Yay, summertime: longer outdoor playtime, quiet house! Ahh, we’re speaking my love language now. Unfortunately, for some of us, it could also be time-to-buy-stock-in-sunscreen-time. Sigh. I’ve got some transparent skin over here, and a few of my kiddos inherited it too. We seem to burn just looking out the window. What can a mama do? Sunscreen is the obvious answer, but there’s increasing controversy over sunscreen nowadays. It’s good, then bad; then some is good, some is bad. Sheesh.

Yes, limited sun exposure is important for vitamin D, calcium absorption, and boosting our moods. Summer and outside just go together; there’s no denying our kids will be outside, a lot. It’s my goal to use sunscreen sparingly but faithfully during those critical hours of 10am to 4pm. The sun tends to crisp me and my pale-skinned kids like bacon. Those of you that just tan, well, the rest of us secretly hate you! Okay, kidding: we’re just jealous.

But this year, I’m taking sunscreen into my own hands—literally and figuratively. I’m feeling like a mad scientist genius over here, thanks to the  homemade sunscreen recipes I’ve been concocting. One recipe even includes citronella, a bonus ingredient to deter those blood sucking, Texas-sized mosquitoes. Not only is making my own sunscreen fun and cost-effective, I don’t have to worry about what’s in it.

I don’t have a lab, and I’m not qualified to specify the exact SPF, but the following recipes should be around an SPF 20. This SPF  blocks approximately 94 percent of UVB rays. According to the Consumer Report published on May 15, 2015, “No sunscreen blocks 100 percent of UVB rays. The ultrahigh SPFs are not much more protective than SPFs of 30 or 50”.  The article explains that an SPF of 15 only blocks about 93 percent of UVB rays, and SPF 30 blocks 97 percent. And here’s something interesting: the higher the SPF number, the more moderate the increase of protection—in other words, the SPF factor and actual UVB protection factor don’t increase at the same rate. For example, an SPF of 50 blocks about 98%, vs. SPF 100, the maximum  protection available on the market, which protects 99% of UVB rays. All that to say, don’t worry about hunting down the highest SPF factor you can find—an SPF 20 is still excellent protection for your and your kids’ skin.

The first recipe is the one with citronella. It is a bit thinner and tends to separate, so it will need to be shaken before using. The second is a wonderfully rich and creamy salve. It was so nourishing to my dry skin, I made hand lotion with it too. Play with it, do some research and experimentation, and have fun—fun in the sun!

Prep Time: Approximately 20 minutes.

Supplies:

• Double boiler (to melt oils and waxes together)
  • Tip: if you don’t have a double boiler, you can DIY one by placing a glass bowl onto a pot of water, then bringing it to a boil.
• Spatula
• Storage container for your finished product

Citronella Suscreen

• ½ cup of coconut oil
• 4 tbsp oil of your choice (I use almond, but olive, avocado, or even carrot oil would be fine)
• 1/8^th tsp essential oil of your choice (I used lavender and citronella. An essential oil not only smells nice, it also acts as an antibacterial preservative to help your sunscreen last longer.)
• 2 tbsp non-nano zinc oxide powder (There’s some controversy over whether zinc nanoparticles can penetrate the skin and enter your bloodstream; better to err on the side of caution.)

First melt the coconut oil in your double boiler. Once it’s liquefied, stir in the almond oil (or oil of your choice), then the essential oil.

Once the oils are incorporated, add the zinc oxide powder. Please don’t mix around children—this powder should not be inhaled.

Mix well, pour into a container, and store in a cool place. Your sunscreen should last for several months. Remember, this is a thinner mixture that will separate, so make sure you shake it before putting it on your skin. It applies white, but rubs in fairly transparent and not too greasy.

This next one is my favorite. If you’d like to try it as a hand lotion, just omit the zinc oxide. It’s a little greasy, so I plan to use it at night on my hands or feet, wearing socks or mittens over them. It’s quite luxurious. Conversely, I’ve heard it’s possible to create sunscreen from your favorite lotion by adding a couple tbsp of zinc oxide, if you’re feeling adventurous and crafty. Zinc oxide, in case you were wondering, is a mineral you can buy in powdered form that absorbs UVA, UVB, and even UVC rays, making it a very effective sun-blocker. That said, of course the best way to avoid harmful rays is to stay out of the sun.

Original Sunscreen

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 4 tbsp beeswax (I buy the little pellets; it’s much easier to sprinkle them in than breaking beeswax off a whole bar)

• 4 tbsp shea butter
• 3 tbsp almond oil (or carrier oil of your choice)
• ½ tsp vitamin E oil 5, (400 IU) soft-gel capsules pierced and drained
• 1/8 tsp essential oil (again, use your favorite! I used lavender oil)
• 2 tbsp non-nano zinc oxide

Melt the coconut oil and beeswax together in your double boiler, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Turn off your heat.

Tip: keep the double boiler over your hot water while you incorporate the remaining ingredients, as it tends to harden up quickly.

Pour into a storage container and keep in a cool area. It should last the summer, or until you use it up. It won’t hurt it to be in a hot environment, it will just melt. This one gets quite thick, so don’t pour it into something you can’t reach into to get back out. This isn’t a spray bottle recipe.

And there you have it. If you’ve ever had coconut oil or beeswax on your skin, you know water tends to bead right off, so the sunscreens from both recipes are water-resistant. Even so, I imagine, as with most sunscreens, you will have to reapply regularly when swimming or sweating.

So, bring it on, sun, I’ve got our milky white skin covered—or at least slathered up!

 

Common-sense disclaimer:  We are not laboratory scientists here at A Reason For Homeschool, nor are we skincare experts. We’re homeschool moms. Bridgitt is simply sharing a homemade alternative to commercial sunscreen that has worked for HER family. Your DNA is different (that much we can promise!) so your mileage may vary. If you have questions, if your family has skin conditions or allergies, or if you simply don’t know who to believe when it comes to the safety of commercial OR homemade sun protection, please consult an expert—which we reiterate, no one here is claiming to be!