Sun creams on test
- Sunsense toddler milk
- Ambre Solaire sun lotion
- Proderm sun block mousse
- E45 sun block
- E45 sun lotion
- Soltan baby lotion
- Soltan baby aftersun
- Johnson's suncare baby cream
Sunsense is made in Australia and the Factor 50 Toddler Milk roll-on (50ml) is
specially designed for sensitive skin. It's also water resistant and
dermatologically tested.
Sunsense says: "Our toddler milk is carefully formulated for the delicate skin of children. It gives increased protection against the sun yet contains lower levels of those substances which may irritate your toddler's skin."
babyworld parents say:
- "The Sunsense rollerball is small and easy to carry around. It goes on very easily and was also quite appealing to my boy, Sam as he liked to put it on himself. It rubbed in very easily and the consistency was nice and light, especially for a factor 50 which can be like greasepaint. My only concern was that it might not last very long as it is quite small. The upside of this is that they say you shouldn't keep lotions from year to year anyway, so you wouldn't waste much."
- "I really like the bright pink packaging of Sunsense. The roller-on container was really easy to use and the smell was non-existent. It also seemed to protect Amy's skin very well."
Available from most major chemists (50ml, £5.49)
We tested Factor 60 Total Screen (200ml), which is recommended for children under 36 months because it offers maximum protection.
It’s also hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and resists for up to 40 minutes in the water.
Ambre Solaire says: "For extreme protection against UVB and UVA rays, this will protect the most sensitive skin areas (eg nose, ears and nipples) as well as fair skin. It is also suitable for the sensitive skin of children under 36 months, when exposure to the sun is unavoidable."
babyworld parents say:
- "This was a little runny to apply but I felt
confident my daughter was well protected. The bottle didn’t say anything about how
often I needed to apply it. Didn’t leave any mess on clothes, smelled fine and my
daughter had no problem having it put on her body – she wasn’t that keen on her
face though."
- "This took a long time to apply, didn’t smell, and although a little got on
my daughter’s clothes, it washed right out."
- "Rubs in very smoothly and I will be buying more for the rest of the
holiday."
- The top came off while we were travelling – so packaging not brilliant! Easily absorbed into the skin."
Available from www.wellbeing.com (200ml, £12.99)
Proderm is a newcomer to the UK market, although it
has been sold in Scandinavian countries for some time. Kids Sunblock Mousse is
Factor 30 (150ml) and because it lasts six hours it only needs to be applied once or twice a day.
Proderm says: "UVA and UVB radiation penetrates the skin and young children are particularly at risk. Unlike other products Proderm is rapidly absorbed into the skin so that it is resistant to water and towel drying for up to six hours."
babyworld parents say:
- "This was easy to apply and my daughter did not
burn once despite it having half the factor of some of the others. We kept coming back to
this one and I highly recommend it."
- Easy application, no problem with sand and stayed on in the water. Didn’t
mess up her clothes at all."
- "Non-greasy, non-smelly and very effective. My only gripe is that it was hard to
know how much to apply but since none of us burned after six hours, you can’t need
very much!"
- "Easy to apply and no trace on clothes but I couldn't bear the smell."
- "Found the mousse difficult to apply as if there was any wind it would just blow out of your hand and also didn't absorb that easily on skin – took ages to apply and baby got very impatient!"
Available from www.wellbeing.com (150ml, £12.99)
E45
The E45 Factor 25 Sun Block (150ml) is allery screened and perfume free. It's ideal for highly sun sensitive skin, including eczema. Also in the range is E45 sun lotion, factor 15 and 30, sun block factor 50 and Aftersun.
E45 says: "The E45 Sun Block uses only non-irritant mineral sunscreens. It caters for the very delicate skin of infants, and extremely sun sensitive skin, including eczema. The E45 Sun Lotion rubs in easily and is also water resistant."
babyworld parents say:
- "A little bit of this sun block goes a long way, so it's good value for money. It provides such incredibly thick coverage that there would be no way the sun would penetrate through and burn the skin! Because of its thickness it takes a while to rub in and it is a bit messy."
- "The E45 sun block is great for super-sensitive skin. It's dermatologically tested so I felt safe using it on my one-year-old. I also liked the fact that it's mineral based."
