Taking Care of Your Adult Skin = Buying Sunscreen for Babies
Last week my makeup muse (Jennica) managed to rock glittery black eyeliner, mauve lipstick and tan-touring all in one sitting. It looked effortless, glam and oh-so-lovely.
Needless to say, when Jennica mentions makeup products and routines, I tend to listen. So, when I overheard her describe “Baby Bum” as her daily “primer”. I did a double take.
Baby Bum What?
A quick googling and it turns out Jennica's "Baby Bum" miracle primer is actually a physical mineral sunscreen from that brand with the oh-so-recognizable monkey face. And over lunch, Jennica divulged she used to use the "adult-version" aka Sun Bum's Signature line (the sunscreen that comes in the pretty black bottle) but as of 2012, she switched over to the much-cleaner Baby Bum. It was the sunscreen’s Oxybenzone and Retinyl Palmitate ingredients that initiated the big swap.
I did some follow-up sleuthing during my after-lunch food coma and I’m happy to report that Sun Bum Baby Bum Sunscreen is indeed free of those two ingredients. Plus, it’s also free of phthalates, petroleum, gluten, retinyl palmitate, propylene glycol and synthetic fragrances.
With the blog in mind (and Hazel cheering me on) and I decided to test out the “Baby Bum” primer for 7 days. Here’s what I thought:
I really appreciated that Baby Bum is a physical sunscreen that doesn’t leave white-ish film. The sunscreen does come out of the tube in a fairly thick consistency (so be gentle on the squirt out because you don’t need much. I apply just a light amount of coverage to my face (it feels a bit velvety) and then I followed up with an acne spot lightening gel, unpowder loose foundation and a bit of DIY-ed cocoa bronzer. Overall I would say it lasts well and is a good foundation for those with a powdery makeup routine.
Oh, and I have a confession. I’ve recently replaced my primer with an oily hydrating serum instead. I live in a dry climate and it’s made my skin feel a lot better--so the fact that Baby Bum definitely has an “oily residue” when you first apply it didn’t scare me off. But I could imagine my smashbox/tarte primer friends dabbing away at Baby Bum in a panic. Also, I’m not sure how Baby Bum would fare in a more muggy environment--but if you’ve tried it, please drop us a line in the comments below. I’d love to hear how it worked.
Unlike Sun Bums Signature and Classic lines, Baby Bum is made in Australia (known for it’s far stricter natural-product regulations) and it’s also a “photostable” sunscreen aka it withstands UV radiation longer with fewer chances for chemical degrading.
Have you used Baby Bum in your morning (and/or beach) routine too? I;d love to hear about it. Let me know below.
XOXO,
Lemon
Good for You - EWG’s rates both the Baby Bum stick & lotion as a safe 2. This pick is also water and sweat resistant with broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection . Baby Bum has no synthetic fragrances but it does smell a vanilla scent from the natural ingredient Vanillin (an extract of Vanilla). It is also free of phthalates, petroleum, gluten, retinyl palmitate, propylene glycol and Artificial Fragrances. One ingredient to be mindful of is Glyceryl Isosterates. When it comes to nanoparticles, I'm still not sure where to take a stand...but if you are nano-concious this might not be the best option out there.
Good for Others - Sun Bum has a neat non-profit called Protect the Groms. Blush, my un-aussie self didn’t know that “groms” is surfer lingo for a young surfer but the name is appropriate because nonprofit focuses on educating families/kids about UV rays of the sun. Their non-profit helps local beaches, playgrounds, and parks by building shade structures and donateing sunscreen.
Good for Earth - Sun Bum is cruelty-free. I reached out to the company and they didn't really share any specifics about their eco-programs. Maybe in the future we'll get to see some more recyclable packaging?
C&C Overall - If you are looking to add a physical sunscreen to your daily routine this is a solid option. It didn’t make my face cakey/white, although if you live in a humid environment and/or use a liquid foundation it might not blend as well as a more generic primer/serum. Oh, and for a DIY, I think it would also be fairly easy to turn into a tinted sunscreen by adding some RMS beauty “un”powder or the like.
