When it comes to medically approved sunscreens, the Heliocare range of sunscreens has been a dermatologist recommended favourite, over the years.
Known for its very high skin friendliness, the Heliocare sun care products include Polypodium leucotomos as one of the main sun protecting antioxidants.
Let us first look at the Heliocare sunscreens available under the Curator’s Choice at CHOSEN, and see why they made it to the curated list. Then we will look at the specific pros and cons to help you make your decision.
What it is: Heliocare Advanced Gel is considered one of the best gel sunscreens in India, offering a unique hybrid formula that leans more towards a lotion than a transparent gel type sunscreen.
The UV filters in this sunscreen are Octocrylene, Homosalate, Zinc oxide (nano) and Titanium Dioxide (nano). Check the full Heliocare Advanced Gel ingredients list in the product page.
Who is it best for:
The Heliocare Advanced Gel sunscreen is a great option for sunscreen beginners with normal to dry skin. When you are just starting out on sunscreen, you need a product that is easy to use. The Advanced Gel gives you that skin friendly comfort, and also acts as a very good moisturizer. In humid climates, the Heliocare Advanced sunscreen may take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to settle down on the skin. The finish is very nourishing and feels light on the skin after the initial settling in time.
Important points to note about this sunscreen:
1. Heliocare sunscreen 50 SPF Advanced Gel, falls under the category of high protection sunscreens since it is SPF 50. With a critical wavelength above 370nm, this sunscreen also provides UVA protection. Further, the presence of Polypodium leucotomos suggests that this sunscreen would have protective benefits against the visible light spectrum.
2. This sunscreen lotion contains chemical and mineral filters, and is therefore called a hybrid sunscreen. If you are considering skipping chemical filters, you may want to check out the pure mineral SAFESCREEN range.
3. There are silicones and fragrances in this sunscreen. However, this sunscreen is not known to cause any allergic reactions due to these ingredients, and has been safely used by thousands of people.
4. We recommend caution in the use of this sunscreen during pregnancy and nursing, due to the presence of chemical filters in it. While there is no conclusive data on the extent of endocrine disruption with the once to twice daily use of this sunscreen on the face and the neck, and though the information on the Heliocare UK website does not suggest avoiding this sunscreen in pregnancy, we recommend that you get your physician’s approval for the use of this sunscreen in pregnancy/ nursing.
Go for this sunscreen if
1. You have dry skin
2. You live in a low humidity area, or spend most of your time in an air conditioned environment.
3. You have sensitive skin.
4. You have no condition that needs you to avoid chemical sunscreens filters, fragrances or silicones.
What it is: The Heliocare Color sunscreen gel cream is a tinted sunscreen with a broad spectrum UVA/ UVB coverage with a critical wavelength > 370 nm. CHOSEN store carries the ‘ Light’ variant, which is more suitable for Indian skin tones.
The UV filters in this Heliocare tinted sunscreen are Bimotrizinol, Iscotrizinol, Ethyl hexyl salicylate, Avobenzone, Polysilicone 15, Titanium dioxide and Ethyl hexyl triazone. Additionally, it also contains the UV protecting antioxidant Polypodium leucotomos. For a complete list of all Heliocare Color Gel Cream ingredients, visit the product page.
Who is it best for?
The Heliocare Color sunscreen cream has a light lotion to gel crème consistency and is best suited for those who are looking for light weight coverage. This sunscreen has good blendability and the tint stays true over the day, anchored on the titanium dioxide.
Important points to know about this sunscreen gel cream:
1. The Color tinted sunscreen provides high sun protection, with the tints extending the protection spectrum to shield against visible light as well. Additional HEVL cover comes from the presence of Polypodium leucotomos.
2. This sunscreen contains parabens and is ideal for short contact, and occasional type of use.
3. This hybrid sunscreen does not contain octinoxate or octocrylene – if you are specifically looking to avoid these ingredients.
4. Though this sunscreen contains multiple sun protecting UV filters, the presence of Avobenzone may require this sunscreen to be repeated once every 2-3 hours.
