Trukid Sun Screen and Face Stick Review

TruKid has two sunblocks--the Sunny Days mineral sun screen lotion and Sunny Days face stick and I purchased both of them for my kids.

First, the lotion. Right off, I noticed that it smelled like oranges in a pleasant, mild, non-offensive way. The actual lotion was not too thick and while it absorbed fairly well into the skin, but it definitely needed some deliberate rubbing. The consistency is thinner than Aveeno's and California Baby's sunblocks, but not as thin as more liquidy Polo. My kids' faces were shiny and relatively not greasy. (So, yes, a little greasy.)

I like that it is paraben and phthalate free. This is the #1 reason I would even consider buying this sunblock. It also has a EWG rating of 2. But the fact that it has instant protection is the icing in the cake. Most sunblocks require application 30 minutes prior to outside exposure. Immediate protection is one less hassle for frazzled parents.

The only cons? The price and the package. For a mere four ounces, the hefty price of $14.00 is not sweet. One mother looked at my puny bottle and and her three children and said, "And are you supposed to put one ounce for every application?" Granted that the directions only state to use a handful, and I have been able to do a generous application on my two kids' bodies and not do an ounce. But for those with bigger kids, I suppose it is disheartening to have only a few uses out of your sunblock.

Still, according to Zrecs, it is the most affordable cost per ounce out of the natural sunblocks. Ultimately, you're paying for peace of mind because most sunblocks contain parabens, phthaltes, and the like.

Now for the packaging. The Safe Mama review mentioned a convenient pump that is pictured in some places in the website but is in fact, non-existent. I e-mailed the company about this manner and have not received an answer. In any case, after one application, the bottle literally collapsed into a sunken in formation. Not only was it hard to control the amount coming out from the bottle, but the morphing of the bottle shape was unsettling. I think it's the recycling- friendly plastic that causes this malleability.

The redeeming factor: There is a sale for two days-only today, the 22nd and the 23rd! All the sunblocks are half off! Yay! There's also free shipping is also free for purchases $50 and over. For some reason, the free shipping is not advertised in their actual website though it was proudly mentioned in the newsletter. There must be some technical issues.

Okay, now back to our show. Let's discuss the face stick.

The scent is not as pleasant as the lotion, but it's not bad either. It has a generalized citrus scent versus the more orange specific scent of the lotion. The stick is labeled as waterproof, something the lotion does not have any mention of. And the stick is very convenient when adding a second layer of protection to the face. It does need a more generous rubbing, but it is not overly pasty or greasy. This stick also has the honor of being on top of the list at EWG's database with the wonderful rating of 0.

My beach regimen is the following: After putting lotion over every exposed angle of skin, I rub the stick to the nose and cheeks for additional protection because those areas are more prone to burning. And yes, this stick is something I would put on my freckly nose.