About a month ago a friend asked me via Twitter about homemade sunscreen. I promised him a more thorough reply than a tweet, and this is it.
Lucky flowers don’t need sunscreen.
When I first realized I could make my own lotion and I could buy titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, I immediately wanted to make my own sunscreen. I did a lot of research and found recipes that seemed simple enough; lotion + zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Then I did some more reading.
Sunscreen is one of a few defences we have against the sun. And melanoma. That is why sunscreen is thoroughly tested in labs to make sure it will do the job and keep your face from peeling off. Homemade sunscreen is not tested except for on you. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a lab in my basement, or anywhere else in my house.
I also know that I don’t want skin cancer, and while I’m ok with testing the effects of argan oil on my face, or body butters on my hands, I don’t want to leave cancer protection up to my DIY devices. And I don’t think you should, either. Would you make your own penicillin or ski helmet? I didn’t think so.
I’m SOOOO glad you posted this. I was actually considering making some of this because I’ve read that some of the ingredients in some brands of sunscreen have also been found to contain carcinogens. My husband had to have a basal cell carcinoma burned off his head. Basal cell carcinoma is very slow growing and they say that if there is any type of cancer you had to choose from that this was the best one to have. Unfortunately, my father-in-law recently died from basal cell carcinoma (although he had leukemia earlier in life) and all the tumors in his body were from basal cell carcinoma cells… Anyway, cancer is no joke, so I’ve very grateful you shared this!
Thanks! I am seeing a lot of sunscreen recipes popping up online lately and they are making me very nervous… I hate the idea of people using homemade sunscreen on their children! There are some very good all natural sunscreens on the market that have been thoroughly tested and are great alternatives to the basic store stuff. Glad to hear your husband is doing ok, but sorry to hear about your father-in-law 🙁 Skin cancer is not to be toyed with!
Coming from a person who has actually never had a tan in her life (unless you consider freckles a tan, which I don’t), I definitely know the importance of sun protection. I can’t even count how many bad burns I’ve had over the years, many even WITH sunscreen–I can’t imagine anything DIY being better, chemicals or not. Yes, avoiding chemicals is great and admirable as they can often be linked to cancer… but so is the sun, and with much more certainty. So I think it’s worth the risk in this case, and like you said, there are many more natural options popping up lately that at least have far fewer chemicals and are still laboratory tested.
OK… so… funny story. Kind of. Did you know that sun burns can make you swell? I just found this out the other day when I woke up looking like a Klingon 🙁 It turns out my sunscreen had expired, and combined with the snow reflection, I didn’t just get a burn, I got a bit baked. Sigh. Not a good look. Wear real sunscreen, kids!
What a helpful and humorous (no offence) visual! No, I did not know you could swell from a sunburn… and I’ve had many a BAD burn. The worst burns I’ve gotten turned bubbly/blistery, but usually I’m just lobster red and eventually shed several layers of skin. Ew. I hope you’re not allergic to the sun! 😛
*Errr… offenSe. Sorry, I can’t make a typo (knowingly) and not correct it 😛 It’s the English teacher in me, I suppose.
😛
Feel free to laugh, everyone at work did 😛 My boss spoke to me in Klingon for most of the day, and my manager nearly hurt himself from laughing so hard. I’m blaming the possible expired sunscreen and going to do a face mask and hope it all resolves itself with no ill effects. Ugh. LOL.
I am so glad you posted this. I was going to try and make a sunscreen, but then I thought, this is too important to leave to chance, reading this just confers what I thought, now I use coconut oil under my sunscreen, hopefully, the suncreen will just sit on the top of it, without too much being absorbed
😀 Let me know how the coconut oil works for you!
Hmmm – you make a good point. BUT I make my own sunscreen. Even with commercial sunscreen you must reapply vigilantly otherwise it doesn’t work. And if you wear sunscreen and get skin cancer, have you ever heard of anyone suing and winning? It’s kind of along the lines of taking that “smoker’s chance” on whether you will or won’t get it.
So, in my book 1) my sunscreen is better than commercial stuff (natural or otherwise) because I will actually use it 2) staying out of the blazing sun is also a good alternative.
