DIY Sunscreen

 

Living in a tropical country has the sun perpetually shining its strong rays at us for approximately 70% of the year. It's no wonder why a lot of people here are so tanned. 

The majority of sunscreens on the market today are simply full of chemicals. These are some of the most common ingredients found in sunscreens today…

1. Oxybenzone

• Acts like estrogen in the body
• Alters sperm production in animals
• Associated with endometriosis in women

2. Octinoxate (Octylmethoxycinnamate)

• Hormone-like activity
• Reproductive system, thyroid and behavioral alterations in animal studies
• Moderate rates of skin allergy

3. Homosalate

• Disrupts estrogen, androgen and progesterone
• Toxic breakdown products

4. Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate)

• Breaks down and produce destructive free radicals when exposed to the sun's UV rays that are toxic to cells, damage DNA, and may lead to cancer
• May speed the development of malignant cells and skin tumor

Scary huh?

In comes this DIY Sunscreen Recipe from Luke and Trisha.

This recipe calls for a particular type of zinc oxide, and I advise you, please, please, PLEASE DO NOT purchase inferior zinc oxide. You want to make sure that the zinc oxide you purchase is non-nano AND is NOT coated.

DIY Carrot Seed and Copaiba Sunscreen

Ingredients:

     1/2 cup Coconut oil

     2 tablespoons Shea Butter

     1 teaspoon Sesame oil

     1 teaspoon Aloe Vera gel

     3 teaspoons Zinc Oxide

     15 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil 

     10 drops Copaiba Essential Oil

Instructions:

1. Melt the oils and shea butter in a double broiler or a glass bowl over boiling water.
2. Pour into a blender and add the aloe vera and zinc oxide. Blend until well mixed.
3. Add the essential oils and blend a bit more to mix.
4. Store in a convenient container: empty tin, small food storage container, small canning jar, etc.
5. Keep refrigerated when not in use.

The Experience:
The sunscreen smells SO good and has worked really well so far, even on the hot summer days when we’ve been out playing the whole time.

I found it a bit inconvenient that the sunscreen was always hard or liquid because of the coconut oil. While I was keeping it in the fridge so it lasted longer (up to 6 months instead of about 3), I had to take it out for a while to melt a bit before applying.

To fix that problem, I modified the recipe by adding 2 oz of beeswax (melted with shea butter) and a teaspoon of vitamin E oil. The vitamin E helps preserve it while the beeswax gives it a creamier consistency and helped prevent it from liquifying. You can store this recipe in the similar containers or refill empty sunscreen face sticks or deodorant containers.

Some Things to Note:

• Never use citrus essential oils because they can increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun.
• Keep refrigerated to last longer. We go through ours so quickly during the summer, I’ve decided to just store the thicker version in the purse or diaper bag.
• Be sure to reapply every two hours, especially when swimming.
• Taking vitamin C and D3 supplements in the summer can help prevent sun damage.