Badger Balm Antioxidant Face Sunscreen SPF16

Badger Balm Damascus Rose SPF16 Face Sunscreen

I just have to begin my first review of the year with a product from my favorite category—sunscreens! And it’s none other than the Badger Balm Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Sunscreen SPF 16. Some of you had recommended me to try this and so I ordered it from iHerb recently and have used it for about three weeks now. First of all, let me say that this is very different from the Badger Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF34 I’d reviewed awhile ago.

Broad spectrum protection from UVA & UVB rays
The Badger Balm Damascus Rose SPF16 Face Sunscreen is formulated to be a light, nearly invisible lotion ideal for everyday use, even under makeup. This is described as a nearly invisible sunscreen for the face that protects from both UVA and UVB rays while nourishing and soothing the skin. And like all of Badger’s sunscreens it contains only the purest, most natural ingredients-some of which are certified organic.

Badger Balm Damascus Rose Face Sunscreen

Badger Balm Damascus Rose SPF16 ingredient list

Active Sunscreen Ingredient:
Non-Nano, Uncoated Zinc Oxide 10.55%
Other Ingredients:
*Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Extract, *Olea Europaea (Organic Extra Virgin Olive) Oil, *Sucrose Polysoyate (from Organic Soybean), *Ethyl Palmate (from Organic Palm), Aqua (Purified Water), *Sucrose Cocoate (from Organic Coconut), *Glycerin (from Organic Palm), *Citrus Medica Limonum (Organic Lemon) Extract, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Xanthan Gum, *Lavandula Angustifolia (Organic Lavender) Oil, *Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (from Organic Soybean), *Rosa Canina (Organic Rosehip) CO2 Extract, *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Organic Seabuckthorn) CO2 Extract, *Rosa Damascena (Organic Rose Otto) Oil, *Anthemis Nobilis (Organic Roman Chamomile) Oil, and *Calendula Officinalis (Organic Calendula) CO2 Extract. * = Certified Organic
Total Organic Content (excluding water): 75.31%

ingredients
Low zinc oxide content
This product comes with a pretty clean ingredient list but I’m a little perturbed by the low percentage of zinc oxide used in the formulation. Hence, I’m unwilling to use this much on my face, especially not when the sun is so hot now. However, I bought it specially for my neck as most sunscreens that work well for my face don’t work well for my neck; they either turn out too greasy or too drying.

Badger Damascus Rose SPF16 Face Sunscreen

Spreads evenly leaving no whitecast
Although described as a lotion, the texture of the Badger Balm Damascus Rose SPF16 Face Sunscreen is creamy but not rich and spreads out very well on my skin. In fact, I could not see any traces of whitecast after application. It is the equivalent of a moisturizer and I guess this is why it’s quite a hit with many women. In addition, the soothing lavender and rose scent makes this product even more appealing.

Badger Balm Damascus Rose Face_Sunscreen

Price and availability
Because sunscreens below SPF30 typically don’t protect my skin too well, I won’t use this much on my face unless I’m hybernating at home and not stepping out under the sun at all. But like I’d mentioned, I bought this to use on my neck and so far, it works well as it doesn’t leave any greasy or drying whitecast. If you’re good with sunscreens with SPF15, then you might want to give this a try when you get the chance. The 25.1ml bottle retails for US$16.20 at iHerb.

iherb

Comments

  1. Jenny says:

    What is your recommendation of face sunscreen that is at least SPF30 and not too greasy for oily/combination skin?

  2. Annie says:

    my favorite is sunscreen as well, i always on the look out for natural sunscreen with affordable prices. this sounds good but it;s a little pricey for the spf amount. how do u compare this to the devita solar 30spf?

  3. Eco Beauty says:

    Thanks for reviewing this! I’ve been eyeing this for quite a while, too, as sunscreen at home. Torn between getting this or Devita.
    Eco Beauty last post is: I was sick and tired of Flu… until I went for Chinese Cupping!

  4. Hong says:

    Hello,
    May I know if this sunscreen is tinted? I couldn’t judge it from the uploaded photos. I wonder if this sunscreen may stain the white collars of my clothes.

  5. Emy Shin says:

    I haven’t had much luck with other Badger sunscreens (too greasy and whitening for my skin) — but this sounds like the perfect sunscreen for being indoors and for my neck/hands.

