Have you been spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and sunshine this summer? Or maybe you’re a homebody and you enjoy the indoor comforts of home. Either way, it is important to wear sunscreen daily, rain or shine.

It is difficult for many people to understand why sunscreen would be needed if they aren’t planning to spend time outside. However, one must consider that while windows block some UV rays, they are not blocked entirely. Therefore, if you spend the entire day at home but you are near windows, your skin is still being exposed to UV rays. Time spent in the car should also be considered for the same reasons.

Why should you be concerned about exposure to UV rays? First, it is important to note the two types of UV rays that reach us on Earth’s surface. The following information is cited from www.cancer.org:

• UVA rays have the least energy among UV rays. These rays can cause skin cells to age and can cause some indirect damage to cells’ DNA. UVA rays are mainly linked to long-term skin damage such as wrinkles, but they are also thought to play a role in some skin cancers.
• UVB rays have slightly more energy than UVA rays. They can damage the DNA in skin cells directly, and are the main rays that cause sunburns. They are also thought to cause most skin cancers.

UVA and UVB rays are very damaging to the skin in various ways. You can go about your days with peace of mind that you are protected if you wear broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply as needed.

Unfortunately, the majority of sunscreen products on the market are not cruelty-free. It can also be difficult to find face sunscreens that actually work well on your face!

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I was very lucky to find a face sunscreen almost two years ago that works extremely well for my combination skin. Read on to let me introduce you to Australian Gold Botanical SPF 50 Tinted Face Sunscreen Lotion!

Product claims directly from AustralianGold.com

The Australian Gold® Botanical SPF 50 Tinted Face Mineral Lotion is more than just powerful sun protection – it’s gentle care for your skin. This non-chemical sunscreen lotion delivers a refreshingly luxurious, powdery-clean feel, while the subtle tint seamlessly blends into most skin tones and washes away with water. Specially designed for sensitive facial skin, this lotion won’t clog pores and is fragrance free. Rich in vitamins and antioxidants from native Australian botanical ingredients, it allows you to enjoy the sun, protected from both UVA and UVB rays, and water resistant for up to 80 minutes.

Important note about this product

There are currently two versions of this product. The original formula, which is only available in one shade, is still available as of the date of this post. Australian Gold recently reformulated this sunscreen and it is now available in three shades. You can easily identify the new formula if there is a skin tone colored stripe near the bottom of the tube which specifies one of these three skin tones: fair to light, medium to tan, or rich to deep.

I think it’s wonderful that Australian Gold decided to make this product more inclusive by adding shades for deeper skin tones. The tint on the original formula definitely won’t work for everyone.

I have the original formula of this product, which is very similar to the “fair to light” shade in the new formula. I have not tried the new formulation, so this review is only on the original formula. 

Many of you might be wondering if it would be worth it to read this review since it pertains to the original formula which may eventually be phased out. I might be biased, but I think you should keep reading because, good news, the new formulation contains all of the same ingredients as the old one! So, how is this a new formula? It is likely that they reordered the ingredients to subtly change the formula without changing it drastically. I am unable to determine the exact differences because the ingredients on the old formula are listed alphabetically, while the ingredients on the new formula are listed by highest to lowest concentration.

Other product details

• Price: $13.99
• Net weight: 3 oz.
• Cruelty-free
• Reef-friendly
• 100% mineral sun protection
• Tinted to counteract Zinc Oxide’s white cast
• Oxybenzone Free, Paraben Free, Phthalate Free, PABA Free, Petrolatum Free, SLS (Sulfate) Free, Dye Free and Oil Free
• Where I prefer to buy: Amazon.com
• Overall rating: 9.2/10
  • Sun protection: 10/10
  • Ingredients: 9/10
  • Makeup-friendly: 10/10
  • Ease of removal: 7/10
  • Price: 10/10

Please note that I am not a skincare professional. I am simply an individual that enjoys learning about and using skincare products. Speak to your dermatologist or esthetician if you have any concerns.

Sun protection

The most important things to look for in any sunscreen are SPF of 30 or higher, and the term “broad spectrum.” Broad spectrum means the sunscreen will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.

