Keep a close eye on those rays

THIS summer, I’ve worn wellies more than I’ve worn sun cream, and a raincoat more than sunglasses. But the increase in light means I reach for products with SPF every day.

It may be howling a gale outside, with light that makes you feel you’re in a Scandinavian crime series, but I wear an SPF when I go out in the morning. Obsessive? Probably, but in terms of ageing, UV light has become the enemy and while I’m not like Madonna (full body suit on the beach), I’m more comfortable cloaked in SPF.

I’ve written about the excellent range of city screens, which are a good alternative to thicker sunscreens for the face, but there are nifty additions to prevent those rays getting through.

Start with the eyes. My new must-have is an eye cream with SPF. There aren’t too many SPF eye products - I’ve yet to meet anyone prepared to apply sun cream or sun screen too near their eyes - so the eye area (where the skin is delicate and papery) is unprotected, unless you’ve got Jackie-O style glasses glued to your head.

The solution is an SPF eye cream. Frivolous? Probably, but these products aren’t perfect: it’s not ideal wearing SPFs at night, so you may need two eye creams, which is where it gets pricey. And they’re pricey to begin with, as, mostly, only premium brands make them. But your eyes are so well-protected throughout the day that, maybe, you won’t feel the need to wear an eye cream at night, which would be a score.

So what’s out there? Excellent, natural skincare brand, Korres, have come up trumps with their evening primrose eye cream, €32.70. It has vitamin C and evening primrose; all very lovely, but, hang on, it’s only got an SPF of 6. This may be because it’s a natural mineral sunscreen and if it was any higher it’d start to look chalky, but if you’re after something a little more hefty in the SPF department, there are alternatives.

Next up: Ole Henricksen’s total truth eye cream, SPF 15, €54.15 (lookfantastic.com). It’s an award-winner and I’m partial to it, although it comes in a very tiny tub and is very, very expensive for the amount you get. It’s very thick, so you only need a smidge, which means it’ll last a long time, but still, it’s very pricey. Dermalogica total eye care, SPF 15, €35.95 (dermalexpert.co.uk), is a gentle product that contains no artificial colour or fragrance.

It easily sinks into the eye area, making it good if you’re planning to apply make-up afterwards.

And a word of caution: eye creams can often make the eye area more moisturised, which can be an issue with eye makeup. If you are applying eyeliner or shadow, then dust the area with a little powder beforehand to prevent smudging.

I’m pretty precious about my lips, too, so, during the day, I only use lip products with an SPF, which is easy enough to do because there are tons of them around.

If you’re looking for a balm, then opt for Kiehl’s lip balm, SPF 15, €14, or Burt’s Bees sun protecting lip balm, SPF 6, €3.85.

A great one for the summer, especially if you’re headed off on a beach holiday, is Mac’s Hey Sailor! suntints, SPF 20, liquid lip balm, €19.