The difference between the two extracts is purely that the 360 is the newer, 3rd generation extract, being further enhanced than its predecessors.

The original Fernblock extract contains Ultrasomes that do not reverse DNA damage caused by UV radiation but it assists the body's own natural repair process making it 4 times faster than the normal repair process of your skin.

Fernblock+ (the 360 range) is an advanced extract and is 8 times stronger than the original Fernblock, as it contains higher concentrations of 4 polyphenols: Ferulic acid, Caffeic acid, innamic
acid and Vanillic acid. 

Heliocare and Heliocare 360˚ topical creams and gels do not contain any animal-derived components and therefore are classed as vegan friendly. Cantabria Labs are also currently working on implementing the change of casings to make our capsules vegan friendly too.

Cantabria Labs, Spain, the manufacturers of Heliocare, are dedicated to improving the health and lives of people worldwide, bringing them products that meet rigorous safety standards so that their customers can use them with complete confidence.

Cantabria Labs do not test their cosmetics on animals and they never request that third parties carry out such tests on their behalf. They are fully compliant with current European cosmetic product legislation prohibiting animal testing, both with respect to its end products and to the raw materials and ingredients used in its formulations.

Cantabria Labs assess the safety of their cosmetic products through the latest human volunteer in-vivo methods and laboratory based in-vitro studies.

Some customers will want to know about the availability of Cantabria Lab products in China as the Chinese authorities as part of their cosmetic products registration process commission a small number of safety tests that are still carried out on animals. These tests are required by law in China and are commissioned and carried out in China independent of the product manufacturer.

To ensure that Chinese people can benefit from their products as others do worldwide, Cantabria Labs have registered a small selection of their products in China. At the same time, they are committed to helping eliminate these tests and have lobbied the Chinese authorities to request that they ban these tests and use non-animal alternatives.

Recently, innovative non-animal testing methods have received approval in China and Cantabria Labs are hopeful that these alternative methods will soon be adopted, and animal testing for cosmetics will finally be put to an end.

Cantabria Labs, the creator and manufacturer of Heliocare, are leaders in product innovation and committed to minimising their impact on the environment.

There is strong evidence regarding the potentially harmful effects of two filters on the coral reef, which will in fact be banned in a number of countries: octinoxate and oxybenzone.

As such, Cantabria Labs have ensured that the latest additions to the Heliocare 360° range, and any future developments don’t contain these ingredients.

Products that do not contain these ingredients include:

• Heliocare 360° Oil Free Gel

• Heliocare 360° Fluid Cream

• Heliocare 360° Mineral Tolerance Fluid

• Heliocare 360° Color Cushion Compacts (both colours)

• Heliocare 360° Gel Oil Free Color (all colours)

• Heliocare 360° Water Gel

Over time, the awareness, understanding and evidence behind sunscreens causing damage to the coral reef is growing – both from a research, conservation, and manufacturing point of view. It has come to light that some traditional filters regularly used in sunscreens can cause harm to the coral reef. Products that contain oxybenzone or octinoxate (also known as ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) have recently been banned in Hawaii for this reason.

While oxybenzone doesn’t feature in any Heliocare products, octinoxate is in some of the Heliocare products, however Cantabria Labs are working on removing octinoxate from all Heliocare formulations.

We always recommend choosing SPF50 or 50+ when you’re on holiday to protect from the heightened sun exposure, but also for use on a daily basis because we tend not to apply as much product, and we tend not to reapply as regularly.

To get the full SPF protection on the label you need to use 2mg of product per cm2 of skin – which equates to roughly a finger length of product for the face

Applying less than this hugely affects the SPF protection that you’re getting.

The relationship between the amount of product that you use and the SPF protection isn’t linear – for example, if you use SPF15 but apply half as much as is recommended, the SPF doesn’t just half, it drops to just under 4.

The amount that you’re using is crucial in the level of protection that you’re getting, and by using a higher SPF we’re giving ourselves the best chance of giving our skin a high level of protection.

It’s the natural colour of the ingredients that gives the Heliocare 360° Fluid Cream. Although it does dry clear, this natural tone combined with the dewy finish does help to even the skin tone and give it a radiant glow.

Although there are no known side effects, Heliocare 360° Capsules are not recommended for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Research isn’t carried out in this group, so there is not enough evidence to confirm its safety.

The majority of Heliocare products, with the exception of the Heliocare 360° Mineral Tolerance Fluid, contain a combination of mineral and non-mineral filters. This allows the highest level of protection in a combination of product textures to ensure that everyone can find a Heliocare product that suits their skin perfectly, and that they love to use every morning.

For those looking for a sun protection product with mineral only filters, the Heliocare 360° Mineral Tolerance Fluid is the ideal choice. It is absorbed quickly into the skin with a beautifully silky, clear finish without leaving any white residue.