5. We do not recommend this sunscreen for pregnant women or nursing mothers.
Heliocare color sunscreen cream is a great choice for you if
1. You are looking for a product with good skin coverage for short periods of usage.
2. You use it as a makeup base, from time to time, again for short durations of time.
What it is: The Heliocare 360 sunscreen is a high protection sunscreen with specific long lasting hydration properties. That makes it suitable for those in hot, dry climates, and for those with very dry skin, even in humid climates. Though there are a few variants of the water gel that were available internationally, CHOSEN store carries the 50 SPF sunscreen version. Though mentioned as a water gel, its consistency makes this product a sunscreen lotion, or maximum, a crème. It is not a transparent sunscreen gel.
Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl hexyl salicylate, Avobenzone, Ensulizole, Tris Biphenyl Triazine are the UV filters in this sunscreen, with added antioxidant support from Polypodium leucotomos, and melanin for enhanced sun protection. To see what the other Heliocare 360 Water gel ingredients are, visit the sunscreen page.
Important deets about this water gel sunscreen:
1. The Heliocare 360 Water Gel is a very good starter sunscreen. Actually, despite its negative image in terms of being a possible endocrine receptor, Octocrylene containing sunscreens are very good starter sunscreens. An excellent example is the Avene Day Protector sunscreen, sadly no longer available.
It is a good idea to get the skin trained on a started sunscreen, and then move to a regular sunscreen for long term use, which has a better safety profile
2. This sunscreen is rated as one of the best sunscreens for oily skin and helps keep the skin well protected during the post procedure periods.
3. As this is a chemical sunscreen, we recommend that you avoid this sunscreen during periods of pregnancy and nursing, or use this sunscreen very minimally during such periods. Minimal exposure is possibly harmless, but since we do not have final data on these UV filters at this point, it may be best to skip this octocrylene based sunscreen till more research information is available.
You may consider doing an Add to cart on this sunscreen if,
1. You have tried multiple sunscreens and found them very drying
2. If you have sensitive skin
3. If you are just training your skin to get used to a sunscreen.
What it is: A spray sunscreen in larger pack size, suitable for families on vacations! A broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 50, UVA and UVB protection, the Heliocare spray sunscreen is all about convenient packaging.
The UV filters here are Octinoxate, Octrocrylene, Avobenzone , again with added Polypodium leucotomos for its UV shielding properties. Check out the product page for the full list of Heliocare spray sunscreen ingredients.
Important information about this body sunscreen:
1. This is a spray sunscreen, which provides good coverage and spreadability as a body sunscreen. Heliocare Advanced Spray must not be sprayed directly on the face due to the possibility of inhalational toxicity when the sunscreen ingredients are inhaled into the lungs.
2. This sunscreen contains octinoxate and octocrylene and may not be considered safe for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
3. As a body sunscreen, this is one of the easily spreading sunscreens and may be considered ideal for high altitude and cold vacations due to the high moisturizing potential. However, given the presence of octinoxate and octocrylene, this product may not be ideal for your beach vacation. Also, with Avobenzone in it, the chances of sustained sun protection, as needed in a water sports holiday, is probably less than ideal. For sustained protection against UV, consider using long wear and durable SAFESCREEN® with non nano zinc to be truly reef safe! Also, considering parabens listed as an ingredient, it may be best to use this sunscreen on an intermittent basis and not as your standard, go to sunscreen for daily use.
4. This is a high protection, high coverage sunscreen, and can be your perfect family sunscreen for those ski vacations!
Shop this sunscreen if
1. Your family is heading out to a cold mountain vacay, and you need SPF with moisturizing capabilities.
2. You need a body sunscreen that covers without making the feel tacky, and comes with high protection.
So that is the detailed brief of the Heliocare range of the best sunscreens out there! We hope you found this information useful and are now able to make an informed decision about which sunscreen who would wear to what occasion. Still, need more options? Head over to the sunscreen quiz and let us get you going on some great choices!
You might also like to read
- Which is the best Avene Sunscreen?
- All about SAFESCREEN® sunscreens!
- The Complete Sunscreen Guide - How to choose the best sunscreen?
