I have quite a bit of sun damage on my face thanks to bad sun care practices when I was young. I’m not proud of it and I don’t like admitting it (as a beauty editor I am constantly promoting the use of the best spf moisturiser as an everyday must-have in your skincare routine) but there was a lot less known about the sun's power in the early 90s.
However, I am paying for it now and when I recently had my skin scanned by a Visia Skin Analysis system - a very smart imaging devices that looks at your skin's health and detects things unseen by the naked eye - it revealed that I had a lot of brown spots lurking underneath the surface.
I was told that in order to prevent further damage I had to start using a different facial sunscreen - one that tackles pigmentation whilst also protecting the skin. Dr Anita Sturnham, a GP with a special interest in Dermatology who has a Cosmetic Dermatology practice, recommended Heliocare° 360 Pigment Solution Fluid SPF 50+.
Heliocare is the SPF brand loved by so many of my beauty editor colleagues. Any time I’ve had the pleasure to sneak a look at their skincare products, I can almost guarantee that a tube from this suncream brand will be in the line up. A dermatologist favourite, Heliocare is a sun care brand that specialises in protecting every skin type from the sun and has a number of iterations in its collection, from oil-free to those suffering from forms of skin cancer.
But the one that I was instructed to get my hands on was the Pigment Solution Fluid. And it is a fluid in every sense of the word. It basically trickles out of the tube, so be wary when squeezing the product out. The first thing to note is that this is a sunscreen, meaning that it goes on top of my daily moisturiser. People with sun damage like myself need to ensure that we’re getting the utmost protection we can, so we can't rely on the SPF in moisturiser (and definitely not in make-up). As always, I apply the product along the length of two of my fingers. This is the recommended way to ensure you applying the right amount to your face, because as consumers we very rarely apply the correct amount of product to ensure that we are actually getting the protection we need.
It goes onto my skin beautifully as it's super silky. So silky in fact, that as I said, it's rather watery so it takes slightly longer to blend but it's nothing too strenuous. It's slightly tinted, so adds a nice base colour ahead of make-up. If you're not wearing a base on top, then it's a really nice formula to reapply later in the day, however if you are wearing make-up, this isn't going to work for reapplication. For that you'll need to enlist the help of a really good SPF that works over make-up.
I must stress here that the formula is very oily, which my dry skin laps up, but if you suffer for pigmentation and are prone to oil slicks, then I would find an alternative solution.
But the reason that this is such a good SPF for me is its clever Depigmentation System, which prevents hyperpigmentation. How does it do that? A combination of niacinamide, which studies have shown can minimize dark spots and reducing hyperpigmentation, by inhibiting melanin production, and Ellagic Acid, an antioxidant and another melanin inhibitor.
I am yet to go for my follow-up skin analysis appointment, but I can confirm that this is a SPF that's a pleasure to use, and because it's not ridiculously expensive, despite its impressive formula, I am more likely to keep using it.
Other Heliocare products
Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, is also a fan of the brand, but she uses the Oil-Free Gel.
"As somebody with particularly breakout-prone, oily skin, I have long leaned on Heliocare's Gel Oil-Free Sunscreen for my UV protection. I detest the feeling of greasy creams on my skin, and SPF are the worst offenders. The clear formula doesn't wash out my skin or leave any hint of a white cast, and the dry-touch finish is an absolute God send for its comfortable feeling. If you like your sunscreen to deliver a glow, however, just me mindful that the mattifying properties of this mighty tube are so good that it might not be for you."
If you have dry or dehydrated skin, then this is the one for you. It comes tinted and untinted.
If you prefer a mineral SPF, the brand has you covered there too.
