Badger SPF 30
2.8
57 reviews
40% would repurchase
Package Quality: 3.9
Price: $$$
Package Quality: 3.9
Price: $$$
Not tested on animals
INGREDIENTS
Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 20.5% (micronized) Other Ingredients: Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Natural Beeswax, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, Wild African Shea Butter, Organic CO2 Extracts of Seabuckthorn Berry and Essential Oils of Lavender, Moroccan Blue Tansy, Ylang Ylang, Lime and OrangeWhere to Buy
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Age: 36-43
Skin: Normal, Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Blond, Other, Other
Eyes: Grey
I researched many sunscreens and read a lot of "expert" input on what ingredients you should have and should not have in a sunscreen. Badger came recommended because it does not have oxybenzone and it has zine oxide. So, I went out on a limb and purchased what I would consider an "organic" sunscreen. I normally use Coppertone or Banana Boat sport of some sort. I bought a 30spf, 15spf & 30 face stick. After using the 30spf on my first day out, I burned so bad. I re-applied several times as I always do in the sun. I'm very conscience of sunscreen and the amount of expose I have in the sun. I haven't burned in over 12 years. I haven't pealed in over 12 years. This is by far the worst burn I have experienced. I went back to my normal coppertone & banana boat sprays for my back side for the next three days while I was face down or under the umbrella and didn't get one ounce of sun/sunburn at all! So much for organic...I'll take the oxybenzone over a sunburn and skin damage any day.
Age: 19-24
Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool
Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine
Eyes: Blue
I like this product a lot but I think this is dependent on several factors:
1. There is most definitely a white cast to it but being very pale myself I quite like it.
2. I think it rubs in quite easily but you can feel it on your skin for the rest of the day. Although it is nice and moisturising.
3. I LOVE that there are so few ingredients in it and it is the first sunscreen to not give me a rash or make my eyes itch or stream.
4. I don't really wear make up during the day but the one time I did it looked alright but not as good as normal- the texture of my skin didn't look as even.
I love it and will buy it again.
Age: 30-35
Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral
Hair: Black, Relaxed, Medium
Eyes: Brown
I have done a lot of research and testing to find an all natural (organic) and cruelty-free sunscreen and so far, nothing else comes close to covering the bases like Badger. I've read through many of the reviews here on MUA and I guess it comes down to personal philosophies and preferences in terms of whether you will like this (or any other) product.
I really like Badger sunscreens for the following main reasons:
Badger sunscreens are COMPLETELY natural - e.g., there are no parabens, no nano-particles, no petrochemicals, etc. and no controversial ingredients such as titanium dioxide, and phenoxyethanol which are commonly used in other "natural" sunscreens (e.g., Alba Botanicals, Kiss My Face, Aubrey Organics)
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. I live in Queensland, Australia where the sun is EXTREMELY potent and it is sunny practically every day. I have fair skin and am prone to sunspotting (Asian skin) so I have always been vigilant with daily sunscreen use for my face. I also use this sunscreen for my body when at the beach in the summers and have never burned when sitting exposed in the sun for a couple of hours, as long as I remember to reapply immediately after swimming or sweating too much, lol.
All Badger products are 100% cruelty-free, their sunscreens are biodegradable, and packaging is made from recycled materials - so yay for being kind to our environment!
Badger has a great website with comprehensive information about their sunscreens (details about all ingredients) and a great FAQ page that explains how to best apply and use their sunscreens. After reading these tips, I do the following and it totally works for me:
The high content of zinc oxide makes Badger sunscreens really effective but it also makes it thick and very white on application. The thickness can also deceive you into thinking you have more on than what you actually need to be fully protected from the sun. So I warm a pea-sized amount of lotion between my hands and then press my hands on my face to pat on the sunscreen and then easily rub in. I let this dry for a few minutes and then apply a second coat in the same manner. I find this layering helps to combat the "white mask" that can occur if you try to apply too much all at once. After the sunscreen has fully absorbed in my skin, I can apply makeup if desired - in the summer months when we have extreme humidity, I use a mineral finishing powder on my face to set the sunscreen and prevent it from "melting" on my face. Sunscreens need to be reapplied after several hours during the day as the protective ingredients deteriorate with exposure, so I repeat the process again in the afternoons if I'm out in the sun frequently.
