Which sunscreen to pack to the Maldives?

***Updated on 18 October 2021****

This is not a blog about reef-safe sunscreens

My position on sunscreen and coral-reefs is don’t wear sunscreen whey you go diving because that is the BEST OUTCOME FOR CORALS.

I appreciate this is a question of individual responsibility so if you are looking for reef-safe sunscreens click HERE

***

Introduction

A regular reader (with very helpful suggestions), wrote in and said, “we may travel to Maldives so I am sure a strong sunscreen would be needed. Anything which is available in India is fine.” That appears to be the only criteria for this blog.

As a minimum, you should pack at least one sunscreen for the face and body.

Because this reader is Indian I can take for granted two things: they are not going swimming in the ocean and they are definitely, definitely not going diving. We are Indian and that’s not what we do….

(Another reader has specifically asked for mineral sunscreens for pregnant and lactating women – that’s something I am working on at the moment. The reason for the side-bar is that, in today’s blog I will only suggest what I would pack on a holiday to the Maldives AND I am not pregnant or breast-feeding. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding AND going to the Maldives, then watch this space!)

How much should I apply and how often?

In terms of how often, its essentially every 2 hours but more often if you are sweating or wiping your face with a towel. Please read this blog for the amount.

In general, I follow the Australian guidelines which are:

Which sunscreen?

I’m going to start with ALTRUIST, which is Made in the UK (but I have found a combo pack on desertcart. Link HERE). The reason to include it is a grade A sunscreen. We are Indian and I am sure that somehow, you can get friends or family to buy this for you in Europe or Dubai! (Bribe them with Indian sweets…!)

And I haven’t even told you the best part: the PPD of the sunscreen is ridiculously high and this is straight from Altruist’s Facebook page.

(PPD is a method of measuring against sunburn protection, originally developed in Japan. But PPD measures UVA protection (while SPF measures UVB protection).

Which sunscreen can I buy in India? Nykaa or Flipkart or the local pharmacy?

In no particular order, these sunscreens offer the best protection against both UVA and UVB. These sunscreens are all European and by and large, they are Made in Europe. In most cases, the formulation sold in Europe is also the same sold in India. This last point is very important: while India’s sunscreen regulation landscape is non-existent, Europe’s is not. Choosing these sunscreens gives me the peace of mind that they are compliant with high-standard EU regulation. I just don’t have the same confidence with respect to Indian sunscreens. Sorry.

Bioderma SPF 50

Read review at this link

Avene SPF 50

Read review at this link

Sebamed SPF 50

Available on Amazon India

Read review at this link

L’Oreal SPF 50

Read review at this link

Finally…

I won’t write that these are the best user experience sunscreens: they are not. BUT the intensity of UV radiation in Maldives is very high and without cloud cover and pollution, it can feel extremely intense.

Sunscreen may not protect you from tanning, but it is going to counter sunburn.

Other sun protection measures

The Australian skin cancer council issue guidelines that I follow. (As Australians love their beaches, this is sensible advice to follow!). I would add that you stay out of the sun from about 10am – 4pm, but I know is going to listen to me!

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