Easy to Make DIY Sunscreens | Safe for Babies & Ocean Safe | High SPF & Vegan
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Are you concerned about the chemicals found in most commercial sunscreens? Do you want to protect your skin from harmful UV rays without harming marine life or your baby's sensitive skin? If so, it's time to consider making your own natural sunscreen. In this article, I'll discuss how chemical and physical sunscreen filters work and provide you with recipes for natural sunscreen with SPF 30-50. By using simple, non-toxic ingredients like zinc oxide, shea butter, and coconut oil, you can create a sunscreen that not only shields your skin from the sun's rays but also helps protect the environment. So, let's get started and learn how to make a safe, eco-friendly sunscreen that's perfect for the whole family.
Sunscreens were introduced in the 1970s, yet here we are some fifty years later with an alarming increase in the incidence of melanoma.
I find it astonishing that skin cancer rates have increased by 4.2% annually even though we spend less time outdoors and apply sunscreen lotion with significant higher SPF.
Yes, sunburn can be harmful, and the sun does cause wrinkles and premature ageing of the skin. Still, sunscreens might not be the healthiest way to protect your skin, as most conventional sunscreens contain sun filters that are potential endocrine disruptors.
Not to forget the harm they have on marine life because sunscreen ends up in the ocean and other waterways after you swim or shower it off. Common ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, nano titanium dioxide, and nano zinc oxide can harm coral reefs and marine life.
If you have to be under the sun for prolonged periods, a shirt, pants, and hat can give you better sun protection, or you can use safe, natural & non-toxic sunscreen. The recipes below are quick to make and protect the skin effectively - both against UVA and UVB.
My approach to sunscreens is controversial, yet I am convinced that most sunscreens do not help prevent skin cancer and may in reality increase the chances. That's why I've made my own sunscreen for years (although I seldom use it myself).
Sunscreens, Vitamin D deficiency, and Hormone Disruptors
Vitamin D deficiency is now the most common medical condition worldwide. An estimated one billion people in the world have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.
Vitamin D3 acts as a hormone in the body - a chemical messenger that strengthens the immune system and regulates mineral uptake - including calcium. It helps prevent cardiovascular disease and several major cancers such as lung, breast, and prostate cancer (1, 2, 3).
Our bodies need some exposure to the sun to formulate vitamin D. The UVB rays from the sun (the rays you get in the middle of the day- in the summer) cause the skin to produce the very beneficial vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 from the sun optimizes 10% of our genes.
About 30 organs, from the skin and breast tissue to white blood cells, have receptors for active vitamin D.
The combination of both vitamin D deficiency and the application of hormone-disrupting sunscreens ingredients has awakened my concern.
I do not encourage anyone to avoid using sunscreen or ignore doctors' advice. I just encourage you to do your own research, look at the actual studies, and use your common sense when it comes to sun exposure and the impact it has on marine life.
What are UV Filters, and How Do They Work?
There are two different types of sun filters: Chemical sun filters and physical sun filters - also called sunscreen filters.
Physical Sunscreen Filters
Physical sunscreens cannot penetrate the skin barrier. They sit on the skin's surface and act as a physical barrier to UV radiation, blocking & deflecting the UV rays, therefore effective against both UVA and UVB rays.
There are only two types of physical sunscreens: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
1. Zinc oxide
Zinc oxide is a natural sunscreen. It's usually non-nano and can't penetrate the skin barrier.
8 benefits of zinc oxide:
It effectively protects against both UVA and UVB.
It provides a high amount of sun protection, about SPF 30-50.
It works immediately because it doesn't need first to penetrate the skin.
It's a 100% natural mineral sunscreen.
It's anti-inflammatory.
It's antiseptic (blocks the growth of bacteria)
It has skin-soothing properties and diminishes burning sensations and redness (after sunburn for instance).
Zinc oxide is also environmentally friendly, protecting the reef and marine life when used as sun protection.
2. titanium dioxide
The most commercially used physical sunscreen is titanium dioxide.
In 2020 EU classified titanium dioxide in its powder form as a suspected carcinogen by inhalation and unsafe in foods.
Nevertheless, The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has evaluated that certain types of titanium dioxide in nano form are safe to use on the skin. Note that ingredients in nano form can unhindered pass through the skin barrier. And manufacturers that add nano titanium dioxide in products can label their products with The Nordic Swan Ecolabel (The official ecolabel of the Nordic countries).
