Brush on Block

Weather in Vermont has bounced all over. My rosacea is struggling to keep up. We'll be 80 and border on high humidity one day and then 50 the next. Sun has been plentiful, so sunscreen is a must.

I'm having a real issue with sunscreen this year. Some of them are causing my skin to itch like crazy. As a result, I started trying powder-based mineral sunscreens. Brush On Block is a winner.

How Brush On Block Works

Brush On Block is a self-dispensing brush. You don't have to purchase a make-up brush. It's an all-in-one deal. This makes it incredibly convenient and handy. Click it open, wait till you see the powder dispersing, and brush it all over your face. Don't forget your ears!

I will say that compared to the other powder sunscreen I tried, I appreciate that this company says to use a liberal coating. When I got an email back from another company telling me if I have put on enough powder that my face is slightly paler that I've applied way too much, I started to doubt the company's knowledge. You never put on a light coating of sunscreen.

The other thing I love is that you can purchase cartridge refills for almost half the cost. You don't have to purchase the self-dispensing brush when you need more. Simply buy a refill, replace the empty one, and you're good to go.

You get UVA and UVB protection with Brush On Block. It's water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It's 30 SPF, so while it's not the 50 I prefer, it meets the recommendations of my dermatologist. No matter what SPF you use, you must reapply no longer than every two hours. Also, as I've said in other articles and Facebook posts, don't buy a sunscreen if it isn't broad spectrum. You want protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

Brush On Block Ingredients

Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the active ingredients that provide the broad-spectrum protection.

Inactive ingredients include:

  • Alumina
  • Boron nitride
  • Chamomile flower extract
  • Green tea extract
  • Honeysuckle flower extract
  • Iron oxides
  • Jojoba oil
  • Mica
  • Rice lipids
  • Rice starch
  • Safflower oil
  • Silica
  • Stearic acid
  • Triethoxycaprylylsilane

The company did want to share a few notes about the ingredients. Ingredients are in alphabetical order, which is required by the FDA when it comes to packaging. As a result, you may have questions about alumina, since it is listed first, which people think means there is a high-quantity of it in the sunscreen. Some also believe it is aluminum-based. Alumina is an anti-caking agent that is an inert aluminum oxide, NOT the aluminum salts that are concerning in deodorants. It is not seen as a health risk, and in Brush On Block, it is less than 1% of the total.

I haven't found this powder-based sunscreen affects my rosacea at all. I don't itch after applying it. I put on my regular summer moisturizer for rosacea and apply the sunscreen over it. It doesn't dry out my skin and it works effectively. Plus, it's so easy to reapply. Recommendations are immediately after swimming or sweating or at least every two hours. That's what I do and it's worked well.

My Bottom Line

If you prefer powder sunscreens, I've yet to find one that's better than Brush On Block. Sunscreen for rosacea can be a hassle, but this product works and after four solid weeks of use, it hasn't irritated my skin at all. I also still don't need a refill, yet. As a result, I'm pretty sure I'll only need one refill at the most this summer. This powdered sunscreen is truly a winner!
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