  6. Marla says:

    I have the hardest time with sunscreens breaking me out. My skin is usually always perfectly clear until I put them on. The only one so far that my combination skin can tolerate is Neutrogena break out free Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen.

  7. Sesame says:

    I have combi skin. I use Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Facescreen. But some people find it too drying and so the other one to try is Devita, which I reviewed here https://www.vivawoman.net/2011/05/31/devita-solar-protective-moisturizer-spf30/.

  8. Sesame says:

    In terms of ingredients, I like Devita for it has a higher % of zinc oxide. But for texture, I like this better although Devita’s is already quite good.

  9. Sesame says:

    It depends on your “peace of mind”. I realized that anything lower than SPF30 doesn’t work for me in the long run even indoors.

  10. Sesame says:

    No, it’s not tinted. It doesn’t stain.

  11. Sesame says:

    Yes, this works well for neck and hands but it’s a small bottle to be used for hands.

  12. Sesame says:

    Yes, this works well for neck and hands but it’s a small bottle to be used for hands.

  13. Eco Beauty says:

    Hmmm… good point. I have ‘zero’ peace of mind when it comes to UV damage, though. I get pigmentations very fast — and I’m not even fair!

  14. Mai says:

    I’m n0t sure if Devita changed the f0rmulati0n but the texture is definitely different than the previ0us tubes i have used bef0re. It’s thicker & m0re drying, leaving flakes 0n my skin.

  15. Sandra says:

    Thanks for the review. I am always interested in sunscreens. My favorite sunscreen is MyChelle Unscented Sunscreen SPF28, and Arcona Reozone SPF40. Not greasy at all, and no breakouts so far.

  16. Sesame says:

    Pigmentations…so annoying! ?

  17. Sesame says:

    Oh…I’m not sure if they’ve changed but if your skin is dry, you might need more moisturizing. I’m surprised it leaves flakes on yours. But come to think of it, it’s a tad drying for my neck.

  18. Sesame says:

    Ah…I was thinking of trying MyChelle sometime…perhaps I might. ?

  19. storm says:

    im trying to go all nateral on face hair and body, so i just purchased badger damascus rose body oil and love it on face and body at night, today i tryed grapeseed oil on face for moister and spf protection, and also becouse it helps with collagen,and tighter pores but started off with extra vigin coconut oil and loved the way my face looked but was exited since all i have put on my face is just bunch of creams with chemicalls promesing tighter skin, anyways i was paying $280 for 2 creams one for face other for neck, and a small suncrean

  20. storm says:

    im trying to go chemical free i’m so exited, but i sometimes use grapeseed oil in daytime or cocanut oil and badger body oil or olive oil and lavender that i mixed myself at night do i still need sunscreen even if i work indoors

  21. Sesame says:

    I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. Using natural ingredients can give you long term results too.

  22. Sesame says:

    Like I mentioned, it depends on your skin type too. If it’s prone to pigmentation, you do need extra provision.

  23. Mai says:

    yup mine is c0mbi skin & i had n0 pr0blem previ0usly but the new 0rder was surprisingly dry.

  24. Joy says:

    Hi, I just went to check iherb.com about this product however it’s not found. Do you have any other natural sunscreen recommendations that is available in Singapore?

  25. Teresa says:

    I tried the Badger Damascus Rose SPF 16 last season, and I’ve decided that while it goes on great and feels great, I still get red after being in the sun. It doesn’t do the sun protection for me. I’m seriously considering the Marie Veronique Organics — either the Everyday Sheer SPF20 or Moisturizing Face Cream SPF30, but from a cost factor not sure which one would be best as I don’t like drying face creams or white casts. What do you recommend? I noticed that the SPF20 as EMU oil (I like), the SPF30 doesn’t seem to.

  26. Sesame says:

    If your skin is dry, then MVO SPF30 could feel dry. However, I prefer that over the Everyday Sheer SPF20 for the reason of higher sun protection coverage. It applies better than the SPF30 though. I normally apply MVO SPF30 after applying some face oil (currently using coconut oil) and it works well for me. If you’re concerned about the whitecast, try the tinted version.

    Btw, also know that Asian skin is different from Caucasian and we are less prone to getting sunburn. You can read my entry about that here: https://www.vivawoman.net/2010/09/20/asian-skin-is-less-prone-to-getting-sunburn/ so what works for me may not necessarily work as well for others due to the different skin types.

