Tag Archives: Sun Protection

Apr 28 2015

#TravellingWithKids Ultrasun Professional Sun Protection Review

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It’s the same old thing every year. The kids get coated in suncream and might as well be wearing burkas to protect their little bodies from the sun… yet poor old mummy gets burnt. It’s a sad mix of forgetfulness, bravado and laziness. I’m not one of those that coats her body in Johnson’s Baby Oil then acts surprised when it bubbles away before her eyes, I’m not even a sun worshipper!, but my pasty white skin seems to attract the sun’s rays like Angelina Jolie attracts men. Right now my cleavage is peeling and my back is burnt and itchy.

Yet the children have a pleasant colour on their cheeks and only the faintest of lines to indicate where tees and shorts ended. It’s testament to the absolutely brilliant sun protection we were sent to try by Ultrasun Professional Sun Protection.

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Yep, a few days before we left, we were sent bottles of SPF 30 & 50 to smother on the kids. Given there was plenty to go around for Craig & I, I only have myself to blame for returning to the UK looking like Elmo from The Muppet Show. Ultrasun is a pleasure to apply and worked so brilliantly on the kids, I’m now cursing myself for not having fake tanned and having left the sun loungers alone.

So who are Ultrasun, and what makes them so brilliant for families?

Ultrasun

Ultrasun is a Swiss brand and a bit of a revelation due to its photostable once-a-day application sun protection range. Yes, I said once-a-day. A generous layer of this in the morning will see you right through until sundown. It’s patented liposome tenchnology provides water resistant protection against both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays. Better yet, it’s hypoallergenic and free from emulsifiers and perfume making it ideal for use on really sensitive skin and (you guessed it) babies.

The consistency is refreshing compared to high street brands. It’s thick and creamy, completely non-greasy and rubs in beautifully without leaving white marks on clothes. The kids are left with a beautiful sheen and smelling really pleasant. If you’ve ever tried a supermarket own brand, you know just how horrid sun protection can smell, and it can be a real feat to wash off your hands after applying. With Ultrasun, the kids were happy to have us cream them up, didn’t wriggle away under our grip and we didn’t need to wash our hands afterwards - Massive thumbs up from us.

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It’s also fully water-resistant and you can easily appreciate this in the pool. I was surprised that you can actually see the skin repel water so you know it’s still performing. For habits sake I still reapplied diligently after a swim, but the bottle states this will still do its thing after towel drying. I can’t quite get my head around how this is possible but I can’t fault it. The heat and sun were fierce in Lanzarote and the kids were out playing for most of the day - yet their skin is completely burn-free and sun-kissed.

Holiday

With one 150ml bottle of Family SPF 30 priced at £25 (the Extreme SPF 50 is £20 for 100mls, £40 for 400mls) some might balk at the price. But trust me, allowing your children to burn in the sun will result in sleepless nights, sickness and many tears. I’ve also popped this into Google and found some cheaper deals in Debenhams and allbeauty.com. Further still, one 150ml bottle will provide sun protection for one person up to two weeks making it’s price tag seem far more reasonable.

Housed in an airless pump dispenser to prevent contamination and deterioration, the bottle will also survive being tossed around in the pool and buried at the beach. This also means each product has a mammoth shelf-life of two years too (most will average just six months).

I was also sent a SPF 30 tinted moisturiser for the face and fell instantly in love with it. My face is the only area that genuinely coped in the Lanzarote sun and I have to credit Ultrasun for this. It’s heavy-duty yet beautifully lightweight formulation replaced my normal morning moisturiser and BB cream and glided effortlessly onto my skin. A quick sweep of bronzer over the top and I was ready for a day in the sun.

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With light reflecting particles, anti-aging enzyme Ectoin and Vitamin E it’s nourishing and soothing. It also boasts revitalising properties in the form of enzyme Superoxide Dismutase to neutralise skin damaging free radicals from sun exposure, and Boron Nitride to plump and firm. 50mls will cost £26 and it’s truly worth every penny. I can cover the sunburn on my boobs, but not on my face!

For more information, head to www.ultrasun.com/en or follow on Facebook and Twitter for more sun care advice and chat.

Aug 13 2014

ShadeMe UV Foldabrella Review

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When you have children your whole life changes. Time for relaxation is limited, and duvet days watching endless episodes of Teen Mom are long gone. Also gone are your lie-ins and the two hour getting-ready sessions before a girl’s night out. Things you once took for granted are no longer possible.

Nowhere is this better felt than when you’re on holiday. What used to be the booziest time of the year with hours laid in the sun is now stressful, chaotic and exhausting. I used to use the severity of my sunburn to tell me if I’ve had a successful tanning session in the sun, now I actively shy away from it. And the 10am beer atop a deafening hangover is now quick sips of Diet Coke in-between rounds of “Here Comes the Aeroplane” whilst trying to get the kids to eat a foreign version of Frosties.

A trip down the beach is completely transformed. Now you’re laden with bags crammed high with bottles, nappies, and creams. Your beach-time essential accessory is no longer your Gucci sunglasses, it’s two lots of bucket and spades (of course you can’t possibly ask them to share!) and hastily bought arm bands from a beach-side pop-up shop.

