There are two consistent seasons in Florida (AKA “home-sweet-home”): summer and not-summer.
Florida and Summer are best friends, I’m sure of it. During the not-summer months (also known as “winter”) Florida must hang with her good ol’ buddy Summer. They are true best friends with a love/hate relationship in full effect. One moment Florida must hang with Summer. Then, they break off their friendship and the sixties roll-in. Trust me friends, sixty is cold… break out the parka and boots!
During the official summer months, Florida and Summer are best friends…completely in love with each other. Think of weather in the hundreds and the scorching sun beating down on your “I-just-can’t-take-it-anymore” shoulders.
After spending much of the not-summer months in the house (sixties are way too cold for venturing out), the presence of Summer means it’s time to play! Beaches must be visited. Don’t forget the neighborhood ducks to visit and juicy watermelon to eat. All this fun means sun protection must be planned.
In our pre-simple days, sun protection consisted of a bright pink tube bought from the store. Slowly over the years I’ve changed the products we use for effective homemade recipes.
The thought of making homemade sunscreen appears daunting, at least it did to me! But, I’m here to say, “it’s simple”! I’m not a gal who enjoys complicated (“Live Simply”). With a few simple ingredients and ten minutes of time sunscreen can be made. Let’s talk about the simple ingredients. If you’re already making homemade products, you probably own a few homemade sunscreen ingredients.
1. Coconut Oil: Protects the skin and tissues from sun damage and successive exposure. Coconut oil doesn’t block the sun completely, allowing the skin to absorb beneficial Vitamin D. Consuming coconut oil during the summer months can help prevent sun damage. Make sure the coconut oil is pure and not processed. Note: Coconut oil alone will not protect against the sun.
2. Sweet Almond Oil: Contains a smaller SPF (around 5). Also provides Vitamin E which nourishes the skin.
2. Shea Butter: Contains fatty-acids along with Vitamins A & E. Shea butter moisturizes and provides a small amount of sun protection.
3. Carrot Seed Oil: Contains high levels of Vitamin A and boasts a high SPF (estimated around 30-40). I also use carrot seed oil in my homemade lotion for it’s amazing antioxidant properties.
4. Zinc: Provides physical protection against damaging rays and SPF. A non-nano zinc will not absorb into your bloodstream.
5. Beeswax: This ingredient simply solidifies the oil producing a spreadable lotion. Beeswax will melt when exposed to heat.
Along with homemade sunscreen I also include foods in our summer diet which aid in sun protection, such as: dark leafy greens, berries, carrots, egg yolks, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.
When our family plans to be out for a long period of time (such as an all day trip to the beach), I add extra sun protection by using: hats, long-sleeve swim shirts, and a beach umbrella. I also reapply my homemade sunscreen throughout the day.
Homemade Sunscreen
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
- 2 TB shea butter
- 1/4 cup beeswax pellets
- 4 TB zinc powder non-nano
- 20-25 drops carrot seed essential oil
Instructions
- On the stove-top, add 1 cup of water to a small saucepan. Place a heat-resistant glass bowl on top of the saucepan. Bring the water in the saucepan to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. This creates a homemade double broiler to keep ingredients from over-heating.
- In the glass bowl add: coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. Melt the ingredients, stirring frequently.
- Remove the bowl from the heat, add to the coconut oil mixture: almond oil, carrot seed oil, and zinc powder. Stir.
- Once removed from the heat the beeswax will begin to set.
For an on-the-go option: using a dropper pour into lip balm tubes [(like this)|http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQNFFDA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DQNFFDA&linkCode=as2&tag=livsim07-20&linkId=ZJNSQIVV5SCFM2I7]. This option produces a small amount of sunscreen per tube, but I like the portability of this option. I keep a small tube in my purse (wrapped in a Ziploc bag) for just-in-case summer moments.
- The sunscreen will solidify after about five minutes. The final result will be a spreadable lotion.
Ingredient Notes
Using this recipe, I make one 4oz. mason jar and six lip-balm tubes of sunscreen.
I’ve included “where to buy” links to show the products I enjoy using. Many of these ingredients can also be found at local health food stores.
If you’re planning to be in direct sun for hours, I highly recommend using sun protection such as hats and protective clothing along with sunscreen. This sunscreen alone may not provide the full protection needed if you are fair-skinned and burn easily. Sunscreen is just one component of protecting the skin from the sun. Homemade sunscreen can perform differently than store-bought sunscreen and should not be relied on for full protection during a long day at the beach or pool.
More Recipes You May Like:
Homemade Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (Without Coconut Oil)
Great thanks !
Hi,thanks for such an easy to make recipe! Now about the consistency, do you think this is a sunscreen i can send with the kids to camp.would my 8-9 year Olds be able to apply on their own?
Hey Hela, As long as the kids are okay with scooping the sunscreen from a jar, I think they would/will do well with this recipe. Also, make sure they know it’s important to wear a hat and clothing protection since homemade sunscreen is not as potent as the sunscreen sold in the store, and is just one layer of added protection from the sun.
