Do you know that most sunscreens contain toxic ingredients?
And even endocrine disruptors?
These ingredients can increase the risk of skin cancer and the production of free radicals in your body.
Moreover, the rate of skin cancer has increased since the use of sunscreens.
And beware:even brands that are supposed to be based on natural products also contain toxic products!
Luckily, here's how to make your own 100% natural sunscreen:
Today, more and more people suffer from vitamin D deficiencies.
Besides, I think the lack of sun exposure is a bigger problem than the risks of overexposure to the sun.
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to several types of cancer, including the deadliest forms of breast cancer.
Vitamin D insufficiency is also linked to several complications of pregnancy:pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, premature births, etc.
Our society teaches us to avoid sun exposure. It's normal:we think we're doing the right thing by avoiding skin cancer.
But, by avoiding the sun's rays, we also lose all the vitamin D that the body produces when it is exposed to the sun.
Besides, there are many other factors linked to skin cancer.
For example, consuming vegetable oil rich in omega-6 fatty acids can have a negative impact on the health of your skin.
For my part, I try to have a more moderate approach regarding my exposure to the sun.
Every day, I make sure that my children and I have adequate sun exposure — but be careful not to get sunburned.
In reality, it is more difficult to find the time to be exposed to the sun than to avoid it. Indeed, we spend most of the day indoors.
In the rare cases where I really need to protect myself from a risk of overexposure, I put on a hat or cover my skin with a shirt or T-shirt. It's the best all natural sunscreen!
But sometimes these protections are not an option:the first days at the beach, for example.
In these cases, I occasionally use a homemade natural sunscreen.
I haven't used it yet this year — and hope not to use it for the rest of the summer.
But I still wanted to take the opportunity to share my recipe with you!
That way, if you too want to stay under the sun for extended periods of time, you have a natural option to protect your skin.
Moreover, this natural alternative is particularly suitable for all skin types:
- young children,
- people who take medicines that make the skin more sensitive to the sun and
- people who easily get sunburn.
But, once again I want to repeat my philosophy!
Yes, this sunscreen is highly effective, smells great and softens your skin.
However, I don't think it should be used every day. The production of vitamin D following exposure to the sun is extremely beneficial in the long term! Just don't abuse it.
- 12 cl of sweet almond oil or olive oil
- 6 cl coconut oil
- 15 g of beeswax
- 2 tablespoons of zinc oxide
Caution:use a powder without nanoparticles, as it cannot be absorbed by the skin. Be careful not to absorb the powder while breathing.
- optional:1 teaspoon of raspberry seed oil
- optional:1 teaspoon of carrot seed oil
- optional:1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil
- optional:2 teaspoons of shea butter
- optional:essential oils, vanilla extract or other agents to flavor your cream.
1. Prepare a jar or a glass container (capacity 50 cl).
2. Mix all the ingredients (except the zinc oxide).
3. In a saucepan, heat the jar in a bain-marie over medium heat.
4. As the water heats up, the ingredients begin to melt.
5. Shake the jar from time to time to better incorporate all the ingredients.
6. Once all the ingredients have melted, add the zinc oxide and mix.
7. Pour the final mixture into a container to store your sunscreen.
The ideal is a small jar. Sprayers are not recommended as the cream is too thick to spray.
8. To make sure the zinc oxide is well incorporated, shake the mixture as it cools.
9. Use the sunscreen like an ordinary cream (you can keep it for up to 6 months).
- This sunscreen is partially water resistant, but not completely.
Therefore, do not forget to reapply after swimming or if you have sweated.
- Warning:do not breathe zinc oxide powder! Use a mask if necessary!
- This sunscreen recipe has a sun protection factor of about 15. If you add more zinc oxide, it increases the sun protection factor.
- To thicken the sunscreen, add more beeswax. To make it more liquid, use less wax.
- I advise you to perfume your sunscreen. I use natural coconut oil, vanilla essence or 1 or 2 drops of lavender essential oil.
- To properly store your homemade sunscreen, put it in a cool, dry place. You can also store it in the refrigerator.
- Personally, I prefer to keep it in a small jar and apply it like sunscreen.
To do this, I add a little more coconut oil, in order to obtain a firmer texture.
- If you remove the zinc oxide from the ingredients of this sunscreen, you get an excellent body milk.
Many of the ingredients in this recipe have natural sun protection properties.
But since this cream is 100% natural and has not been tested in the laboratory, it is impossible to calculate its exact protection factor.
Here are the ingredients in this sunscreen that naturally protect your skin from the sun.
Ingredient Protection Index
- Sweet almond oil (protection index 5)
- Coconut Oil (SPF 4 - 6)
- Zinc oxide (protection factor 2 - 20, depending on the amount used)
- Raspberry seed oil (protection factor 25 - 50)
- Carrot Seed Oil (SPF 35 - 40)
- Shea butter (protection index 4 - 6)
Note:the final protection index varies according to the quantity used of each ingredient.
For the simplest version, a small amount of coconut oil and shea butter mixed with oil (raspberry seed or carrot seed) or with zinc oxide works for moderate sun exposure .
Most of these ingredients are easily found in organic stores.
To buy now, we recommend the following products (click on the ingredients):
- cold-pressed organic sweet almond oil
- fair trade organic coconut oil
- 100% organic beeswax
- nanoparticle-free zinc oxide
- raspberry seed oil
- extra virgin carrot seed oil
- vitamin E oil
- organic shea butter
- vanilla essence
For those who don't have the time or don't want to make their own natural sunscreen, we recommend these 2 organic sunscreens:
- Organic Sun SPRAY Kids index 50
- Organic Baby Sun Milk - SPF 50
Do you know another homemade sunscreen recipe? Share it with us in the comments. We can't wait to read you!
