Why I Almost Threw This Sunscreen in the Trash (Spoiler: I Didn’t)
Let me tell you about my first date with the West&Month sunscreen. It was a disaster. I’m not being dramatic. Okay, maybe a little. But honestly? My first impression was terrible.
The package arrived looking like it had been used as a soccer ball by the delivery guy. The box was dented in one corner, and I had to peel off three separate, impossible-to-remove shipping labels. Not a great start. I cracked it open, pumped a little onto my hand, and instantly recoiled. The smell. It wasn’t a bad smell, per se. It was just… odd. Like a very clean, slightly medicinal botanical garden. It didn’t smell like summer or coconuts or any of the fun sunscreen smells. It smelled serious. And it felt thick. Like, really thick. I was trying to spread it on my arm and it just sat there, a white, gloopy streak that refused to blend. I had to rub my skin raw to get it to sink in. I was THIS close to returning it right then. I even had the return page open on my browser.
The instructions said to apply 20-30 minutes before sun exposure. Who has that kind of time? I’m usually applying sunscreen in the car, five minutes from the beach, while simultaneously trying to find a parking spot and not spill my iced coffee. The first time I used it properly, I waited the full 30 minutes. I stepped outside and immediately felt… sticky. Not greasy, exactly, but there was a distinct tackiness. A fly literally landed on my cheek and got stuck for a second. It was humiliating. I thought, “This is it. This is a thirty-dollar mistake.” I resigned myself to a shiny, sticky day.
The Grudging Turnaround
The turning point came out of pure laziness. I didn’t want to deal with the return shipping. So I told myself I’d use it up as a hand cream or something. A few days later, I was running late for a long walk. I slapped it on my face and neck (with significantly less vigorous rubbing) and ran out the door. I was stress-eating some weird kale chips my friend left at my apartment when I noticed something. An hour into my walk, sweating a bit, my skin didn’t feel like it was melting. The initial tackiness was completely gone. In fact, my face felt… good. Hydrated. Not tight and dry like some sunscreens make it feel. The weird smell had faded away to nothing. I got home and looked in the mirror. No white cast. No crazy shine. Just normal, happy-looking skin. I was confused.
Okay, Fine. It’s Good.
I hate to admit it, but this stuff works. Really works. I started using it daily. The key, I learned, is to not treat it like a watery lotion. It’s a cream. A rich, moisturizing cream with SPF. You need a smaller amount than you think, and you really do have to let it settle for a few minutes. Once it sets, it becomes this invisible, protective layer. I wore it on a full-day hiking trip. I’m talking six hours of direct sun, sweat, and dust. I re-applied once, right after lunch. Not only did I not burn—not even a hint of pink on my nose—but my skin wasn’t screaming for moisturizer at the end of the day. It felt calm. The jojoba and shea butter in it are no joke. It’s like it moisturizes while it protects.
I’ve used it on my body too, after shaving my legs, and it didn’t sting at all. That’s a big deal for me. Most chemical sunscreens make my skin itch if I put them on freshly shaved skin. This one? Nothing. Just hydration. I honestly don’t know why it feels so thick in the bottle but dries down so nicely on the skin. It’s like a magic trick. A very slow, patient magic trick.
And the biggest surprise? My foundation goes over it beautifully. It doesn’t pill or slide around. It acts like a perfect, hydrating primer. I’ve stopped using my morning moisturizer altogether because this does both jobs. I’m saving money on moisturizer, which almost makes up for the price of the sunscreen. Almost.
The Final, Slightly Grumpy Verdict
So, would I buy it again? Yes. But with caveats. I won’t repurchase if I’m in a hurry. This isn’t a grab-and-go, spray-on-your-kids-while-they’re-running-away type of sunscreen. This is a “I am intentionally caring for my skin today” sunscreen. It requires a tiny bit of patience. If you can give it that two-minute window to absorb, it rewards you immensely. It’s become my daily driver for face and neck, and my go-to for any extended outdoor activity where I know I’ll need serious, non-irritating protection and moisture.
It’s not perfect. The packaging could be sturdier, and I wish the initial scent was a bit more neutral. But the results? They’ve won me over, completely against my initial will. I went from wanting to return it to having it as a staple on my shelf. Go figure.
If you want to try it yourself, here’s where I got mine.
Just don’t judge it in the first five minutes. Give it a week. And maybe don’t apply it near small, curious insects.
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