Beauty: The big cover up

Picture / Babiche Martens

Skin cancer is a serious matter. So is premature ageing and that's exactly what the sun does. Early wrinkles should send you running for the sunscreen. It's not hard to work out that sun + exposure = wrinkles.

1. Bobbi Brown Beach Sunscreen Body Spray SPF15
$65 for 200ml

In the looks and fragrance department, this is a winner. Great bottle and an even more amazing smell - just like those long, hot days at the beach before we knew how bad the sun was. That would be the jasmine, sea spray and mandarin notes - so brilliantly 70s. This spray-on grapeseed, olive and castor oil-based, water-resistant sunscreen is best suited to those idle seaside days.

* From Smith & Caughey's.

2. Estee Lauder Sun Performance SunCare Anti-Aging Lotion for Body SPF30
$50 for 150ml

This comes with ASP technology. That stands for anti-spot protection, so this does a thoroughly reliable job protecting skin from UVA and UVB rays. It also helps to minimise the appearance of pigmentation, and does its utmost to keep irritation to a minimum, by moisturising and helping the free radical fight. And the bergamot, neroli, green tea, violet and rose fragrance makes it extremely pleasant to wear.

* From selected department stores and pharmacies.

3. Clarins Sun Control Cream Very High Protection for Sun-Sensitive Skin SPF30
$48 for 75ml

Clarins is fond of botanical extracts. This gives excellent UVA and UVB protection. It also uses pea, olive, baobab (a tree with a lifespan of up to 5000 years), plane tree and senna extracts to help to block a protein complex that stops the synthesis of collagen which leads to ageing.

* From selected department stores, pharmacies and beauty therapists.

4. Clinique Sun-Care Lip/Eye Stick SPF30
$38 for 6g

Clinique's esteemed Sun-Care range tends to all body parts. This wind-up stick with UVA and UVB protection looks after lips - which have no melanin to protect them - eyes, the nose and ears. The waterproof formula with soothing and skin-softening ingredients isn't the least bit sticky and cleverly manages to resist sand adhesion. This contains a whopping four kinds of sunscreen. Paranoid? Not in the least. It's just being thorough.

* From selected department stores and pharmacies.

5. L'Oreal Solar Expertise Active Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Brown Spot Sun Cream SPF50+
$22.50 for 75ml

A godsend for the face, chest and hands, this has the mantra "yes to summer, no to the signs of ageing". This water-resistant sunscreen with the long name comes with a patented filter system to help to stop the premature ageing the sun is wont to do. It also helps to prevent brown spots. What's more, it has a light, anti-shine formulation so you can wear it around town.

* From selected department stores, pharmacies and supermarkets.

6. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF30
$19.95 for 88ml

Broad spectrum protection? Check. Waterproof? Check. Antioxidants? Check. What it also has that few others do is a special dry-touch formulation so there's absolutely no greasy feeling on top of the ultra-light, non-shiny finish. Makes it ideal for under makeup.

* From selected department stores, pharmacies and supermarkets.