Customer Reviews

Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen For Face & Body 2.9 oz (87 ml)

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

I picked a tube of this up for $10.99 at our local market after reading on cosmeticdatabase that it's one of the safest and most natural sunscreens on the market. It rated a 0, which is the safest rating.

It comes out of the tube thick and a little gritty, as others have mentioned, but I had no problem getting it to properly absorb into my skin. It takes an additional five or ten seconds to rub it in thoroughly, which smooths out of the consistency and dramatically reduces the "white face" effect. I'm not sure what the big deal is with taking a few extra seconds to rub it in; other reviewers sound like they're in a mighty hurry to rush out into the sun :)

I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 because I've only been using it for awhile. So far I like it a lot. The scent is mild (way more mild than most sunblocks I've used) and isn't medicinal at all on me, it doesn't leave me with a white/pale face, and so far it seems to provide excellent coverage. It does contain trace amounts of dimethicone, which is explained on the Badger web site; this single additive is widely used and is considered safe. Overall, this is probably one of the very best and safest sunblocks on the market.

Highly recommended, especially for those looking to reduce the number of industrial chemicals they're applying to their skin.

Badger SPF 30 is hands down one of the best sunblocks on the market. Those people who are panning it are doing so because they did not read the instructions; they used it like the stuff they buy at the drugstore - all the big brand-name products that cost a lot, say "apply thickly and let soak in", and don't do nearly the job of protecting your skin.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. If you do, you will find this is the most effective sunblock you have ever used. It has NO odor, massages in quickly, leaving NO whiteness on the skin. The tiny amount necessary assures that this will be the least expensive sunblock you ever buy.

I'm a redhead with very fair skin and I am particular about reading labels and understanding how sunblocks work - this is the only sunblock I use any more.

And no, I neither work for, nor get money from, the Badger Company. They make a good product and I am happy to recommend it.

I bought this product online last year because NOTHING was working for my fair skinned 7 year old. no matter what the SPF on the bottle said, she would burn and her nose would blister. I read an article on ewg.org about SPF's not being advertised properly because of the chemicals in the sun screen actually counter acting it! insane, all this money blown for nothing. so I tried, one last time, and badger worked! I had no issues with it absorbing into her skin, but I had also been forwarned that a little goes a long way. she was able to enjoy her summer with no painful sunburn on her face! and no new freckles ;) I misplaced my sunscreen from last summer and am now getting ready to buy another one for the so cal sun.

This sunscreen got a lot of press last year because it was supposedly one of the safest sunscreens on the market. The safest meaning it has the fewest potentially harmful chemicals in it. For quite a while it was impossible to buy it as the manufacturer was overwhelmed by the demand.

I was finally able to give it a try on a recent trip to Florida. My first complaint is that it has a medicinal smell. I didn't think I would notice it outside but several people asked if I was wearing an insect repellant. My main complaint with this product is the consistency. It does not spread very well. Its like spreading toothpaste on your body. When I got to the pool the first time using this sunscreen my friends asked if I had stopped breathing. I was so pale they thought was something was wrong with me. In the shade I did look blue. Finally, not only is it hard to get on your body, its just as difficult to get out of your clothes. And because this stuff doesn't get absorbed, it gets all over your clothes.

The reason I am giving this two stars is that it is a long lasting sunscreen. I was in the sun for hours and I didn't burn or even tan much, despite going in and out of water. It just wasn't worth the funny smell and the odd way it made me look.

I love this sunscreen. It smells great and makes your skin soft. If you're outside and sweat a lot, it doesn't sting your eyes. And according to the Environmental Working Group, it's one of the very top sunscreens in a test that measures both how well it screens against the sun and how safe it is. (The vast majority of sunscreens have toxins in them. Check it out. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/findyoursunscreen.php) I think the negative reviews on here are because people didn't use it correctly. You only need to put a little bit on. As your skin warms it up, it becomes easy to spread around. If you look ghostly after you put it on, or it soils your clothing, that's because you are putting far too much on. In my opinion, this is a bonus of this product: you only need a little bit, so a tube lasts a lot longer than most. Badger sunscreen is the best.

