Skin MD Natural +SPF 15 review and giveaway

I've been a fan of Skin MD Natural Shielding lotion ever since I first tried it in 2009. I love how it glides on my skin without a hint of greasiness and I'm amazed at how it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. This was not one of those products that I review once and then promptly forgot: when my original supply ran out, I searched far and wide to find it, and I still use it to this day. It's not cheap, so I use it sparingly, on my knuckles, elbows, calves, all the driest, roughest spots. And of course, I use it on my son whenever he has one of his eczema flare-ups.

For all my experience with Skin MD, I've never tried their Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF 15. So Skin MD sent me a 4 0z. bottle to try, and I think it's a great option for skin care with light sun protection.

The Basics
According to the makers, Skin MD is not just a moisturizing lotion or protecting cream. It's a shielding lotion. So what's a shielding lotion?

A shielding lotion is unlike any other conventional, artificial moisturizers because it works with the skin to naturally moisturize and heal. Most conventional, artificial moisturizers only add moisture to the surface of the skin, but do little to repair the skin's natural barrier against moisture robbing irritants. Skin MD Natural breaks the dry skin cycle by working to help restore skin's natural protective abilities by bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier against toxins and irritants that can dry the skin, while locking in the skin's natural oils.

Here's more information about Skin MD Natural with SPF15:

Skin MD Natural + SPF 15 is never greasy and won't clog pores making it perfect for all over use including the face. It is formulated with out Oxybenzone, a common sun screen ingredient that made the news last year when it was found to be a hormone-disrupting chemical which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. Skin MD Natural + SPF 15 is made using solar power and contains natural ingredients that are vegan and cruelty free making it the eco friendly choice for summer skin protection.



The Bongga
The Natural Shielding lotion with SPF 15 feels great! To be sure, it's a bit thicker and not as silky as the regular lotion, and it doesn't absorb as easily, but it's still remarkably light when you compare it to other lotions with SPF 15 (and I'm not even going to compare it to sunscreen lotion). In fact, if it weren't for the smell, you wouldn't know it was an SPF lotion. I know many people use the icky feel of sunscreen lotion as an excuse not to apply it year-round (okay, I admit, I'm one of those people) -- but now that you know about Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF 15, there's no more reason not to be sun-safe every single day.

The Blah
Like its non-SPF counterpart, this lotion is not cheap ($15 for a 4-ounce bottle). It's at the price point of department store brands like Clinique (which sells a 5-ounce tube of SPF 15 face/body lotion for $21). But in the case of Skin MD Natural, you definitely get what you pay for: a wonderfully moisturizing lotion that keeps you safe in the sun.

A final word on sun safety: this lotion is *not* waterproof, and as far as SPF goes, a factor of 15 is pretty low, so I wouldn't use it as a replacement for your regular, waterproof sunblock lotion when you go to the beach or the pool or plan to spend a prolonged period of time in the sun.


The Bottom Line
Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF 15 gives you everyday sun protection without that icky greasy feeling!


Take the Pledge to Stop the Burn and enter to win Skin MD Natural +SPF 15
With more and more people each year being diagnosed with skin cancer, Skin MD has started an awareness campaign to help people become more sun savvy and find out more about the dangers of skin cancer. Take Skin MD's Stop the Burn pledge at http://www.skinmdnatural.com/pledge/ and you'll be entered to win a bottle of Skin MD Natural +SPF 15! One person who took the pledge will be randomly chosen each week.


Win a bottle of Skin MD Natural + SPF 15
Here's another chance to win a bottle of this wonderfully non-greasy sun lotion! Skin MD will give one bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion +SPF 15 to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader.

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a sun safety tip. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Take Skin MD's Stop the Burn pledge at http://www.skinmdnatural.com/pledge/ then leave a comment on this post telling me you took the pledge (1 entry).

2) Write this on the Skin MD Natural Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Energizer battery and gas card giveaway on Bonggamom Finds! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Skin MD Natural giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

5) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Win a bottle of @Skinmdnatural lotion with SPF15 on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 30, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 31 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.