Beauty box: sun screens

1. Nivea Sun Moisturising Lotion SPF 8 (Available at Tesco; £8.99/200 ml) My Grandma always used to have a pot of Nivea cream to hand, so the smell always brings back comforting childhood memories. Although the scent is the same, it is obvious that a lot of modern technology has gone into making this a reliable sun care product. The cream is quite thick and feels like it is conditioning as well as protecting the skin. As Nivea provides this product in a whole range of sun protection factors, from 4 to 35, most people should be able to find a lotion to suit their skin type.

2. Tesco's Skin Wisdom Firming Anti Ageing Sun Protection for face SPF 25 (£5.99/50ml) This cream has a fantastic scent. The combination of grape, white tea and green tea makes for a very refreshing, summery smell. Despite the thick, rich consistency the cream is easily absorbed in to the skin - this was great for my skin type, which is quite dry, though it may feel a little too heavy for someone with more oily skin. The high factor meant I felt protected all day and the stimulating fragrance is nice first thing in the morning.

3. Ambre Solaire Moisturising Protection Milk SPF 8 (Available at Tesco; £8.99) An old summer faithful, Ambre Solaire remains the market leader in sun care products. This particular product is a safe bet for protection from sun exposure as you can buy high factors that should be enough to shield even sensitive pale skin from sun damage. The milk can be quite hard to rub in properly, so watch out for white smears, and it can feel a little greasy on the skin as well. The advantage of this formula, however, is that you feel that it's quite hardy - I was in the water for over half an hour without getting burnt and without having to reapply.