This Australian Gold face sunscreen provides a great SPF of 50 and is also broad spectrum. This product provides excellent sun protection!

Ingredients

Active ingredients (physical/mineral sunscreens): Titanium Dioxide 4%, Zinc Oxide 4%

*Inactive ingredients: Alumina, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Hexyl Laurate, Iron Oxides, Panthenol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Porphyra Umbilicalis (Red Algae) Extract, Silica, Squalane, Stearic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate*, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water

*Australian Gold listed the inactive ingredients alphabetically rather than by highest to lowest concentration.

There are two main types of sunscreens: chemical sunscreens that absorb UV rays, and physical (mineral) sunscreens that reflect UV rays from the skin. I prefer mineral sunscreens because there is a lot of uncertainty about the safety of chemical sunscreens for humans and marine life. Both of the active ingredients in this sunscreen are mineral sunscreens, so we are off to a great start with safe ingredients!

There are a lot of intimidating looking inactive ingredients on this product’s label, but do not fear…the inactive ingredients range from “neutral” to “awesome!” You’ll find the following beneficial properties from this product’s ingredients:

• Moisturizing (shea butter, glycerin, panthenol, and squalane)
• Antioxidant-rich (shea butter, red algae extract, kakadu plum fruit extract, and vitamin E)
• Mattifying, which is great in a sunscreen (alumina and silica)

Australian Gold lists eucalyptus as an antioxidant botanical, but this is actually the one ingredient that is questionable to me. While it is true that eucalyptus is high in antioxidants and it adds natural fragrance to the product, it can also cause skin sensitization. A low concentration of eucalyptus should be fine for most people. Unfortunately, it is unknown how much is used in this product.

Makeup-friendly

A lot of sunscreens, even those designed to be applied to the face, are greasy and do not work well with makeup. This is especially true for those of us that have combination or oily skin. 

I don’t always wear makeup over sunscreen, but when I do, I need a sunscreen that sets to a matte finish and doesn’t move around when makeup is applied on top. This Australian Gold face sunscreen does exactly that, plus it has a slight pore-filling and smoothing property which is a nice added bonus.

Since this sunscreen is tinted and helps to even out skin tone, it could work as a BB cream for many people! The tint in this sunscreen is actually a little bit dark/orange on my fair skin, but I make it work by blending it down my neck and frequently skip foundation. In this photo from this morning I am wearing the Australian Gold sunscreen on half of my face with only my other skincare products on the other side. It is a subtle difference, but you can see that this product covers a lot of my redness and discoloration.

Ease of removal

Water resistant sunscreens like this one are often difficult to remove, which is both good and bad. It’s good that this sunscreen is effective at resisting water, but you also have to work hard to wash it all off at the end of the day.

I usually have no problem removing this sunscreen with my Pacifica Coconut Milk Cream to Foam Face Wash that I reviewed last week. However, many cleansers will not be so effective at removing this stubborn sunscreen. I would recommend doing a double-cleanse using a cleansing balm or oil before cleanser, if your cleanser won’t do the “heavy lifting” needed to remove this product.

Price

Sunscreens are often on the pricey side. I recently tried two face sunscreens from other brands that were $24.00 (1 oz.) and $33.00 (2 oz.)! I was very disappointed by both of those products, especially since they had such high price tags. 

I am very pleased with the price of this face sunscreen from Australian Gold. It is a fantastic value at only $13.99 for 3 ounces! 

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Australian Gold Botanical SPF 50 Tinted Face Sunscreen Lotion is the best face sunscreen that I have found so far. I am getting ready to start my third or fourth tube! I am generally someone that likes to try new products rather than repurchasing something even when I enjoy it, but I will never be without this sunscreen. Once I use up my current tube, I will definitely purchase the new formula in the “fair to light” shade.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone with a combination or oily skin type. I think people with dry skin types might enjoy it too, since it is not only mattifying, but also moisturizing.

Please comment below if you have a favorite cruelty-free face sunscreen!

Lauren

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