Here at Escentual, we’re on a mission to help end sun poverty – and we need your help. As a part of our #SunPoverty campaign, we launched our first-ever sunscreen, which lies at the heart of our passion project. The SPF50+, 4-hour water-resistant sun lotion not only keeps the wearer safely guarded against both UVA and UVB rays, but it also helps to keep thousands of kids around the country safely shielded against sun damage through our buy-one-donate-one scheme.
As a part of our exciting #SunPoverty initiative, for each Escentual sunscreen bought through us, we’ll donate one to a UK primary school child eligible for free school meals to ensure that all children have access to very high protection sunscreen.
Our #SunPoverty Plans for 2022
We’re excited to announce that we’re busy preparing to bring back our #SunPoverty campaign for 2022 – and it’s going to be even bigger and better than before. Watch this space for all the latest updates…
In the meantime, you can continue to support our #SunPoverty project with these three steps:
- Don’t forget to wear sunscreen all year round.
- Spread the buy-one-donate-one message – we’re donating one sunscreen for every Escentual sunscreen bought.
- Download our letter to the government to end VAT on children’s sunscreen.
2021 Update
With your help, we donated over 20,000 free sunscreens to food banks, charities and children eligible for free school meals across the UK during 2021.
“At In Kind Direct, we exist to enable more communities to thrive. We do this through the distribution of a wide range of products with the intention of helping people keep clean, safe and well. Sunscreen is an important product that can be out of reach for many. We are so grateful to Escentual for their large donation of children’s SPFs, which means we can provide access to this vital product to charitable organisations across the UK, whilst educating children and their families on the importance of sun protection” –
Maya Pierreux – Head of Corporate Partnerships,
In Kind Direct.
Read On To Find Out More About Our Sunscreen…
Now that you know a little bit more about our #SunPoverty project, you might have a few questions about our sunscreen itself – well, you’re in the perfect place. Keep reading to have all your questions on the formula answered…
The Most Important Thing About Our Sunscreen Is…
A lot of us here at Escentual admittedly weren’t aware of the difference between UVA and UVB rays growing up, so we’re now on a mission to change that for future generations. Our SPF50+ Sunscreen offers very high broad-spectrum defence to properly protect skin. But what exactly does that mean? This means that our SPF will keep skin optimally shielded against both UVA and UVB rays to ensure skin is protected from skin damage and harmful sunburn (caused by UVB rays), and also guarded against UVA protection responsible for photoaging and additional damage, like skin cancer. As UVA rays can penetrate clouds and windows – and they’re responsible for roughly 95% of the UV light that reaches our skin – it’s important that we’re protecting our skin every day.
As many of our sunscreens will be donated, the water-resistant formula has also been made with kids in mind. To go alongside each donated SPF, they’ll receive a kid-friendly comic book written by Team Escentual, which will teach them why sun lotion is so vital and how to apply it properly.
Did you know that we’re also calling on the government to abolish VAT on children’s sunscreen, too? After all, why should we be paying VAT on something that’s designed to keep our skin healthy? To us, sunscreen isn’t discretionary; it’s a necessity.
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You Will Love This If…
We’ve made this sunscreen for everyone – so everyone over 6 months old can use and enjoy its caring, hypoallergenic formula. We think you’ll love it if you’re as passionate about our Sun Poverty initiative as we are, while you’re sure to appreciate its easy-to-use, clever clip-on design just as much too!
The Formula:
Using chemical UV filters, our sunscreen guards against UVA and UVB rays, while also helping to offer high levels of UV protection even when you’re in the water, making it ideal for trips to the pool or the beach (although we always recommend regularly reapplying so that you know that you or your child are safe in the sun). Behind the formula lies aloe vera – a natural ingredient known for its moisturising, anti-inflammatory properties – while vitamin E is also featured to offer antioxidant benefits.
The Texture:
The sunscreen has a lightweight fluid lotion texture that’s quick and easy to blend in and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy after it’s worked in.
The Finish:
Our Escentual sun lotion has an invisible finish that doesn’t leave behind any white streaks if you blend it in using a downwards motion.
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How Should You Apply It?
Apply 20 mins before sun exposure, so that the SPF has a chance to soak into the skin properly. Take care to apply a generous and even layer, ensuring that you don’t miss any parts exposed to sunlight (areas that are often forgotten about are; the under-eye area, the eyelids and the inner corner of your eye socket, along with the ears, neck, and back of the neck.
If you’re a parent or a carer and you’re teaching your child how to apply sunscreen, you might find our E-S-C-E-N-T-U-A-L guide useful; we’ll be teaching it to kids around the country to help them remember where to apply sunscreen:
• E – Ears (tops and backs)
• S – Sides of the face
• C – Cheeks and chin
• E – Eyelids and under eyes
• N – Neck and nose
• T – Top of the head and forehead
• U – Under your clothes
• A – Arms and hands
• L – Legs and little toes
How Often Do You Need To Reapply?
To maintain a high level of UV protection, reapply every two hours, or after sweating, swimming or towel-drying.
We’d also recommend wearing a hat and sunglasses on sunnier days. Plus, make sure to keep an eye out for shady spots and avoid the hottest parts of the day to reduce the risk of sunburn.
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What’s Special About The Bottle?
As we’ll be donating tens of thousands of our Escentual sun lotions to kids, we have designed the sunscreen to suit children; it has a space for them to write their name on the front, allowing them to personalise it and to use as an identifier when they’re on the playground or it’s hanging from their school bag. We’ve also included a handy silver carabiner clip so they can attach it to their school bags, while the bottle’s screw-on cap is attached so they don’t lose it. The white squeezy tube is also easy to wipe clean. But adults will love the bottle just as much as kids; the clip can easily be attached to anything from prams to backpacks, while its travel-friendly size means it’s great to pop into your handbag, beach bag or to keep in the car for trips out.
You’ll also notice our kid-friendly smiley sun logo on the front; keep an eye out for our trademark logo as it’ll crop up throughout our #SunPoverty campaign during the summer months.
But what about the sustainable elements? The bottle’s cap is recyclable, and once you’ve removed the clip and label from the plastic white bottle, that’s also recyclable. Or, why not get creative and find ways to reuse your bottle and clip after rinsing it out?
Values?
Dermatology-tested, hypoallergenic.
Fragrance-free, paraben-free, oxybenzone-free, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor-free, Octinoxate/Octyl Methoxycinnamate-free, PABA-free, MIT & Chlorphen-free.
More from Escentual and Sun Care:
Sunscreen Application for Children and Babies: All You Need to Know
