Everybody likes a nice summer tan. Getting beautifully tanned bronze goddess-like skin is probably the BEST thing about summer. But, more often than not, many of us tend to end up with horrid red patches and terrible sunburn, instead of the coveted glowing bronze skin. So, those of us who have super sensitive skin really need sunscreen, to keep ourselves from looking like newborn rats! But even if you don’t have sensitive skin, and tan pretty well, you need to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. So sunscreen is something that you simply cannot skip out on!
Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
However, many sunscreens tend to contain chemicals that end up doing more harm to your skin than good. So we figured we’d compile a list of the best methods of how to make homemade sunscreen, so that you fabulous beauties can protect yourselves from the sun, in the most natural and organic way possible!
Suggested read: 12 superb home remedies to get rid of uneven skin tone
Here are our favorite recipes and tips on how to make homemade sunscreen!
1. Deeply moisturizing sunscreen
Ingredients:
- Almond or olive oil (Bae)
- Coconut oil (natural SPF 4) (Also bae)
- Beeswax (to lock the moisture in)
- Zinc oxide (be careful to not inhale the powder)
- Optional: You could customize this to suit your taste. You could add up to a teaspoon of raspberry seed oil, essential oils or even a tiny bit of vanilla for a lovely fragrance. You could add shea butter for some extra moisture (excellent for treating stretchmarks)
Directions:
- Mix all the ingredients (except the zinc oxide) in a jar (yes, it needs to have a lid).
- Fill a saucepan halfway with water and put it on boil. Once the water boils, loosely apply the lid on the jar and put it in the water.
- The heat from the water will melt the ingredients. Make sure you stir the goopy stuff or shake the jar occasionally to make sure everything melts evenly.
- Once everything has melted, add the zinc oxide and keep stirring to properly incorporate it into the sunscreen.
- Finally, pour this into whichever container you’d like to store the sunscreen in (not pumps, the formula is too thick and won’t pump well). Make sure you stir occasionally while it cools down, to properly mix in the zinc oxide.
- You now have amazing sunscreen that you may apply every day. Best if used within 6 months!
2. Waterproof bars (approximately 20 SPF) (wuuutttt?)
These waterproof sunscreen bars are excellent to take on a beach trip where you want your sunscreen to last even after you’ve swum in the water! Plus, bars are just so much easier to apply with, than goopy lotions that go everywhere!
Ingredients:
- Beeswax (the waterproof bit)
- Shea butter (leaves your skin feeling like a baby’s bum)
- Coconut oil (bae)
- Zinc Oxide (do not inhale this stuff, okay!)
- Optional: 10 drops of essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint (for a lovely fresh fragrance!)
Directions:
- Melt everything together (except the zinc oxide) in a bain marie or a double boiler (like in the previous recipe).
- Add the zinc oxide and mix well to properly incorporate it into the luxurious life-saving goop.
- Pour the mixture into moulds of your choice and refrigerate them till you need to use them. If you don’t refrigerate them, all that butter and beeswax are going to melt and turn into unmanageable slime, instead of being fabulous sunscreen bars!
3. Coconut oil sunscreen
Seriously, coconut oil can fix ANY PROBLEM you might ever have. No, really. It’s the BEST.
Ingredients:
- Coconut oil (Duh.)
- Non-nano Zinc Oxide (Seriously though, don’t inhale this stuff!)
- Raspberry seed oil
- Essential oils for fragrance
Directions:
- Whip the coconut oil in a mixer. Whip it till it’s fluffy and not as…oily :/
- Carefully add the zinc oxide, the raspberry seed oil, and the essential oils. Don’t dump it all in at once, because it will just go all over the place, the second you start mixing it all together. Add little by little, and keep mixing it all in.
- Once the oils and the zinc oxide are properly mixed in, pour the mixture into little containers and apply like you would normal sunscreen!
Suggested read: The lazy girl’s guide to younger looking skin
4. Lavender sunscreen
Lavender oil smells like the breath of angel. If you’d like your skin to look and feel like a baby’s bum and smell like the breath of an angel, then this sunscreen is bound to be your brand new bff!
Ingredients:
- 10 drops of lavender oil (yayayayyyy)
- 1 tbsp pomegranate oil (new bae?)
