Natural Sunscreen – A Necessity
There are pros and cons all over the internet world regarding over the counter Sunscreen and homemade DIY sunscreen. There are several things to consider when deciding whether to make your own sunscreen, here are just a few that come to mind:
- You can pronounce the ingredients (and know what they are)
- Saves a lot of money
- Doesn’t put dangerous chemicals on your skin which may absorb into the body
- It does leave a slightly white film
- The SPF is lower than the over-the-counter product, so re-apply often.
There are several and easy ways to make effective and natural homemade sunscreen. Here is one quick and relatively easy recipe:
Natural Ingredients:
1 oz. Coconut oil
8 oz. Shea butter
1 oz. Jojoba oil or sunflower oil
30 drops ( 15 of each) Eucalyptus and lavender essential oils
1 oz Vitamin E oil
Zinc oxide
The amount of zinc oxide you choose to use will determine the amount of SPF in your sunscreen. For more than SPF 20, use 20% zinc oxide, for SPF 12-19 use 15% zinc oxide.
Directions: First step is to combine coconut oil, shea butter and jojoba/sesame/sunflower oil into a Pyrex measuring up. Next, make a double boiler by placing the Pyrex inside a pot filled with 2-3 inches of water. Heat on low until the shea butter is melted. Remove from double boiler and let cool. After cooled, wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth when you measure out the zinc oxide to avoid inhaling fine particles. Add the zinc oxide, Vitamin E oil and essential oils to the original mixture. Stir until ingredients are mixed. The last step is to pour the mixture into a dark jar and refrigerate.
Homemade sunscreen can last for around 6 months and should be refrigerated. Apply generously to skin and reapply every few hours while outside during periods of sun exposure.
