Heliocare 360° SPF50 Review

[unpaid/sample/ad/affiliate] Well, I’m just going to come out and say it – best sunscreen products I think I’ve ever used. I don’t know why this brand isn’t more widely available because in the scheme of things, it’s expensive compared to a high street option but on a par (or less) when up against other luxury sun care brands.

The two products that had me at hello are the Gel and the Invisible Spray – the easiest body SPF application you’ll ever do. It’s such a fine spray that goes on completely transparent, smells of more or less nothing and sits so comfortably on the skin that you won’t know it’s there. I’m slightly dreading trying to explain the technology but I will give it my best shot! Aside from a combination of mineral and non-mineral filters, the products also contain something called Fernblock (R) – I’ve usually got an aversion to made up names like this BUT there is a lot of research to back up the inclusion of the fern Polypodium Leucotomos which has been found to prevent cellular damage while also helping with production of new skin proteins. An additional layer of benefit comes in the form of DNA repair so that cells bounce back from the effects of sun. The film form is very fine and leaves a light sheen on the skin which is lovely in the sun – your skin doesn’t look smothered, just well hydrated. There’s no white cast on any of the products I’ve tried and they all come with a high level of antioxidant protection.

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Although the compact is my least favourite product of the items I’ve tried, it’s still up there with that tricky-to-get-right combination of colour and protection. I have shade Beige that’s just a tiny bit too light for me (but workable) but gives a BB level of coverage that’s well worth having if you want an SPF/make-up hybrid. Again, it doesn’t sit heavy at all or look shiny – just chuck it in your handbag when you think you might need high level protection out and about. There are two shades in a dewy finish – actually three but only two available at the moment – and it’s my least favourite because, despite the obvious ease of use, there is only about 15ml of product in there and £34.99 is a lot for that. So, this would be my handbag or holiday choice, not my every day.

The Color Gel Oil-Free is my perfect format for a lightly tinted coverage (again, about the same as a BB cream) that gives a bit of tone evening-out and perfecting without shine. This is exactly what I’d use day to day for high level protection if required and also for that sneaky evening time when you’re ready to go out, showered, made up and dressed but the sun hasn’t quite gone down – if you’re abroad, this is prime burn time because it takes you unawares. It’s a matte coverage but doesn’t kill your glow and feels so light on the skin. It’s £32.99 for 50ml which I feel is reasonable. It feels somehow more reliable than the everyday foundation-with-SPF which I feel we never use at the right quantity anyway – this is SPF first, beauty product second rather than the other way round and you do feel properly covered.

Gel Oil is swatched above. I’d love a handbag size of the Invisible Spray and an SPF30 option but all in all, I’m so impressed with this stuff – particularly the Invisible Spray (quick spritz on the hands before you leave the house even if you don’t need it anywhere else). It should be stocked in SpaceNK or Net A Porter beauty. Oh, they also do kids, and I’ve sorted a 10% discount for you (check out the bundles which are also price-savers and you get 10% on those too) so just use HELIO72 at checkout HERE if you decide you’d like to try it. I find it hard to get excited about sun screens but here I am – excited!