The reason manufacturers use titanium dioxide in nano form in their products is to avoid the white film that the physical filters can give on application.
Chemical Sunscreen Filters
There are many different types of chemical sunscreens; common to them all is that they penetrate the top layer of skin.
Chemical sunscreen filters absorb the UV rays instead of your skin - like a sponge. Most chemical filters protect against UVB, and a few of them also protect against part of the UVA range.
The individual chemical filters typically have one primary area they protect and then provide small, additional protection in another area. Therefore, sunscreen products often consist of several different chemical filters and usually also a physical filter to give the desired protection.
Chemical sunscreens filters don't leave a visible white film on the skin.
The problem with chemical sunscreen filters
According to a 2012 study, benzophenone-3 was found in 96% of urine samples in the US and several UV filters in 85% of Swiss breast milk samples.
In 2020, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) demonstrated that six of the most popular sunscreen filters get absorbed into the bloodstream at a very high concentration, even after a single use. Some of them can stay inside our bodies for weeks. The six filters are: avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone.
Most chemical sunscreen filters are endocrine disruptors.
The endocrine-disrupting sunscreens can:
Affect sperm motility, and they are associated with impaired fetal testis development, thus reducing fertility.
Lower the release of the signal hormone LH and neurotransmitters from the hypothalamus, and it can also lower the levels of metabolic hormones in the blood.
Act as both estrogen, anti-estrogen, and anti-androgen.
Although allergenic and endocrine-disrupting ingredients are not allowed in Nordic Ecolabelled skincare, you can still find endocrine disruptors in sunscreens with that label. Including this one: diethylamino hydroxy benzoyl hexyl benzoate, also called DHHB.
The most common chemical sunscreen filters:
Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, DHHB (endocrine disruptor) (Nordic Ecolabelled)
Ethylhexyl triazone
isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate (endocrine disruptor)
ethylhexyl salicylate (endocrine disruptor)
homosalate (endocrine disruptor)
ethylhexyl dimethyl paba (endocrine disruptor)
butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (endocrine disruptor)
Diethylhexyl butamido triazone (endocrine disruptor)
Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, also called Octinoxate (endocrine disrupting and harmful to marine life)
Benzophenone-3 (endocrine disruptor)
Enzophenone-3, also called Oxybenzone (endocrine disrupting and damaging to marine life)
Avobenzone (endocrine disruptor)
Octisalate (harmful to marine life)
Octocrylene (endocrine disruptor)
Homosalate (endocrine disruptor)
Do like surfers, snowboarders and other nature lovers
Make your own natural sun protection that neither harms skin, body, nor marine life.
Surfers and snowboarders make very high demands on their sunscreens because they spend a lot of time under the powerful sun and have a close and dear relationship with nature.
You can also buy sun protection products without nano or chemical sunscreen filters. Brands like Surf Yogis, Sol de Ibiza or Raw Elements make excellent natural sunscreens and I also produce one called Sun Shield.
How to Make Homemade, Non-toxic & Ocean-safe Sunscreen with SPF 30-50
Two Easy to Make Natural Sunscreens
For both recipes, the following applies:
They protect against UVA and UVB rays.
They are free of parabens.
They are free of harmful chemicals.
100% vegan.
They are suitable for children of all ages.
They are for all skin types.
They are good for sensitive skin.
They protect against future pigmentation.
Somewhat, but not entirely, waterproof. You'll need to reapply after sweating or swimming.
They can be used under makeup.
1. Sunscreen Butter SPF 30-50 Recipe
Equipment:
Piping bag (helpful)
INGREDIENTS:
150 g Mango Butter or Cocoa Butter
150 g Shea Butter
150 g Olive Oil
30 g Zinc oxide (n on-nano)
6 g Candelilla wax (vegan) or beeswax
(Optional) 30-40 drops of skin-friendly essential oils such as ylang ylang, helichrysum, lavender, and geranium. AVOID citrus oils, because citrus oils increase skins UV sensitivity.
I use 26 drops of ylang ylang and 14 drops of helichrysum*.
*) Helichrysum is a great essential oil that has a slight cooling effect. It moisturizes the skin and can relieve the sunburn stinging. It can also help slow down skin aging and the development of pigment spots and might block UV rays.