It wasn't until recently that I realized that the skin products that we have been sold on to protect us from excessive sun exposure were nothing but a poor excuse to sell us something useless. What's the point of selling an inferior product? To give us a false sense of security that we did something right for ourselves? Well, no more. I constantly fear for my children and, hopefully, like most parents, I want what is safest for them. I came across the Badger Balm on the ewg.com (environmental working group) website which had a rating for sunscreens. On that list, Badger was one of the more effective ones for the job and contained the least amount of toxic materials. So, it not only protected well from both UVA and UVB radiation, but it also did not expose the user to harmful chemicals. A double plus. Got it, off to the beach for a week full of daily sun exposure. There was not a single problem the whole week. Everyone's skin held up well with not a single case of redness. It held up after hours of water exposure. It held up after hours of perspiring on a bike ride. It protected us the whole day. You could tell it was still on your skin because the water or your sweat was still beading on your skin. Yes, it is hard to apply but I considered that a plus because it kept you conscious of the dangers of excessive sun exposure. Yes, it has a mild lavender aroma to it. Yes, if you did not take the time to spread it well it made you look like a ghost for the first hour or two, but that is a small price to pay to prevent skin cancer, sunburn and, more importantly, at least for others, premature wrinkling of your skin. This has found a place in the activity bags of every member of the family.

Ok, I don't love the way this sunscreen goes on, it is thick and a bit hard to spread.

But, it's still worth it's weight in gold to me. A couple of years ago, my young son started getting contact dermatitis from ANY sunscreen we tried, even other barrier, rather than chemical, sunscreens. We tried everything and this is the only one that does not cause the rash, including other "all natural" and "hypo-allergenic" formulas from Whole Foods and other natural products sources. I don't know what it is he is allergic to, but it isn't in this sunscreen! Plus, it IS effective at preventing burns. Since it's the only one that works for us, it's, by definition, the best ;).

I needed sunscreen to use while awaiting the arrival of supplies (zinc, oils, beeswax) to make my own. After researching safe and natural sunscreens, I selected Badger and found it works very well. Yes, it smells a little funky--kind of medicinal, but not too bad. And yes, it's very thick and greasy. Since I use it before I swim, I don't care if it's greasy. In fact, the oils keep my skin from getting dry and irritated by the chlorine. If you knead the tube first, you shouldn't have any trouble dispensing it.

Other reviewers have complained that Badger sunscreen is too white. That's actually a good thing. When sunscreen goes on clear, that means it contains nanoparticles of zinc. Nanoparticles are sized between 1 and 100 nanometers. The particles in this product average 200 nanometers, according to the packaging. The safety of nanoparticles (whether or not they're absorbed by the skin and build up in the body, how they affect our water supply, etc.) has not been fully researched and is still debated. I'd rather look pasty than coat myself in nanoparticles.

This is a great sunscreen. I would continue to use it instead of making my own if it were cheaper. According to the Mayo Clinic's website and other sources, you're supposed to use one ounce of sunscreen per application. So if you apply sunscreen correctly, you barely get three applications from one tube. For me, it's cost prohibitive.

So, you really ought to take great care of it.

I'm thrilled there is a safe and effective product available for me and my family. The "spreadablity," scent and appearance really should not make much of a difference. The active ingredient, Zinc Oxide, is the cause of the "inconveniences," but it is also the cause of it's efficacy and low toxicity.

"We reviewed the scientific literature and government assessments for common sunscreen chemicals' efficacy and toxicity. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are known as "mineral sunscreens" or "physical blockers" since they reflect and scatter UV rays. The other actives are called "chemical blockers" because they absorb and disperse UV rays.

Studies show that unlike other common sunscreen chemicals, little to no zinc and titanium absorb through the skin, and they provide stable UVA protection relative to the other ingredients. For these reasons many zinc and titanium-based sunscreens appear at the top of our recommended product lists. However, zinc and titanium in spray or powder sunscreens are not recommended, since inhalation of zinc and titanium particles is a concern."

- http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/report_active.php

I love Badger's products and philosophy, and I use this product regularly. Thanks for supplying our families with safe alternatives.

Stay safe and have fun!

PS
You could always stay out of the sun; it's certainly the safest plan.

I had forgotten sunscreen on a biking outing. By noon my forearms were red. A country store offered only Badger sun screen as my only choice. At the end of the ride around 4 p.m., the redness had not increased and by the next day had disappeared. The product offers UVA and UVB protection, resists turning white, and has none of the feared toxins that I know of.