Sundance Vacations knows that you love being out in the sun, especially during these beautiful summer months. But are you making sure your skin is protected from the bright sun? No, your sun hat isn’t cutting it!
This homemade natural sunscreen is an organic alternative to the chemical-ridden sunblock you may just slather on after a quick dash to the drug store closest to the beach!
It contains safe ingredients that will not dry out your skin. In fact, this DIY sunblock recipe will moisturize your skin and help prevent nasty skin damage and premature age spots.
Jenn is here to show you exactly what you need for your sunscreen recipe!
It’s only four simple ingredients:
¼ a cup of Coconut oil
½ a cup of Avocado oil
¼ a cup of Shea butter
2 tablespoons Zinc oxide
After purchasing your organic coconut oil, avocado oil, shea butter, and zinc oxide for your homemade sunscreen, also be sure to gather a pot, a wooden spoon, a tablespoon, a cup measurer, a glass bowl, a mason jar, and some tongs before heading over to your stove top.
Once you add your oils and shea butter, you can make a double boiler to gently melt the three ingredients together. After removing your glass bowl from the pot and hot water, allow it to cool for a few hours before adding your two tablespoons of zinc dioxide.
After everything is combined, you’re left with your very own unique DIY natural sunscreen with an SPF rating of about a 25-30!
It should keep for about 6 months before it starts to lose its sun protection factor so be sure to make only enough to use in that short time span.
If you plan on vacationing somewhere super bright and sunny, such as Las Vegas, Nevada or Delaware Beach, please be sure to adjust your oil ratios so you can add more zinc oxide for a strong SPF. Jenn explains it all in the video!
So you want a natural or organic sunscreen that’s not packed with crazy chemicals but is still effective? You’ve come to the right place. This DIY or do-it-yourself sunblock recipe from Sundance Vacations will keep you protected from day-to-day sunshine.
OILS
So you’re going to take a glass bowl to melt down the ingredients in. I like to use glass because metal bowls have a stigma of oxidizing at a high temperature when heated, so glass is always my go-to! Add in your quarter cup of coconut oil. Now coconut oil actually has a natural sun protection factor of about a 5 or a 10, so it’s great to add to this mixture in addition to the other products in this recipe. I’m using Spectrum’s USDA approved organic coconut oil. It’s a virgin oil that’s unrefined and expeller pressed. I picked this up at my local Wal*Mart, however, it’s also available to order on Amazon.com. I’ll be sure to link to all the ingredients in the description below this video (https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Organic-Coconut-Oil-Unrefined/dp/B000QV1PS4/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1466783513&sr=8-2&keywords=spectrum+coconut+oil)
Next I put in ½ a cup of avocado oil. This is Benissimo organic oil I actually got from Wal*Mart as well, but you can find a similar product online. This may seem like a strange oil but Med-Health.net actually calls this oil a “hidden treasure” that many people have not yet discovered. Why? Because it’s packed with benefits. The natural proteins and fats found in avocados make its oil hydrating to the skin and the sterolin it contains has been shown to soften the skin and even reduce age spots. It’s packed with vitamins A, D, and E and has been known to treat skin conditions such as eczema. I’ve heard many people complain about using vegetable or olive oil for DIY sunscreen and so far, avocado oil hasn’t done me wrong. I’ll even use this product on my face.
And that’s it for the oils! I’ve seen people use essential oils in their sunscreens but I really dislike scented lotion products. No matter what it is, my skin gets irritated and if you’ve read online comments from people saying to avoid citrus-based oils like grapefruit or grape seed, lemon or lemongrass, etc. it’s because they cause skin irritation! And then there’s the fruit-based argument? Does lavender repel insects or actually attract them? Nope, we’re skipping the stress and staying essential oil free!
BUTTER
Next we add our thickening agent. Now I chose shea butter for it’s hydrating factors. Here I’m using Essential Depot’s Organic Shea Butter straight from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007B6RR98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) which is a Grade A unrefined shea butter from the finest quality natural African shea trees. Shea butter is also a moisturizing ingredient made from nuts of this very tree. It contains natural vitamins A, E, and F as well as fatty acids much like our avocado oil. It’s also an anti-inflammatory that’s been used to soften and soothe the skin.
Some people will use beeswax instead of shea butter to make their sunscreen but it’s mainly just personal preference. Most people are more likely to have shea butter handy than beeswax, so I just went with my moisturizing go-to.
So let’s put a fourth a cup of shea butter in here too to thicken up our oil mixture.
Now we’re going to make a double-boiler here to gently melt the mixture down. Take a pot of water a few inches deep and heat to a medium temperature on your stovetop. Give it about 15 or 20 minutes and just check to stir it around while it starts to blend. Once combined, remove your bowl from the heat and allow it to cool.
ZINC OXIDE
Alright! So let’s talk about zinc oxide. Just the name sounds scary, however, this is a pharmaceutical grade product that comes from the mineral zinc. Although most sunscreens on the market do contain mineral or “physical” ingredients such as zinc oxide, they are often also riddled with chemical concoctions. Most natural sunscreens, especially DIY screens, only utilize one main active ingredient with SPF, and that’s zinc oxide powder or sometimes titanium dioxide.
Mineral-based sunscreens like zinc prevent skin damage and premature aging because it’s a mineral that blocks both UVA and UVB sunrays from penetrating your skin. Think of it is a nice little layer that sits on top of your skin that works as a barrier against the rays.
So let’s put 2 tablespoons of this is the mixture because that amount will give you about a 20 SPF rating, which is good for a day-to-day block. If you plan on spending time in intense sunshine, make it 3 tablespoons instead of 2. Be sure to not breathe this powder too heavily in. It can be harmful if you decide to snuff the stuff, so keep your mouth and nose away or protected while adding it to the mixture.
We get the non-nano stuff from Sano Naturals. You’ll find it in the description below (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M0CH7FW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) Generally this kind has been scientifically tested to not be harmful to the skin or body because when applied in a lotion or cream form it does not absorb through the skin, enter the bloodstream, or cause health problems like some chemicals may do. Feel free to do more research on the extensive nanoparticle debate because it’s a little more in-depth than I want to cover in this video, however, famous skin products such as Badger Balm proudly produce non-nano products.
After we let this sit for a couple hours, it’ll harden into a paste-like consistency. If it’s not quite thick enough this time, add more shea butter or maybe even combined the shea with some melted down beeswax. Some people like to store theirs in the fridge for a thicker paste or in a cabinet for a more oil-like consistency. Play around with it and see which you prefer!
Keep in mind that this mixture will stay effective for about 6 months, but after that even if sealed it can start to lose its sunray blocking power, so don’t make a crazy amount if you won’t be using it quickly.
Also, this sunscreen will give you about a 25 to 30 SPF protection so please please, please, use this for everyday wear only. If you are planning a trip to the beach with intense sunshine, this exact recipe probably isn’t going to cut it and you will get burned. You may need to put another tablespoon of zinc oxide into the mix and increase the ratios of the other ingredients for a higher SPF.
Like any sunblock, when in intense sun be sure to reapply every few hours or after swimming or sweating.
Have any questions? Ask me in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to our Sundance Vacations YouTube channel.
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