I’ve talked to you about Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm (with the help of some friends) and Badger Foot Balm. Next on the lineup of Judicial Reviews is Badger SPF 16 Sunscreen Lotion.
This is a new and improved product formulation of this sunscreen. Per the Badger website, “It features a light, moisturizing, USDA Certified Organic Aloe Vera lotion base that is perfect for daily use on face and body. Like all of Badger’s sunscreens it offers broad spectrum protection using only non-nano Zinc Oxide. This is a good option for those who found our original sunscreen creams too heavy for everyday use.”
The Good: This a purely mineral sunscreen providing physical sun protection, which makes it a safe option for sensitive skin. Zinc oxide particles are larger than your other mineral option, titanium dioxide, so it’s very effective at scattering and reflecting UVA/UVB rays. Also, nearly 75% of the ingredients are certified organic. The base of the sunscreen is aloe vera, and it also contains extra virgin olive oil, acting as a moisturizing base. And living up to it’s “new and improved” claim, it is relatively light for a mineral sunscreen.
The Questionable: I used this product for a couple months. It has a little bit of a chalky texture that you sometimes find with mineral sunscreens. Perhaps due to this texture, I didn’t find this sunscreen to be moisturizing enough, so I began to use a daytime moisturizer in between my serum and sunscreen. Unfortunately, the Badger sunscreen didn’t work well on top of my moisturizer, particularly when I was in a hot and humid environment. The sunscreen had a tendency to form tiny clumps that were difficult to blend out.
The Verdict: For the quality of the formulation, this Badger SPF 16 Sunscreen is at a good price point at $17.99 for 2.9oz. However, I think it’s best for those who don’t use a serum and moisturizer before a layer of sunscreen, and then also want to put makeup on top of that. On it’s own, this Badger sunscreen would work just fine (no white cast!) and provides the most effective protection against damaging UVA rays. But, as a many-layered skincare/make-up wearer, I think a titanium dioxide based mineral sunscreen works better for me.
Rating (out of 5): 
Images: Badger SPF 16 Sunscreen Lotion – courtesy of Badger Balm