The word helichrysum is named after the golden yellow flowers of the plant and comes from the Greek words helios meaning sun, and chrysos meaning gold. The common name, immortelle, also comes from the flowers because they are long-lasting blossoms that do not wither easily
sunscreen BUTTER INSTRUCTIONS:
Sanitise pots, utensils, and storing jars by scalding or with ethanol or propyl alcohol.
Weigh all the ingredients.
Combine the hard oils (mango butter or cocoa butter and shea butter) in a pot and melt over low heat.
Keep a close eye on the oils, as they mustn't get too hot. That is, the mixture mustn't start smoking.
Remove from the heat as soon as everything has melted. Preferably a little earlier, let it all dissolve from the pot's warmth.
Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add olive oil and gently blend the oils with a spoon.
Cover the bowl with a lid or plate. Place into a fridge and cool for 2-3 hours or until starting to harden around the edges but is somewhat soft. Alternatively, you can keep it in the fridge overnight and then place it on the kitchen table for a few hours before whipping.
Add zinc oxide - careful not to inhale the powder.
Add the essential oils if using.
Use a hand mixer to whip for 5-10 minutes until fluffy - or until the mixture has grown to almost double the size.
Pour into clean jars with a lid.
Use: The sunscreen is now ready to use. You only need to apply a thin layer at a time. Note that zinc oxide can leave a white film on the skin, but you can almost make it disappear if you rub the cream in thoroughly.
Storage: Always put the lid back on the jar after use to prevent the cream from drying out.
Shelf life: Last for 8-12 months.
2. Sunscreen Oil SPF 30-50 Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide (non-nano)
Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter.
Optional: Essential Oils, Ylang Ylang mixed with Helichrysum or lavender, and geranium. AVOID citrus oils, because citrus oils increase skins UV sensitivity.
Homemade Sunscreen oil Instructions:
Melt the coconut oil and the shea butter over medium heat.
Remove from heat as soon as it’s melted.
Gently stir in the olive oil
Add the zinc oxide - make sure you don't inhale the powder.
Stir in well and pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Small mason jars (pint size) are great for this. It will not pump well in a lotion pump!
Stir a few times as it cools to ensure zinc oxide is incorporated.
Shake well before use.
Best if used within six months.
Tips for Getting the Best Suntan, Safely
Using the sun therapeutically means getting the proper exposure to optimize your vitamin D levels. This typically means exposing enough uncovered skin surface to get a slight pink colour on your skin. Your exact time will vary radically depending on many variables, such as your skin colour, time of the day, season, clouds, altitude, and age.
The key principle is never to get burned while still spending as much time as possible in the sun during peak hours.
The best time to be in the sun for vitamin D production is as near to solar noon as possible, which is 1 PM in the summer for most of us (due to Daylight Saving Time).
The more damaging UVA rays are quite constant during ALL daylight hours throughout the entire year - unlike UVB, which are low in mornings, evenings, and high at noon.
Most people with fair skin will max out their vitamin D production in just 10-20 minutes, or, again, when your skin starts turning the lightest shade of pink.
What You Should Know About UVA And UVB Rays
UVB:
Produces vitamin D and melanin.
Low in the morning, evening and winter, and high in spring and summer at midday.
Only penetrate the top layers of the dermis. They are the rays that burn the skin but also the ones that deliver the essential vitamin D.
Provide a delayed tan (pigmentation) - approx. After 3-7 days, that’s the protective pigmentation we want. Contrary to a UVA tan, the UVB tan lasts for several weeks.
Increase melanin in the skin, and melanin is what gives skin colour. The purpose of melanin is to protect the skin against sunburn. Melanin is the built-in mechanism that naturally protects us from a burn. Furthermore, melanin makes the skin moister and thicker.
UVA:
Are the ones that damage and age the skin. UVA is relatively constant throughout the day and the year. Although only about 15% of the UVA rays at noon cause redness, they inevitably penetrate the deep layers of skin, where they damage elasticity and collagen.
Penetrate through glass and car windows.
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Disclaimer:
All information in this blog is strictly for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The statements made in this blog have not been evaluated by The Danish Health Authority. The products linked to in this blog and any information published in this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided by this blog is not a substitute for a face to-face consultation with your physician, and should not be construed as medical advice. The entire contents of this blog are based upon the opinions of Hanne Robinson. By reading and using this blog, you agree to only use this publication for personal informational use and not as a substitute for medical or other professional advice.