Some amount of sun exposure IS healthy for you. But everyone is different and therefore sunblock/sunscreen makers seek to capitalize on that variable and scare us into using it all the time, no matter what, one SPF level at a time … sorry all, just my 2 cents! 🙂
Erin—You make some good points. I am definitely planning on investing in a natural, tested sunscreen for my face this summer, though Canadian summers are so short I’m ok with using commercial stuff elsewhere when I’m going to be out in the sun for several hours. And I definitely am sure to get more than my fair share of “healthy sun exposure”… I got a fantastic burn a few weekends ago 😛 Whoops, haha.
Excellent info! Any updates??? Feb. 2016. Thank You!
Eh, not really. It’s still a bad idea.
Erin,
I think you make some good points also, and normally I wouldn’t chime in to contradict someone, however, I don’t consider the variable to be as minute as you do. I have known several people in my immediate circle to have skin cancer. My husband is in his 30’s and has it and my STEP-father-in-law in his 50’s (emphasis on the step to let you know genetics is not a factor) just died from basal cell carcinoma (which is the slowest growing, least lethal [“they” say] form of skin cancer). Cancer is very real and something awful people should be scared of—I know, I’ve seen it. The dangers of sun damage don’t affect you the day after (aside from sunburns) or tomorrow, but years down the road, after the damage is already done. In addition to the two people I mentioned above, I also have a beautiful girlfriend who is battling melanoma skin cancer right now. She is also in her 30’s. Also, 2 of the 9 ladies I work with have basal cell skin cancer.
Homemade sunscreen is better than no sun screen at all—which is a good point you made. I say if your sunscreen is keeping you from being burnt or from new sun spots or freckles appearing, then you are probably all right (I say that with trepidation). For me personally, I need to know, and I don’t want to be the guinea pig.
As for healthy, no-sunscreen skin exposure? Sunlight assists the body in making Vitamin D. You probably need from 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face OR arms OR back OR legs (without sunscreen) two times every week. You can also supplement Vitamin D—the best sources are from oily fish, like Salmon or Tuna. You can also eat products fortified with Vitamin D (because it doesn’t occur naturally in them) like Milk, Cheese, and other foods like cereals that are enriched with Vitamin D.
I hope I don’t sound too preachy, but this is something I really care about, mostly because it has affected me personally. I really just want people to be safe, and I say it out of love. 🙂
Thanks for joining in on the discussion, Pamela 🙂 I’m definitely with you on this one, as you well know. Have you read about the recent discovery of how UV exposure triggers the release of nitric acid, which lowers blood pressure? There’s a great article here about it. I wouldn’t stop wearing sunscreen because of it, but it’s certainly interesting that we continue to learn so much about how our bodies work 🙂
I should also add that my husband is darker complected with beautiful (I’m not partial at all 🙂 )olive skin and tans very easily (rarely burned). All the people I know with skin cancer are varying ranges of skin tones from olive to fair.
Hi
Skin cancer is caused as much as by what we eat as by the sun.
If you google and research the original term for ‘rednecks’ it was the new settlers who had abandonned the traditional way of preparing and eating corn and who were causing inflammation due to this.
As other commentators have said we need vitamin D, inflammation or sunburn can be prevented by eating coconut oil, carrots and tomatoes plus the correct balance of Omegas 3 and 6 and a healthy diet.
Hi—I would contest quite a bit of this and request you provide some scientific research to support your arguments. There is no denying that sun exposure is the #1 cause of skin cancer when Australia has significantly higher rates of skin cancer than countries like Canada and the United Kingdom. Also, all the research I did into red necks said the term came either from them being poor laborers who got sunburns on the back of their necks from being outdoors all day, or from a group of striking miners that wore red handkerchiefs around their necks to identify one another. Additionally, dietary changes in the preparation of a single ingredient would not result in the inflammation of one external area. Sunburn and inflammation are not the same thing, so while the consumption of a healthy diet inevitably helps improve and maintain good health, there is so far no food on this planet that will increase the amount of melanin in your skin cells, which is the body’s only natural defense against sunburn.
