A consumer review of the main high protection sunscreens in France offers reassuring confirmation of the quality of the products on the market.

In their own recent tests of sunscreens, the consumer magazine Que Choisir found that all but one of the 17 lotions and sprays they tested with a 30 to 50+ sun protection factor (SPF) did what they proclaimed.

In some cases they offered a level of protection well over that stated on the container.

The best of those tested was Vichy Capital Soleil Lait Protecteur, a SPF 30 sunscreen that also had good water resistance. However, it was also the most expensive of those products tested, at €27 for 300ml.

In second and third places were products well known to the Anglophone market – Ambre Solaire and Nivea Sun, both with SPF 50+.

The Garnier Ambre Solaire Enfant Lait Protecteur sunscreen offered a UV level of protection well in excess of that stated on the label at €15.95 for 200 ml.

The Nivea Sun Lait Protecteur offered even better value for money at €15.50 for 200ml, and the magazine considered the product easy to use. The only reason it was not placed second, was simply because of the higher actual SPF contained in the Ambre Solaire.

Only Lovea 30 Protecteur offered slightly less protection than the 30 SPF shown on the container.

If you are proposing to buy any of these products make sure you choose the exact match with the description above, as the manufacturers have similar products, but with slightly different results, as can be shown on the following table.

Neither were the tests an exhaustive review of all such products on the market.

The prices given by Que Choisir also look to be at the upper end, for we found cheaper prices on the Internet, and from leading shops in the UK.

The list of the top ten products in their test are as follows:

Although the magazine praises the efforts of the manufacturers in bringing good products to the market, it makes the point that we are not all equal when it comes to coping with the sun, that the products cannot offer 100% level of protection, and that you should not let them seduce you into a false sense of security about the risks of exposure to the sun.

Sadly, according to scientists, ninety per cent of wrinkles are caused by exposure to UV-B rays!