I had high hopes for trying new sunscreens this year, but I haven’t gotten around to trying very many. That’s partly because I still enjoy the Australian Gold SPF 50 Tinted Face Sunscreen Lotion so much. As someone that reviews products, I still want to keep searching the market for other great sunscreens. I especially wanted to find a good non-tinted face sunscreen since I know that not everyone wants sunscreen that’s tinted. I like a tint to my face sunscreen, but the tints are often too dark for my fair skin. That’s what led me to try Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40.
I struggle to find new sunscreens for a couple of reasons. First, many sunscreen brands aren’t cruelty-free and I exclusively buy cruelty-free beauty and personal care products. Also, a lot of sunscreens are formulated with chemical UV filters which tend to irritate my eyes and in some cases are not reef safe. I go for mineral/physical sunscreens whenever possible. I was excited to discover this sunscreen from Babo Botanicals because it is cruelty-free and contains no chemical UV filters while still providing sufficient sun protection.
Babo Botanicals is a great brand, but not very well-known. I just discovered it this year through YouTube. For those of you that are also not familiar with the brand, I’d like to share some important facts about Babo Botanicals. The company verifies the safety of every ingredient used in its products, as well as the efficacy of all finished products. Babo Botanicals aims to provide natural products for the entire family, including babies. Social and environmental responsibility, accountability, and transparency are also very important to Babo Botanicals.
I know you’re here for my review of Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40, so let’s get into it!
Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 product claims directly from BaboBotanicals.com
Babo’s specially formulated broad spectrum Daily Sheer Sunscreen is perfect for extra sensitive faces. This ultra sheer, lightweight and hypoallergenic formula contains organic Aloe Vera, Avocado and Jojoba Oil to soothe and moisturize skin. Powerful antioxidants, Rose Hip and Green Tea, help prevent premature aging. Perfect for use as a daily moisturizer and/or under make-up.
Disclosure: IntegriBeauty includes affiliate links within product review posts. I receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Additionally, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. IntegriBeauty is independently owned and all products discussed within IntegriBeauty product review posts are thoroughly tested and given honest reviews.
Other product details
- Price: $15.65 (this price may vary as prices on Amazon fluctuate often)
- Net weight: 1.7 oz. | 50 ml
- Made in the USA
- Cruelty-free
- Babo Botanicals is a certified “B Corp”
- Made with clean natural ingredients
- Hypoallergenic
- Reef-friendly
- Free of chemical sunscreens, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, fragrances, and dyes
- Broad spectrum SPF 40 sun protection
- Shelf life: 12 months
- Be sure to check the expiration date to verify the efficacy of the sunscreen ingredients
- Where to buy: BaboBotanicals.com or Amazon.com
- BaboBotanicals.com ships within the U.S. and U.S. territories, and to APO/FPO addresses that have a U.S. zip code.
- Amazon.com ships internationally to over 100 countries, but not all items will ship to every country. Update your default shipping address to see items that will ship to your location.
- Overall rating: 7.6/10
- Packaging/ease of application: 6/10
- Sun protection: 8/10
- Ingredients: 10/10
- Team player: 7/10
- Price: 7/10
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.
Packaging/ease of application
Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 comes in a plastic squeeze tube like most sunscreens. This packaging is simple yet effective. The only thing I don’t like about this packaging is the flip-top cap. A lot of sunscreen collects around the opening and dries up, so that excess product has to be tossed. I try to minimize this by wiping the cap clean before closing it after each use.
The sunscreen itself is not the easiest to use, but I had a feeling that would be the case when I ordered it. Untinted mineral sunscreens are notorious for being thick and leaving a strong white cast. Fortunately, the texture is thinner than similar products I’ve used for the body. However, there is definitely a white cast!
This photo was taken a couple of minutes after I applied Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40. When I first started using this product, I was hopeful that the white cast might subside once the sunscreen sat on my skin for a little while, but that hasn’t been the case for me. The white cast looks extra prominent here because I have self tanner on my body. I have fair skin so it’s not usually quite so obvious.
I think those with medium to deep skin (maybe even light skin) may struggle to make this sunscreen work. They may prefer the Babo Botanicals tinted mineral sunscreen, which appears to have a light beige tint. On the other hand, those with fair skin like me may prefer this untinted sunscreen over tinted sunscreens because tinted sunscreens are often too deep for fair skin.
As I mentioned before, Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 has a thin consistency. I was pleasantly surprised by that the first time I used it. This thinness allows the sunscreen to spread easily over the skin. One difficulty this causes, however, is that it does dry down quickly, so it must also be rubbed in quickly. If you allow it to sit in one spot for too long, it will dry to look streaky or caked in that area.
The other application tip I have for this sunscreen is to be careful not to get it in your hair, as it does not blend in with hair easily (due to the white cast). I try to avoid my eyebrows as well, but that’s not as important since I can apply eyebrow products to return them to their natural color.