- 3/4 cup coconut oil (bae for life)
- 2 tbsp Zinc Oxide (Did you know that you reeaallly shouldn’t inhale this stuff?)
- 2 tbsp shea butter (wow, we have a lot of baes)
Directions:
- Mix all the ingredients with the exception of the zinc oxide, in a jar.
- Create a double boiler or a bain marie and place the jar (closed) in it, to melt and mix the ingredients well.
- Finally, add the zinc oxide, mix well, and pour the mixture into containers.
- Use like you would a normal sunscreen, and make sure you store it in a cool place!
5. Essence oil sunscreen
This sunscreen is gentle, fragrant, and just plain amazing! It’s perfect for everyday use, especially if you have dry skin!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Coconut oil (cuz, BAE)
- 1 tsp Red raspberry oil (optional)
- 1 tsp Carrot seed oil (optional)
- 1 tsp Vitamin E oil (optional)
- 1/2 cup almond or olive oil
- A few drops of essential oils of your choosing
- 2 tbsp Shea butter (<3 <3)
- 1/4 cup Beeswax
- 2 tbsp Zinc Oxide (Fun Fact! You really shouldn’t inhale this stuff kay!)
Directions:
- Mix it all together (not the zinc oxide) in a jar and melt the ingredients down in a double boiler or a bain marie.
- Add the zinc oxide and make sure it is fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Pour all the magical stuff into containers and let it cool.
- Apply regularly for beautiful, soft, and glowing skin, devoid of any harsh red patches or sunlight allergies!
6. Aloe vera sunscreen
If you have oily, sensitive skin, then beeswax and thick oils might make you break out. Instead, go for this light yet deeply hydrating sunscreen spray!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Aloe vera juice (nooww we’re getting into the good stuff!)
- 1/4 cup Avocado oil (is there an avocado aficionado group that we could join?)
- 15 drops Carrot seed oil
- 10 drops Myrrh essential oil
- That’s right. NO ZINC OXIDE NEEDED, WHAAT?
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a spray bottle. Spray this life-changing sunscreen on your face regularly for nourished and hydrated skin, free from sun spots and rashes. Make sure you shake the bottle well before every use, because the oils are of varying densities and will probably separate and settle over time. So you need to shake the bejeezus out of that mixture to just really mix all those amazing ingredients together!
7. Sunscreen mousse
This sunscreen is fluffy and smooth and does not have that gross, greasy feel that most sunscreens do!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Shea butter (yaass)
- 1/4 cup Coconut oil (#baeforlife)
- 1/8 cup Avocado oil
- 2 tbsp. Beeswax granules (lock in that moisture!)
- 1 tsp. Carrot seed oil
Directions:
- In a small/medium saucepan, heat the shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, and avocado oil together.
- Gently stir, until all the ingredients melt. The beeswax is usually the last to melt. So don’t panic if it doesn’t melt evenly.
- Once it’s all melted, take the saucepan off the heat and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
- Put the whole thing in the refrigerator for 15-45 minutes till it sets (but not too firm).
- Take it out, mix in the carrot seed oil into the mixture (and any other essential oils you might like to add for fragrance) and whip the mixture well!
- Continue whipping the mixture till it is fluffy and smooth.
- Put the sunscreen into a container of your choice and apply regularly for beautiful, fuss-free skin!
Suggested read: 25 effective home remedies for glowing skin
8. Peppermint sunscreen
Peppermint tends to make your skin feel all tingly and cold. So it’s absolutely perfect for hot summer days when your oil and sweat glands are pretty much making life hell for you! Simply spray on this cool, hydrating sunscreen and enjoy summer in all its sunny glory!
Ingredients:
- 4 ounce of Distilled water
- 12 drops of Pure lavender oil
- 4-6 drops of Pure spearmint oil
- 4-6 drops of Pure peppermint oil
Directions:
- Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend well till the mixture is frothy and light.
- Pour the mixture into a container of your choice (pumps and sprays are the best for this sort of a sunscreen).
- Apply regularly for visibly better skin!
So these were our top tips on how to make homemade sunscreen. Sunscreen is VERY important because believe it or not, the UV rays from the sun are incredibly harmful and continued exposure to them may even result in skin cancer. So stay protected, stay beautiful! Go ahead and try these DIY sunscreen recipes and own the summer!
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
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