Hi,like all of you guys I’m concerned about what unprotected exposure to sun can do to us, as well as all those chemicals found in the commercial body and face care products so I,too, try to make my own lotions. As for sunscreens I even got me some zinc oxide a couple months ago to try and make some but I just wasn’t sure so I stuck to my pharmacy bought one which is (as they say)parabens ,mineral oils , alcohol, silicones, propylene glycol, ethanolamines, phthalates, PCM, NM free. Anyway,reading your thoughts on the subject made me think I was right to hesitate so,I’ll continue using this one for now. I also take some supplements which, among other things, help with sun exposure like Astaxanthin and Fermented cod liver oil …
Thanks for reading and chiming in, Ioana! It is rather sad that we can’t DIY everything, but in the case that we have to use lab tested sunscreen or pharmacy dispensed drugs, I’d agree that the best we can do is working to keep ourselves as healthy as possible in every other way so we don’t need them as much 🙂
cool blog, by the way… 🙂
Thanks! I have fun 😛
I am not opposed to homemade sunscreens at all.
I prefer to not use any sunscreen and keep the kids out of direct sun during the harshest of the day. As others mentioned, many “safe” sunscreens have unsafe chemicals in them.
I usually use some coconut oil if I need to be out during the brunt of the day. It works well enough for me.
Another, more expensive alternative is raspberry seed oil, or yangu oil. I’m sure there are lots of other wonderfully exotic oils and butters out there with equally effective sunburn protection for when sun is unavoidable. But I also feel the natural vitamin D is beneficial in moderation too, and do not take steps to prevent full sun exposure.
After all that is said, if planning to be in water in the heat of the day and sun is unavoidable, then I would reach for a good natural mineral sunscreen like Alba Botanica’s.
But over all, I would not be afraid to try a homemade version of sunscreen.
My concern isn’t coming home with or without a burn—it’s the long term damage you can’t see or feel at the end of the day. I would agree that vitamin D is good for you (especially in Canada where we’re too far from the sun to produce vitamin D from sunlight for much of the year, even if we wanted to expose our skin to the sun in December—brr!).
I always make sunblock and it works well unless your drinking alcohol this makes it not work. I also use oils with SPF already in them like
Raspberry Seed Oil. The highest of all natural ingredients, contains an estimated SPF of 30-50.
Shea Butter. An excellent skin protestant with an SPF of approximately 6-10.
Aloe Vera has SPF of 20
Carrot Seed Oil. Carrot seed oil is an essential oil and has been estimated to contain SPF levels of 30.
Wheat Germ Oil. While super nourishing for the skin, it too possesses a natural SPF of 20.
Rice Bran oil ,Sesame oil, Coconut Oil, Hemp oil, Avocado oil, Soybean, Vanilla and Peanut Oil. All contain SPF levels between 4-10.
Then add Zinc Oxide and you should get at least 50+ SPF
did I do that right all I know that it works for me
Hi Angelina—While you’ve got a nice list of ingredients here, you have in no way changed my mind. First off, you need to take into account that naturally produced/derived ingredients vary from batch to batch, and from season, so you cannot count on any of these numbers. Additionally, these SPF ratings haven’t been rigorously tested. Perhaps they fail after a certain amount of oxidization, or only apply below certain temperatures. From there, you cannot simply mix a bunch of things together, add up their supposed SPFs, and call the end result sunscreen with a certain rating. There are likely some interactions that change the ratings of each ingredient, and in any case, there’s a reason nobody sells these oils as sunscreen—they cannot prove it in a lab. They’ll casually mention an SPF rating at the till, perhaps, but claims like that MUST be backed up with lab tests to be legitimate. You can bet that if a pure sunscreen could be derived that easily, somebody would be capitalizing on it… and yet, nobody is.
And, after all that, I could not find any reliable sources regarding alcohol consumption having an immediate effect on sun sensitivity. It’s also worth noting that there are two kinds of sun damage—the immediate burn (UVB), and the long-term damage (UVA) that is typically invisible until you “suddenly” have melanoma. Just because your DIY mix prevents immediate sunburns doesn’t mean you aren’t soaking up UVA rays like there’s no tomorrow.
