Who knew I’d ever be writing a post about the best sunscreen for cycling in the UK. But it’s easy to catch the sun, especially when out road cycling, on long rides or even commutes.
As well as sharing some cycling sunscreen brands I have personally used, I’ve also got a good selection of recommendations from others, giving you plenty of choice for your own requirements and circumstances.
Why You Use Sunscreen When Cycling
Basically, sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which come in two forms – UVA and UVB rays.
No matter your skin tone (fair or dark) you should wear sunscreen. For the more fair skinned of you, sunscreen will protect against sunburn and it reduces the appearance of sun damage. Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer and yes, you can get burnt in the UK! And you can burn even when it’s cloudy (NHS, 2020)
The fact above is one that came to my attention while on a trip to Antigua. And the reason for this statistic is that when skin cancers do occur in people of colour, they tend to be diagnosed at a later stage and, as a result, have a worse prognosis.
According to skincancer.org one study found an average five-year melanoma survival rate of only 65% in black people versus 91% in white people.
Sunscreen Recommendations:
Here is a non exhaustive list of the best sunscreens for cyclists, especially focusing on your face, as recommended by myself and other cyclists.
The main areas you should focus on for coverage are those that are exposed; so your face, arms and legs. Unless the fabric you’re wearing has UV ray protection, you should also put cream on your body.
The NHS advises that you use at least factor 30 sunscreen to protect against UVB, so the recommendations are all SPF 30 and above. The sunscreen you use should also have at least 4-star UVA protection. UVA protection can also be indicated by the letters “UVA” in a circle, which indicates that it meets the EU standard.
- Pelotan
- Reimann P20 (Face | Body)
- NEW ADD: Beauty Pie Featherlight UVA/UVB SPF 50 Sunscreen + Primer
- La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra Sensitive
- Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50
- Ultrasun Sport
- Tropic Sun Day Facial UV Defence
- Neutrogena Sport Face (SPF 70)
- Heliocare Advanced Gel SPF 50
Sun Protection I Swear By:
Ultrasun is a brand that I came across and got to test in Antigua in 2019. Their tinted face cream was a gamechanger for me! It comes in one shade – Honey – and believe me or not, it’s suitable for ALL complexions.
It’s the perfect product in Summer months when you want to avoid heavy make-up and also want to keep your skin protected from the sun. I didn’t know they did a lip protection stick too; I’ve had this just a few days and am loving it.
If you came here looking for sunscreen for cycling, I hope you found one that will work for you. Once you’ve tried it, come back and leave a comment let us know how you got on.
If you have another recommendation, please leave it in the comments and I will update the post.
Do you wear sun cream when cycling?! Or is it something you’ve been meaning to do?!
Elle
It’s not specifically designed for cycling but I use boots soltan every day during sunny months, it’s got fab UVA/B protection and isn’t super expensive. I don’t think it’s designed for sports but i use it on the bike and haven’t been burnt yet!
Good to know there are some good every day options out there too! I think the main difference with “made for sports” creams are that they will be sweat / water resistant so likely to stay on / work longer! So I guess it just depends how sweaty you get during cycling or whatever other sport you’re doing!