Sun Protection with P20

Hi Everyone!

Today I am going to be talking about an incredibly important topic and a particularly relevant one based on the recent heatwave, sun protection.

As a person that's grown up with very fair skin that doesn't really tan and just burns and goes red, I've learnt the hard way over the years how important it is to wear sun protection and also the correct spf level. I currently wear factor 50+ which is perfect for anyone with fair skin or also for children as it reduces the effects of UV radiation.

The product I am currently using and trying out is called P20* by Riemann who are a Danish manufacturer of specialised skincare products. 

My First Impressions

The product comes in a spray format which is applied once a day and lasts for 10 hours with water resistance thrown in for good measure.  So even if you are on holiday and go for a dip in the sea, you don't have to waste extra product on reapplication which I thought was great and I'm always in favour of being cost effective!

When you spray the product it comes out in a fine mist and is really lightweight on the skin and transparent, perfect to wear on your face under makeup or as all over body protection. The formula is non greasy and is miles away from the thick white lotions I tend to have to use to achieve SPF 50 coverage. The lotion dries really quickly and the protection becomes active 15 minutes after application so it's a very quick process of giving yourself a spritz all over, dry for a couple of minutes the you're out of the door.

Cost wise, the pricing is £13.29 for 100ml and £24.49 for 200ml. Considering that you only need one application per day as you can imagine the product stretches quite far and I would say is a good price point for such a high level of protection in a convenient format. 

Overall, I enjoy using my P20 and will continue to do so for the forseeable future as it fits my requirements perfectly and I do believe it is effective.

Questions and Answers

P20 have included a few Q+A's with consultant dermatologist Dr Jonathan Bowling DRCP, specialist in skin cancer diagnosis and treatment, some of which I have included below for your reference as I thought they were particularly interesting.

Q. Which type of sun protection product (cream, oil, gel, spray, powder, wipe) is the best? 

A. The best type of sun protection product is one that is easy to apply, long acting and broad spectrum giving high protection that is cosmetically attractive and fit for purpose. For instance men may prefer gels, lotions or oils as they are easier to apply to hairy skin. Sprays may help reach those difficult sites. For water sports or alpine activity then a higher protection product, which may be cosmetically less attractive, should provide higher protection and may be a better choice than the sun protection you would use for relaxing in your garden. 

Q. Does using sun protection products actually reduce the risk of skin cancer? (can you reference the research?)

A. Evidence published in 2011 from the Queensland Institute of Medical research showed that daily sun protection use, rather than discretionary use, over a 10 year study period, was associated with fewer melanomas.

Q. Can I layer on different sunscreens for extra protection?

A. It may be sensible to apply two coats of the same sun protection product to make sure areas of skin aren't being missed, much akin to applying two coats of paint for a wall. However I would not recommend mixing sun protection product as there is a potential for an unpredictable reaction when the differing ingredients are mixed. Please note adding a SPF 30 sunscreen to a SPF 50+ sunscreen does not deliver SPF 80 protection.

Q. How much sunscreen should I apply to my body?

- Face 

- Décolletage 

- Limbs 

- Places to not forget? Ears, shoulders, bottom! 

A. Although difficult to quantify due to the varying formulations and strengths, the most reliable description of the optimal amount of sun protection product to use daily is liberal and lots, and to all exposed areas including the bottom if relevant! Using a long acting sun protection product that is cosmetically attractive is more likely to result in higher protection than using less of a product that is cosmetically challenging. Around the eyes, nose and ears consider using the lip balm sunscreen that you are applying to your lips.

Q. If my makeup products have SPF, do I still need to apply sunscreen?

A. Some make up products will give a minimal degree of protection either due to the mineral content of the product or by the incorporation of a sunscreen ingredient. Typically the protection delivered in practice is far less than from laboratory testing and far less than that of a dedicated sunscreen. For sun protection from April to September consider using a long acting sunscreen upon which make up can be applied. Consider P20 SPF 20, 30 or 50+.


I hope you guys enjoyed this post and found it helpful. If you want to check out P20 you can do so on their website and this is the link to the stockists page : http://www.p20.co.uk/find-p20/.

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X