Did you know, the UVA rays of the sun are actually the culprit that causes various types of cancers on the skin? This is because it penetrates deep into the skin; its wavelength that is, and can do a lot of photo damage to the skin and photo ageing- making us look older than we actually are.
UVA wavelengths are longer than UVB wavelengths and can damage the collagen levels of the skin, leading to premature ageing too. Hence what you need is a sunscreen that protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays and also from sun tans and burns too. This would help keep the skin safe and you looking beautiful and radiant all through the year.
But there are many studies that show commercial sunscreens shouldn’t be used. Let’s take a look as to why this happens, and if not commercial sunscreens, what next? Homemade sunscreens of course; we shall help you with five recipes on the same too. Please read on and be well-informed.
Why Use Homemade Sunscreen?
There is no doubt that sunscreen lotions can help keep the skin safe from sunburns, sun tans and cancers of the skin. However, research has shown that most commercial sunscreen lotions have chemicals in them that are not stable at all. Upon contact with the sun, these chemicals break down and do nothing to help the skin with protection and coverage. Hence the effectiveness is lost and these chemicals can do harm to the skin than do good!
Hence, it is important to shun commercial sunscreens and to think of making your own homemade sunscreen at home. Here are five homemade sunscreen recipes for you to choose and use. Please read on and be well-informed.
Here are 5 Homemade Sunscreen Recipes for You:
1. Moisturizing Sunscreen
What you need:
- One cup shea butter or cocoa butter
- One cup beeswax
- One cup coconut oil
- Two tbsps non-nano Zinc Oxide
- One tsp Vitamin E oil
- A cupcake or muffin mold
Directions:
- Combine all the ingredients (except the Zinc Oxide) in a heavy bottomed bowl or glass bowl.
- Add water to a pan and place it on the stove.
- Place the bowl with the ingredients over the pan. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water in the pan.
- Allow the water to come up to a boil.
- Stir continuously till the ingredients melt and blend together.
- Remove from heat and add the Zinc Oxide, mixing well.
- You can add a few drops of vanilla or lavender oil to this for fragrance, just mix well to make sure it’s fully incorporated.
- Next, grease the cupcake moulds with coconut oil and pour the lotion into it.
- Allow it to set; once they cool down completely, pop them out of the moulds gently.
- Store your sunscreen bars in the fridge and use regularly.
How it works
- The use of shea butter or cocoa butter is best to keep the skin protected, hydrated and sealed from the harsh UV rays of the sun
- Beeswax helps as an emollient to further enhance the sealant properties of the lotion being made
- Coconut oil is best used as a hydrant and a moisturizer for the skin
- Non nano zinc oxide is best for the skin since it helps as a reflecting agent for the harsh rays of the sun to bounce off the skin
- Vitamin E oil is nourishment to the skin.
Tip:
This sunscreen not only protects your skin from the harsh rays of the sun but also moisturizes your skin. So it can be used even in winter season as a moisturizer.
2. Lavender Sunscreen
What you need:
- 10 drops lavender
- 1 tbsp pomegranate oil
- 3/4 C coconut oil
- 2 tbsp Zinc Oxide
- 2 tbsp shea butter
- Glass Jar
Directions:
- Begin by combining all the ingredients except the zinc oxide in a small jar
- In a shall stainless steel pan, place two inches of water and set it on low heat
- Place the jar in this warm water
- Stir the contents and make the contents within the jar to melt
- When the melting is done and over with, add the zinc oxide little by little
- Give it a good stir and combine for a minute
- Remove from heat and let it cool
- Wait for it to cool down well the whole day
- Use it the next day
- Store in a cool dry place.
How it works:
- Lavender is an antimicrobial essential oil which helps keep the skin protected from bacteria and infections
- Pomegranate oil is a natural hydrant
- Coconut oil hydrates and moisturizes the skin
- Zinc oxide is used to be a natural reflector of the harsh UV rays of the sun
- Shea butter is a natural hydrant, sealant and protectant of the skin
Tip:
Store in a cool dry place, and make small quantities that can be used in a weeks’ time.
3. Almond and Olive Oil Sunscreen
What you need:
- ½ cup olive oil/almond oil,
- ¼ coconut oil,
- ¼ cup beeswax,
- 2 tbsp zinc oxide,
- 1 tbsp vitamin E oil.
Directions:
- In a small glass jar, place all the ingredients, except the zinc oxide
- In a stainless steel pan, pour two cups of water and heat on very low flame
- Place the jar with ingredients in the pan
- The melting of the ingredients would start while the heat is on
- When the melting is done, add the zinc oxide to this solution a little at a time
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool all day
- Store in a small container
- Use it the next day onwards
How it works (Why these ingredients):
- Olive oil, almond oil and vitamin E oils have hydrating properties, moisturizing properties and sealant properties, keeping the skin safe and protected, and moisturised too.
