According to Saldo, good sun cream doesn't have to be expensive
12.6.2025
Translation: machine translated
With so many sun creams to choose from, good advice is often expensive. However, this does not necessarily apply to the products themselves. In the Saldo test, the cheap sun creams protect just as reliably as the expensive ones.
If you are looking for sun cream in our shop, you are spoilt for choice from over 2500 products. But which is the right one? And is a good sun cream synonymous with expensive? The current balance test provides a possible clue.
Summer, sun, sunshine
The Swiss magazine for consumers had eleven sunscreens tested: eight with protection factor 30 (SPF 30) and three with protection factor 50 (SPF 50). Several laboratories in Germany and Portugal analysed the products and focused on three criteria:
- Sun protection: How well does the sun cream protect against harmful UV-A and UV-B rays?
- Removability: How much cream remains in the bottle or tube during normal use without destroying the packaging?
- Dosing and moisturising: How easy is the sun cream to apply and how quickly is it absorbed?
They are all good ...
To cut a long story short: All eleven sun creams tested passed. With Swiss school grades between 5.4 and 4.9, they all received the same overall rating: «Good». Decathlon and Vichy jointly won the test by a wafer-thin margin ahead of La Roche Posay (5.3).
With the other sun creams, too, only tenths of a point make the difference. Whether it's the products tested from Lidl, Aldi, Migros and Coop or well-known brands such as Garnier and Avène, they all offer good UV protection.
The results are also positive.
Sunscreen
Quantity discount
CHF10.40 per piece for 2 units CHF72.67/1l
Garnier As Hydra48 SPF 30 Sunscreen 150ml
Suntan cream, SPF 30, 150 ml
... not expensive
As close as the sunscreens are to each other in terms of protection, the price differences are sometimes enormous. For example, at 14.76 francs per 100 millilitres, the most expensive product tested (Avène Children's Sun Milk, SPF 50) is around ten times more expensive than the cheapest (Lidl Cien Sun Sun Milk, SPF 30). Of the two test winners, Decathlon (7.95 francs per 100 ml) is almost three francs cheaper than Vichy (10.85 per 100 ml).
You can find all prices and the detailed test results here (paywall).
Sun protection is a science in itself
With the sheer amount of sun cream we need for our six-year-old daughter during the summer, I find it good and reassuring to know that there is also good UV protection for a small budget. However, I also realise that there are other aspects that can or should lead to a purchase decision. For example, harmful substances, especially in products for children:
One thing is certain: there is no such thing as the only true, correct sun protection. This is a very individual decision that depends on many personal factors. For example, colleague Katja and her family swear by Sensolar:
La Roche Posay, Beauty of Joseon and Daylong are very popular with you. Now in stock, they are currently the three best-selling sun creams.
«Wear sunscreen», is the spoken word song by Baz Luhrmann. In fact, it cannot be repeated and emphasised enough: Cream yourself up and don't be fooled by so-called influencers who claim the opposite! !
If you're going to listen to anyone, why not listen to the sun protection expert who answered questions from colleague Natalie:
Which sun cream do you swear by? What's important to you when it comes to sun protection? Write it in the comments.
Header image: Patrick Vogt
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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