12 best body sunscreens: Lotions, sprays and creams to protect your skin

This is an all-round excellent product. With a unique ‘pina colada’ scent that is sweet without being overpowering, it’s a delight to apply – a process made much easier by the spray applicator that means the sunscreen is quickly absorbed into the skin. It also lasts a surprisingly long time, considering its applicator, and feels soft and nourishing when applied to the skin.

This is partly because 70 per cent of the ingredients are organic. It doesn’t have the best water resistance (80 minutes), compared with some other sunscreens in our list, but you can overcome this by applying more regularly.

One of the best things about this product is its bottle, which is slim and easy to pack in a suitcase or handbag. There are plenty of other benefits to this Australian sunscreen, too, of course, such as the fact it offers four hours of water resistance, and it’s cruelty-free and reef-friendly.

With just a three-star UVA rating, it’s not the highest protection on offer here but, nonetheless, it’s still a solid product with a fragrance-free formula that feels soft on the skin and non-greasy. With the formula enriched with vitamin E, it’s also particularly nourishing for the skin. It’s dermatologically tested, so should be suitable for those with sensitive skin, too.

This is a classic sunscreen with several hidden pros. The first is it’s entirely fragrance-free and has been tested under dermatological control, meaning it’s ideal for those with sensitive skin. Not only does it boast a five-star UVA rating, it has been approved by Cruelty Free International, and comes in an eco-friendly bottle made with cardboard and 48 per cent less plastic.

Despite its thick, white consistency, it’s very smooth on the skin and is quickly and easily absorbed. In addition to the affordable price tag, it also doesn’t feel at all sticky on application, which is another added bonus.

Ultrasun products are firm favourites among sun-seekers with a slightly higher budget, and it’s not hard to see why. With a pump nozzle, the product is particularly easy to apply and you’re likely not to let any lotion go to waste.

It’s a little greasier to the touch than some of the other options on our list but it absorbs into the skin quickly and has very little scent other than the very mild holiday smell you get with almost any sunscreen. It’s water resistant, has a 90 per cent UVA absorbance and is also suitable for those with sensitive skin, given its high antioxidant contents.

This little-known Australian brand offers a particularly lightweight sunscreen, which is rare for an SPF 50. It doesn’t feel greasy to the touch and offers up to four hours of water resistance to boot.

It comes at a higher price, possibly because of the premium packaging (a smooth pale blue bottle with a pump applicator) and the fact the product is enriched with vitamin E and aloe vera, both of which will help to ensure your skin is moisturised as well as protected while lying in the sun. Be sure to shake it before use and apply every two hours.

This sunscreen’s applicator takes the form of a classic spray rather than a continuous one. Vichy calls this hypoallergenic product “protective water”, which makes sense when you apply it. It’s enriched with beta-carotene, meaning it feels particularly soft on the skin, even if it takes slightly longer to apply, given the small nozzle. An added bonus? It has tan-enhancing properties while also providing maximum protection to your skin. So, you don’t have to resort to dangerously low SPF oils to get the tan you want.

It might not be the first thing you consider when looking for sunscreens but, if you’re heading somewhere that is likely to be crawling with bugs (mainly mosquitos), getting a product that is enriched with insect repellant can be a real game changer. This is one of the best on the market, offering a mineral sunscreen that combines natural and organic ingredients with added botanical PMD to keep the bugs at bay.

Given this, it does have a slightly more pungent scent than some other sunscreens, and is more akin to the smell of a basic repellant spray than an SPF. Nonetheless, it’s not too off-putting. The tube itself is also made from sugarcane and can be recycled.

The Malibu Sun products smell wonderful. Unlike most sprays, this one is particularly versatile because the sunscreen doesn’t come out in spray form but, rather, as a cream. With this in mind, it’s suited to all preferences and can be continuously sprayed around the body before being rubbed in.

It’s a medium thickness in terms of consistency but melts into the skin easily. The best thing about it, though, is that the nozzle works from all angles. Plus, it has a four-star UVA rating.

This is an ideal product for anyone struggling with acne on their body, and those with sensitive, oily skin. Due to its unique formula, which the brand calls its “advanced spectral technology”, users benefit from high UVA/UVB protection and Licochalcone A, which prevents further sun damage and stress to the skin, by neutralising free radicals.

It comes in an easy-to-use spray bottle and absorbs fast into the skin. Plus, it’s a transparent formula, meaning there’s no risk of it leaving any unsightly white marks anywhere on your body.

For those looking to maintain a deep bronze throughout the summer months, this is the product for you. Piz Buin is a brand renowned for its natural tanning qualities and this product doesn’t disappoint, offering a deep moisturising lotion that has been enhanced with Melitan, which helps to facilitate the skin’s organic tanning process. However, it does so very safely, with high UVA/UVB sun protection. Added bonuses are the smell – sweet, caramel-like, and tropical – and how soft it makes your skin feel on the first application. It’s also very affordable – a must-buy.

This is a unique product, thanks to its organic-derived ingredients, including aloe vera (calming and soothing), venuceane (an infrared protector that defends against collagen loss), and its delicious passion fruit scent. It also boasts powerful antioxidants, such as cucumber, green tea, and rosehip extract, that can help fight free radicals as well as reduce signs of skin damage and ageing.

It comes in a particularly stylish spray bottle, which is easy to use and applies a large, generous amount quickly in a single spray. It might not last as long as it should for a bottle of this size and price point, but it’s a high-quality product with a wide range of additional benefits beyond sun protection, so, it’s worth investing if you can.

This is the ideal millennial sunscreen, given its trendy light pink bottle. Even the spray application feels neatly nostalgic, with a traditional single-use spritz as opposed to a continuous spray like many of the other products listed here.

Lightweight and easy to apply, Darling’s sunscreen keeps your skin feeling soft and protected all day, thanks to its hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, both of which contribute to maintaining hydration and moisture while also preventing hyperpigmentation from sun damage. It also contains Kukui Oil, which is deeply softening and helps give the product a unique, Caribbean-influenced scent. You also don’t need to use much to cover your entire body, so it should last you a while.