  27. Sesame says:

    It’s found here http://www.iherb.com/Badger-Company-Antioxidant-Face-Sunscreen-SPF-16-Damascus-Rose-85-fl-oz-25-1-ml/42075. Not too sure if it’s already available in Singapore…it’s quite new.

  28. Joy says:

    Alright thank you very much (:

  29. Badger Jentri says:

    Hi Marla! We’ve had our face sunscreen lotions tested & approved non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) & hypoallergenic. Hope this helps! ?

  30. Badger Jentri says:

    Hi Sesame! I just wanted to let you know we’re releasing SPF 30 lotions this month. We thought you might be interested to know! ? Thanks for this review – it’s really interesting, as are the comments! You have a great group of readers. ?

  31. Sesame says:

    Oh great. I hope it’s zinc oxide only without titanium dioxide. I’ll sure give it a go especially if it’s available on iHerb.

  32. beautymakeupdivas.com says:

    I have the body oil from this range and didnot like the smell, I was wondering if this one smells nice.
    beautymakeupdivas.com last post is: Forest Essentials Luxury Sugar Soap – Bengal Tuberose review & photos

  33. Sesame says:

    Yes, it’s very nice cos of the lavender.

  34. beautymakeupdivas.com says:

    then I have to give it a try and I hope it will be money well spent.
    beautymakeupdivas.com last post is: Forest Essentials Butter Soap – Saffron Infused Milk review & photos

  35. Sesame says:

    I’m looking at their new one with SPF30. Hope it’ll be available sooner.

  36. Cassandra says:

    Hi Sesame, been a silent reader of your blog for years!

    I picked this up on a whim when I saw it selling in Unity and remembered your review on its good texture and smell. I tried it out all over my face, including the eyes, and on the neck. I’m extremely sensitive to chemical sunscreens and the physical sunscreens available locally like Avene are too thick and oily. This one left a dewy finish and didn’t trigger off any allergy at all! I have just ordered Devita through an iHerb spree, will see how it compares to this Badger sunscreen first but otherwise I think this one is going to become a staple in my everyday routine. I can totally see myself using this even if I’m staying home because it feels just like a normal face cream. And best – I used so much on my eyes and I don’t even feel anything, and I have very sensitive and dry eyes from lasik two years ago.

  37. Sesame says:

    I’m glad it works well for you. It’s got a great texture. Anyway, I’m waiting for the SPF30 one to become available at iHerb. Hope to get it real soon.

  38. nahsiep says:

    Hi Sesame

    I’m currently using this but I am wondering if the lavender oil in the ingredients list makes the sunscreen photosensitive or whatever you call it… I read somewhere, possibly from your blog (?) that lavender oil can be photo-unstable or something?? Please correct me if I’m wrong… Cheers

  39. Sesame says:

    Yes, I wrote about this some years ago but it seems it also depends on the quality of the lavender oil. Still, I generally steer clear of day products containing lavender unless it’s listed at the end.

  40. nahsiep says:

    Ahhhh, I see… would you recommend against using this during the day time though (when the UV index is not too scary…)?

  41. nahsiep says:

    O, FYI, I actually emailed Badger directly via their website to ask about this lavender oil deal but have yet to receive a response from them… ?

  42. Sesame says:

    I think it’s okay to use for casual sun exposure. I use it on some days actually.

  43. Sesame says:

    Give them some time…I believe they’ll respond.

  44. Amy says:

    Hi Sesame,
    Just curious to know why only zinc oxide without titanium dioxide?

  45. Sesame says:

    I read a bit of not-so-great news about titanium dioxide. According to some, it causes free radical damage. Well, zinc oxide has its share of controversy too but I choose to still to zinc oxide mostly because it provides both UVA and UVB protection. Titanium dioxide only provides partial UVA protection. I sometimes may use one that combines titanium dioxide but it’s not my preference.

  46. H says:

    Devita’s sucks. Don’t get. It will pill like crazy and you will get burned. Even where it doesn’t pill it seems that you are just depositing the base ingredients, but all the zinc oxide stays on your hands! besides, there is little difference in protection between an spf 15 and an spf 30. I’d go with the Badger.

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