Everyone and anyone can benefit from Heliocare as there is a Heliocare product that can be:

• used by a person of any skin colour and tone

• used by a person of any gender

• included in any daily beauty or skincare routine

We know that everyone can be compatible with at least one Heliocare product, we are dedicated to helping people find the right ones for them:

• Heliocare 360° Water gel – Fitzpatrick skin types VI (Black skin) to I (Pale skin). Dry to combination skin.

• Heliocare 360° Oil Free Gel – Fitzpatrick skin types IV (Olive or light brown) to I (Pale skin). All skin types including oily / combination.

• Heliocare 360° Fluid Cream – Fitzpatrick skin types IV (Olive or light brown) to I (Pale skin). Dry or mature skin.

• Heliocare 360° Mineral Tolerance – Fitzpatrick skin types V (Dark brown) to I (Pale skin). Normal or sensitive skin.

• Heliocare 360° Colour Oil Free Gel Pearl – Fitzpatrick skin type I (Pale skin). Oily, combination or normal skin.

• Heliocare 360° Colour Oil Free Gel Beige – Fitzpatrick skin types II (Fair skin) to I (Pale skin). Oily, combination or normal skin.

• Heliocare 360° Colour Oil Free Gel Bronze– Fitzpatrick skin types IV (Olive or light brown skin) to III (Light brown skin). Oily, combination or normal skin.

To get the full level of protection stated on the packaging (both the PA rating for UVA protection and the SPF level for UVB protection), you need to apply 2mg of product per cm2 of skin – which equates to roughly a finger length of product for the face.

Applying less than this hugely affects the SPF protection that you’re getting.

Apply your sun protection product as the last product before you apply any make-up. Make sure you get right up to the hairline and around the eye – taking care not to get any product in the eye.

Apply to any exposed areas – the neck and back of hands are often forgotten and tend to get a lot of exposure to the sun and daylight.

We recommend re-applying your sun protection every 2-3 hours during periods of intense sun exposure, after swimming, sweating or toweling the skin.

It can be tricky to reapply your sun protection during the day once you have your makeup on top – the Heliocare 360° color compacts are a great way of topping up your protection and foundation in one go – they’re really handy to have in your handbag.

The sun emits different kinds of radiation, UVB is strongest in the summer months and cannot penetrate cloud - it’s UVB that can cause sunburn.

But sunburn isn’t the only way that the sun can damage skin. The sun also emits UBA, visible light and infrared-A - all of which are proven to cause damage to the skin which can lead to premature skin ageing, and harm the health of your skin. What's more, these types of radiation cause damage all year round, penetrating cloud and even glass - so even on the cloudiest days, or while driving, our skin is at risk of damage.

Rather than sun protection, we need to think of it as daylight protection.

Vitamin D helps to keep our bones strong and boosts our immune system. Sun exposure, specifically to UVB, enables the natural process in your skin to make Vitamin D.

UVB is only really present in the summer months, and cannot penetrate cloud.

It’s a common misconception that using sun protection daily will not allow you to make enough Vitamin D and will cause Vitamin D deficiency. There are no studies that suggest a link between the two, in fact, studies have shown that those who do use daily sun protection can maintain their Vitamin D levels.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, using sun protection products with high SPF such as 50+ won’t block all UVB rays.

Secondly, in the summer you only need a short period of sun exposure with areas such as hands, arms and lower legs exposed for most people to create enough Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is found in food such as oily fish and red meat, but it can be difficult to get enough Vitamin D from food alone, which is why the NHS recommend that everyone should consider taking a daily Vitamin D supplement throughout the winter months.

Absolutely not. Sunbeds are incredibly harmful to your skin. They use powerful doses of UVA and UVB – many give greater doses than midday tropical sun – and just one session can increase your risk of skin cancer.

According to studies, using sunbeds before the age of 35 can increase your risk of melanoma by 59%

Many people that use sunbeds are naturally fair, and they are one of the groups of people that are at most risk from skin cancer.

The best way to avoid sunburn is to enjoy the sun sensibly by covering up, seeking shade – particularly when the sun is at its strongest, and applying sun protection liberally and regularly.

The PA + rating is an internationally recognised standard for measuring the level of protection a product provides against UVA.

PA ratings are established through the Persistent Pigment Darkening Test (PPD), which is carried out on human skin. It’s the only UVA test done in this way, and is the test that has the closest correlation with SPF testing (the amount of product, and calculations used are very similar). The test measures the skins response to UVA, which is then assessed against a grading system of PA + to PA ++++ (with 4 + being the highest level of protection, giving up to 16 times greater protection when the product is used).