Renewal Firming Day Lotion SPF 30

9 Reviews

1. 

   kindHeron7

   Reply

   I bought this because I want to switch to a moisturizer with physical sunscreen and ditch the chemical sunscreen ingredients.

   At first, I did not like this. It felt like… sunscreen. Ugh. You know, that greasy, thick, waterproof white paste feel, on my face and on my hands. It took a bit of massaging to work it in to make the whitish cast go away in spots, but the whiteness lingered around my nose and such. I was pretty bummed. On the upside, it does not smell like typical sunscreen, it has a faint scent (supposedly hibiscus and apple) – not sure if I particularly like it but at least it doesn’t last long.

   Then… the white cast started to dissipate on its own somewhat. I also added a layer of another moisturizer (one with a chemical sunscreen) and that helped it blend out and soak in better. I checked the ingredients and the first inactive ingredient is good ol’ water. When I started over and applied to a moist/damp face with damp hands it worked wayyyyy better – it behaved more like a moisturizing lotion than a sunscreen lotion, blended out much more easily, soaked in without leaving a white cast to my skin, and left a nice velvety finish.

   The packaging is hefty. Pump dispenser and a protective cap for travel. Clear glass bottle. Looks nice enough on the counter but not fit for travel.

   I think this formula is just too darn thick for its own good. I can make it workable two ways: (1) applying with wet/damp hands to damp face; (2) mix with a drop of another moisturizer before applying or apply immediately after moisturizer before it sinks in completely. So, I’ll use up the bottle but I’m not likely to re-purchase when there are so many other options available.

   UPDATE – just too dang thick and a PITA to work with. I never reach for it, so in the bin it goes.

2. 

   exactingBagels2

   Reply

   I see that I am in the minority on this moisturizer. I just bought my third bottle today. I like that it has an SPF and moisturizes without being greasy. I find a lot of SPF moisturizers make my skin slick at the 4-hour mark. This does not. My makeup doesn’t slide off my face by the end of the day and I feel the SPF does it’s job.

   As far as the revitalizing qualities, I can’t really say it has improved my skin, but even if it has not, I like it enough to keep using it.

   The scent is a bit strong, but now I don’t even notice it. The packaging is bad, though. Once you get down to the bottom of the bottle there is no way to get out the remainder of the product. On the plus side, you never put your fingers in it so it stays relatively hygienic.

3. 

   goofyPolenta5

   Reply

   First of all, the main problem I had with this product was the scent, which is very strong and not at all pleasant (and I normally don’t mind heavily scented products but this is just too much) As soon as you pump out the moisturizer, the smell just hits you and does not go away. The first time I wore this I could actually smell it on my face the entire day. The moisturizer is super thick and I could feel it just sitting on my face the entire day, it almost felt like an extra layer of foundation. It leaves a white cast that more than any other high spf products that I have tried. And because the moisturizer is so thick, it is weirdly difficult to pump it out of the bottle. Would not recommend.

4. 

   finickyOcelot7

   Reply

   I’m typically not bothered by fragrances, but this made me gag. I don’t even know or care what it looks like on, I couldn’t get past one squirt’s worth.

   Shame, because the price and packaging are good. I use Burt’s Bees eye cream and like its scent.

   Update: I got over myself, because I was OUT of SPF products. This is nice. I got over the smell. It does dissipate. It’s cruelty-free, my skin gave it an okay, and I like the packaging.

5. 

   culturedRaisins0

   Reply

   **See my update at end of review

   I am 44 and I have extremely sensitive skin which tends toward dryness. This moisturizer, while a bit on the pricey side, is quite gentle and leaves my skin feeling soft and dewy. It does leave a bit of a whitish cast at first, but that disappears after a few minutes, as does the smell (which, as other reviewers have stated, is strong but I don’t find it entirely unpleasant). It also pills just slightly around my chin area where my skin is a bit drier, but that is a nitpick as it’s barely noticeable. I love the glass pump bottle — I find I don’t need much of this to feel pretty hydrated — and I’m pleased that this is SPF 30 as opposed to 15, as I love taking long walks. Another plus: it doesn’t irritate my eyes.

   I find that the more I use this, the more my skin “calms down”. I also think my skin looks softer and slightly plumper, but I will update on the “firming” properties of this lotion when I’ve used it longer. I would recommend giving this a shot for a while if you can tolerate the smell! Hopefully Burt’s Bees can find a way to minimize that. 🙂

   **Update 6/4/2016: I went through two entire bottles of this, ordered another from Amazon because I was so pleased with how my skin looked and felt while using this product. Well, the third bottle was very harsh on my skin — after a couple of days of use, my skin was very, very dry and I had to stop using it. I’m wondering if it’s been reformulated? Very disappointing, as I was so pleased with this product for about 6 months. (I adjusted my rating.)

