Garnier Ambre Solaire Ultra-Moisturising Protection Milk SPF30

So what is it with English people and sun tan lotion. For some reason there is just not the same attitude to it as there is in the rest of the world. Growing up partly in California, sun tan lotion was a given, something you applied everytime you went outside in the sun without question. Most people I meet in England wear none or think they can get away with factor 4 at the beginning of their holiday and then go onto nothing to top up their tan by the end of the week.
Unfortunately nowadays you just can't take any chances in the sun so I would always recommend for people to wear sun tan lotion whenever they can. This may be because I am fair and blond and need extra protection but it doesn't just stop you from getting burnt, it helps to prevent exposure to certain forms of cancer.

Apparently 60% of all sunburn cases of British people occur in the UK and not abroad on holiday so it is definitely something that needs looking at.

I have been using Garnier Ambre Solaire for quite a while now and there are some things I like about it and others I don't.

It has both UVA and UVB protection which we are told is a great benefit and we should always look for both of these in our sun screen lotion. They both react towards the body differently as so both need to be protected from. UBV rays can cause sunburn and some forms of skin cancer. In the past UVA was considered less harmful, but today it is known, that it can contribute to skin cancer via the indirect DNA damage It penetrates deeply but it does not cause sunburn. Apparently 95% of UV rays are UVA rays, which are believed to be the principal cause for premature ageing as they penetrate deeper into the skin than the UVB rays.
Both UVA and UVB destroy vitamin A in skin which may cause further damage. So you can see from the above information that it is good to have both UVA and UVB protection.

Now, according to their website, "Garnier Ambre Solaire is one of the world leaders in sun protection, with over 70 years of expertise and a track record in innovation. We create advanced sun protection products for the whole family with advanced textures and patented filters. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you're protected."

I use the Garnier moisturising protection milk which is apparently a non-greasy, non-sticky formula which is immediately absorbed and leaves skin feeling moisturised while it protects.

I do agree that is leaves my skin feeling moisturised. After a week of applying this daily on holiday my skin was really nice and soft and you could feel that it was really taken care of and had not been damaged in the sun at all. This is because it contains pure vitamin E to protect the skins natural moisture levels during sun exposure.

The thing I do not like about this particular brand is that I felt it did leave my skin feeling quite greasy. After I put it on it did absorb but the whole day I definitely could feel that I had lotion on. Even after I had a shower I could feel my skin feeling quite greasy and not cleansed at all and this was something I did not like. In the beginning I was quite excited about this lotion because I liked the fact that it was a milk. It has quite a thin liquidy consistency to it and I was hoping that it would be quite a light lotion but unfortunately like I said it felt heavy and greasy.

However, the thing I like about this lotion is that even though I reapplied I really did not burn at all and I think I got a great coverage and protection with it. It comes in various different strengths, 40spf, 30spf, 20spf and 15spf. I use the 30spf (described as high protection for very fair skin that is already tanned)
and use it all over my body and face and felt like I had a great barrier against the sun.

The good thing about this lotion too is that it is water resistant so you can put it on and go in the swimming pool or the ocean and still get great protection as it does not wash off. You can feel that it is still on your skin even when you get out of the water. However, according to some information I have read, water resistant lotion only last for approximately 80 minutes in the sun so you do have to reapply. Also, remember if you dry off with a towel you could be scrapping some of the lotion away and need to put more on in that instance too. A non-water resistant lotion will last for about 60 minutes in the sun.

The bottle of lotion gives you tips on how to apply such as "apply generously before sun exposure and reapply frequently and seek shade between 11am and 3pm." Good advice if you're not sure how to use the product.

A 200ml bottle costs in the region of £5 from Boots but do look out as sometimes they often have a two for one or half price offer on skin care and sun care especially when it comes around to summer.