Quick Summary:
Date Tested: 04/04/2022
In this review, I test the Trader Joes face & body sunscreen. It is a broad spectrum lotion with a SPF rating of 30 and mentions that is water resistant up to 80 minutes. The bottle information markets this particular lightweight formula as non-comedogenic, and is also fragrance, PABA, and oil free. It comes in a pleasant looking eye catching orange squeezy bottle and has nice grippy grips indented on the sides of the container so it wont slip out of hand during use. However, that’s about as good as the sunscreen gets.
It is a chemical based sunscreen which uses a cocktail of five (I am always skeptical when there are so many included) chemical blockers, Avobenzone 1%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 0.80%, Oxybenzone 4%. But the Trader Joe’s SPF30 only reduced the UVI by 70.20%, reduced UVA by 70.74%, and reduced UVB intensity by 61.75%. It’s a lackluster performer albeit with great specs. Considering trader joes typically has decent products, this was somewhat of a disappointment.
Trader Joe’s SPF30 face and body ingredients
Active ingredients: Avobenzone 1%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 0.80%, Oxybenzone 4%
Inactive Ingredients:
WATER (AQUA), GLYCERIN, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, VP/HEXADECENE COPOLYMER, PHENOXYETHANOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, DISODIUM EDTA, ASCORBIC ACID, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE.
Manufacturers Website: http://www.traderjoes.com
The Trader Joe’s sunscreen characteristics at a glance:
- Enriched with Vitamins C and E
- Organic (chemical) sunscreen classification
- Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB protection
- Formula is PABA, Fragrance and oil-free. It is also non-comedogenic so it won’t clog pores
- Viscosity is good.
Prepared slide ready for testing
The Trader Joe’s SPF 30 has a good consistency. However, it begins to really thin out and is inconsistent in its spread. This is surprising!
Below are the results from 2 hours of testing in my UV testing station.
Trader Joes SPF30 UV blocking test results
Ultraviolet light quick reference:
UVA: The Ultraviolet wavelength from 315nm – 400nm. The “Aging UV light” – Causes wrinkles.
UVB: The Ultraviolet wavelength from 280nm – 315nm. The “Bad UV light” – Causes skin cancer.
UVI: The global sun UV index. The more a sunscreen can reduce the level of UVI, the better.
TJ’s broad spectrum face & body test results:
Ultraviolet sensor readings:
| Before Sunscreen | After Sunscreen | % UV Blocked | |
| TEMP | 76.61 | 76.6 | |
| UVA | 26197 | 7665.75 | 70.74% |
| UVB | 1257.5 | 481 | 61.75% |
| UVI | 15.31 | 4.56 | 70.20% |
Want to know more about how I test sunscreen? Head here to read about the details.
Testing notes:
The Trader Joe’s Broad Spectrum sunscreen looks nice at first glance, consistency looked good while dispensing, product bottle is eye-catching, and it comes from a trusted retailer. However, once the sunscreen is actually put through its paces, its quite a disappointment. Maybe I should have known when I saw that the formula included 5 chemical blockers. Typically three is enough provided the formulation allows for consistent spreading and even distribution of the active ingredients. Apparently, in sunscreen the mantra “more is better” is wrong.
I don’t recommend this product. Too bad, because I really really wanted this particular sunscreen to succeed.
Want to try the Trader Joe’s SPF 30 sunscreen?
Lackluster performer which only blocks about 70% UVA, and only 61% UVB. Its essentially only providing you with a 70% protection. Better off getting something else.
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