Best cheap sun creams revealed - and one to avoid

Getting great sun protection this summer doesn’t have to cost the earth, but you’ll need to be careful which sun cream you choose, new Which? Research has revealed.

Which? tests have found great value sun creams from £2 per 100ml or less that provide the SPF claimed on the bottle and that deliver all of the required UVA protection.

Both the Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF30 (£2.80/200ml) and the Asda Protect Refreshing Clear Sun Spray SPF30 (£3.90.200ml) are affordable and do a great job of protecting skin against UV. Boots’ Soltan Protect & Moisturise Lotion, SPF30 (£4/200ml) is great value, too. 

00ml) completes the lineup of effective sunscreens that don’t cost a fortune. 

But it’s not all good news. One of the SPF 30 sun creams tested - the Avon Refreshing 3-in-1 Face and Body Sun Lotion (£5.75/150ml) - failed to provide its claimed level of SPF. Because of this, we’ve made it a Don’t Buy. 

Read on for more about this Don’t Buy from Avon and the great value sun creams to choose for you and the kids this summer

Best value sun creams

All four of these sun creams are great value for money, they all met their SPF claims, providing enough protection against UVB rays, while also delivering all of the required protection against penetrating UVA rays. Best Buys will be slightly easier to apply, but these four are all very good sun creams.

Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF30 (£2.80/200ml)

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This Asda sunscreen delivers the sun protection you need. In our UVB tests it provided all of the claimed SPF30, while also delivering the UVA protection required, too. And it comes at a Great Value price of £2.80 for 200ml.

Asda Protect Refreshing Clear Sun Spray SPF 30 (£3.90/200ml)

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A clear spray and a pump action define this SPF30 sunscreen from Asda. It provided all of the required SPF and UVA protection in our tests. At £3.90 for 200ml, it’s great value for a spray product.

Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Lotion, SPF30 (£4/200ml)

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This lotion comes packed with all the sun protection required of an SPF30 product, comfortably meeting the standard needed in our SPF and UVA tests. And £4 for 200ml is a great price for a very good sun cream. Also comes as a spray - read our review of the spray version of this Boots Soltan lotion.

Boots Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise Lotion, SPF50+, (£4/200ml)

This Soltan lotion for kids' provides the protection that delicate skin needs, passing both our SPF 50+ test and UVA tests. It can feel a little greasy when being applied, but at £4 for 200ml, it’s a Great Value choice if you're looking for a kids' sun cream.

 - all of the best SPF30 and SPF50+ sun sprays, lotions and creams.undefined

Don't Buy this sun cream

Avon’s Refreshing 3-in-1 Face and Body Sun Lotion SPF30 (£5.75/150ml) didn’t come close to hitting its claimed SPF30 in our tests. 

We tested it twice and on both occasions the SPF provided was well below 30. Because of this we’ve made it a Don’t Buy. 

Avon told us: ‘The safety of our customers is our priority and that’s why our expert skincare team produces the most effective sun care formulas. Upon hearing from Which? Avon has engaged their Quality and Research and Development teams to investigate the specific batch of product that Which? tested. Avon stands behind its data and that of the independent labs which conduct our testing.'

This isn’t the first Don’t Buy we’ve seen while testing sun creams in recent years. In 2022 we tested five sunscreens that use minerals as UV filters and each one failed our tests.

 - read more about the Don’t Buy sun creams to avoid.

Full list of sun creams that passed 2023 SPF and UVA tests

Every product listed here passed both our SPF and UVA tests. Great value products are £4 for 200ml or less.

SPF 30 sun creams

Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF30Asda Protect Refreshing Clear Sun Spray SPF30Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Lotion, SPF30Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Spray SPF30Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture SPF30 lotionSuperdrug Solait Moisturising Sun Cream Lotion SPF30

SPF50+ Kids’ sun creams    

Asda Kids Sun Lotion Spray SPF 50+ HighBoots Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise LotionChilds Farm 50+ SPF Sun Lotion SprayChilds Farm SPF50+ Kids Roll-on Sun LotionNivea Sun Kids Protect & Care SPF50+ SpraySainsbury's Sun Protect By Sainsburys Kids Lotion Sun Spray SPF50+Superdrug Solait Kids SPF 50+ Roll-on Sun Lotion - find out more about SPF, UVA and UVB, mineral sun creams and any marketing jargon to look out for.

Which? sun cream testing

Which? Lab tests are designed to find out how effectively popular brands of sun cream protect skin from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, which are both linked to cancer. Premature skin ageing is caused by penetrating UVA and UVB will cause sunburn.

SPF testsUVA tests

Both tests are carried out to agreed British and International test standards. Any fails are subject to a repeat test. If that test is then passed, a third test will take place.

Application tests

The products we test are anonymised with those that pass both our SPF and UVA tests and scoring top marks for application being named Best Buys.

 - read reviews for 26 sun creams, lotions and sprays including seven Best Buys.undefined

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-cheap-sun-creams-revealed-and-one-to-avoid-ak7F93P7veRo