By Lisa Barthuly
Summer is here! And so are sunburns. Luckily, learning how to make homemade sunscreen is a lesson that pays off quickly at home. This 4-ingredient sunscreen recipe is an easy DIY project that is quick and has significant benefits.
Why Homemade Sunscreen?
Just look at the sunscreen at any store and you’ll see toxins, chemicals, and unpronounceable ingredients on commercial sunscreen labels. In fact, there are over 15 different types of sunscreen, nine of which contain chemicals known as”endocrine disrupters.”
In short, endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with our endocrine systems. This bodily system regulates metabolism, hormones, growth and development, reproduction, mood, and others things. Other well-known endocrine disruptors are BPA and DDT. In other words, we want to stay away from these and avoid them in our day-to-day lives and stay on our path to wellness.
On the other side of the spectrum, organic and natural sunscreens are outrageously priced. We spend a ton of time outside in the summer months, in the garden, in the pool, and in the river so we fly through bottles.
How to Make Homemade Sunscreen with 4 Ingredients
For this homemade sunscreen recipe, you’ll need a tablespoon measure, a half-cup measure, a small stainless steel pan (or double boiler set up), and a small whisk and/or stick blender.
Supplies
- ½ cup of Coconut Oil
- ½ cup of Shea Butter
- 2 (heaping) tablespoons of beeswax pellets
- 4 tablespoons Zinc Oxide Powder
- Container
This homemade sunscreen takes about 15 minutes, tops. You’ll want to melt your first three ingredients together in your stainless steel pan. Once melted, pour into your container and add the Zinc Oxide Powder. Whisk this in or use your stick blender, and mix until it is smooth—no clumps of zinc oxide. This will take a couple minutes. Let this solidify and that’s it. It applies very nicely and works well.
Where to Get Zinc Oxide Powder
To get Zinc Oxide, you can either call your local pharmacy and ask them if they can order you some since most of us don’t have that sitting in our cabinet. My (very) small town pharmacy ordered some for me – it took two days. Easy.
If you want to order the powder online, try this Amazon product or order from Bulk Apothecary.
Enjoy your summer!
Thank you for the recipe!
How can you tell what the SPF is? Is it based on the amount of Zinc Oxide is added? Great article!
Hi, Katy, the author says that, yes, it depends on the amount of zinc oxide used, which actually serves as a barrier, blocking the sun’s UVA, UVB, and even UVC from reaching the skin. Coconut oil also has an SPF of 4 on its own.
Thank you for the recipe. Are there substitutions for the coconut and shea? We have to avoid both due to serious allergies.
The author says that olive oil can be used in place of the coconut or shea. Let us know how it works for you!