Available from Boots and leading pharmacies (150ml, £9.99), as well as www.wellbeing.com
babyworld parents say:
- "I liked this sun lotion. It rubs in easily, smells nice and definitely provides protection. E45 is definitely a product I would trust, it's like shopping at Waitrose. The packaging is a bit clinical. I also tested the E45 Aftersun (200ml, £6.49). It sunk in well as was very cool on the skin, although had a slightly slimy feel which a lot of aftersuns have."
- "Not as fun as some of the other brands, but I really feel like I can trust E45 products as I use them for myself as well. I covered my baby with toddler 30 and she was outside playing most of the day and hasn't really caught the sun at all. The lotion is quite expensive, but I don't mind that so long as it does the job well."
Available from Boots and leading pharmacies (150ml, £9.99), as well as www.wellbeing.com
Soltan
Soltan is one of the best-sellers in the UK and has been a family
favourite for many years. Factor 50 lotion for babies (75ml) includes advice on the back of the
bottle to remind parents how often to reapply the lotion.
Soltan says: "This is specially formulated for babies using the mildest non-irritant sunscreens. Added moisturisers help prevent moisture loss which occurs more quickly through a baby’s thinner skin. The sunscreen is visible when applied for added reassurance."
babyworld parents say:
- "Easy to use tube and a little bit goes a long way. It's easy to apply,
a little bit greasy, but no more than other lotions."
- "Goes on white so you can see if you missed
anything. It says avoid contact with fabrics but I just put my daughter in cheap shorts
and it doesn’t seem to have left any stains or marks."
- "Easy to apply but has to go on so frequently that it’s hard work with a wriggling
toddler. Washed out of clothes easily. My daughter appeared a little ghostly from the cream but
that meant I knew she had enough on and she didn’t burn at all."
- "Doesn't rub in very well but I felt confident baby was covered. It stayed on in
water."
- "Good strong packaging (didn't leak and the top didn't come off while travelling). It was easy to apply as it has a fairly thick consistency, not so easily absorbed into the skin so baby looked like a snowman – but at least you can see where you've covered! Also seemed to be water resistant as well – so good when going in and out of the pool/sea."
Available from www.wellbeing.com (75ml, £6.59)
Soltan Baby Aftersun (200ml) is a popular buy that comes in attractive
packaging and a cleverly designed lid which clips shut. Good for
travelling abroad when you want to use some soothing aftersun for your
baby.
Soltan says: "Specially formulated for babies, this aftersun is hypoallergenic and fragrance free."
babyworld parents say:
- "Nice packaging, easy to apply and no smell, which is good. I especially liked the clip-shut lid which is ideal to close easily with one hand and to prevent kids from squeezing it out everywhere, and/or eating it."
- "I'd be happy to use this on myself. It absorbed really easily and seemed both cooling and moisturising."
Available from www.wellbeing.com (200ml, £4.99)
Johnson’s Suncare baby is Factor 30 (100ml) and comes in a lotion or a
facial cream. Specially designed for a baby’s delicate skin, it
also recommends responsible sun behaviour: moderate exposure, avoid the intense
midday sun, wear a hat, sunglasses and other protective clothing.
Johnson’s says: "Suncare baby is specially developed to provide effective, yet gentle sun protection for the sensitive skin of babies and children. The protection includes microreflectors which act like tiny mirrors to safely protect your child’s delicate skin from the sun’s harmful rays."
babyworld parents say:
- "This wasn’t as runny as some and had good
application directions. It smelled lovely – the usual Johnson’s smell and I
would buy it over another lotion because of that!"
- "Didn’t stain any clothes and was absorbed very easily, a bonus for a child’s face. It has a lovely smell and sand didn’t seem to stick. I would buy this and would recommend it to anyone."
Available from www.wellbeing.com (100ml, £8.75)
Updated April 2002 (prices may vary)
Where to next?
- Visit our main summer section
- Check the best family-friendly hotels in the UK
- Going abroad? Find out what essential items are available for you and your baby whether you're visiting Austria or Venezuela
- Want to chat about your holidays? Join our travel discussion forum
