DIY: Homemade Sunscreen Recipe
Ashley Littles
| 3 min read
Here in Michigan, we appreciate the spontaneity of the sun during the long, winter months and yearn for the days of spring and summer, when sunrays are the morning’s wake up call and the Clarion call for outdoor activities.
It’s impossible to ignore the risks of exposure to sunlight, but the benefits often go unsung and cause us to unnecessarily fear the golden rays that, in moderation, can actually improve health.
Exposure to sunlight has long been reported to provide Vitamin D, which improves the health of our bones and teeth, while also helping to fight against diseases and depression.
Our second line of defense against harmful sun rays, after layers of clothing, is sunscreen, but sometimes the chemical-laden and commercial sunscreen options, pose their own significant risks.
Whether it’s skin allergies, aversions to smells, or just personal preference, it is always a better option to use natural ingredients on the body.
In this homemade sunscreen recipe, adapted from WellnessMama.com, you will find a dual-purpose sunscreen option to provide protection for your family organically and naturally, that is fully customizable to suit your family:
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond or olive oil (can infuse with herbs first if desired)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (natural SPF 4-6)
- ¼ cup beeswax
- 2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide (This is a non-nano version that won’t be absorbed into the skin. Be careful not to inhale the powder).
- Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Red Raspberry Seed Oil (natural SPF 25-50)
- Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Carrot Seed Oil (natural SPF 35-40)
- Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
- Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF 4-5)
- Optional: Essential Oils, Vanilla Extract or other natural extracts to suit your preference
Instructions
- Combine ingredients except zinc oxide in a pint sized or larger glass jar. I have a mason jar that I keep just for making lotions and lotion bars, or you can even reuse a glass jar from pickles, olives, or other foods.
- Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat.
- Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
- As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally to incorporate. When all ingredients are completely melted, add the zinc oxide, stir in well and pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Small mason jars (pint size) are great for this. It will not pump well with a lotion pump!
- Stir a few times as it cools to make sure zinc oxide is incorporated.
- Use as you would regular sunscreen. Best if used within six months.
Additional Notes:
- This sunscreen is somewhat, but not completely, waterproof and will need to be reapplied after sweating or swimming
- Make sure not to inhale the Zinc Oxide- use a mask if necessary!
- This recipe has an SPF of about 15 though adding more Zinc Oxide will increase the SPF
- Add more beeswax to make a thicker sunscreen, less to make a smoother sunscreen
- I recommend coconut or vanilla extract or lavender essential oils for fragrance
- Store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge
- I prefer to store in a small canning jar and apply like a body butter. It will be thicker, especially if you use coconut oil in the recipe.
- Remove the Zinc Oxide and this makes an excellent lotion recipe!
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Photo Credit: thedabblist (feature), Hamza Butt via Flickr (inset)
