How To Make Your Own Homemade Sunscreen Using Natural Ingredients

Even though they’re often overlooked, sunscreens are actually one of the most important products for skin preservation and protection. With recent studies on the ingredients of commercial sunscreens, homemade sunscreens have become a thing of the present. Easy, cheap, and all-natural, this is one product you won’t be able to resist making!

Homemade Natural Sunscreen to Combat Skin Damage

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup Shea butter
2 tablespoons of non-nano zinc oxide powder

Tools:

wooden pot
glass bowl
pot (slightly bigger than the glass bowl)
measuring cup
tablespoon
tongs
mason jar

Let’s Get Started!

Step 1: Add the Oils and Butter to a Glass Bowl

In a glass bowl, add the 1/4 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of avocado oil, and 1/4 cup of Shea butter. Make sure that you’re adding them one at a time, and mixing each thoroughly before adding the next ingredient.

Step 2: Melt the Oils and Butter Together

Fill a pan with a few inches deep of water and place it on your stove with medium heat. Place your bowl into the water and let the oils and butter melt. Stir the mixture occasionally to remove the lumps. Give it about 15-20 minutes.

Once the mixture is homogeneous, remove it from the pot and allow it to cool.

What is homogeneous? A homogeneous mixture is simply any mixture that is uniform in composition throughout. As long as each substance is mixed in enough to be indistinguishable from the others, it is a homogeneous mixture.

Note: Some glass bowls may shatter from a sudden increase in temperature. To stop this from happening, don’t put the bowl in boiling water. Instead, put it in while the water is still cool. This way, the increase in temperature will be gradual.

Step 3: Add the Zinc Oxide

Once your oil mixture has properly cooled, add two tablespoons of non-nano zinc oxide powder. Make sure to mix it thoroughly. Since you’re not using high-tech machinery, it’s easy to leave clumps of the powder. The more clumpy your mixture is, the more uneven its sun protection will be.

Step 4: Pour the Mixture Into a Container

After letting the mixture sit for a few hours, it will develop a thick consistency. Transfer this mixture to an airtight container.

Note: If you want the mixture to be thicker, store the container in the fridge. If not, store it in a cool and dry place.

This homemade sunscreen recipe has about 25-30 SPF and is for everyday wear only. Don’t use this for outings that require you to bask in intense sunshine. The shelf life can last up to six months. Keep in mind that as time passes, the sunscreen’s sun-blocking power may fade. Make sure not to make too much.

For homemade sunscreen safe for babies, check this tutorial from Our Oily House:

Commercial sunscreens are more likely to contain harmful chemicals. With this DIY natural sunscreen, you won’t have to worry about that since your ingredients are all-natural!

What tips and tricks do you have for protecting your skin from the sun? Tell us in the comments section below!