🌊 Dive into Sun Safety with Alba!
Alba Botanica Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion offers broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection, is water-resistant, and is made with 100% vegetarian ingredients. This lightweight, hypoallergenic formula is perfect for daily use, ensuring your skin stays protected and nourished while enjoying the sun.
A**
Light white cast, blends well
I was recently influenced that I should be using mineral sunscreens to protect the environment as well as my skin from UV rays, so I've been on a search for the perfect mineral sunscreen. I saw online that it's difficult to find a sunscreen without white cast in the states, but I think this Alba lotion is as close as I've gotten. The body and face lotion is a little thicker than the lotion marketed as just for the face. The body lotion blends out easily, but there is a light white cast. I used baby oil mixed with my bronzer over the top after it had set in, and it's indistinguishable from a natural skin tone now (and a shimmer bronzer just looks good in the sun). One thing is that the picture in the listing says spf 50, but the one I received is spf 45. (but I was seriously using spf 15 with mica shimmer added for the last 20 years of my life, so I think I'm going to be fine with spf 45)I tried the cetaphil mineral face and body lotion, and it left a white cast. I tried the aveeno mineral face and body sunscreen and it was even more white and chalky. It made me feel scaly. I even tried the Oars and Alps mineral face and body lotion with jojoba oil, and that one left me with a white cast worse than all of them.For reference, I am pale, and I use self tan lotion, but these other mineral sunscreens made me look chalky. I also had my partner use all of these products, hopeful that they might work differently on other skintypes. I'm fair and acne prone, and my partner is darker in complexion with dry skin. I looked well blended compared to how ghostly he was. I was especially surprised because Oars and Alps was marketed toward outdoorsy men, and marketed as moisturizing with the jojoba oil. He and I both found the Oars + Alps products to be greasy, sticky, white, and transferable to clothes and anything else you touch. This alba lotion is in too small of packaging, and takes longer to apply than spray sunscreens, but it feels the best, looks the best, and especially I'm impressed with the face lotion.
D**R
Great Sunscreen.
I use a lot of different sunscreens. This product does not cause issues with sensitive skin. I use it a lot on my face.
G**H
Highly effective. Application requires patience.
Things that I loved about this sunscreen lotion:Excellent barrier against the sun raysNo nasty chemicals in the ingredients listAbility to purchase a smaller bottlePrice is competitive with similar itemsMy child had NO reaction to this product while in the sun and waterThings that I didn't care for:How thick it is (although it could be part of why it is excellent protection)How long it takes to apply, multiple times to rub inHow chalky white it is on the skin before absorptionMy daughter has eczema. In her toddler and younger years, it was in the joints of the arms and legs. She is now 9 and began having breakouts on her face after we spent a day in the sun or at the beach. Pink, flaky areas would hurt, even on her eyelids. We took her to a couple of doctors and they suggested changing her sunscreen to one that is only mineral based. I was beginning to think she was allergic to the sun or sand. We have used this a couple of times now at the pool and beach and she has not had another episode.Although this goes on thick and you have to rub it in for a few minutes, I will continue using it on her face. I did purchase a different brand of mineral sunscreen for easier application on her body, but she wasn't having a severe reaction elsewhere. If your child has any eczema issues that are exacerbated with the sun, salt or chlorine, I would highly recommend this product for at least the face. It's worth it.
A**R
Better now than before
I first bought this sunscreen in May 2022, and I got it again now, June 2024. The product is different now and some of the changes are noticeable in the pictures I've included: new look and shape to the bottle, weighs a bit less (great for TSA if you travel), the ingredients are slightly different. What you can't see in the photos is that it definitely smells better than it did before and it goes on your skin clearer than it used to; it would make me look like a ghost before, whereas now, it just makes my face shiny. It feels kind of dry when you apply it, definitely non-greasy. It still holds up great while sweating and swimming. And it definitely does its job of protecting from sunburns.Overall, I'm happy with the changes they've made and I would recommend it to anyone looking for durable mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin.
L**W
Near expired product sold to me
Very disappointed. Ordered suntan lotion for trip early summer. The expiration date is just 4 months off. Won’t hardly be used for summer. Shipped me a near expired product.
G**E
Not Sheer, but is effective as sunscreen.
This sunscreen comes out white and leaves a white cast on your skin. With enough lather, you can maybe blend it to be less year, but then your skin is red from the friction of application.
M**K
reef safe, human safe
We discovered this sunscreen on a visit to Hawaii. It is made with reef safe ingredients and is also human safe.It goes on smooth and although there is a bit of white casting to your skin if you are using the reccomended amount, it isnt as bad as other products i have tried.Certainly not as inexpensive as some products, but I like it enough to overlook that.
C**E
Not my favorite
This is the strangest sunscreen I've purchased. I've used mineral-based sunscreens before, which come out thick and white, and take forever to rub in. This sunscreen does the same, but the white stays in place, and doesn't rub in very well. It's almost as if it separated and the oil rubs in but not the minerals. I don't know how well it works either because I got very tan the day I used it, and I usually am white or red, nothing in-between.
Trustpilot
1 week ago
2 months ago