I got this sunscreen face lotion in the BuzzBox and I was happy about it because ever since I started to use sunscreen lotion on daily basis, I noticed that my skin looks so much better because there are no sun spots, no pigmentation and it also prevents wrinkles, in my opinion. I know, by now everyone and their mother is using SPF, but I would only put some on during the summer, when I was out for long in the sun. Of course, now I know better.

Bondi Sands is an Australian brand founded in 2012 by Blair James and Shaun Wilson. They were initially specialized in self-tanning products, but it was only natural to include sun protection products in their range and now they even have a skincare range.

Packaging:

The face lotion comes in a white plastic tube and it has a cute logo on it, reminiscent of the name of the brand, which comes from the Bondi Beach in Australia, probably one of the most famous beaches in the world. Although it’s a face product, it contains a large quantity, 75 ml, which means it will last me for at least a couple of months because I don’t use it in the evening.

Texture:

This does look like a lotion because it has a thin texture. it comes off as very white, but it doesn’t leave a cast or w white wash over the face. It absorbs fast into the skin and I use it like any other face cream, meaning that I’m not overapplying it. It does make the face a little bit shiny (I have combination skin, so maybe it works better for dry skin).

Ingredients:

AQUA (WATER), HOMOSALATE, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX), ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, OCTOCRYLENE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, ISOPROPYL PALMITATE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, CETEARETH-20, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE, CARBOMER, BENZYL ALCOHOL, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CHLORIDE. BENZYL ALCOHOL.

The good part is that it’s fragrance free, so it absolutely has no smell, it also has aloe vera leaf juice and vitamin E to moisturize the skin. It’s also paraben free and sulphate free. However, since most of all the other ingredients are sunscreens, some of them are controversial, because they can be harmful for the health if they’re used in larger amounts. I must say, I don’t like knowing that some of the ingredients are potentially not safe for the health.

Price and accessibility:

Bondi Sands products are available in Romania in Douglas stores, in some pharmacies and in several online shops. Since BuzzBox doesn’t provide prices for the products, I’ll just look it up on the brand’s online shop and there it’s sold for 15.99 euros. It’s a very affordable price, especially for a 75 ml face lotion.

My overall opinion:

I use this lotion because I have it and I don’t want it to go to waste, but it is a rather rich lotion for my skin type because I’m not a fan of the slightly shiny skin it gives and also I’m concerned about the sunscreens it contains. It is a broad spectrum SPF because it offers UVA and UVB protection, but I don’t feel comfortable knowing that some of the ingredients are to be used only in small amounts. So, for that reason I wouldn’t purchase this face lotion, especially since there are other options available.