Our sunscreen tests have shown that you should stay away from three sunscreens this summer. In addition, there are also affordable alternatives in the supermarket that you should opt for.
We tested SPF30 sunscreens, SPF50 and 50+ sunscreens for children and facial sunscreens from brands including Boots Soltan, Garnier and Nivea.
Our tests revealed six Best Buys that provide effective protection and are easy to apply. Two of these are also cheaper than average, making them great value options.
But three sunscreens didn’t provide enough protection in our tests, so we named them Don’t Buys.
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Don’t buy these sunscreens
These sunscreens all failed key sunscreen tests in our 2024 tests, so we recommend you avoid them:
Asda Protect Moisturizing Sun Lotion SPF30 High (£2.80/200ml)
When we tested this sunscreen in 2022, it passed our sun safety tests. But when we tested it with new bottles this year, it failed to deliver the claimed SPF30 in both the first test and the retest. That’s why we labeled it Don’t Buy.
Asda told us: ‘We recently had this sunscreen retested by a leading third party provider using internationally recognized testing methods. The results confirmed a sun protection factor of 31.5; therefore we do not recognize the test results. Which? has published. The wording has not changed since 2022, so we question the validity of the Which? test.’
Bondi Sands SPF50+ Sunscreen for Face (£7.99/75ml)
This sunscreen failed our SPF tests twice. It did not come close to the claimed SPF and did not achieve the minimum UVA protection required.
Bondi Sands told us: ‘We are not sharing this review of our product as it does not reflect our own testing, which is in accordance with strict UK cosmetics law and EU cosmetics regulations. We take the Which? claims very seriously and are working with them to better understand their testing methods. In the meantime, we are conducting our own internal testing to reconfirm our existing results.”
Calypso Press & Protect Sun Lotion SPF30 (£8/200ml)
This pump-action sunscreen from Calypso is also one to avoid. In our tests, it barely achieved two-thirds of the claimed SPF, on both the first test and the retest.
Calypso Sun told us: ‘All products have been carefully and independently tested and comply with EU standards and regulations.’
Don’t buy sunscreens – view all the products we recommend you avoid
Best value for money sunscreen
If you need reliable sun protection but don’t want to spend more than necessary, head to the nearest Aldi or Lidl.
This year both brands performed well in our tests, with Lidl’s SPF30 Cien sun spray and SPF50+ Cien Kids sun spray, and Aldi’s Lacura SPF30 sunscreen passing the sun safety tests and winning our Great Value award for being noticeably cheaper than the competition.
They all cost less than £3.50 per 200ml bottle.
Which? Sunscreen test 2024 passed: the complete list
Below we reveal which products passed our independently conducted SPF and UVA tests for 2024.
Which? Best Buy’s sunscreens, which not only provide excellent sun protection but are also the easiest to apply, are only available to full members.
Our user panel rates each product on factors such as oiliness, how well they are absorbed and their scent to find the products that are pleasant to use.
Which? Members can see our six Best Buy sunscreens here, as well as any test results from previous years that are still valid.
SPF30 sunscreen test passed
- GREAT VALUE: Aldi Lacura SPF30 Sunscreen£2.49/200ml – available from Aldi.
- GREAT VALUE: Lidl Cien Sun Spray SPF30£3.29/200ml – available from Lidl.
- Piz Buin in Sun Moisturizing Sun Lotion SPF30£6.50/200ml – available from Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Super drug, Tesco.
SPF 50+ children’s sunscreen test passed
- Aldi Lacura SPF50+ Mini Lotion for children£1.35/50ml – available from Aldi.
- Garnier Ambre Solaire Kids Water-resistant sunscreen spray SPF50+£8/150ml – available from Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s And Tesco.
- GREAT VALUE: Lidl Cien Kids Sensitive Sunscreen Spray SPF50+ £3.29/200ml – available from Lidl.
- Nivea Sun Kids Protect & Care Color Spray SPF50+£7.00/200ml – available from Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Super drug, Tesco.
- Ultrasun Children SPF50+£32.00/150ml – available from Boots, MRS And John Lewis.
SPF50/+ facial sunscreen test passed
- Boots Soltan Brightening Protect & Moisturise Facial Suncare Cream with vitamin C SPF50£6.50/50ml – available from Boots.
- Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV daily invisible facial serum with SPF 50+£9.49/30ml – available from Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Super drug, Tesco.
- Nivea Sun UV Face Anti-Age Q10 Cream SPF50£10.00/50ml – available from Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Super drug, Tesco.
- Ultrasun Facial Factor 50+£26.00/50ml – available from Boots, MRS And John Lewis.
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How we test sunscreens
Our independent laboratory tests are designed to check how effectively popular sunscreen brands protect your skin from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, so you can buy with confidence.
Shockingly, almost every year we find a number of products that fail to meet their claimed levels of protection in our tests.
Testing is carried out to recognized UK and international testing standards for sun protection products including:
SPF testing
To check whether a product delivers the claimed SPF levels, we apply it to the backs of volunteers. We then shine a UVB light on the same spots, noting the point at which the skin starts to turn red, and comparing the smallest amount of UVB needed with and without sunscreen for that to happen.
The SPF rating is based on the difference between the two points.
UVA testing
We cover a glass plate with each sunscreen and then record the amount of UVA absorbed by the sunscreen with a spectrophotometer.
Any products that fail either test will be retested. If a product passes the second test, we do a third test to determine the final results.
Application tests
In addition to the main SPF and UVA tests, we also assess how easy and pleasant each sunscreen is to apply.
A product is only good if you actually use it. That’s why our Best Buys are the ones that get the highest scores on these measures, in addition to passing the key SPF and UVA tests.
We use a panel of at least 10 people to test each sunscreen and tell us how easy it was to apply, how easily it absorbs into the skin and to rate the oiliness, residue and stickiness after application, as well as the odor. The products are anonymized so that testers are not influenced by the brands.
To be a Best Buy, sunscreens must score five stars for general application and pass both our SPF and UVA tests.
See our Sunscreen Buying Guide for more tips on choosing the right product for you, the right application and marketing claims to look out for
All prices are valid from June 20, 2024