I know I’m being rather blunt, but I don’t want you (or anybody else) to end up with skin cancer and/or irreversible skin damage from experimenting with DIY sunscreen. I’d urge you to invest in a safe, tested sunscreen—I don’t think this is something we should be experimenting with.
I forgot to add Mango butter and beeswax
Also talked to my cousin who is a pharmacist he said as long as I don’t add all of the SPF’s up to come to a total
So I went with the Raspberry seed oil 28-50
Red Raspberry Oil is known especially for its prevention of gingivitis, rashes, eczema and other skin lesions. It is useful in skin creams, bath oils, and tooth paste. Raspberry seed oil is emollient, lubricating, conditioning, creates a lipid barrier providing protection to the skin and provides moisture retention for the skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties are greater than those of better known oils such as virgin Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Hazelnut Oil and Wheatgerm Oil. (Oomah, et al 2000.)
Red Raspberry Seed Oil may act as a broad-spectrum UV-A and UV-B shield. It has shown an SPF of between (28 and 50) and thus is a valuable ingredient in natural sunblocks and sunscreens. It has a long shelf life because of its high phospholipid content, and may increase the stability of other carrier oils when blended with them. (Oomah, et al 2000.)
Raspberry Seed Oil contains exceptionally high levels of alpha and gamma tocopherols (vit. E), vit. A and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This provides the skin with significant broad spectrum protecion from damaging UV-A and UV-B rays.”
Then adding zinc oxide should make it stronger
I know that we all went on bike rides and everyone used a store bought one 70 SPF and they all got burned.
The next day they used mine the and no one got burned
Same sun same temp made me think I had made a good thing
Tea tree oil has many documented antibacterial effects, but you won’t catch me using it to treat a case of bronchitis or pneumonia. And a key bit of wording from your own documentation—”Red Raspberry Seed Oil may act as a broad-spectrum UV-A and UV-B shield.”
Additionally, anecdotal evidence is not actually evidence. I’m ok with accepting it for things like lip balm and lotion, but when it comes to my long term health and safety, I want a controlled, randomized, double-blind study. I don’t DIY seat belts or climbing harnesses, either. It’s your skin, though, so good luck.
http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/03/a-recipe-for-natural-homemade-sunscreen/
That recipe/article makes quite a few claims that are completely unsubstantiated—I can’t say I’m feeling much trust there.
This is an article I found saying that sunscreen actually causes skin cancer because it is an endocrine disrupter. I am wondering what you think of it? I have been considering making my own as well because I don’t trust the chemicals, and avoid sunscreen.
http://www.realfarmacy.com/scientists-blow-the-lid-on-cancer-sunscreen-myth/
I’d say that article is dodgy at best—”There’s no proof that increased exposure to the sun increases the risk of melanoma.” Tell that to Down Under: “‘Associated with greater sun exposure, Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence and mortality arising from melanoma in the world… Skin cancers are by far the most common cancers managed by GPs as a result.'” (source).
Most of the claims made cite studies that either do not feature humans, or relied on self-reporting (which is very unreliable). The 2000 Swedish study they link to says the abstract discusses how sunscreen wearers were more likely to spend more time in the sun because they were wearing sunscreen and got over-confident; that isn’t the fault of the sunscreen. They also state “Our results are probably related mainly to earlier sunscreens of low SPF.”—given the study was done from 1995 to 1997, we’re taking about seriously old sunscreen tech here.
The argument that sunscreen causes cancer via a lack of vitamin D is like ridiculous. That is not the fault of the sunscreen. You would get the same effect from just never going outside, or wearing high UPF rated clothes, and nobody is saying clothes give you cancer from depriving you of vitamin D.
Now, nobody is arguing that known carcinogens and ED are a good thing, so just buy a sunscreen that doesn’t contain any—EWG has a great list here.