You may be wondering if this sunscreen formula balls up on the skin. That’s something I’ve experienced with a couple of other sunscreens I’ve tried in the past. I have occasionally experienced that with this one, but only when I rub it in too thoroughly. It’s best to stop as soon as the sunscreen is applied evenly over the whole face.
If you’ve used mineral sunscreens before, you’re likely not surprised by any of this. Sunscreen formulations are getting better and better, but mineral sunscreens in particular are still tricky to formulate. It makes sense that most of them still need improvement. While I obviously wouldn’t say Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 is easy to apply, it’s also not the most difficult.
Sun protection
The most important part of every sunscreen, of course, is the level of sun protection provided. First, sunscreen should be labeled as “broad spectrum,” which means that the product will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreens that do not offer broad spectrum protection will not protect you from UVA rays. UVA rays were not always fully understood like they are today, but we need to be protected from them since UVA rays, like UVB, damage the skin’s DNA and can lead to skin cancer. UVA rays also penetrate the skin deeply to cause premature signs of aging. Fortunately, Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 does provide broad spectrum protection!
The second thing to note is SPF factor. Sunscreens with an SPF factor of 15 provide 93% protection from UV rays (7% of UV rays are able to reach your skin), while SPF 30 provides 97% protection and SPF 50 provides 98% protection. No sunscreen can provide 100% protection, though SPF 100 is very close with 99% protection. The Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 has an SPF factor of 40, so it provides 97-98% protection, which is not bad. Since I am fair-skinned and burn easily, I wish it was SPF 50 or higher (to be fair, most if not all mineral sunscreens are SPF 50 or lower).
Lastly, if you plan on sweating a lot or spending time in water, it’s important to look for a sunscreen that is water-resistant. Otherwise, it will quickly wash away leaving your skin unprotected. Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 is not water-resistant, so it should only be used on days that you won’t be in water or sweating very much.
Ingredients
Babo Botanicals puts a lot of emphasis on the ingredients in its formulations. All ingredients are claimed to be safe, and come together to create effective products. Let’s take a look at the Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 5.9%, Zinc Oxide 3.3% (Non-Nano)
Inactive Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Aluminum Hydroxide, Beeswax*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Myristyl Alcohol, Myristyl Glucoside, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Pongamia Pinnata Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water
*Certified Organic Ingredients
It’s great to see only mineral UV filters in this formula: Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Both of these ingredients are safe for sensitive skin and also reef safe! But what about the inactive ingredients? Let’s get into that now!
This product’s inactive ingredient list consists of both “good” skin-loving ingredients, and also several “neutral” ingredients. Those “neutral” ingredients are necessary for general effectiveness. I was so happy to see that 11 of the 28 ingredients fall into the “good” category, while the other 17 are “neutral.” There are no “bad” ingredients in this product. In other words, none of the ingredients in this formula are likely to cause any sort of irritation. The first two “good” ingredients are the two mineral UV filters that I already discussed, but I’ll provide brief descriptions of the other nine below:
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
- Moisturizer
- Anti-inflammatory
- Wound healing
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)
- Emollient moisturizer
- Skin soothing
- Antioxidant-rich
- Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract
- Antioxidant
- UV protectant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Glycerin
- Natural moisturizer
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
- Improves damaged or irritated skin barrier
- Loaded with fatty acids
- Good for all skin types
- Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
- Highly moisturizing
- Loaded with fatty acids
- Contains vitamin E
- Pongamia Pinnata Seed Oil
- Skin conditioning
- Wound healing
- Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
- Antioxidant
- Skin conditioning
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
- Wax ester that stays on the skin surface to moisturize and make skin soft
These ingredients are excellent for maintaining good skin health! It’s especially good to see a few antioxidant ingredients on the list. Antioxidants are important for neutralizing free-radical damage from the UV rays that get through the sunscreen (remember, SPF 40 only provides 97-98% protection).
As for the “neutral” ingredients, they aren’t so interesting. These ingredients are safe, but don’t directly benefit the skin. Instead, they support the sunscreen formula. They are emollients, viscosity controllers, preservatives, etc.
I am very pleased with these ingredients! They all appear to be very safe, even for sensitive skin. Perfect 10/10 for ingredients!
Team player
After reading the “Packaging/ease of application” section, you probably aren’t surprised that Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 didn’t score that well as a team player, either. If you’re wondering what I mean by “team player” here, I’m just referring to how the product layers over skincare products and under makeup. It’s important for all products to work well together to achieve a nice finished look.
This Babo Botanicals sunscreen layers well over my leave-on morning skincare products which usually consist of toner, serum, eye cream, and moisturizer. As long as I work quickly and don’t rub this sunscreen in too thoroughly, I don’t have any problems in this part of my routine. I do experience some minor problems with layering makeup over this sunscreen, however.
I’ve noticed that my foundation is more prone to looking streaky when applied over this sunscreen. I think that may come down to the white cast, as the pigments show up more starkly against the white cast as opposed to my natural skin color. I’m still able to get an even application, it just takes a bit of extra effort. Once I have it blended all over my face, I look back over my skin for spots that need more work.
