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This Garnier SPF is our favourite for oily skin – and it’s only £12.99
Finding an affordable SPF is no easy feat
Garnier is a go-to brand for all things affordable skincare and, from the micellar water (£9.99, Lookfantastic.com) to the iconic ambre solaire sun cream (£6, Lookfantastic.com), the brand is a certainly an old reliable in my household. What I perhaps didn’t expect, is to find a two in one Garnier SPF-come-skincare powerhouse for less than £15. Introducing: the Garnier BHA + niacinamide daily UV SPF 50 (£12.99, Lookfantastic.com).
Until recently, I didn’t realise *quite* how tough it is to find a facial SPF for less than £15. Granted, you’ve got your own-brand Boots and Superdrug formulas and they’ve undoubtedly their time and place, but when it comes to finding an SPF that actually works to improve your skin while it’s protecting it, now that’s the tricky part. t
As such, I was rightly excited to find Garnier’s niacinamide offering on my pre-sleep shopping scroll and even more thrilled to get my hands on a tube to test the past few weeks. Here’s how I’ve been getting on.
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How I tested Garnier BHA + niacinamide daily UV SPF 50
I used Garner’s niacinamide SPF nearly every time I left the house over the course of two weeks, applying it as my last skincare step after my daily face moisturiser. With each application, I paid attention to the texture of the SPF upon applying, how my skin felt immediately after, plus any changes to my face’s appearance throughout the day. I have an oily skin type, so I also took note of any (if any) breakouts that formed after introducing the product to my routine, given that face SPFs are usually the root cause of these for me. Keep reading for my verdict.
Garnier BHA + niacinamide daily UV
- Size: 50ml
- Key ingredients: Niacinamide to brighton, salicylic acid, glycerin and skin replenishing capric triglyceride
- Fragranced?: No
- For...skin type?: Combination to oily
- Cruelty-free?: Yes
- Type: Chemical
- Why we love it
- It’s as lightweight and weightless as a skincare product can be
- Non-greasy
- Doesn’t pill when combined with other products
- Take note
- A little bit runny
Almost like a serum in its texture, Garnier’s niacinamide SPF is watery but in a way that feels refreshing, lightweight and wonderful to anyone who struggles with thick creams. I’m always drawn towards products with water as the primary ingredient (as opposed to oil-based skincare) and this one fits that brief tremendously.
Read more: I don’t leave the house without this setting powder
I don’t combine my moisturiser and SPF, so to find one that doesn’t serve to add any more moisture was actually a big tick for me. What’s more, the product is fragrance-free, so you needn’t worry about any breakouts from either perfume irritants or, more commonly, sweat being trapped underneath a thick barrier-type SPF.
Indeed, these barrier-type sunscreens, called mineral sunscreen, which reflect UV light can cause more issues for combination to oily skin types. Thankfully, Garnier’s niacinamide SPF is a chemical sunscreen and, instead, absorbs the sun’s harmful UV rays using bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine. You wouldn’t want to say that three times...
The verdict: Garnier BHA + niacinamide daily UV SPF 50
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high hopes going into this review as I’ve had some bad experiences with budget SPFs, but I’m thrilled to say that Garnier’s bucked the curve. I’ve been reaching for this product from my myriad of mid-range and luxury SPFs (ahem, Supergoop!) time and time again over the past few weeks, and I’ve found it sits really nicely both on bare skin and under make-up. It’s carry-on friendly, minimises shine and has 100 per cent got my vote. It’s up there with some of the premium SPFs, really.