- Beeswax is a natural emollient that enhances the effectiveness of the lotion
- Coconut oil moisturises the skin and hydrates the skin
- Zinc oxide is a natural reflector of the harmful UV rays of the sun and has SPF in it
Tip:
Make small quantities and use within a week or else its potent value goes down. Store in a cool, dry place.
4. Soy Oil and Sea Emollient Sunscreen
What you need:
- Soy Oil 27g,
- sea emollients 30g
- Vitamin E in Acetate powder form 1g
- 9 grams of ecithin Powder
- zinc oxide 22.5 g
- 0.5 grams of grape seed extract.
Directions:
- Begin by melting the oil in a small pan over low heat
- Start adding all the products one by one and blend till the end mix is creamy
- Remove from the heat
- Store in a cool place
- Use it the next day
How it works (Why these ingredients):
Each of the ingredients given here are known to help smoothen the skin texture and tone, and also help moisturize and protect the skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Plus, the antioxidants found in grape seed fights free radicals, while zinc oxide helps with SPF needs.
Tip:
Make small quantities and use within a week or else its potent value goes down. Store in a cool dry place.
[sc:mediad]
5. Tinted Sunscreen
What all you need:
- 1 cup shea butter or cocoa butter
- 1 cup beeswax
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsps non-nano Zinc Oxide
- 1 tsp Vitamin E oil
- Cocoa powder one tbsp
- A cupcake or muffin mold
Directions:
- Start by placing all the ingredients except zinc oxide and cocoa powder in a small jar
- Place the jar in a stainless steel pan of warm water on low heat
- Allow the ingredients to melt
- Remove from the heat
- Add zinc powder and cocoa powder, little at a time
- Stir and mix well to blend them all
- Pour the same into moulds
- Allow them to cool
- Pop them out after the cooling is done
- Use it the next day
How it works (Why these ingredients):
- The use of shea butter or cocoa butter is best to keep the skin protected, hydrated and sealed from the harsh UV rays of the sun
- Beeswax helps as an emollient to further enhance the sealant properties of the lotion being made
- Coconut oil is best as a hydrant to use and a moisturizer for the skin
- Non nano zinc oxide is best for the skin since it helps as a reflecting agent for the harsh rays of the sun to bounce off the skin
- Vitamin E oil is nourishment to the skin.
- Cocoa powder has antioxidants that fight free radicals
Tip:
Make small quantities and use within a week or else its potent value goes down. Store in a cool dry place.
We hope you enjoy making these five homemade sunscreen recipes and use them too. Here are now a few tips to bear in mind when making your own homemade sunscreen. Please read on!
Tips
- Try using organic ingredients as much as possible.
- Finding non-nano Zinc Oxide might prove to be difficult. Search for it online.
- You need to find out how well the sunscreen protects your skin. So avoid staying out in the sun for long hours. Start small and determine how effective the sunscreen is and how long it lasts.
- When adding in the Zinc Oxide, make sure you do not breathe it in as it may give off harmful fumes.
- A nifty trick is to empty and clean out a deodorant roll-on stick and use the empty box to store your sunscreen bar. This way, your sunscreen will solidify in it and you can rub it on just as you would with your deodorant. So convenient! Just make sure to completely clean and sterilize the deodorant box before you pour in your homemade sunscreen.
- You can use cute little moulds to make heart shaped bars. These would make great gifts as well. Just be sure to let the recipient know that they are sunscreen bars and not chocolates!
So you see, we have learnt a lot about the importance of sunscreen to use every day. We also learnt about why commercial sunscreens are harmful for our skin and overall health too, and why making our own sunscreen would be best as well. Now that we have shared five amazing homemade sunscreen recipes, we hope that you would try making one of them at least and using them. Do send us recipes of your own if you have any, so that we could share with our readers too. We wait for your feedback, comments and suggestions on this post.
Disclaimer: This post has been written through research from various sources online and shouldn’t be taken as the know-it-all for sunscreens. We are in no way demeaning any brand or company that makes sunscreens here and whatever is given here is through research only. Please consult your skin specialist for the right sunscreens to use or make at home.
Recommended Articles:
Easy Homemade Conditioners For All Hair Types
Natural Homemade Soaps For All Skins
Homemade Mouthwash Recipes
DIY Lip Balm And Lipstick Recipes
6 comments
Wow.. I will definitely try this. But can you please suggest me when and how much sunscreen should I use?
Use sunscreen at all times that you step outdoors, whether it is sunny or not. Not needed at nights only. And use enough sunscreen to coat all the skin with a layer of it.
Does a sunscreen become ineffective with age?
Sunscreens are effective as long as you use them before their shelf life, i.e. the date printed behind the bottle which is the limit to the sunscreen stability.
Is it safe to use spray sunscreens?
With spray sunscreens, we don’t realize the actual amount of it needed to cover the adequate sun exposed areas. So spray enough to cover all areas. Also, it is safer to spray it in your hands and then apply it to the face in order to avoid inhaling it.