Make Your Own Sunscreen

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This post was originally posted last summer. This past weekend I forgot to put my sunscreen on and got a little crisp on the shoulders – made me remember it was time to make a batch of sunscreen.

Next week I am hoping to get back to a more normal blog posting schedule – fingers crossed!!!  Have very good intentions!

Since I had never thought about making my own sunscreen, but then there was a comment made on my mosquito repellant post asking if I knew how.  I figured it would be really difficult, the ingredients would be ones that I could not get my hands on and I thought it would be expensive, considering I pay $10 – $15 for the “good” sunscreen.  The research began and what I found was that it was not that hard and the ingredients could be found easily, there was only a couple that I did not already have in the house!

Homemade Sunscreen

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup almond oil (if you do not have you could substitute with olive oil)
1/4 cup beeswax
2 Tbl zinc oxide
1 1/2 – 2 Tbl shea butter
1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional – I had so I used)
Essential Oil (I used lavender)

A couple of remarks before I get to the “how-to”.  Both coconut oil and shea butter have a natural SPF of about 4 – so just by using the two of them you are at SPF 8.  The zinc oxide used is a non-nano version that won’t be absorbed into the skin. (Here is a great link explaining non-nano)  The amount of zinc oxide used is about a SPF of 20, you can add more if you want a higher SPF.  This recipe has about a 28 – 30 SPF. When I was doing the research I remember reading that citrus essential oil should be avoided – when I went back to try and find the source I could not find the article again – I decided to stay away from them.  I have found that the best place to get coconut oil is Trader’s Joes (not all carry – I asked my store every time I went in for 2 years, probably others did too and they finally started carrying it!), organic and a great price!

1. Combine all the ingredients except the zinc oxide and essential oil in a glass bowl, recycled jar or wide mouthed canning jar.  This is a lot of oil and you don’t want to use something that you use in your everyday kitchen activity.

Don’t add the essential oil until the end.

Beeswax

Shea butter

2. Place the glass container in a saucepan that has several inches of water. Turn on medium heat and as the water heats the ingredients will melt – occasionally stir or swirl the jar to mix it.

3. Once it is all melted take out of the water and place on a trivet or pot holder.  Add the essential oil, about 10 drops – mix.

4. Add the zinc oxide.  You do not want to inhale this and probably do not want children around when you are making – mix well using and old spoon or metal utensil.

5. Pour into container.  I used a pint size canning jar and re-used my Burt’s Bees face lotion container.  Stir a couple of times while it is cooling to make sure the zinc oxide gets mixed throughout and does not clump together.

You will want to store this in a cool, dry place or the refrigerator.  If you want it thicker add more beeswax, thinner less.  This is not water proof – so reapply after swimming.  It will make your skin feel so good.  This has a shelf life of about 6 months.

Clean the jar before the ingredients start to harden – so much easier.  Then just put the jar and stirring utensil you used in a special place and use it again when you are making sunscreen.  This feel so good on your skin and makes your skin so soft – you will make it again – use it as your lotion or make without the zinc and use as your everyday lotion.

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