Many of the ingredients are highly moisturising which is great for drier weather/skin but this can lead to a greasy feeling in extremely humid weather (hence my use of finishing powder) and it may be problematic for people with oily skin. Badger are currently reformulating all of their sunscreens for re-release in 2015 and one of their sunscreens will be an aloe-based lotion so this might better suit oily skin?
It takes a bit longer to apply this sunscreen than other brands, but IMO, the safety of these ingredients for me and the environment outweigh this slight set-back. Also, although it is a bit pricey for a sunscreen, compared to other comparable sunscreen products (cruelty-free, organic, supporting of the environment), it is actually cheap - some of the comparable products are upwards of $25USD, whereas Badger is about $15USD. Also, with daily face use and full-body use for about a month during the summer, it lasts me several months.
Age: 36-43
Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm
Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine
Eyes: Hazel
I found this product after searching the internet for organic, chemical-free and cruelty free sunscreen. Not an easy task, but I came up with this and duly paid rather over the odds (£18.99) for it.
For both of the above reasons, I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, though, from the moment I squeezed the thick, white cream out of the tube, I could tell that this might be a difficult relationship.
After applying it to my face and neck, I looked like a clown in whiteface. I spent a further ten minutes rubbing it in, which still didn't entirely remove the whiteness, but enabled me to go out without attracting the attentions of either people wanting a good laugh, or travelling circuses on a recruitment drive.
Alas, that was not the end of my woes. I sit here now, after a day's sailing, with a painfully burned face, neck and ears, in fact, everywhere I applied the Badger sunscreen. Even my partner, who is a reasonably dark-skinned Mexican, ended up with burned arms where the Badger sunscreen had been applied. My legs and arms, where I had whacked on good old Boots' ' Soltan', remained blissfully non-lobster-esque.
So, sorry, Badger. You undoubtedly had wonderful intentions - and it truly pains me to find fault with a truly cruelty- free brand- but this does seem to be an ineffective product, and if you value your skin (and in my case, your street cred, as. I am now sporting the shiny, touristy sunburn - face in sunny Valencia ) then stick to a tried and trusted brand.
Age: 30-35
Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral
Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse
Eyes: Brown
I use Badger's SPF 20 Tinted Rose on my face. It's very liquidy and is meant for the face. I absolutely love it. It's seriously the best SPF I have never used. I mix a little of my liquid foundation into it and it's perfect. But it's expensive.
So I bought the Tinted, unscented SPF 30 version, which is much cheaper and double the size. This review is for that. I should mention that what I bought is slightly different than the product I've placed this review under.
It's quite thick and doesn't spread easily. I fix that problem by misting rose water & glycerine on my skin before applying, and emulsifying in my hands and patting it on. But it's also SO GREASY. It takes forever to dry down. I can't imagine using this for daily facial wear. I think it gave me some pimples, which I never get unless there is a suspect product being used. I honestly think that it's just too greasy and too hard to spread to even be worthwhile. I will not repurchase. In fact I won't even use up the giant tube that I bought.
There is a light smell, it doesn't bother me and fades quickly, but reminds me of nuts. Could be the sunflower oil.
I like some of Badger's products, but this one is terrible. I wouldn't recommend giving up entirely on the brand though, as their SPF Tinted Rose is the best ever. Also their anti-bug balm is fantastic.
Age: 36-43
Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool
Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Green
I bought this to get sun protection for my fair skin and keep my rosacea from acting up when outside. I really like this sunscreen. It's all natural ingredients are good for my skin. Hasn't caused any breakouts or rosacea flare up. It also helps to sooth my skin when I do have rosacea flare ups. I haven't had any problems with it not going on easily or leaving a white cast. I just use a small amount and warm it up with my clean fingers. It applys smoothly and keeps me from getting burnt. I was using Coopertone sensitive skin but it was causing break outs. Badger Balm has made a fantastic sunscreen for super sensitive skinned people like me. I highly recommend.
Age: 25-29
Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral
Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Black
Do not buy this product! Not only was it thick and difficult to rub in, as others have said, it was completely ineffective! I think calling this a sunscreen is dangerous and dishonest since it didn't protect from the sun at all.