No matter which kind of foundation I apply, liquid or powder, I’ve found that it looks textured on my skin when applied over this sunscreen. I don’t think it’s obvious from a distance, but it irks me because my skin is not textured. Primer may help prevent that textured appearance, but I generally don’t have good luck with primers.
Another observation in regards to this sunscreen layering under makeup: all of my foundations settle into fine lines, at least a little bit. However, it seems like that settling is made more obvious by this sunscreen. It’s not too bad for me since my fine lines are quite subtle, but on more mature skin, it would likely be more pronounced.
And lastly, one positive comment on this sunscreen when worn under makeup. It doesn’t dry down to a matte finish; instead, it remains slightly tacky and gives the skin a glowy appearance. That glow is still visible with makeup applied over it. For those looking for more glow, you may really enjoy this product as a 2-in-1 sunscreen and primer.
In these photos, I was wearing a medium coverage foundation over the Babo Botanicals sunscreen. The foundation is a fair shade, so it makes sense that my face still looked a bit ghostly in contrast with my self-tanned body. It definitely looked even lighter because of the sunscreen though. I’m not sure if the white cast would be completely concealed if I applied a heavier layer of that foundation, but I believe a full coverage foundation would definitely accomplish that goal. Full coverage hasn’t been my thing lately, so I didn’t have a good one to try.
As you can see, I was able to achieve even coverage over my skin. It all came together to look pretty good once I applied the rest of my makeup. Blush and bronzer go a long way in perking up pale skin. 🙂
While Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 is certainly not the best “team player” sunscreen out there, you can certainly make it work. I tried one foundation last year that was a nightmare to layer with skincare and makeup. That helps me realize this one really isn’t so bad!
Price
Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 is currently priced at $15.65 on Amazon. A tube contains 1.7 oz. of sunscreen, which is not very much, especially if you apply it more than once a day. I can’t help but compare every sunscreen to my beloved tinted mineral sunscreen from Australian Gold. That one is currently $13.41 on Amazon (for the fair to light shade), and you get 3 oz. of sunscreen per tube. It is a very different formula, but is similar in skincare benefits and actually provides slightly more sun protection (SPF 50) compared to this one from Babo Botanicals.
An important thing to consider here are big-picture differences between Australian Gold and Babo Botanicals. Australian Gold is a huge well-established company with a lot of loyal customers. Babo Botanicals is much smaller and not as well-known. Additionally, Babo Botanicals is doing a lot to make the world a better place, like teaching kids about gardening and nutrition. Programs like that take substantial amounts of money. That’s not to say Australian Gold isn’t doing great things too, but that information isn’t readily available on its website.
I think Babo Botanicals is a good company, and this sunscreen isn’t a bad product. However, I have to be honest here and say that I think Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 is overpriced. If it performed better, I’d say it’s definitely worth the $15.65 price tag. Unfortunately, it has some shortcomings and I couldn’t justify buying it again at this price even though it’s still within the drugstore price range. In my opinion, the Australian Gold sunscreen I keep mentioning is a better product and a better value.
My feelings on Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 are very mixed. The company is great and both the product’s sun protection and ingredients are good. I just wish it didn’t leave as much of a white cast, and that it would be easier to apply and wear with makeup. If Babo Botanicals reformulates this sunscreen to address those limitations, I’d be happy to give it another try.
Babo Botanicals made several claims about this sunscreen. I agree with some, while others I definitely do not! First, they state that Babo Botanicals Daily Sheer Sunscreen SPF 40 is perfect for those with sensitive skin. I agree based on the lovely ingredients list. Next, however, they say the formula is ultra sheer, lightweight, hypoallergenic, soothing, and moisturizing. I’m not sure if the person writing these claims never actually tried this sunscreen, but it is not sheer! It’s more sheer than some other mineral sunscreens, but I think the term “sheer” implies that there is no white cast and that’s simply not the case. On the bright side, it is lightweight, (probably) hypoallergenic, soothing, and moisturizing.
They specifically call out rose hip and green tea as ingredients that prevent premature aging. These ingredients are certainly helpful in this capacity as they’re both antioxidants, meaning that they prevent free radical damage. The final claim is that this sunscreen is ideal for use as a moisturizer and can be worn under makeup. While this sunscreen is moisturizing, I would feel strange using it as a moisturizer, probably because it isn’t as smooth as a regular moisturizer. I think that may come down to skin type and personal preference. As far as wearing it under makeup, you definitely can do that, but not without affecting the appearance of your makeup.
While this sunscreen isn’t exactly my cup of tea, I recognize that it has some very good qualities. It may be absolutely perfect for some people! I think it’s a great choice for those with sensitive skin especially.
If you decide to try this product, it’s important to understand that this is a purely mineral sunscreen without any tint. If you’ve used similar products, then you probably won’t be surprised by the performance of this one. It’s vastly different from what I’ve been using regularly for a long time now, so it’s been a bit difficult for me to adjust to it.
What are your thoughts on untinted mineral sunscreens? Does this one sound interesting to you? Please let me know in the comments!
Lauren
