Sunbathing and Homemade Sunscreen

I am going to start this post with a disclaimer: Please use common sense when taking my advice, not that I would intentionally put you in harms way.  That being said, I am not a doctor, I just do what I think is best for my family.   

Now that I got that out of the way!

There is so much controversy about the amount of time we should spend in the sun, should we use sun block, should we not.  But did you know that you can get your daily dose of Vitamin D from 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure and it can decrease your risk for certain cancers including breast cancer and colon cancer?

Somewhere in Florida

Personally, we do not use sunblock unless we are going to be out in direct sun all day long or during peak sun hours (even then I am reluctant to use it).  In my opinion sunbathing, in conjunction with a healthy diet, is extremely good for you.  I also think the risks of the sun out weigh the risks of sun block.  Commercial sunblocks contain tons of chemicals and research shows sunblocks are often the cause of cancer.  It is scary to think that we are constantly being told to slather this stuff all over ourselves for the sake of preventing cancer.

Little Bird at the beach a few years ago

With organic and natural products being so expensive (I have seen some sunscreen that were upwards of $20, ouch!)  I started researching how to make homemade lotions, soaps, tooth paste, etc.  I know exactly what is in them and I feel comfortable with my family using them.  I am absolutely in love my homemade lotion.  I gave some to my neighbor and babysitter this past time and they loved it too!!  So I thought why not sunscreen?  You can use this on your face, just avoid the eye area.  Since it contains absolutely no chemicals, it is safe to use on the whole family.

HOMEMADE SUNSCREEN-About an SPF 30

1/2 cup beeswax
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp of Shea Butter
1 cup almond oil
2 tsp Vitamin E oil
4 Tbsp powder Zinc Oxide (Be sure not to inhale)
Essential oil (EO)- (Do not use citrus oils as they can cause an unpleasant reaction when exposed to the sun causing it to lose it's effectiveness)

Start by putting water in a double boiler, if you do not have a double boiler use a glass bowl in a pot or I have seen people use mason jars.  I prefer the glass bowl, it's easier to clean.  (Side note: do not use any bowls or utensils that you plan on eating out of at a later time.)  Add everything except the zinc and EO and melt.  I like to add the bees wax first, then the coconut oil, then the shea butter, vitamin e and almond oil.  Once melted take off the heat and mix in the zinc and EO.  Pour into a small mason jar or muffin paper and enjoy!  It is a thick lotion and cannot be put into bottles but it will melt if the temperature goes over 75 degrees so store it in a cool dry place like the fridge!  If you want a higher SPF just add more zinc.  THIS IS NOT WATERPROOF, YOU WILL HAVE TO REAPPLY IF YOU SPEND TIME IN THE WATER!

The sunscreen will be good for about 6 months.

Sorry for the dark picture, there is not a lot of light in my kitchen at 10:30 at night!

Are you inspired to start making non toxic versions of your favorite products?  It is incredibly easy to do!  Let me know what products you have started making below!