Now, you head for the busy section of the beach with umbrellas and sunshades to rent. And every time you’re shocked at the ridiculous price you pay for that precious square metre of shade. You cram the kids in, and the bags (lest the bottles of Evian get warm and yucky), and mum and dad lay either side acting as passport control to the sun; your kids can’t pass until they’ve been lathered in Factor 50.

Well imagine you never had to pay for shade again. You could buy a beach umbrella that folds down to a tiny roll that weighs just 2kg. It fits comfortably into your suitcase and doesn’t eat into your shoe quota or luggage allowance. You can sling it over your shoulder when you head out of your chalet and it’s so lightweight you barely feel it. When you need it, it’s assembled in seconds and opens up into a full sized beach umbrella.

Not just for the beach, you can take it on picnics, to festivals, or simply use it in the garden… You can whack it in the car boot and just grab it when needed.

Did I mention it’s a tiny £30?

Welcome to the ShadeMe UV Foldabrella!

This is the second genius product from the ShadeMe family I’ve reviewed on this blog. I previously posted about the baby sunshade that fits on every model and brand of car seat, pram and pushchair, and couldn’t fault it. This one comes a narrow second.

Okay, it’s quite long when it’s rolled up and would be even cooler if someone could design one that goes that one step further and folds in half again lengthways, but this shouldn’t detract from how useful this actually is. It’s impressively lightweight and you’d be forgiven for thinking it will flyaway with a gust of wind, but it honestly doesn’t. Bury it far enough in the grass or sand and it stays put.

Assembly really is a cinch and its really sturdy when it’s up. You can also have the umbrella laid on its side whilst still secure to the ground due to the fact it come in two screw sections. Just bury the lower section in the ground and let the shade of the brolly lie flat against the ground.

I used this recently on a trip to an outside pool. I popped Heidi in her Koo-di Bubble Cot (purely as it allows me to go hands-free) and slipped this into the shade so she was doubly protected against the sun. Despite me being an idiot and getting burnt to bits (with all that UV shade there was little excuse), Heidi stayed milky white. See!

The only thing I’d like to have seen is a few more colours. This one clashes with my bikini!

If you want one, head to ShadeMe.co.uk, and whilst you’re there buy a baby sunshade - ours is invaluable.

 

Jul 15 2014

Sun Safety Week: ShadeMe Baby Sun Shade Review

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This week I’m gearing up to this heatwave we’re supposed to be having, and will be launching a series of posts dedicated to keeping your little ones safe in the sun. First up, I’m sharing my thoughts on a genius product I’ve recently discovered that will keep your baby shaded from the sun whilst you’re out and about.

I stumbled across the ShadeMe Baby Sun Shade when I was checking out this year’s Loved by Parents award-winners on Twitter. The guys at ShadeMe had their fingers crossed for an award in the Best Pushchair/Buggy Accessory category, and in my opinion were hugely unlucky not to get one. Keeping Heidi out of the sun whilst cruising in her pram has been Mission Impossible for us, so anything that prevents her squinting and overheating thoroughly deserves a shiny gold medal in my book.

The ShadeMe is effectively a hood extension that will double (if not triple) the coverage of your existing pram, pushchair or car seat hood. Clever product design means that ShadeMe HQ are yet to come across any brand that is incompatible with their sun shade, and it’s easy to see why. The ingenious curved shape and elasticated straps mean that the Shade Me Baby Sun Shade is extremely adaptable, and doesn’t require the handles of the pram. You simply secure it using 3 super stretchy cords that clip together on the underside of your pram, car seat or pushchair.

To say this product works a treat is a serious understatement. It’s an invaluable bit of kit that will simply transform outings with baby. In fact, I can’t think of a single negative thing to say.

Previous to discovering the ShadeMe, I’d drape a muslin over the pram hood, and get a right earache from a squealing Heidi. Muslins might do the trick for short trips, but they’re not UV resistant, can float off with the slightest breeze, and will most likely mean your baby is riding with little to no view of what’s going on around them.

The ShadeMe is seriously robust and really stays put. With it on, Heidi’s pram bed achieves double the coverage it does without the ShadeMe. This means everything above her knees is shaded without a pram apron. With an apron, not one millimetre of her skin is left uncovered. Heidi manages to nap peacefully when we’re out and about and remains nice and cool at all times.

The fabric achieves the highest rating for UV protection (that’s 50+ in technical jargon). This gives added reassurance that Heidi isn’t exposed to any of the suns harmful rays. It’s also incredibly lightweight and can be folded down into itself (there’s an integral pocket) for storage - think pop-up tents and you’ll get the idea. In fact, ShadeMe also have similarly clever UV tents and a genius beach umbrella on their website - all are just as easy peasy to collapse.

Popping on the ShadeMe is a little tricky. I have to sit on the floor next to her pram if I’m attempting it by myself. This is because you really have to stretch the straps to secure it under the pram cot. But far from being a pain, this is how you know it’ll stay in place all day. I’d go so far as to say it’s wind resistant given we’ve been out in hair-ruining weather.

Right now the ShadeMe baby sun shade is only available in black, but this suits me just fine. It won’t break the bank either at just £25. For peace of mind alone, and the fact you no longer need to faff about parking your pram 50 metres away from your picnic table, it’s well worth the money.

To find out more, visit the website at www.shademe.co.uk, or say hello on Twitter and Facebook.

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