Charmaine Lyons, a 27-year-old freelance hair stylist from the South of England knows how summer sun exposure can take its toll on her naturally thick and healthy hair. With British summertime now in full swing, we challenged her to try out five of the best sun protectors on the shelves to see which offered the best barrier, nourishment and super-glossy finish…
L'Oréal Professionnel Série Expert Solar Satin Shine Glaze
£10.50
The perfect travel-sized item for holiday packing, this oil-based spray gave great protection - although my hair felt a little greasy after a day of application. A deliciously fruity scent, added protection from sea-water and great value for money makes this product a beach-bag essential.
Stockists: www.loreal.co.uk
Fekkai Sun Bandana
£16
This lightweight cream had a lovely, delicate fragrance that lingered most of the day. The application time took a little longer than the rest as the cream had to be combed through to ensure even distribution, and I had to use quite a lot to cover my thick, shoulder-length hair. Although I'm sure this cream did protect my hair from the sun, it left my locks feeling a little heavy, dry and straw-like, so I wasn't satisfied with the results.
Stockists: www.spacenk.com
Matrix Biolage Sunsorials Protective Hair Oil
£7.15
A smooth, silky texture and great for even coverage, this protector smelt a lot like suncream and gave just as good results. Hair was left feeling silky-smooth and shiny without greasiness. As an added bonus, it protects tresses from the harmful effects of the sea and swimming pools. This item will definitely feature in my beach bag this summer.
Stockists: 01753 441253
Redken UV Rescue Protective Oil
£13.50
Littered with oodles of gold sparkling glitter particles, this light mist looks fab and gives hair a subtle shimmer and plenty of sheen. It smells gorgeously sweet and made my mane feel soft, nourished and totally protected. A little goes a long way, so be sure not to spray this product liberally or you'll wind up with greasy locks. My hair still felt soft and supple after a day spent in the sunshine. Top marks again, but my favourite overall because of the sparkle!
Stockists: 0800 444880
No7 Glossy Locks Hair Spritz
£5.50
I liked the idea of having to shake the bottle to mix product together and activate. Very different to most sun protectors as this spray is in no way oily, it felt light as air and had a lovely light perfume scent. However, because this product is so light, I didn't feel like I had anything on my hair at all. After a day in the British sunshine, my locks did look glossy but didn't really feel any different than usual.
Available at Boots
