I tested low-end, mid-range and high-end sunscreen – This is what you should buy (2024)

I wish.

The Great British summer has never been known to be smooth sailing, from heatwaves that leave you wishing it was winter again to summers so cold and wet you wonder what went wrong.

But despite the British summer weather being hit and miss, there is one thing we can all agree on when it comes to longer days, the sun is out and about for longer.

Although that is great, it also means there is a higher chance of getting sunburnt, as while the sun is a saving grace in every factor, it’s also very deadly.

The ball of fire is the reason we have Earth and all the wonderful things that come with it, but it can also result in serious harm.

Between 2017 and 2019, there was an average of 17,537 new cases of melanoma skin cancer which is most often caused by exposure to the sun, according to Cancer Research UK.

While we all love to soak up the sun and get a lovely tan, it’s important that tanning is done safely to avoid the ultraviolet from the sun that can potentially lead to cancer.

Besides wearing appropriate clothing like long sleeves and hats, there’s one item that is often in bags during the summer months.

If you’ve heard ‘Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen’ you’ll know how important the lotion is to the skin.

Sunscreen comes in various amounts of protection from endless amounts of brands all at different prices and all promising different things.

As someone who swears by sunscreen as part of their skin routine and wears it every day (including winter), I wanted to carry out a little test.

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Comparing low-end, mid-range and high-end sunscreen available on the British high street, ranging from as little as £2.50 to £20, find out how the test went.

I compared Aldi, E45 and La Roche-Posay sunscreen – this is what’s the best

The three sunscreens I tested out were Aldi’s Lacura SPF 30 Moisturising Sun Lotion (£2.49), E45 Sun Body Lotion 50+ (£10.49) and La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible 50+ (£20).

Aldi’s sun lotion

Starting with the cheapest option and working our way up the price tag, is Aldi’s supermarket's own brand with Lacura Sun lotion which costs £2.49 for 200ml.

This is your perfectly classic sunscreen, with a white colour and that smell that makes you feel like you're on a sunbed drinking a cool drink in another country.

However, that might not be everyone’s fancy, I myself prefer sunscreen that's not too whiteto avoid making me look any more pale than I already am.

Aldi’s Lacura SPF 30 Moisturising Sun Lotion (£2.49) (Image: Newsquest)

But, despite that, it went on smoothly and didn’t feel sticky or tacky once it had dried and soaked into the skin, it also felt like it was doing its job.

Sometimes, I find that sunscreen just feels like a sticky lotion and nothing else, but the Aldi Lacura Sun Lotion made my skin feel cooler against the sun and felt like it was wearing.

After a full day out in the sun, my skin didn’t feel burnt in the sightliest or greasy from the built-up lotion.

Score: 4.5/5

E45 sunscreen

Next up in our test was the E45 Sun Body Lotion 50+ which costs £10.49 for a 180ml bottle and promises to hydrate, nourish, be extra water resistant, lightweight and fast absorbing.

With so many promises labelled out, I was convinced that at least one of them had to be a lie.

But just like E45’s no-fuss and praise about moisturiser, their sunscreen had very few faults that could be easily found.

E45 Sun Body Lotion 50+ (£10.49) (Image: Newsquest)

Not a bright white colour and more of a slight cream, the sun lotion is quite thick on first use, but because of that, it means a little goes a long way, one small dot can easily cover a face and two an arm.

However, with its thickness comes a slightly greasy feel with the sunscreen taking a while to properly soak into the skin and begin to feel lightweight.

Once it did eventually dry down, it was very good, it had a very slight tacky feeling but not to the extent that you feel you need to wash it off.

On to whether it worked, I wore this particular sunscreen by E45 on what happened to be one the sunniest days and my skin felt fine, no sense of warmth or burning and I was left with no odd sunburn patches whatsoever.

Score: 4/5

La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible 50+ (£20) (Image: Newsquest)

La Roche-Posay sunscreen

Last but not least, the high-end option, the La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible 50+ costs £20 for a 50ml bottle.

Reading the price and size of the actual bottle might leave you shocked, and I wouldn’t blame you, it's pricey for the size.

However, this particular sun lotion is praised all across the internet with skin and make-up gurus saying it’s the best around.

As someone who found it hard to spend £20 for such a small amount, I had very high hopes, and they were not let down.

After following instructions and shaking the bottle, I poured a small amount out to find a cream colour as opposed to bright white and a very runny sunscreen.

Rubbing it into my skin, I was amazed at how quickly the La Roche-Posay just disappeared into my skin, in an instant it was soaked in and doing its job of protecting me from the sun.

It did have a slight smell, unlike any normal sunscreen would, but apart from that, I could find no faults.

It was very lightweight but strong, leaving no oily residue behind and instead made my skin feel moisturised and ready to face the sun.

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And that’s exactly what it did, the sunscreen by La Roche-Posay went up against the sun and I can happily declare that the sun lost.

There were no signs of sun irritation on my skin and it instead felt healthy and ready to battle with the fireball in the sky for another day.

Rating: 5/5

You can find out more information on skin protection via Cancer Research UK.