Soo… yeah. I’m not a big fan of that article 😛 It’s misrepresenting information and asserting some pretty tenuous claims with little to no supporting evidence. Do we need vitamin D? Yes. Should we avoid body products that contain carcinogens and nasty stuff, sunscreen included? Yes. Do either of these things mean that all sunscreens will give you cancer? Definitely not.
I thought the cancer causing ingredient was retinyl palmitate? I think it’s a very questionable choice for something that is supposed to be worn in the sun!
Your debate about cancer is confusing my little brain… you both keep saying “sunscreen” without specifying physical/mineral or chemical. I’m not sure if your conversation is very productive if you two aren’t meaning the same thing, haha! Isn’t chemical sunscreen the only one considered to be an endocrine disruptor? I would wear mineral sunscreen from the store OR my kitchen. As long as it’s not a chemical sunscreen and it doesn’t have bad ingredients like retinyl palmitate, I say go for it.
Things like carrot seed oil are probably a little less reliable/consistent due to the reasons you listed, but most homemade recipes suggest 10-20 percent zinc for their active ingredient. I thought the antioxidant oils were more of a bonus.
When I check the ingredients list of “real” commercially produced sunscreens, the ingredients are nearly identical to homemade recipes. base oils, water, emulsifiers, and zinc. (Or titanium dioxide, but the articles I’ve read said it’s better at deflecting UVB than it is at deflecting UVA and for true broad spectrum protection from both kinds of rays we should use zinc oxide products.)
The reason to question homemade sunscreen is consistency. We can’t stir in the zinc and ensure even dispersion as well as professionals in a lab could. Apart from that I think it should do the job pretty well. That and of course, making sure the zinc used is NOT nano particle.
And no, changing one’s diet does not inflame just a person’s neck! Eating a better balance of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids will affect the inflammation level of your entire body. you just notice it on your neck when the sun aggravates that area. But improving one’s diet will definitely help reduce the effects of the sun.
For more on how eating better can help you burn less, read this lady’s blog!
http://www.mommypotamus.com/antioxidants-vs-sunscreen-which-works-better/
The article in question from the original comment is pretty dodgy, but makes the assertion that avoiding the sun will give you cancer due to lack of vitamin D, and that there is no correlation between sun exposure and increased risk for melanoma—that’s the context for my comment/rebuttal. Yes, please, avoid retinyl palmitate, it’s dodgy as all get-out. The article in question doesn’t clearly distinguish between mineral or chemical sunscreens, though, it just says that avoiding the sun will give you cancer. It’s a poor article that cherry-picks conclusions from old studies that use unreliable reporting methods.
Wow…what a debate. I was actually going to put in a recipe request for a citronella/bug repelling sunscreen bar after trying this recipe and having it completely fail at releasing from the mold so now I’ve got a tin full of over sticky goop… :/ …too much beeswax, I think…? (That woman also advocates the coconut oil + antioxidants = sun healthy akin…)
I’m glad I did a double check. 🙂
As for my own 2 cents on the topic, I’m kind of in the middle. I tend toward all things in moderation and typically don’t wear sunscreen unless I’m going swimming or really going to be in the sun for a long time because I just hate applying and the feel of the stuff. I generally avoid midday sun between 10-3 and realize I am making a conscious decision to take the risk by not using a daily sunblock.
What I do advocate for at this point is people being knowledgeable about what is going onto there skin and where those chemicals and ingredients come from and the impact on us and the environment.
The one sunscreen I’ve found I like is the Neutrogena ultra sheer dry touch. It’s super light and not at all greasy or sticky. And again, those chemicals are a personal, calculated and acknowledged risk on my part.
I feel like both sides of this argument/debate have very good points…
Anyway… Those are my thoughts…
KM
It sounds like you and I think similarly on this, KM—I tend to avoid sunscreen where I can, but also to avoid the sun, wear a hat, and seek out shade, especially in the hottest times of the day. When I can’t, on goes the sunscreen.
When it comes to playing sports outdoors or being out for a long time, I definitely don’t mess around and buy the evil commercial products. However, I’m wondering what your thoughts would be for a moisturizer/lotion in terms of walking to work in the summer? I’m uncomfortable putting on the chemicals every single day if i’m not going to be outdoors for long, but I do think I need some low level protection (like spf 10) for these quick moments when i’m hopping in and out of buildings.
