The Best Products For Sun Protection At The Beach

The best SPF, skincare and skin-soothing products for endless beach days.

Life’s a beach, particularly in summer, but this time of year requires ninja-style skin protection to protect from the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun. From the best sun protection for when you hit the sand to a soothing, hydrating post-swim routine, these are the only products you need for sun-soaked summer days, from a to zinc.

Know your SPF

Australia may be a sunburnt country, but that’s no excuse to scorch your skin. Whether you’re a beach bunny or shade dweller, the best anti-aging move you can make is to add SPF to your beauty regimen – and we’re talking every day. Why? The Cancer Council states that sunburn can happen after just 11 minutes outdoors, even on cloudy days. This is why they recommend using any sunscreen labelled broad-spectrum, water-resistant and SPF30 or above. This means it will protect your skin against both UVA and UVB radiation, which are the major causes of sunburn, ageing and skin cancer risk. Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF50 makes it easy to SPF every day without adding more products to your beauty cabinet. It’s a multitasking cream ‘skinscreen’ that combines moisturiser, primer and SPF in one bright blue pump tube. It’s hydrating enough to make your moisturiser redundant while also creating the perfect base for your makeup. For the body, make your life easy with a spray-on SPF50 for sensitive skin, such as Beachfox Sunscreen SPF50+, and remember to apply any sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapply after swimming or sweating.

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Boost your SPF with Vitamin C

We’re going to let you in on a pro tip about beauty’s hottest power couple. While vitamin C is not a substitute for sunscreen, layering it beneath your SPF will boost protection against free-radical damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays more than sunscreen alone. For newbies, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum is a great introduction for those who are new to vitamin C, as it utilises a specific form of vitamin C that allows a gentler, milder delivery of ingredients to the skin. Vitamin C veterans can opt for a more potent product with a higher concentration of vitamin C, such as Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Serum.

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A to zinc

Vitamin C and multitasking SPF in place, top it off with a water-resistant coat of zinc. Zinc adds a physical barrier to the skin, protecting not just against UV rays but also against wind and water. Keep a zinc stick in your beach bag, in your car, and everywhere else you could be caught in the sun to apply to your face, neck, ears, chest and tops of hands. Try Little Urchin Natural Zinc Stick Clear SPF50+, which is 4 hours water resistant and free of preservatives, parabens and harmful chemical ingredients. Salt & Stone’s SPF50+ Face Stick glides on to provide broad-spectrum protection with a natural tint to enhance your skin tone. It’s formulated to be at least 80 minutes water resistant and reef safe.

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Wash away the day

The whole point of a good zinc or sunscreen is that it doesn’t wash off at the first sign of water, so at the end of the day, you’ll need to use an oil cleanser to melt the products away before adding any moisturiser (which you will want to do after a day in the elements). Both Salt by Hendrix Face Cleanser Oil and Urban Jungle Melt Me Softly Cleansing Balm are gentle, but hard-working oil cleansers designed to remove makeup, SPF, grime and excess oils without drying out the skin. Nothing is as satisfying as massaging the fatty oil over your dry face and feeling the products dissolve. Add warm water to emulsify into a creamy wash, then wash away with a reusable microfibre makeup pad for a serious double clean.

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Hydration station

Welcome to the final step in your summer skincare playbook, the hydration station. As with our bodies, our skin drinks more during summer. You may have spotted Pip Edwards’ and Bella Hadid’s sheet mask selfies on Instagram – let this be your inspo for how to deliver an XL dose of nourishing hydration at the end of the day. Drenched with serums, sheet masks increase ingredient absorption, so look for ones loaded with moisturising powerhouse hyaluronic acid, such as Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio Cellulose Mask and Triple A Skin Science Hyaluronic + Anti-Age Mask. For a touch of luxe, unfold the silver Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery PowerFoil Mask, a foil-backed sheet mask drenched in Estée Lauder’s iconic Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex, and kick back for the ultimate beauty sleep.