In a few recent posts I mentioned that I never really bothered with sunscreen on my Skin (I know) and I’ve been researching into sun damage and decent sunscreens. I’ve also decided that going forward I am going to make sure to use sunscreen. In the UK we don’t get tons of sun however, UV rays can still damage the skin and now that I’m in my twenties it’s something that I want to minimise. Recently I’ve heard a few bloggers recommend the Body Shop Skin Defence and so I picked it up and started using it straight away. I’ve used it for a couple of weeks now and have formulated a full opinion, here’s my thoughts.

Starting with the packaging, I really like it. The product is housed in this white box with black and silver on it that feels very luxurious. The squeezy tube is also really handy and easy to store and the twist cap prevents any leakage. This is at the very leats a mid-range product, priced at £21.00 for 40ml I do think it is a little pricey but I do really like the product.

The Body Shop describes the Skin Defence as the following:
“From the effects of the sun to the environment we live in – we’re constantly facing daily aggressors that can damage our skin. Introducing NEW Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 PA++++, our strongest multi-protection to help protect your skin day after day. A feather light, milk-to-water essence with broad spectrum UV filters, brightening red algae and Vitamin C, to help protect skin against multiple skin aggressors, while providing utmost comfort.

UVA Protection: PA++++: Helps protect skin from UVA rays, including long UVA rays, which reach deep within the skin and accelerate the process of skin ageing.
UVB protection: SPF 50 helps protect skin from UVB rays that trigger redness and damage the skin’s surface.
Anti-dullness: With red algae extract and vitamin C to brighten skin for a more luminous complexion.”

What I like about this product is that it has such a high protection. A lot of SPFs still have a low PA or only have SPF15 or SPF30 so to have a product that has a massive SPF and a PA++++ definitely drew me in as this protects against daily pollution as well as from the Sun.

The scent of this is also really nice though that is down to the fragrance within. The Body Shop doesn’t have a full ingredients list on their website, however, from looking at the back of the product I can see that this contains parfum, fragrance and alcohol so do bear that in mind if you are heavily against those ingredients – I do have sensitive skin and I haven’t found that this irritates my skin but be aware of the ingredients.

(Unblended swatch)
The formula of this really did blow me away and I definitely think it’s one of the major selling points.This if very lightweight with a milky formula, initially it’s a cool lotion type cream but then as you rub it in it feels much more lightweight and it just sinks into the skin without any greasiness or stickiness.
 
(Left: Partially blended swatch. Right: Fully blended and absorbed).
Once this has been fully rubbed in, it leaves behind no white cast, instead there’s a slightly dewy sheen. I have also noticed that when I apply this over my moisturiser it almost has a slight blurring effect so it feels like a very lightweight primer which I just love.

For me, this product ticks all of my boxes, yes it could be a little cheaper and have slightly better ingredients but at the same time, it protects my skin, has a wonderful formula and generally does great stuff for my skin. I did read somewhere that sun damage can contribute towards hyperpigmentation and red skin which I have. Since using this in conjunction with my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo I’ve noticed that my skin is noticeably less red which is just fantastic.

Overall, I’m very impressed, this blew me away and it’s a great start for someone using sunscreen regularly for the first time, I would highly recommend this and definitely would repurchase!

The Body Shop Skin Defence SPF50 Multi Protection Essence is available from The Body Shop for £21.00.

I hope that you enjoyed this post and if you did please hit the like button, let me know in the comments if you have tried this product and which other sunscreens you recommend, I definitely want to try La Roche Posay Anthelios, Glossier Invisible Shield and the Shiseido sunscreen.

Thanks for reading!