Brush On Block SPF 30 Mineral Powder Sunscreen

4 Reviews

1. 

   boastfulBuzzard6

   Reply

   I saw this at Costco and then remembered Redwings11’s glowing review for this product so I grabbed it….a two pack (way overpackaged with cardboard and plastic) for under $40. The cashier was even fascinated by the product – I guess she’d never seen it come through her register line.

   Anyway, I love the idea of this product. It’s neat and tidy for carrying in my purse or school bag for those unexpected times when I’m out in the sun for far longer than I anticipated. It’s great for travel, given all the TSA restrictions and since I prefer to travel with carry on luggage when possible. I could wish that the SPF level were a bit higher but I can live with SPF30. But like sweetgermangirl, I’m frustrated by the packaging. My problem is figuring out if I’ve actually managed to apply enough product to any given area of my face because I can’t see it. I follow the “flick your wrist” instructions to bring product into the brush and if I brush it on the back of my hand, I can see it but on my face, I can’t tell and I can’t tell when the brush is empty and I need to repeat the flicking process again. I imagine I will get more accustomed to it in time but it’s frustrating and I have the feeling I might be using too much because I worry that I’m not using enough.

   Update: 10 days later, I am still struggling with this product but I’ve found a way to make it work a bit better for me. I “unlock” the base (necessary to release the powder….the 2nd and 3rd time I used this, I forgot about this step and was getting really frustrated “flicking” to no avail…my own dumb fault!) but I don’t take off the lid or lower the plastic “sleeve” that holds the brush. Then I flick or tap (I find a quick rap works better for me) and THEN I remove the lid and expose the brush. I still get a fair bit of airborne powder (that’s the one real downside with this product) but it works and, I tell ya, on days when I’ve forgotten to apply sunscreen (because I’m using a moisturizer without any SPF and waiting for it to “sink in” but then I totally forget and apply the rest of my makeup), having this product, which can be applied over makeup and reapplied throughout the day, is a really hand option.

2. 

   cynicalPie9

   Reply

   I used this powder sunscreen over the past year as a “reapply sunscreen over makeup” compromise. I know that powder sunscreens are not as reliable for protection but let’s be real, we’re not smearing liquid sunscreen over our makeup in the middle of the day. I used transclucent and I thought it was fine over my fair & yellow complexion. I had no problems using the turn-dial at the bottom to open/close the dispenser. The brush is very soft and surprisingly good quality; it is removable so you can wash it, and it never shed a bristle the entire time. The price is high for the convenience but it is lower than the Sunforgettable by Colorescience, especially when you purchase 2 BoB at a time. I checked its website just now and see that their prices are comparable if you buy just one Brush on Block (.12 oz for $32) because this contains half the amount provided in one Colorescience Sunforgettable ($65 for .21 oz) ; however if you buy 2 BoB (“Duo”) at a time, the price is $54 for .24 oz, more than $10 less than the Colorescience.

   I wanted to take this opportunity to compare the two powder sunscreens. My sister had been using the Colorescience (which she purchased from her “ladies who lunch” dermatologist’s office and I wanted to try it after losing my Brush on Block. So the Colorescience has lovely, slightly smaller packaging, and it comes in about 5 shades, while there is only translucent and tan for BoB. The CS brush hairs are white, but they are scratchy and cheap and they shed during the brief time I used it, which is 2 days before I got cystic acne on my cheek and nose where I never break out. CS contains a type of algae extract (Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract) as a binder, and I guess this binder made my dead skin cells stick together inside my pores so bacteria could feed and grow, causing my white skin cells to engage in battle and turn those pores into cystic acne.

   I am thinking of using cushion foundation and LaRoche Posay’s BB Blur to reapply SPF instead of powders. If I were to repurchase a powder sunscreen, it would definitely be Brush on Block, not Colorescience.

   Here is the list of ingredients for Brush on Block:
   Active Ingredients
   Titanium Dioxide (15%) and Zinc Oxide (12%)
   Inactive Ingredients
   Alumina, Boron Nitride, Chamomile Flower Extract, Green Tea Extract, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Iron Oxides, Mica, Rice Lipids, Rice Starch, Safflower Oil, Silica, Stearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylsilane

3. 

   dejectedSwift0

   Reply

   Love the product, HATE the packaging.
   I love the powder sunscreen, it is the most fantastic idea ever, you can use it over makeup or directly on bare skin, you can even use it over a lotion sunscreen to add an extra layer of protection and act as a blotting powder. It is sold as “translucent” but I notice it has a slight cast to it, which is a bonus because on hot days it replaces my makeup because of the coverage I get from it. The only ‘con’ is that the dispenser just does not work. there is a little hole at the base that theoretically allows powder to flow into the bristles but it must be too small or just maybe you need more of the holes. I’ve even resorted to using a super fine diabetic syringe to try to poke out the hole and even that wouldn’t work, it just seems very hard to shake any powder out through that little hole and through the bristles. To use the product I have to go through a whole routine of opening the bottom by unscrewing the refill area, shaking out a pile onto the counter, picking up product (which ends up being way to much) and applying. then I have to get the rest back into the tank by brushing it onto a piece of paper with fold in it and using that to funnel it back in. This is really not feasible on the road so this is a MAJOR drawback to being able to using it without severe wastage. I’ve mentioned this to them on their FB page but had no resolution. It is really too bad because I love the idea of powder sunscreen and have been hoping the concept would go more mainstream have another player enter the market. On the plus side the brush is really nice soft and can be used as a blush brush or powder brush or as a travel brush with the holder it comes in which is what I will probably do.

4. 

   enragedIcecream9

   Reply

   I am the type of person that forgets to put sunscreen on unless I am purposely going without makeup for a day outdoors. I do make an effort to wear sunscreen under my makeup but truthfully that is only when I know I will be exposed to the sun. When I saw this powder sunscreen in a two-pack at Costco I snatched it up and immediately threw one in my purse, problem solved! Now I have sunscreen with me all the time. There is a locking mechanism on the cylinder and the brush has a retractable sleeve to protect and keep it in shape. The brush is not scratchy and works well to deposit and blend product on skin. It is a broad spectrum SPF30 mineral powder that claims to be sweat and water resistant. The only downside to this is that it’s hard to tell how much has been applied. I pretty much do my face in quadrants, shaking the tube between each section to make sure enough product comes out. Would I recommend this sunscreen? Absolutely. It has become my safety net and it hasn’t failed me yet.

   Update: I see it’s a common complaint that it’s hard to tell how much product is applied so I’ve been turning the applicator upside down and tapping until I see product fall onto the back of my hand then I swirl the brush to distribute (like Bare Minerals powder foundation recommends) and apply to my face. Any left over product is blended on the back of my hands which protects them while driving or just generally being outdoors. It is a mineral powder after all, so this technique should work just like it does for mineral makeup.