autism!!!! Water is amazing.
Product was easily spread and absorbed well.
Kids does the whole day in and out of the pool! They had amazing 1 day coverage.

The free sample did not arrive in time for our holiday and I bought some at the airport to try.

Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday?
We went to Greece for our holidays and the sun cream was for our little boy is is almost three. He suffers with Eczema and we were looking for something which hopefully would not flare his eczema and provide suitable protection in the hot sunny weather where we would be swimming in both the sea and pool.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child? In all honesty, I wasn't overly confident. Whilst I have read reviews I had no idea whether this may cause my son's eczema to flare. I have used previous products which are meant to be eczema friendly but have made his skin worse.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
That the product has sufficient protection against UV rays. His skin is very sensitive and I always go for maximum protection

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?I liked that the lotion has a slight colour which meant I could see where I was applying it and where I had missed bits. I think there was a slight fragrance but nothing too off putting.
My only concern was that the cream felt stickier than other creams and it took at least 10mins to dry on his skin - but that is a minor concern.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why? Yes definitely. Whilst it took a bit longer to dry on his skin I felt the coverage was excellent and I wasn't reapplying constantly for added protection. You can see he has a bit of colour from being on his holidays but he never once got burnt - which both my husband and I were really pleased about.

I tried the sun cream in dd who is 6, also on DP who burns really easily.

We've stayed in the uk, but have been out an about, on beaches, in and out of the paddling pool (weather permitting) and to theme parks etc.

I was worried that it wouldn't absorb easily because it's quite thick. But a bit of rubbing and seems to be no problem.

No sunburn anywhere here so obviously does the job!

Smells nice too and didn't irritate DP's sensitive skin which is a always a plus!

Love the fact that it's got 5 star protection. Would definitely buy again

Took my 4yr old on a trip to the beach. Soltan applied really easily considering I usually use spray ones. It lasted really well and my son was in and out of the water most of the day. Plus it absorbed into the skin really easily and smelt lovely. I would definitely buy this in the future and recommend it to others.

I have huge apologies. I didn't receive an email about being selected, nor had I received the sunscreen before I left for our holiday on 16/08. Arrived home to find the sunscreen waiting, and sadly Manchester is not providing me with the weather I need to test it out.

However, I would comment that trying it out just on the DC's arms to test it, the application is easier than the brand of factor 50 sunscreen we used on holiday, and it seemed less greasy. I can see that others have commented that it's a bit thick, but TBH it's no thicker than the brand I usually buy. The scent is subtle, and neither amazing nor off-putting. The bottle notes 5* protection, which is something I check for.

I would have been really keen to have tested this on holiday in the sea, as 2/4 of our party (one adult, one DC) experienced some very minor, light pink sunburn to the shoulders as a result of our usual brand of sunscreen washing off in the sea. If the sun comes out this week DC2 and I will test it properly, as both of us have skin that burns in the UK.

Who did you try the suncream on?
I tried this suncream on my three children, ages ranging from 1-11 and myself
*
Where did you go on holiday?*
The suncream's arrival in the post was an unexpected, pleasant surprise but I was still able to use it on general days out in the UK as we've had some good weather, luckily!
*
How confident were you that using this product provided the best protection for your child?*
This cream did what it says. Normally I'm weary of '1 application' claims and still reapply as standard but for the purposes of this survey, I noted that actually, one application was enough, and topped up smaller areas after a while where they had rubbed with towels/wet wipes. No sun damage here.
*
What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?*
I think sun protection is always important regardless of where we are so because we use so much of it, the most important things I look for are a cream that isn't opaque, too greasy, or overly strong-smelling (I'm prone to migraines). This sun cream met my criteria.
*
What did you think of the ease of application and fragrance of the product?*
I liked the texture. For a high performing high SPF cream, it rubbed in easily enough and didn't leave a white film. It smelled lovely, as expected, but didn't assault my sinuses!
Thank you.

⬆️ oh and yes, I would repurchase.
Thanks again for sending this out for us to test out!

Who did you try the sun cream on? My 7 month old son

Where did you go on holiday? Spain

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child? Very confident, as this product ticks all the boxes for me.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product? The UVA rating on the back and the SPF factor.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion? It was surprisingly easy to rub in, but my hands did feel greasy for about 10 minutes afterwards. The fragrance was nice :)

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why? Yes, I think I would because I really liked that its waterproof, though I did reapply after I had him in the pool, as I didn't want to take any chances!

Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday? Two adults and three children. Unfortunately it didn't arrive in time for our holiday to the Balearics. We tested it on some of the hotter days we've had at home.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child? It was so thick I felt very confident nothing was getting through!

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product? High Spf, high UVA rating, quality brand.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion? I struggled with the application the kids complained that it hurt as I had to keep rubbing as it was so thick. I found it left a white sheen on my skin no matter how much I rubbed. Little fragrance so that was fine.
Would you buy this sun protection again? Why? I've bought Soltan before and know it's a quality brand, it was a shame I couldn't properly test it whilst on holiday. I like the idea of 3 hour water protection so would come back to it again.

Who did you try the sun cream on? Where did you go on holiday?
Tried it on my 2.5 years old and 7.5 years old.
We went to Norfolk in a sunny week.

How confident were you that this product provided the best sun protection for your child?
It offers 5 start protection so im fully satisfied.

What is important to you when choosing a sun protection product?
Ease of use and 5 star protection.

What did you think of the ease of application and the fragrance of the lotion?
Its quite thick but still easy to apply, I usuall prefer the spray versions but this one would do too. Kids were well protected in and out of water and no sunburn. We reapplied every 3 hours.

Would you buy this sun protection again? Why?
Yes I defnitely would as it offers full protection and doesn't leave skin super greasy like most water resistant sun creams do.

PS> I think it'll be great for school in summer where it provides upto 6 hours protection.