I'm a Beauty Editor Who Has Tried Hundreds of SPF Products—Here Are 15 I'd Actually Recommend

I've always been into my skincare. (Ask any girl with hormonal acne and I'm sure she'll tell you the same). The desire to find that one wonder product started in my teenage years, where I'd spend hours lusting over the just-launched cleansers and shiny posts of moisturisers in the monthly glossies, while most weekends involved poring over the shelves in Boots, deciding how to spend the £30 I'd earned from my Saturday job. (Which, for the record, actually happened to be in Boots.)

Since then, I've been lucky enough to try some of the best skincare products on the market and have created a routine that works for my skin and its needs. But I have to admit that my routine was distinctly lacking in one skincare product until a few years ago: the best SPF.

However, when you spend so much time chatting to celebrity facialists and dermatologists about the best ways to care for your complexion, it soon becomes clear that skin experts unanimously agree that the best facial SPF, whether that be in the form of a classic sunscreen, an SPF serum or even an SPF spray, is an integral part of any successful skincare routine. Yet so many of us choose to ignore it.

Personally, I think there are two main reasons for our hesitance around using a daily SPF. Firstly, the UK isn't exactly renowned for its amazing weather (especially during the winter months when you might not have seen the sun for weeks). It isn't normally until a heat wave rears its head on the weather forecast that we feel any kind of desire to start slapping on the sun protection on a daily basis. Secondly, between UVA and UVB protection, broad spectrums and star ratings—knowing what to look for when choosing an SPF can feel like a bit of a minefield, to say the least.

So to help debunk the myths around SPF and get to the root of exactly why it is so important, I caught up with some skincare experts for the full lowdown. Keep scrolling for a foolproof guide to choosing the best sun protection for you and to shop the best SPF products out there, from SPF for oily skin, SPF moisturisers and even SPF lip balms.

What Does SPF, UVA and UVB Stand For?

Let's start with the basics, shall we? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and, in the UK, is a measure of the amount of ultraviolet B radiation protection. Simply put, the higher the factor number, the higher the UVB protection.

UVA, on the other hand, stands for ultraviolet A radiation and can be measured by the star rating on UK sunscreens. The higher the star rating, the better the protection—with a five-star rating being the best.

If a sunscreen refers to itself as "broad spectrum" then this means that it offers both UVA and UVB protection. However, in the UK, if sunscreen has both an SPF rating and a star rating, then it will also protect you against both types of rays.

What's The Difference Between UVA and UVB Rays?

Understanding the difference between UVA and UVB rays feels a little like heading back to school for a science class. "They are different wavelengths of light," explained David Colbert, New York Dermatology Group founder and head physician. "The UVB waves burn and age the skin, the UVA waves penetrate deeper and tan the skin, and both waves damage collagen and age the skin."

UVA rays make up about 95% of the UV light that reaches us and are considered the largest threat to our skin. They're present whenever it's daylight—regardless of whether the sun is out or not—and can penetrate through glass. UVB rays, meanwhile, have a much smaller range but are responsible for the visible changes that you see to the surface of your skin—like burning.

While both UVA and UVB rays have been proven to play a role in skin cancer, UVA rays penetrate your skin much more deeply than UVB rays—eroding firmness, elasticity and causing wrinkles.

How Much SPF Should You Apply?

There's plenty of conflicting advice about how to apply sunscreen, but it's widely accepted that most of us just don't slather on enough of it. Official National Health Service guidelines advise using two teaspoons of sunscreen for your head, arms and neck, or two tablespoons for your entire body. But in case you don't want to treat your sun protection like you're baking a cake, Colbert says you can use SPF "just like a moisturiser—enough to lightly cover the skin."

When it comes to applying SPF, you should do so about 30 minutes before you head outside. I apply it as the last step in my skincare routine before doing my hair and makeup. However, if it's a summer's day, you're advised to reapply it just before you leave the house and every couple of hours that you're outside. If you really want to save time, then opt for beauty products that have SPF built in. There are plenty of moisturisers, foundations, lip balms and hair sprays that are formulated with sun protection so you don't have to worry about applying it separately. However, you shouldn't rely on SPF in makeup such as foundation, for example, as you'd need to apply a lot of it to get enough SPF protection. So, it's always best to use a dedicated SPF before make-up.

Now, for the most important question—do we need to wear SPF every day in the UK? "I'd say if it's a rainy day, you could skip it," Colbert cautiously advised. "However, we're exposed to UV rays even on a cloudy day." If you're cautious about ageing, Colbert advises wearing an SPF30 daily. "If you introduce SPF as part of your daily routine, you'll escape the ageing rays of the sun and your skin will age at a slower rate."

The Best SPF Products For Summer

• Best SPF overall: La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVmune 400 Invisible Fluid Suncream SPF50+
• Best affordable formula: Garnier Ambre Solaire Ultra-Light Sensitive Sun Protection Face Fluid SPF50
• Best luxury formula: Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF50
• Best tinted formula: Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint SPF30
• Best mattifying formula: Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mineral Mattifying SPF 50+
• Best glowy formula: Supergoop! Glow Screen SPF30

1. La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVmune 400 Invisible Fluid Suncream SPF50+

2. Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint SPF30

3. Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mineral Mattifying SPF 50+

4. Supergoop! Glow Screen SPF30

5. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF30

6. Glossier Invisible Shield SPF50

7. Bumble and Bumble Hairdressers Invisible Oil Primer

8. Lanolips Tinted SPF30 Balm

9. iS Clinical Perfectint Powder SPF40

10. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ SPF30 with Niacinamide

11. Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation SPF40

12. Pai British Summer Time Zinc & Cotton Extract SPF30 Sensitive Sunscreen

13. Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF50

14. Garnier Ambre Solaire Ultra-Light Sensitive Sun Protection Face Fluid SPF50

15. Garnier Ambre Solaire Over Makeup Super UV Face Protection Mist SPF50+

Why Trust Us

At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products, including skincare, makeup, hair and nails, over the years and work closely with trusted experts—dermatologists, make-up artists and leading industry insiders—to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.

We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.

This story was previously published at an earlier date and has since been updated.