Badger Sunscreen: Review

I've been putting off writing this post because I'm afraid I'll have to eat my words about natural products, however, I have been reminded of a valuable lesson: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  It may be a while before I try exposing my sensitive skin to anything, but I'm not giving up.  If you haven't figured it out yet, this product did not work so well. 

Back in this post I wrote about finding a natural sunscreen to use during my trip to Arizona.  I had settled on Badger brand, lavender scented SPF 30.  I was hoping for, and optimistic, that this product would protect my delicate skin in the sweltering sun without the use of harsh chemicals.  Here is how that worked out...

It is very pleasant smelling.  In fact, my cousin borrowed it and the scent was the first thing she mentioned.  However, if natural lavender isn't your thing, you will not enjoy the scent.  The consistency is very thick which made it difficult to spread and rub in.  I was hoping that once my skin absorbed it, the sheen would diminish, but most of the day my skin appeared iridescent.  It was also very greasy and I left a trail of grease marks on everything I touched.  Much like the mark from touching the T-zone on your face to a mirror.  I felt like I was wearing a heavy coat of oil all over my skin.  Despite the way it felt, I had high hopes it would actually work.  The first coat went on before going out in the sun to allow plenty of time to absorb. 

I reapplied several times during the day.  After reading the reviews on the internet this was one detail I knew I needed to pay attention to.  It worked well in the pool with the water beading up so I was pleased with the water resistancy, but I was sweating a lot and had to reapply with wet skin.  That may not have worked so well, but it didn't seem to matter at the time.  I also didn't notice getting burned.  When I left the pool, everything appeared as normal. 

Later that night...

Seriously, wear sunscreen.



I was demonstrating how my body looked like a Hot Tamale.  I wore a different suit during the day and you can see in this photo that my sister took that I clearly have a sunburn.  At that point it didn't seem all that bad.  I used this sunscreen all over my body, including my face.  What I did notice was that I was only burnt in the areas that had not already been exposed to the sun.  My legs, arms, shoulders and face were already somewhat "seasoned."  Although they were slightly red, they were not even close to crispy. 

A week later, the second degree burn on my chest and stomach has since blistered and the raw skin has become increasingly sensitive to heat.  Basically, I'm miserable.  I'm peeling like an onion, itching and dealing with leaking blisters.  Gross.

Overall this product has failed.  While it may work on areas that have already been exposed to the sun, I am not really willing to chance blistering my skin again.  I wonder if the iridescent sheen had anything to do with the severity of the burn, but I don't know for sure.  Regardless, this product gets an F.

Any other options?