Walgreens Baby Sunscreen SPF 50

2 Reviews

1. 

   scornfulIcecream8

   Reply

   I originally bought this because it’s inexpensive and I thought it would be a good backup sunscreen, that’s mineral-based, for my face. I have almost a full tube despite the fact that this is expiring next month, which means I must have had this for a couple years. The reason I didn’t reach for it over the other baby sunscreen that I also own** is that it’s quite emollient and shiny, I guess. That makes it much easier to spread than my other baby sunscreen, but I’m not crazy about the idea of more shine on my face. I also think the main reason I didn’t reach for it was because I am pre-judging. I used a different Walgreens sunscreen (chemical, marketed for oily skin) which broke me out horribly and I have a personal beef/aversion to Walgreens sunscreens. The one thing I do like about this sunscreen is, just like the other baby sunscreen, I can use this around my eyes without issue.

   Because it is so inexpensive, I thought about whether I would repurchase this for a backup, so I ended up looking this up on an ingredient analyzer* first. I take this with a grain of salt. Having said this, It has some (possibly) problematic ingredients including:
   – Tridecyl Neopentanoate (supposedly bad for sensitive skin)
   – Undecylenic Acid (an unsaturated fatty acid that is supposedly a Malassezia (fungal acne) trigger. Interestingly, it is ALSO used as an antifungal treatment. Obviously this only applies if you have fungal acne or are susceptible to it)
   – Phenoxyethanol, a preservative that can also be used as a masking fragrance due to its rose-like scent. Use of this product (unsure of amounts) is not indicated for breastfeeding women though it is FDA approved for use in cosmetics and the European Commission on Health and Food Safety also gives this chemical a “safe” rating when used in cosmetics at a 1-percent or less concentration.
   – Contains a few types of modified demithicone if you care about that kind of thing.

   * skincarisma.com. While their classifications are fine, I cannot verify the validity of the high (ish) degree to which they rate their triggers and warnings for certain ingredients. In other words, there is nothing to verify whether anything problematic (read: risky) about this particular sunscreen.
   ** My other baby sunscreen is/was Neutrogena Baby SPF 50. I have some issues with that one as well so I’m not recommending it.

   All said and done, I likely will look for a different inexpensive baby sunscreen and not repurchase this.

   Full ingredients per walgreens.com:
   Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (3.1%), Zinc Oxide (4%)
   Inactive Ingredients: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Tridecyl Neopentanoate, Butyl Octyl Salicylate, Octyldodecyl Citrate Copolymer, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, C25-52 Olefin/Undecylenic Acid Copolymer, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate

2. 

   spiritedSmelt4

   Reply

   Edit: Too many online reviews say that this doesn’t work, at all. For that, I can’t recommend it.

   This sunscreen renewed my faith in impulse buys. Tubes of this were sitting in the end rows by the checkout in my local Walgreens. I have tried literally thirty different sunscreens because I have very sensitive skin with rosacea, and I’m prone to dermatitis. (I’m a redhead in my forties.) I’m also unbelievably cheap, when I can be.

   The only other sunscreen I can wear, reliably, is La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral, and the Kiehls version of that sunscreen.

   I picked this up as a $5.00 impulse buy.

   This is an unbelievably cheap, and it doesn’t irritate skin or eyes, it Edit: sadly, does cause some inflammation-type breakouts, and it actually works better under liquid foundation than LRP. It has a strong white cast, and a matte finish. You have to rub it in and wait before applying makeup.

   It has lower levels of zinc and titanium dioxide, so I don’t know if I’d use it for the beach. But for daily use, it works well.