I was looking for a natural broad spectrum, unscented sunscreen and I was excited to try this, but I could not have been more disappointed. The only claim that held true for this sunscreen was that it's unscented. It is impossibly thick and never really rubbed in. I figured even though I looked like a ghost, at least I would be well protected. This was not the case at all! Even after reapplying after 1 1/2 hours (after not having gone swimming or sweating), by the end of the afternoon I was horribly sunburned over my entire body. My husband, who has fairer skin, experienced the same results and got an even worse sunburn. Worse still, it was impossible to even see that I was getting sunburn since the white cast on my skin completely hid it. To top it all off, in addition to being painfully sunburned, my skin felt greasy and covered in goop thanks to the sunscreen.
This product is not only terrible, it's DANGEROUS! Absolutely do not use it if you plan on spending any time whatsoever in the sun, direct or indirect. I wish I had just used the "unnatural" sunscreen that I knew worked rather than being covered in sunburn due to an ineffective product. The only thing this sunscreen is good for is if you want to look like an old-fashioned surfer or lifeguard with that thick white sunscreen on the nose (though, do it only for show because this won't actually protect it!).
Age: 30-35
Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm
Hair: Black, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Brown
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Update: I have been using this daily on my body. I find that mixing a couple of drops of oil (I use Jojoba) to the sunscreen helps with the spreadability, makes application more even and sunscreen easier to remove.
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This is a review for the Badger Broad Spectrum SPF30 Aloe Sunscreen in the green tube.
Pros: Contains a high percentage of Zinc Oxide (provides full protection from UVA & UVB rays). Uses all natural and mostly organic ingredients.
Cons: Dry texture, making it a little difficult to apply. Patchy, leaves a noticeable white cast and slight film. A stronger cleanser or even make up remover is required for removal. Friction can cause sunscreen to rub off (which is ironic as it is pretty difficult to cleanse off).
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UV Filter: Uncoated, Non-Nano Zinc Oxide 12%
Others: *Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, *Helianthus Annuus (Organic Sunflower) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, *Sucrose Cocoate (from Organic Coconut), Water, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Citric Acid (from Non-GMO Corn), Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate (from Radish), *Glycerin (from Sustainable Organic Palm), *Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Extract, Tocopherol (Sunflower Vitamin E), Gluconolactone (from Non-GMO Corn), Xanthan Gum, *Lecithin (from Organic Soybean), Cellulose Gum. * = Certified Organic
Age: 19-24
Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral
Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Hazel
I was pretty conflicted about purchasing this given the sheer number of negative reviews. After realizing that most of them came down to being upset about the extra time it took to work the product in, and seeing a tube 30% off, I snagged some. I'm concerned about the chemicals in your average sunscreen and have pale, extremely sensitive skin. Even "sensitive" sunscreens have provoked negative reactions. I used this on my face, neck, and chest while working out outdoors today for 2+ hours. It was hot and sunny, and I was dripping sweat. I returned home with no sunburn -not even a tan. And I'm the type that burns in the shade.
I did not find it very difficult to work in. With that said, the application methodology here is different. You can't squeeze a huge glob into your hand and smear it everywhere. I applied it in small dots that I rubbed in. A little goes a long way. I did not find the product excessively greasy at all. The Lavender smell is light and dissipates quickly (bonus: lavender is anit-inflammatory, and mildly insect repellant).
Overall, 5 stars. I will gladly take an extra few minutes to apply this far-superior product.
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Top Rated Sunscreen
leilarose68
on 4/18/2016 12:50:00 AM
More reviews by leilarose68
Age: 25-29
Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool
Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium
Eyes: Blue
Sorry but 'natural' ingredients can be just as irritating to the skin as regular ingredients. The sunscreen made my face feel hot (think it was the beeswax; my skin is quite sensitive) so I cleaned it off and decided to wear it as a body sunscreen. Unfortunately, it didn't even make a good body sunscreen; I got freckles all over my arm and neck when I wore a generous helping of this sunscreen in the sun.
STAY AWAY from this sunscreen if you value your skin. Look into actual science and see that the obsession with 'natural ingredients' is misguided and will just leave your skin worse off than when you started. Efficacy is what matters and this sunscreen sadly fails the test.
4 of 4 people found this helpful.