California Baby and Badger – Sunscreen Perfection

Today, I was listening to the newly released Tron Soundtrack by Daft Punk, and it made me think of those midriff t-shirts that guys used to wear in the 80’s.  Are those back in yet?  Anyway, thinking about midriffs led to thinking about exposed body parts, which led to thinking about…sunscreen.  (How do you like that train of thought?  Haha.)  So, I decided that it was time to share my favorites sunscreens.  The two brands that I swear by are (1) California Baby and (2) Badger.   I’ve spent a lot of time researching, shopping for and testing different brands, and these two are by far the best for surfing or a day at the beach.

I first used California Baby on a surf trip to Nicaragua, and I’ve been hooked ever since.  Specifically, I use the California Baby SPF 30 Sunscreen ; a non-chemical, PABA free sunscreen that uses titanium dioxide.  It’s quite thick, and might make your skin look a little whiter than usual if you don’t rub it in properly, but it will not slip off when it comes into contact with water.  I love it because it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin and it smells really good (although you can buy a fragrance free version as well).

The Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen also uses zinc oxide in lieu of chemicals, and it’s available in an SPF 15 version as well as organic and unscented varieties. In addition, it makes my skin look and feel great.  Sometimes I wake up looking tired and dull, and this sunscreen completely brightens my face.  Badger is a bit oilier than California Baby, which tends to be more paste-like, but I love it equally.