Protection for a fair maiden! (Garnier Ambre Solaire Clear Protect Gel SPF 30)

Member Name: chugglebunny

Product:	Garnier Ambre Solaire Clear Protect Gel SPF 30
Date:	21/07/09 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean and Light, Good Coverage from Spray

Disadvantages: Awkward to Push the Stiff Top

I am the daughter of a strawberry blonde and freckly mother who burns on stepping outside and a brown haired father who tans to a gorgeous golden brown enough to make all sun worshippers in a mile radius weep with envy...Which of these genetic traits did I happen to end up with? Of course, my mother!

I do have a little more resistance to the sun than my mother however, luckily getting a little something from my father! But I do still need to be extra careful in the sun. I can tan, but I can also burn. To make sure I stay the right shade of pale I should be, without doing my skin any damage, I use Garnier Ambre Solair Clear Protect.

I am a keen festival goer and sun cream is always an essential when standing in a field all day in midsummer.

What is Clear Protect?
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Mostly everyone knows the purpose of sun lotions and creams, to keep us safe from damage caused by the sun and burning.

Clear Protect is one of the newer formula sun protection aids that Garnier have produced. It's a spray on clear liquid screen that will apparently protect against UVA and UVB rays, and also protect against skin damage and premature ageing.

It also contains vitamin E, so not only is it protecting your skin, but doing it a little good in the process.

Packaging
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The Clear protect that I have is in a 200ml spray plastic bottle. One of the things I have always liked about these bottles is the shape of them, with small curves around the side Garnier have made their product easier to grip and more comfortable to hold than previous squeeze bottles of sun lotion. After rubbing this in for a while it's nice to have the extra grip when your hands are a little slippery.

The size of the bottle is perfectly small enough to fit in any handbags or beach bags. Which I love for festivals and when out and about travelling, so I can sling it in my bag at the beginning of the day with no excuses then to not make sure I'm protected.

Again like all sun protection products the SPF strength is clearly displayed on the front of the bottle, so no picking up anything less than 30 for me by accident. It comes in a wide range from 10 all the way up to 50, so all skin types are catered for. My whole family have used this at some point over the last few months, be it stealing mine or having their own.

Price / Availability
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I paid £8.99 for my bottle from Asda, which I believe is a little more expensive than some other places. I have seen it in the likes of Superdrug or Boots in offers such as "buy 2 get the 3rd free" etc, so there are deals to be had for those looking for a bargain.

It is available as I said in most supermarkets, also chemists and pharmacists.

The Good?
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The bottle is comfortable to hold and the spray top really does keep everything a little cleaner, especially when in a dusty field or on a sandy beach, there is no build up of either of these on the bottle or in the lid, which is a plus for me.

The actual liquid is clear and feels cool to the skin when applying it. I was surprised how light it felt, perhaps just the perception of applying a clear liquid compared to a creamy white one provides the illusion of it being lighter, but I really do feel less "clogged up" so to speak when using this. I hate it when your skin feels thick and weighed down by lotions. Clear protect however I could apply hourly and by the end of the day, still feel as though I haven't used any. In my books that's a very large tick in the pros column.

I also like the fact it doesn't really smell of anything. There is a slight smell, but I can't put my finger on what it reminds me of, it's ever so slightly chemical, but it dies down the second it's on your skin and cannot be smelt afterwards at all.

The spray itself comes out in quite a large squirt meaning you can cover larger areas in fewer sprays and less time, which is great for backs and shoulders. You can also spray this from any angle, even if the bottles upside down, so doing the hard to reach bits when you're alone is simple.

The Bad?
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Unfortunately there are a few little niggles that I have regarding this. It does take a little longer than I expected to rub in fully on the skin, but then this may be due to my excessive application. Never can have enough if you're as pink as me!

I do have a slight gripe with the actual spray pump dispenser too; although it is very clean and precise when applying, the actual pump is rather stiff and requires quite a lot of pressure to press down. Now I am a little bit of a weakling when it comes to upper body strength, meaning that I have absolutely none. I am also short at only 5'2 (another fantastic trait my darling parents blessed me with!) meaning I have small hands. While holding the bottle, to spray either myself or someone else I need to use both hands to 1) hold the bottle still and 2) have enough pressure to push the spray top down.

This becomes a little frustrating after a while, especially if you are alone and need to spray some onto your hand to apply somewhere out of reach, it's a tad tricky if both your hands are occupied. This just leads to the possible embarrassment of using knees to hold the bottle or chins to press down the top, which if you're as clumsy as me, can lead to a host of interesting injuries to try and explain later.

The Ugly
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Overall this is a fantastic product; the slight awkwardness of the bottle doesn't detract from the lightness and feeling you get from using it. People using lower factors or who do not need to apply as generously as I do will probably have no trouble at all with rubbing it in. I would recommend this to anyone who is out and about in the sun for long periods of time. Traditional lotions are fine for one off applications, but I would definitely suggest this one for multiple screening sessions. It leaves you feeling cleaner and softer than most lotions and there are no white marks on clothing afterwards.

Lastly and of course most importantly, it does what it says on the tin with as far as sun protection goes. I have not had any sunburn since using this and actually have a little bit of a tan instead! Which, if you are wondering, is what the "Ugly" refers to on this heading; my lovely strap marks from the last festival I went to are super attractive and super wonky!

Thanks for reading :)

Summary: Excellent for sun lovers!