Hello! I just ordered and received everything to make this recipe EXCEPT, I noticed my carrot seed oil is in fact Moroccan carrot oil…. Will this still provide the SPF I’m looking for? I don’t know the difference :/ it doesn’t appear to be an essential oil either but is for skin and hair. Please help!
Hey Jamie, Many carrot seed oils are labeled, “Carrot Seed Oil” without the words “Essential Oil” included in the title. Does the ingredient label indicate the carrot seed oil is blended with another oil…maybe Argan? I’m thinking that’s where the Moroccan part would come into play?
Thanks for the recipe! Have you used red raspberry seed oil in this recipe before? My daughter is very fair and was thinking of using both carrot seed oil and red raspberry seed oil for extra spf.
Hey Sarah, I’m not sure how much the red raspberry oil will increase the spf, but I’ve heard great things about it!
I always makes sure we have extra protection when using this sunscreen, particularly if we’re in the sun for many, many hours. So, just a bit more protection (sun shirt, hat, etc.) may help?
Thank you for sharing this! I’m going to try it very soon…maybe next week. What beeswax do you buy and where? Thanks!
Hey Yarnninja, I buy it either on Amazon or from a local beekeeper. Enjoy the sunscreen!
Is there any subs for the coconut and almond oils? My son is allergic to all tree nuts and peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds.
Would any other oil work like avocado?
Hey Christine, I wish the ingredients could be subbed, but in this recipe they are pretty essential.
In regards to questions about leaving out the zinc, I don’t think this is a good idea.
From what I have read online, the carrot seed oil only protects against UVB rays, not UVA rays. http://livingprettynaturally.com/natural-oil-sunscreens-what-you-need-to-know/
UVA penetrates more deeply into the skin than UVB, and is more dangerous in terms of skin cancer.
What’s more, it’s UVB that causes sunburn, so if you use a sunscreen that blocks UVB but not UVA, it could give you a false sense of security in regards to your cancer risk.
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb/understanding-uva-and-uvb
Zinc on the other hand blocks both UVA and UVB.
Thanks for sharing, Ivriniel. The zinc really is important.
Can’t wait to try this! When it’s finished, would it work in a a squeezable tube? Or is it too think and needs to be scooped out? Thanks for the recipe!!
Too THICK, not think 😉
Hey Kelli, I think this recipe would work great in a squeeze tube. It’s thick, but more of a soft lotion. Enjoy!
How does this feel on your skin compared to commercial sunscreen? Also, how does it hold up to being in water? My boys are always complaining about the sunscreen burning their eyes in the pool or when they sweat.
Hi Elizabeth, Homemade sunscreen does have an oily feel. It also needs to be reapplied often and used with other protection like hats, protective shirts for the kiddos, and an umbrella. After swimming the sunscreen sticks, but for added protection I always reapply once the kids and I are dry- I’m not sure how effective it is once you’ve been gone for a nice swim.
Great post! This homemade sunscreen recipe indeed looks very simple. I’m a little bit allergic to commercial sunscreen products and therefore think that maybe I can make my own. I assume this sunscreen is toddler-friendly too?
Janet
Essential oil does not contain vitamins. Carrot seed oil that is essential oil, like the one linked in your post, will not contain vitamin A.
See section in:
http://www.raindroptraining.com/messenger/v9n5.html
I bought some of this oil too, thinking that it would, but then read up on it and found that not to be true.
Thanks Megan for your feedback. That’s very interesting to read. I can’t agree that essential oils don’t contain vitamins with all the research I’ve done, but I’m always open to reading new research. There’s lots of different information out there about oils, did you have a preference to a different oil?
About how much sunscreen do you get out of the ingredients you have listed? I have coconut oil in bulk so I am not counting that, but for me to buy the rest of the ingredients is over $70. How long can you let your kids go before reapplying this?
Thank you!
Hi FitMomPam, Wow! $70! If it will cost that much I’d suggest buying Scratch Mommy’s sunscreen and see if you like it or maybe even trying this simple sunscreen and adding some carrot seed oil, if desired: http://www.backtothebooknutrition.com/2-ingredient-homemade-sunscreen/. For this recipe I get one 4 oz jar and about 6 tiny lip balm tubes worth. I reapply often- around every 2 hours when in full sun and that’s with protective sun wear too.
