Australian Gold Botanical Sunscreen Mineral Lotion SPF 70, 5 Ounce | Broad Spectrum | Water Resistant

I so rarely leave reviews, but I carved out time to write this one. I'm in my early 40's, with mylasma, and a lifelong oily T-zone. My dermatologist suggested I switch to a mineral sunscreen for my mylasma. This brand was the most economical of the choices and had pretty good reviews. I'm on day 4 of using this product and just, WOW. Ok, so I obviously cannot see any real effect on my mylasma as the sunscreen helps to minimize the worsening of my hyperpigmentation from UV rays, but this sunscreen for the first time in my life, is the only one that has helped minimize my oily T-zone. When I visit the restroom, I instinctively daub the oil off my forehead and nose just before I leave, but as I was about to "mop-up" the oil on my face on day one of using this product, i stopped and stared at my face in the mirror. There was no excess oil! Also, my cheaper pharmacy brand of eyeshadow primer now works better! Now, when you first start rubbing it into your skin, you do see that white cast, I was daunted by this upon my very first application, but just keep rubbing it in and it will dissipate. Also, I absolutely love the scent. I find it rather calming. I wish I had made this switch sooner.

This stuff is just the best! My kiddo has super sensitive skin, and so do I. This sunscreen is non-irritating and stays on better than any other brand I’ve tried. It’s expensive, but worth it. I have never burned through it, and as a pale redhead, that’s saying something. Lasts longer than chemical sunscreens, and absorbs better than other brands of mineral sunscreen I’ve tried. I look less like a ghost with this brand, and my skin is protected. Literally the best sunscreen I’ve ever used, and I’ll keep on buying it as long as they keep making it.

Really excellent protection. If this can protect a ginger in Aruba, it'll probably protect you as well. It's very water resistant and once it's spread on properly, it's really hard to remove. That's actually the only real con of this product. It's so damned hard to remove that you really don't want to use it if you're just doing something more casual. If you're going a long hike, spending time at the beach or in water, or doing a strenuous outdoor activity, it's the best. It lasts for an absurdly long time. Getting it off, however, is ridiculous. I've tried different soaps including Dawn Platinum. I've tried surfactants like water-based degreaser. This works okay, but who wants to douse themselves in harsh surfactants? Petroleum distillates like WD-40 will easily dissolve this stuff, but you can only use that to remove it from surfaces where you might've rubbed sunscreen. Obviously don't bathe yourself in WD-40. Isopropanol doesn't work too well and neither does ethanol. Since petroleum distillates work well, I think I'll try to find a citrus-based soap and degreaser that's safe on skin. If that works, I'll report back.

As I move closer towards 40 I have been searching for the holy grail of mineral sunscreen. I have purchased and tried so many brands that have failed - major white cast, dry out my skin or weird smell. This Australian Gold sunscreen leaves zero white cast and I have very fair skin. Goes on like a lotion and is very easy to rub in. There is a fragrance but it’s subtle and I find it to be pleasant. I mostly use high SPF sunscreens on my hands to fight signs of aging and hours later I felt like it was still making my skin soft. I absolutely love this sunscreen. The photo I posted is immediately after applying it to my hands and it looked like I had just applied a regular moisturizer.

I am very picky when it comes to sunscreen because they usually fall under the "leaves skin sticky" or "leaves skin chalky" camps. I dislike either. I've used the dry touch stuff from Neutrogena for the longest time. It IS chalky but I prefer chalky over sticky any day, especially during summer. So then I started looking into mineral based sunscreens because they supposedly contain less chemicals and are better for the skin. I researched a whole bunch and then decided to try out this Australian Gold brand. I bought the Botanical 70. I was skeptical when I first received the product. Now this is the only one I will use. It leaves skin neither sticky or chalky. In fact, it smooths on like lotion and my skin actually feels very smooth after application. The sunscreen part does work. I have the type of skin where I can't get a tan, I get sunburns only, so I have to use sunscreen or I'll be in a world of pain. Used properly (with suggested reapplication intervals) I was able to spend a full day under the sun without a single sunburn. This sunscreen does have a bit of fragrance, but I didn't find it overpowering.