These are the best body sun creams for summer 2023

Vichy is often a hit on the GH beauty desk, and this SPF water is no exception. This SPF50 is so lightweight and melts into skin practically before you have a chance to rub it in. It's enriched with hyaluronic acid and the brand's soothing mineralising water, which makes it a soothing, quenching option for dry, parched limbs. It leaves skin with a healthy looking sheen, too, which catches prettily under light.

This lotion feels more like a milk than a cream, which means it's one of the quicker ones in our edit to rub into skin. It absorbs well (read: no sticky residue), and has a sunshiny scent that is so happy-making that you'll look forward to the next application. The spritz is super fine (more delicate mist than firehose), meaning you can even use this on your face if you're without your facial SPF.

Garnier are doing exciting things in the suncare arena this year, and this face and body SPF serum is no exception. The lightweight fluid texture means you can apply heaps to the same area without it pilling or rolling; one of our blemish-prone testers used this on their face in the sunshine and didn't find it irritating. It's particularly brilliant for sensitive skin that finds the warmer temperatures challenging: it cushions areas of dryness and protects the skin barrier with the addition of ceramides.

There's much to love from Ultra Violette, the Australian SPF brand that have taken the UK by storm. Australian SPF regulations are some of the tightest in the world, so you can expect their sun protections offering to be the real deal. They have excellent facial SPFs but pay attention to their body offering, too. This SPF50 has cooling aloe vera that feels soothing on application and has the most subtle light-reflecting particles to give skin a gleam. Overall? This feels more like a luxe body lotion than SPF.

This body SPF took us by surprise on the beauty desk. Not least because it's from a haircare brand, but because for its richer texture, it absorbs incredibly well. Despite this rich texture, it didn't leave an ashy cast on our darker skinned tester and instead melted invisibly into skin. If SPFs that are a little richer make you feel like you're more protected from the sun, this is a sensible choice.

Lancaster are a suncare authority. The Sun Sport mist not only is brilliant for getting to all those hard-to-reach areas, but is one of the most sweat and water resistant we've ever found (perfect for avid swimmers or those exercising outdoors in the heat). The brand also say you can apply it to damp and wet skin as well as dry, and it'll still absorb beautifully. Smart.

An unsung hero from the tanning brand, this SPF is so great for drier skin types that feel parched in the sunshine. Its brilliant hydrating abilities belie its more affordable price tag.