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The Season of SPF Moisturiser is Here. These Are the Ones to Try Now
When it comes to looking after your skin, prevention is always better than cure.
Tell us you’re into skincare, and we’ll ask what SPF you’re using. Summer is well and truly here, and your face is continually being exposed to UV rays – even on home soil. Considering these rays are estimated to account for up to 90% of skin ageing, it’s wise to slather on a sunscreen wherever you are in the world. Essentially, that anti-ageing cream you've invested in is pretty-much redundant if you're not pairing it with an SPF moisturiser by day.
It’s a common misconception that SPF is only required offshore – but actually, sun damage doesn’t just occur during that fortnight you burn yourself silly on the beach: it’s a cumulative, year-round threat.
During the days when you're not mainlining unpronounceable beers on foreign shores, a facial SPF grants a basic level of defence and prevents sun-related damage: think dry skin, dark spots and wrinkles. What's more, everyday use ensures optimum skin health. UVA rays can still permeate cloudy skies and windows and, according to figures from Cancer Research UK, incidences of melanoma have risen by 55 per cent in males over the last decade.
If you’re slathering on serums and night creams to maintain a youthful visage, yet neglecting SPF, you're wasting time (and money). Skincare brands will sell you the solution to every sign of ageing, but if you can prevent them from even appearing, you’re one step ahead.
Thankfully, staying protected doesn’t have to mean dousing your face in a sticky, coconut-scented lotion, because skincare brands are now delivering the best of both worlds with an array of impressive men's moisturisers with SPF in-built.
Finally making sunscreen a pleasant affair, these amped-up face creams will keep skin protected all year round, without the sticky feeling and claggy consistency of a traditional SPF.
There are many, many rules surrounding suncream on the internet, should you wish to delve into them, but all you really need to know is this: opt for an SPF 30 or above, wherever you are in the world, and slather it on generously: more is quite literally more when it comes to UV protection.
So, switch out your regular face cream in favour of a moisturiser with SPF, and you’ll really be taking skincare seriously...
The Best Men's Moisturisers With SPF
Horace Mattifying Face Moisturiser SPF30
Big in its native France, Horace is fast becoming a grooming go-to in the UK, thanks to the fact it does what it promises and doesn't inexplicably come with a triple-figure price tag.
This is simply a brilliant SPF moisturiser for the oily skinned, with a light mattifiyng effect that stops midday shine.
Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense
There's an SPF moisturiser for every skin type over at Kiehl's. This is the one for the oily-skinned: it's a gel texture, so sinks in instantly without leaving a trace, and will keep both shine and spots at bay.
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Cream 50SPF
Every dermatologist's favourite brand has finally released a sun-protection version of its much-loved moisturiser. Basic but brilliant, this affordable cream contains proper SPF50 protection alongside ceramides to keep the skin's outermost layer healthy and hydrated.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMUNE 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50
A name to trust when it comes to sun protection, La Roche-Posay's latest Anthelios launch is a feat of formulation. It contains an innovative filter specifically designed to prevent loss of collagen and creeping lines, and feels surprisingly light on skin – so light, in fact, you'll forget you're wearing it.
Designed to offer total protection however close you are to the equator, Lifejacket's SPF moisturisers come with serious suncare credentials. There's one for pretty-much every weather scenario, but this non-sticky gel-cream iteration is ideal for hot-weather holidays.
Aesop Protective Facial Lotion SPF25
Aesop, a brand that built an empire from hand soap, is here to take men's moisturisers, too. This everyday protector presents double-edged benefits: a moderate SPF 25 filter and antioxidant green tea to fend off free radicals.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF30
The original Marine Cream might be 20 years old, but it's still the jewel in the Elemis crown – and helpfully, it also comes in an SPF 30 version. The long-loved blend of silly sounding seaweeds and nice-smelling extracts does indeed work to hydrate rough skin and plump out fine lines the more you wear it.
Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50+
Ultra Violette hails from Australia, the country with the tightest SPF regulations in the world, so you know it's one to trust through holidays and heatwaves.
Not just hugely reliable in the protection stakes, it's also a joy to use: the Supreme Screen is hydrating and comforting, while the fragrance-free, ultra-gentle Clean Screen will please sensitive types.
Avène Hydrance Rich-UV Hydrating Cream SPF30
A solid choice for dry and sensitive skin, this gentle SPF moisturiser contains a base of thermal spring water (more than just marketing spiel – it's higher in fortifying minerals than the stuff from your tap) and a broad-spectrum SPF 30. Easy and effective.
Caudalie Vinosun High Protection Cream SPF50
A classic, Caudalie's high-factor suncream will soften dry patches without making your visage look shiny. A can't-go-wrong option for home and away.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF30
When you've got an oily complexion, it's tempting to eschew the moisturiser altogether – but that isn't the best approach. Instead of living in fear of breakouts, switch to a lighter gel-textured option, like La Roche-Posay's cooling formula.
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