Hi Liz! I’d say the only time you should wear homemade sunscreen is when you would usually not wear sunscreen anyways—that is, when you don’t actually need protection. Also, hats are a great way to boost your SPF without chemicals 🙂
Wow! Lots of emotion in these responses. I will add my 2 cents. I made my own sunscreen last summer per the advice of another blogger I admire very much. It worked! woo hoo? Then it didn’t work the next time I used it. I got a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad sunburn. None of my ingredients should have expired. It was maybe a week after I used it the first time. The fact of the matter is that even if homemade sunscreens work, you can’t count on them to work reliably, every time. And when it comes to sunscreen, I’m not personally prepared to take that risk. I think that is the point Marie is trying to make, and I wholeheartedly agree. I believe all of you that your homemade sunscreens work. Mine worked! Just please beware that there are a number of factors owing to chemical reactions and other things I don’t fully understand that can affect the ultimate level of protection in your product on any given day.
Moreover, the choice is not between dangerous chemical-laden sunscreen and homemade. There are plenty of natural, mineral sunscreens that contain NO nasty chemicals (seriously, none of them…not mostly none, or sort of none—just none at all). Marie has provided helpful links in her comments which I will not duplicate here. These products have undergone rigorous testing and are much safer than anything you can make at home. And as a bonus, you don’t have to invest more money in “spf oils” or squander your precious DIY materials on homemade susnscreen. It is cheaper and safer to buy the pre-made natural stuff.
Best of luck to all of you on your DIY adventures, and be safe.
Thanks a million times over for all your advice, Marie. I adore your blog.
Thanks so much for this elegant contribution to the discussion, Becky. I think you’re the first (or one of… this discussion has been running for quite some time!) to have a story of making your own and having it work and then fail—thanks for that 🙂 And a big thank you for reading!
You make some really good points in the article Marie, thankyou for sharing your thoughts. I had put a post on the article about your daily face routine about whether you make your own suncream and you answer that perfectly here.
Thanks for reading!
Hi, I’ve been wondering if 3 years after you have written this entry your views on homemade sunscreen have changed?
I’ve been reading up a lot on the subject before even buying ingredients and really considering it, and took a look at the ewg.org list you link to.
By taking a few random sunscreens with the best score they all have one active ingredient – zinc oxide, around 20% for SPF 30 – and multiple inactive ones (butters like shea, oils like coconut, aloe vera, EOs, and sometimes some wax-. )
Knowing this it seems to be quite easy to make one’s own sunscreen by keeping the proportion of zinc oxide and only relying on the rest for consistency/fragrance.
I can perfectly understand leaving this product to the pros, it is parapharmacy after all, but the idea doesn’t seem that out
so is part of your concern about the ability of a layperson to make an homogeneous product?
Anyway, I must say your blog is wonderfull, I have read with great interest your posts about how to start and all your tips and insight, really invaluable for someone considering the hobby, so a big thank you for your work.
They haven’t—if anything, they’ve solidified. I did the same research you did re: zinc oxide and percentages when I first started DIYing, and still concluded I’d rather leave this one to the experts. There’s simply no safe, reliable way to ensure homemade sunscreen will perform as expected every single time you need it, and that’s just not good enough for me.
Hello! my name is Maya Bernstein and I have been following your blog for quite some time now… I am very interested to hear that you would not consider making your own sunscreen… what if the recipe was already tested for SPF?? I am working on a project called SeaScreen which is focused around coral reefs and why they are dying. A huge contributor to this is actually the sunscreen that you put on your body! the sunscreen that you wear into the ocean floats down to the coral and activates latent viruses on the zooxantanelle (algae living on the coral) which kills it. Without the algae the coral cannot survive because the algae is what gives it most of its food and nutrients which “bleaches” the coral and kills it. I am creating a sunscreen (that I promise works effectively!!) using zinc oxide and red raspberry seed oil and I wanted to know if you would actually consider making it if the recipe was tested for effectiveness?!
Hey Maya—read this 🙂