My Honest Review Of The Alba Botanica Sunscreen
After using this sunscreen for a few weeks, here’s my Alba Botanica Sunscreen review!
Would I recommend it?
Yes if you want a relatively inexpensive sunscreen with cleaner ingredients.
If you’re looking for a more affordable sunscreen with good ingredients, I think this is a good choice. The sunscreen blends in smoothly and leaves no white cast. It’s one of the few sunscreens I’ve tried that gives me a nice dewy look. Many others are more of a matte finish. The ingredients are relatively clean but could be better (more on this below).
The Good 🌟
- Feels moisturizing on the skin and has no white cast.
- Leaves a dewy finish that doesn’t feel overly greasy.
- Good price.
Considerations 💭
- It’s a chemical sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens are typically more effective.
- Not reef-safe.
What I think of Alba Botanica Sunscreen
Alba Sunscreen Review
I really like how this sunscreen feels on my skin.
- White Cast: It blended in very seamlessly for me. Once I rubbed it in fully, there was no white cast.
- Moisturizing: I have dry skin and this felt very moisturizing on me.
- Dewy Finish: My favorite part about this sunscreen SPF is that it leaves a very dewy finish. The good thing is it doesn’t look greasy.
- Smell: The scent actually reminds me of the Banana Boat scent but not as strong. It has a floral-y plus sunscreen scent.
It’s a sunscreen that I would actually want to use for sun protection.
The Cost
- A 3 fl oz bottle of sunscreen costs $10.49.
- A 3 fl oz bottle of Banana Boat sunscreen costs $3.99.
Comparing these two prices, Alba Botanica Hawaiian sunscreen is clearly almost triple the price. But when you compare it with clean mineral-based sunscreens, it’s still cheaper.
Sustainability
These bottles are mostly made of 100% post-consumer resin which is made from recycled materials and can be recycled. I think it’s a great choice for packaging.
When I bought it at Target, it didn’t come with an unnecessary cardboard box which further reduces waste!
Is It Non-Toxic?
The term “non-toxic” is definitely subjective to a certain degree. In my opinion, this Alba Botanica sunscreen meets my minimum standards of being non-toxic. That means there’s no:
- parabens
- phthalates
- sulfates
- synthetic fragrances
- oxybenzone
- oxybenzone
- octinoxate
However, they do have some ingredients that could potentially cause skin irritation for people who are sensitive. The ingredient I’m a bit concerned about is phenoxyethanol. It’s a preservative that can irritate your skin. If you’re not allergic to the ingredient, it’s relatively safe.
The active ingredients in this sunscreen are very typical of chemical sunscreens. These are ingredients like avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, and octisalate. There are mixed opinions and inconclusive research to determine if these ingredients are harmful to our skin.
Some studies say that they can potentially be endocrine disruptors but the FDA states that there needs to be more research done to prove it is completely safe on the skin. The FDA has set guidelines on the maximum percentage of each active ingredient here. The active ingredients in this facial sunscreen are all within the range of the FDA guidelines.
Jasmine’s Notes
I always think that using sunscreen is better than not using any. So if you’re looking to buy a more inexpensive sunscreen that has relatively clean ingredients, I’d be okay with using it. It is definitely better than conventional sunscreens like Neutrogena or Banana Boat. I’m a huge fan of the texture so I give it bonus points for that.
Alba Botanica also has other sunscreens including Alba Botanica Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen and Alba Botanica Sport Sunscreen. I haven’t tried those yet but I have high hopes for them!
That’s all for my Alba Botanica review! What are your thoughts?
RELATED POSTS:
