Best high street sun cream named - 'flew through UVA and SPF tests'

Two high street sun creams have been put to the test, and one has just about come out on top. Consumer champions Which? compared Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Sun Spray and Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray to see which was the Best Buy.

The two sun creams were compared in terms of price, SPF value, and UVA protection. Winning the comparison was the Garnier sun cream, priced from 6.93 in supermarkets, which has an SPF of 50+ and a five-star UVA protection rating. Which? said that it is easy to apply, absorbs well, has no tacky or greasy residue, and smells good. The review reads: This sun cream pairs easy application with a nice feel and brilliant sun protection, flying through our UVA and SPF tests.

The other sun cream tested was Nivea, which costs 8 in supermarkets, has an SPF of 50+, and a five-star UVA protection rating. It is easily absorbed, leaves no residue, has a good sustainability score, and has a pleasant smell.

The review says: Overall, this product passed our tests. It breezed through our UVA tests with no issues, but in our first SPF test, it fell slightly short of the UVB levels required.

We did two further tests, and it passed both, which means it passed overall, but we cant recommend it as a Best Buy due to the slightly inconsistent UVB results.

However, it applies very well, has a nice scent and scores well for sustainability, which is where we assess the eco-friendly credentials of the UV filters used in the product, as well as the packaging.

A Nivea spokesperson said: "As the UK's No.1 sun care brand, the safety of our products is of utmost importance. Nivea Sun prides itself on its decades of experience in sun care for adults and children and is dedicated to developing products that reliably and effectively protect against sun damage.

"To ensure we comply with industry standards, Nivea Sun rigorously tests each of our Sun formulations and their labelled SPFs according to internationally standardised test methods. These are conducted at independent test institutes to ensure consistent, high-quality efficacy and consumer safety across all Nivea Sun products, including Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray."

Hannah Fox, principal researcher and writer at Which?, said: Every sun cream we review is subject to British Standard tests to ensure it offers its claimed level of protection against UV radiation.

We also look at whether the claimed SPF matches the label, how well the product absorbs into the skin and how much of an environmental impact the ingredients have.

Both of these sun creams passed our UVA protection tests, were easy to apply and felt good on the skin. However, the option from Nivea Sun missed out on a Best Buy because it initially failed our SPF test, although it passed it in later retests.