Hey! I too was just pricing out all the ingredients on Amazon. I live in Canada, and from amazon.ca to purchase they ingredients needed (minus the coconut oil, as I already have that); I too would be looking at $70. However, I am assuming that it will end up making me ALOT of sunscreen. One bottle of sunscreen on sale can range between $10-$20 here; and that is for the big brand stuff (Coppertone, Umbrella, Banana Boat); that isn’t for the natural ones. So I’m thinking that spending this money would be a good thing as I would know exactly what I’m putting into my sunscreen. Plus, perhaps I can sell a few jars to my close family to help lower the costs 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I have searched online for a ton of them, and yours makes the most sense, and sounds the easiest! 🙂
Awesome, Ashely! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
Hi Kristin,
Thanks so much for this sunscreen recipe! I can’t wait to make it! I had a question though. Could I possibly leave out the zinc oxide? It sounds like the carrot seed oil has an SPF of around 30-40, would I need the zinc oxide if I’m ok with my sunscreen being an SPF of around 30-40? I’m just curious as to the need for it if the other ingredients are adding SPF on their own and the sum of them without it would be a good amount of SPF.
Thank you,
BreAnne
Hey BreAnne, I’ve never tried using carrot seed oil alone. It’s a pretty expensive essential oil and needs to be mixed with a carrier oil. Each of the ingredients work together, but if you wanted to leave something out you could try the shea butter and almond oil. You may even leave out the beeswax, but it wouldn’t be a thick spreadable lotion, more of a coconut oil consistency.
Actually I was thinking of just leaving out the zinc oxide but keeping everything else that you had in your ingredients list. I was just curious if it could all be combined (minus the zinc oxide) to create a good sunscreen.
I recently made a lotion using shea butter, coconut oil, lavender essential oil and lemongrass essential oil. I made it using a double burner and love the consistency of it.
So if I were to add in carrot seed oil to that combination it would give it an SPF of around 30, right?
Of if I were to make your recipe minus the zinc oxide, that would give me a thicker creamier consistency and still an SPF of around 30, right? 🙂
Thanks,
BreAnne
Hey BreAnne, I’m not really sure about taking out the zinc as it does play a critical role in the SPF. If you want to try I’d probably test a small batch without the zinc and see what happens. Let me know if you try.
From what I gather I think her concern is the toxicity of the zinc. I’m no expert and haven’t done my own research but with that said, I’ve read several diy recipes out there over the last few days and many leave comments seeking a zinc alternative because of toxins found in it.
Hey Tarrah, Thanks for clarifying. Zinc gets a bad reputation, but the zinc used in this recipe is very different than the zinc which absorbs from the skin into your bloodstream and becomes toxic to the body. I highly, highly recommend using non-nano zinc! Non-nano, uncoated, and non-micronized zinc won’t absorb through the skin into the bloodstream. Zinc is one of the key ingredients in this sunscreen. Scratch Mommy purchases large amounts of this kind of zinc- you can find her link above.
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for the recipe. Do you know if places like whole foods carry zinc? Also – I’ve tried coconut oil as moisturizer on my face before but it caused breakouts, is there a substitute?
Hey Shirley, I think you could sub shea butter for the coconut oil, but you may need to reduce the amount of beeswax. I’m not 100% sure, but that’s what I’m thinking.
Thanks for sharing your recipe! I didn’t see a link for the non-nano zinc powder, so do you have any preferences as to where you buy yours?
Hey Shauna, I didn’t include a link because I find it really hard to source a good non-nano trustworthy zinc. I purchase from two sources: 1/ a local shop in my town 2/ Scratch Mommy Skincare Shop. Scratch Mommy (link to her shop can be found under the recipe) sells non-nano zinc for DIYers to make their own sunscreen. I believe the smallest amount you can purchase is 2 ounces. Hope that helps :).
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll head over to Jess’s shop & look at her prices & then check my local health store. Have a blessed week!
Hi there! Can I substitute the almond oil for something else? I’m allergic to almonds so I shy away from them in all forms 🙁
Hey Bri, Jojoba oil would be a great substitute for the almond oil. It’s nourishing and contains a fair amount of natural SPF.
Hi thanks for sharing this all natural recipe. I’m looking forward to trying this once winter blows over! Do you know what the spf protection level is for this recipe?
Hey Mandy, We can’t say for sure.
I have everything but the carrot seed oil- is there something I could substitute or could I just leave it out?
Hey Kristi, You can leave it out. The lack of carrot seed oil will provide less SPF, but you’ll still have a good sunscreen.
This is great. Do you store this in the fridge? How long is it effective?
Hey Rachel, The ingredients are shelf-stable, so I keep the sunscreen in our medicine cabinet. The sunscreen will keep for about a year when stored in glass. Enjoy!
Totally off topic, but your daughter’s hair is the best. Love those curls. I bet your sunscreen recipe is great too. 🙂
Thanks, Tara! She’s a cutie.
I had no idea this could be done so easily, love this idea. And it is so much healthier too, no chemicals, etc. I will be trying this over the summer for sure. Thanks so much!
Thanks, Real Food By Dad! I was amazed at how easy sunscreen is to make too. Enjoy!
I’m a fair-skinned, freckled redhead who burns easily. Has this sunscreen been used on people who burn easily?
Hey Elizabeth, I’ve used this without issue–I just reapply often.