When I was sent this Badger Sun Screen to test, I oohed and aahed at the gorgeous packaging then put it to the side, convinced that -at the start of the summer at least - SPF15 would be far from sufficient to protect our skin from the sun's rays.
Since then, I've been totally re-educated about how SPF's work. I posted about it here but Badger offer their own advice on the subject too : "SPF15 sunscreen blocks about 93% of UVB rays, SPF30 sunscreen blocks about 97% of UVB rays and an SPF50 blocks 98% of UVB rays. So SPF30 sunscreen does not give you twice the protection of SPF15 sunscreen ! And an SPF50 sunscreen is only 1% more effective than an SPF30 sunscreen. In fact, the FDA (the US agency that governs drugs like sunscreens) does not allow any sunscreen to be labeled as anything higher than SPF30+ because they know that higher SPF sunscreens do not offer significantly greater protection, and that such products are misleading to consumers. Currently any sunscreen labeled with and SPF greater than 30 (or without a 'Drug Facts' label) is 'misbranded' under Section 502 of the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act." Hmmmm that's interesting - especially as I always reach straight for the factor 50 when buying sun cream for the kids.
OK, time to seriously test the Badger Sun Screen then. I absolutely love the various Badger Balms that I've been testing lately because they are all so natural and free from chemical nasties. The same is true of the Badger Sun Screen. "Badger proudly presents our popular natural SPF15 sunscreen rated highest for safety and efficacy by the Environmental Working Group ! [...] These natural, organic, physical barrier sunscreens use zinc oxide instead of chemicals to protect you from the sun."
The one thing I wasn't keen on is the fact that it does leave a rather greasy, whitish residue on your skin so if you use it on your face, you'll look a bit sweaty and won't be able to wear make-up over the top (which I never do anyway but I know some people like to !). This whitening effect is apparently unavoidable as the instructions for use state : "For full protection, apply an ample white coat to all exposed skin, then rub in to reduce whitening effect". Reduce, not eliminate.
Personally, I like the smell of the Sun Screen. It smells herby and natural and you can tell just from the fragrance that this is a natural product. However, it didn't go down so well with the kids who thought it didn't smell like "normal sun cream" ! The cute badger on the tube won them over though - top marks for fun packaging that makes me smile every time I look at it !
The advantage of the slight greasiness is that my skin felt lovely and soft and moisturised afterwards and I didn't feel the need for an aftersun lotion. For a natural option, packed with lovely ingredients like Lavender Essential Oils and natural extracts of Rosemary and Seabuckthorn Berry, it gets my vote.
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £14.20 for 87ml
Other reviews you might be interested in :
Badger Bali Balm - Soothing After Sun Care
Be Sun Savvy & Beat the Heat - Top Tips from Green People
Green People & Organic Children Sun Lotion
Sun Sense Toddler Milk SPF50
Wilko Sun Care range
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