Brownkind review

Inclusivity in sun protection is a necessity, and I appreciate brands that recognize and address this gap. Despite Brownkind's promising mission, this SPF was a miss for me.

One of my biggest concerns was this SPF is not reef-safe. Several of its active ingredients raise red flags: Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) & Disodium EDTA.

Another issue for me was the makeup compatibility. Despite Brownkind's claim that it layers well, each time I applied foundation or concealer over this spf, my makeup was patchy, separated, and I had to remove everything and restart with a different SPF. While this might work for a no-makeup day, I wouldn’t recommend it for someone wearing makeup over it.

Lastly, I was disappointed in both the pricing & packaging. At $50 for just 30mL, this SPF is expensive—especially considering its drawbacks. There are hundreds of K Beauty brands that offer a better quality product for a third of the price. Additionally, the packaging is not recyclable. Not only is it difficult to get remaining product out, but the packaging can't be opened to properly clean and repurpose the container, which means it’s destined for a landfill.

While I love the Brownkind mission of providing sun protection without a white cast for melanated skin, I wouldn't recommend this product to makeup wearers, beauties on a budget, or anyone spending time at the beach for the reasons I listed above.