6. 

   curiousThrushe9

   Reply

   This product was a complete let down for me. I read great reviews in a magazine that this was the “it” product for moisturizers. The first thing I can’t get past is the smell. I don’t know if ti’s the hibiscus or the apple, but it’s completely overwhelming. Next is the coverage…on some days this product goes on like a cheap lotion. It almost feels like lotion mixed with water. On top of that it leaves a white cast over my face which makes my skin look terrible. I like the packaging and I wanted to like this product because it is better for your skin than other similar products, but it doesn’t do anything for me.

7. 

   enragedBoars0

   Reply

   I’m not sensitive to scents, but the hibiscus scent in this is not pleasing at all. It’s a complete turn off. I reach into use this product from my makeup bag and I go past it because of the smell. What’s ironic is that I come from the state where the hibiscus flower is the state flower! Other than the smell, the lotion doesn’t go on very smoothly. You have to apply quite a bit to get coverage. It does leave somewhat of a white cast on the face. I’m not recommending this product unless you’re a die-hard Burt’s Bees client. I bought it because I like what Burt’s Bees stands for (no animal testing, minimal ‘bad’ ingredients) even though the original small company was bought by the same company that owns Clorox the bleach product. I can’t keep using a product simply because I like the company’s policies. Into the trash bin this product goes tomorrow.

8. 

   anxiousPretzels9

   Reply

   At first, I couldn’t really get past the scent of this SPF moisturizer. That was in mid-April. It’s not August and I’m still using the product. I am one who is allergic to ANY chemical sunscreen. I break out into itchy hives if I use a sunscreen with any chemical. When I first put this on, the scent was strong (as I said) and I found it a bit “oily”. For years I’ve been using DHC white sunscreen because it was the only chemical free sunscreen I could tolerate, but I had to put a moisturizer under it (and serum) so my skin wouldn’t get flaky and dry.
   I tried this hoping that it would serve as both my moisturizer and sunscreen. I use sunscreen EVERY day, rain or shine, in or outside. I believe that’s what has kept my now 52 year old skin looking pretty good (along with some other products!).
   SO, after 3 – 4 months, I adjusted to the scent and find that using a bit less helps with the oily feel of the product. It is much easier using one product and I believe this will be great in the winter when my skin gets a bit dry.
   I should add that I DO NOT wear foundation….really ever. Instead, I used Bonne Bell (yes, a blast from the past) Gel Bronzer in Golden Tan over my moisturizer so I get rid of any of the white cast and give me sort of a “healthy” glow. For some reason, especially in the summer, I cannot put foundation on my face. I may go back to foundation come the fall or winter.
   I cannot comment as to how this product would work with foundation. If you have sensitive/combination skin, and cannot tolerate chemical sunscreens, this might be something to try. I know that I will continue to buy it. It’s lasted a long time for me and I use it every single day. I also like the bottle (glass with pump), so I can control the amount and the product stays fresh.
   My overall rating was a 4 because of the scent. I’m not a huge fan of scented products. But that won’t stop me from buying it.
   Also, the price, is $19.99 which is not exactly cheap, but it’s not bad.
   Finally, for the firming aspect of this sunscreen, I can’t really see any improvement there. Although my skin looks very healthy and smooth. so I’m not taking any points off for the lack of firming (not sure I need that much firming yet?).

9. 

   crummyWeaver0

   Reply

   Unfortunately I did not have a good experience with this moisturizer. My sister loves it and she suggested it to me. I think ymmv widely on this item because she’s had none of the problems that I have had even though we have similar skin. The only difference is she is 6 years older than I am (I’m 27). So basically I do not like this moisturizer at all, and I would never use it again. I enjoy the smell which at first is floral but then kind of smells like vitamins. I tried it on the back of my hand first and told my sister it wasn’t sinking in and felt very sticky. She said it absorbs on her face after a short wait but that she always washes her hands afterwards because it is sticky. After about 30-45 mins it absorbed completely into my hand and it was dry. The next day I tried it on my face which was clear and had been behaving. Granted the day was slightly humid but it was not too hot outside, it was may and it was in the 70s here in nj. Upon application it was very sticky and oily which I expected. I waited 20 minutes and it was slightly less shiny, and applied my mineral makeup powder, which did not cover up all the sheen, but not for lack of trying. I went to work in an air conditioned environment and had the worst shiny look all day, it never absorbed and even got more oily. I had to blot like ten times. My eye makeup was smearing under my eyes continuously because I had applied the lotion there as well. My skin underneath the oil slick did look nice but probably because all my shallow indentations were now filled or primed as they say with this oily moisturizer. Another problem I experienced was my face felt coated and was itchy in spots. Not crazy itchy and no hives, just felt prickly and generally uncomfortable all day. I was thinking to myself, maybe this works for my sister beautifully but it’s not for me in may, maybe I will try it in the winter. But the next day, (the reason I give this one star) I woke up to soooo many pimples! Everywhere! Teeny tiny ones.. Filled with fluid. These type I tend to get when my face is too oily or is irritated by a product. I had about five of these on each cheek, one on my nose, several above and under my mouth and a few more lower on my chin. I also had a few along my hairline. Therefore I would never use this product again and would not recommend it to oily, combination, acne prone or sensitive skin, unless you do a patch test which I should have done on my face not my hand.