I’ve been really impressed by two sunscreens from Natio and Lavera in this recent sunny spell, using one for my face and one for body. I highlighted what the ‘B’ and ‘A’ stand for in UVB and UVA as so many people genuinely don’t realise. Sunscreen doesn’t stop you tanning, it stops you burning and ageing. End of soapbox moment…
Natio
Natio is an Australian brand I’d spotted in every chemist on trips to Melbourne, but not actually tried until it arrived in Debenhams. I found it by accident this week while searching for Dr Lewinn’s nail strengthener in the random products section.
It was the Cosmo award that caught my eye first, then the fact that it’s an Aussie sunscreen (I know theirs are made to high standards), plus it felt gorgeous and sunk into my skin so quickly and said it could be used under makeup. It’s also reasonably priced at £9.10.
Those of you who understand sunscreen ingredients better than I do, feel free to tell me what you think!
The texture is a BIG plus point for me… it feels beautiful on the skin and isn’t sticky at all - just sinks straight in leaving a lovely fine sheen. The skin feels totally dry to the touch, not even tacky. This really helps when you want to apply makeup straight after, or when applying to young children who don’t like to stand still for longer than 30 seconds!
As it was so hot this weekend I used this on my face, décolleté and arms. Normally I’d just use spf 30 on my face, neck and décolleté. When I say ‘normally’ what I actually mean is that this is my new thing - it’s normal as of now! Previously I would have used spf 30 all over, but I’ve decided I personally don’t think that’s necessary on regular warm summer days in the UK. I value my vitamin D and want to stock up on it!
Lavera
On the rest of my body I used Lavera Neutral Sun Milk SPF 20. Again, this feels lovely but does have a slight tackiness and leaves a faint white cast. This does disappear after a while, but is worth mentioning for anyone who might be bothered by it.
Lavera Sun Sensitive Organic Neutral is water resistant, hypoallergenic and fragrance free - all plus points in my book! As it’s so gentle, I’ve also used it on the children when it’s not super hot (when the white cast actually comes in very useful for making sure you haven’t missed any bits!).
Lavera is available at Lavera.co.uk for £12.50
Natio is available at Debenhams for £9.10 (or less if you’re lucky enough to get the website to work before midnight while there’s 10% off, unlike me - missed out on £100 worth of ‘bargains’ that I was unable to check out all evening!)
