Time to get beach-ready ! Summer health & beauty roundup

We're all going on a summer holiday ... no more working for a week or two ! Well, we've nearly made it. We're almost into July so we've now got our eyes firmy fixed on the prized summer holiday. This year we're heading off to Lanzarote, which will be our first ever foray into the Canary Islands. It's definitely time to get beach-ready, not by going on one of those faddy crash diets that all the summery magazines are filed with but by stocking up on a few canny buys to prepare your skin and hair for all that sun, sea and sand.

First up is obviously sun protection and I'll be packing a couple of bottles of Eucerin 50+ Kids' Sun Spray. I've long known Eucerin as a dermatologist-recommended skin care brand which offers products specifically designed for those with particular skin concerns such as eczema, but I wasn't aware that they made sun cream too. Their Sun Kids Spray is free from perfume, colourants and parabens, clinically proven to be suitable even on atopic skin, extra water-resistant and it comes in the fun spray format that the Madhouse kids always prefer. RRP - £19.50 for 200ml.

I always like to buy an extra-rich shampoo for my hair when we go on holiday because of all the sun, salt and chlorine that it has to deal with, so I was delighted to receive some Ylang Ylang, Argan & Rosemary Conditioning Shampoo from AA Skincare. This is one of a range of  shampoos and conditioners bursting with natural ingredients, which also includes Amla & Clary Sage Rejuvenating Shampoo, Cedarwood & Peppermint Deep Cleansing Shampoo, Peony, Bay & Brahmi Nourishing Shampoo, Rose & Pomegranate Shampoo and Conditioner and Rosemary, Sage & Burdock Lift & Repair Shampoo. This vegan-friendly shampoo promises to encourage softness, shine and volume and help repair split ends. It also contains nutrients for the scalp to promote healthy hair and can help treat dandruff. It leaves my hair feeling literally squeaky clean, light and soft, although I do feel that I need a conditioner afterwards to nourish my hair. RRP £5.94 for 250ml. For more information : www.aaskincare.co.uk

Madhouse Daddy invariably ends up with cold sores after getting too much sun, so we always throw a cold sore lip balm in our suitcase to deal with the after effects. Traditional antiviral treatments only work once the infection is present, but SoreFix blocks cold sore triggers with a discreet physical filter - prevention is better than cure ! SoreFix also helps to heal cold sores faster and reduce the severity of symptoms, as well as moisturise dry & chapped lips. The lip balm's effectiveness is based on a combination of two zinc components - the cold sore virus has no resistance to zinc treatments and there are no known side effects. SoreFix has a long shelf life and comes in a 6ml tube or 10ml jar (both have an RRP of £7.47). For more information : www.sorefix.co.uk

Gillette Venus have some great products to keep your legs looking silky smooth and ready for shorts this summer. Venus Snap with Embrace (RRP £9.99) is the first ever portable razor to join the range, featuring Venus’ most advanced 5-blade Embrace technology on a mini handle so it's perfect for taking up minimal space in your suitcase or overnight bag. Venus & Olay (RRP £10.99) is the perfect two in one choice to remove hairs and soothe skin at the same time, thanks to the shave gel bars on the blades which make contact with the skin before and after the razor to lubricate and ease the blades over the skin. If you need to get pool-ready in double quick time, this is a great way to shave and moisturise your legs at the same time and makes shaving rash a thing of the past. Satin Care Shave Gel (RRP £3.29) is designed for maximum shaving comfort even for dry skin and helps prevent nicks and cuts. 

That'so Pure Sun All In One SPF 20-30-50+ Protective Dry Oil Spray (RRP £18.95) is a totally innovative product that promises to be the future of suncare. We've had it drilled into us for years that it doesn't matter how many times we apply our sunscreen, we only ever get the SPF stated on the bottle. Well, That'so is the one sunscreen breaking the rules and saying actually, why not be able to do exactly that ?! To obtain SPF 20, you need to spray the product uniformly for 10 seconds. 3 minutes after the first application, spray the product again to achieve SPF 30. Wait 3 more minutes after the second application and spray the product again to obtain a super high level of sun protection SPF 50+. The product also offers super melanin stimulation to promote a faster and more intense tan, avocado and jojoba oil to hydrate the skin and Vitamin E to help prevent free-radical damage to the skin. There is also That’so All In One After Sun Micro-Emulsion After Sun Spray (RRP £18.95), which can actually be used before or after sun exposure. It is rich in moisturising, refreshing and anti-erythema active ingredients, enhances suntans and repairs the skin from sun damage. Available from www.thatsoskincare.com

And finally, the EndWarts pen (£19.49), which is a treatment for verrucas and warts on hands and feet. Juliette suddenly announced that she had a verruca a couple of weeks ago, that she presumably picked up at the swimming pool on her weekly school swimming lessons. Just as I was getting ready to treat it, she gaily informed me that it had disappeared all by itself - if I hadn't seen it myself, I'd have thought she was pulling my leg, but apparently they can disappear by themselves if you're lucky. If you're not as lucky as Juliette though, it's good to know that EndWarts, which is a formic acid solution, effectively treats nine warts out of ten. Verrucas are easy to pick up in public swimming pools so it's reassuring to have an EndWarts pen in the medicine cupboard or the suitcase, just in case (and warts and verrucas have a nasty habit of coming back so Juliette may not be out of the woods just yet !). For more information : www.endwarts.co.uk/

You may also be interested in my "Kid-friendly products to save our summer" roundup

Disclosure : I received the products in order to write an honest review.