A carefree summer in a bottle! (Boots Soltan Once Lotion SPF40)

Member Name: charby

Product:	Boots Soltan Once Lotion SPF40
Date:	29/08/08 (459 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stopped me from burning, don't have to worry about applying it often

Disadvantages: Quite expensive, not moisturising

Boots Soltan Once Lotion is fantastic for anyone who, like me, has pale skin and so burns very easily at the mere suggestion of sunlight. Last summer I got badly sunburnt on one side of my face from only spending 20 minutes standing outside in July, and was left peeling bits of my face off for about three weeks. Since I was going away to Europe for a month this summer and knew that a lot of the places I was going to were likely to be sunny and hot, I decided to go for the best sun protection that I could get, and so headed off to Boots. At the time they had a buy one get one free offer on their own brand Soltan suncream, so I got one 'normal' suncream at factor 25, and one 'once lotion' which was factor 40. I used the SPF 25 just for everyday use, and this SPF 40 when the sun was hot enough to threaten making me look like I'd been in an industrial accident again.

So, the good news is that although I went to some places where it was hot enough to make me sweat on just leaving the hotel (sexy I know), thanks to this suncream, I did not burn at all. Of course, I would've been surprised to have burnt with a factor 40 suncream, but I fear that if it hadn't have been the 'once' variety, then I would have done. The great thing about 'once' is in the name: you apply it once before you go out, and it lasts for 6 hours, which is fantastic when you compare that to regular Soltan suncream, which lasts 1-2 hours. Having 6 hours of protection means that you don't have to worry about reapplying it all the time, and you'll never lose track of time and forget about putting some more on, and burn as a result. You can also spend 40 minutes in water during this time without losing sun protection, which is handy if you're holidaying by a pool or beach.

Another great thing about 'once' is that it's more conveniant for us women who like to wear makeup when we go out - if you have to reapply suncream every 2 hours, then that means ruining or removing your foundation et cetera every 2 hours, which is annoying and a waste of good makeup and time. However, with 6 hours of protection, you can put makeup on over the top without worrying about it at all!

Now to the bad points, though I am so impressed with this suncream that there aren't many. Firstly, a 150ml container of this will cost you £13, which does sound like a lot for suncream, but when you consider the fact that you need to use it less often than other suncreams, you will therefore end up using less of it in general, and it will last longer. However, the packet recommends using 3 tablespoons for the whole body, and since the amount you get isn't huge, it will only allow for a few whole body applicatioins before running out. Secondly, I usually find that normal soltan 'moisturising suncare lotion' works well at moisturising my skin, so I don't use a traditional moisturiser as well when I am using it, though the 'once' cream didn't moisturise particularly well, so I had to use a moisturiser too. That probably won't be a bad thing for most people, but it did annoy me slightly.

In conclusion, two small problems won't stop me from giving this product 5 stars, as it stopped me burning in the height of summer (though of course stopped me from getting any sort of tan either, but I suit being pale). If you're not like me, ie you're not so pale that you seem to 'shine' in photos with a strange white glow, then you can go for a lower SPF than 40, but I would still recommend getting something in the 'once' range, as it takes the hassle out of skincare. It also boasts 5 star UVA protection, so could also prevent you from developing skin cancer from sun exposure, which has got to be a good thing.

Summary: A suncream from Soltan that lasts 6 hours! Recommended.