Summer is in full swing, and as a pasty-pale girl, I am always on the lookout for ways to protect my skin from sun burns. This chemical free sunscreen recipe is my current favorite. It provides me great sun protection and is much easier to apply than my previous recipe.
I wrote a post about cautions of homemade sunscreens which I recommend reading before deciding whether or not it may be something you want to try.
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A commercially available option
Last month I told you all about a fantastic new chemical free sunscreen that I found on the market – from Goddess Garden Organics. If you want the benefits of a natural, chemical free sunscreen without the hassle of making your own, I highly recommend you try out this easy to use product!
My chemical free sunscreen recipe
But if you’re feeling adventurous (or just want to make your own), try out my recipe! If you’ve previously made my Homemade Natural Sunscreen Recipe, this “user friendly” sunscreen is super easy to make – all you need is that sunscreen and aloe vera gel. I’ll give you the full recipe, too, in case you haven’t tried my other sunscreen.
A note about aloe vera gel: many products that I have seen are loaded with chemicals and dyes. When purchasing aloe vera gel, look for one that is over 99% aloe vera, and check the other ingredients (the Environmental Working Group website or app is really helpful). This is a “do as I say, not as I do” moment – I checked the EWG for the aloe that I had on hand and used in my recipe, and found that it is NOT 100% aloe vera! I am highly disappointed. Next time I need to purchase aloe, I’ll go with an organic product like Nature Sense aloe vera gel. While this Nature Sense product is not in the EWG database yet, I checked the ingredients against other aloe vera gel products and expect it to receive a “1” rating (best rating possible).
From my original recipe:
Ingredients
Diana’s Homemade Natural Sunscreen
Instructions
- For each tablespoon (15 grams) of sunscreen, add 5 teaspoons (25 grams) aloe vera gel. Heat slowly (I microwaved in a mason jar for 10 seconds at a time) and stir well.
- Allow to cool before using.
- When I use this product, I apply liberally any time I need protection from the sun!
From scratch:
Makes about 2.75 cups
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil and, very carefully, using care not to inhale any power, add the zinc oxide powder. (A particle respirator can be worn if you’re concerned.)
- Still using care not to inhale any power, stir the zinc oxide powder into the coconut oil.
- Add the shea butter and cocoa butter, warm a little more if needed, and stir until evenly blended.
- Next, add the red raspberry seed oil and stir again until evenly distributed.
- Add the aloe vera gel and stir until completely blended.
Store in an airtight container. I store in a mason jar and scoop out as needed. Due to the thinner consistency of this sunscreen, you could reuse an old sunscreen or lotion squeeze tube. Once this sunscreen cools, it does separate into the aloe gel (water based) and zinc oxide/oil blend (oil based). It ends up having a cottage cheese-like consistency, as shown in the photo below. This separation does not negatively affect the function of this sunscreen. I have been using it for months and as long as I blend the sunscreen into my skin well, it is very effective at protecting my skin from burns.
Why I love this chemical free sunscreen recipe
I like this sunscreen for many reasons. #1, for me, it works: it protects my skin from burns and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. Please use caution when trying any homemade recipe, as your body may react differently. #2, it is MUCH easier to apply than most of the oil-laden chemical free sunscreen creams that I have used (homemade and commercially available). #3, it is cheaper than the buying sunscreen. #4 Aloe is great – hydrating for your skin, cooling when applied, and smells nice and summery fresh!
Cost
Organic coconut oil – $14.99 for 54 oz (1458.99 g) at BJ’s Wholesale Club; (70g/1458.99g)x$14.99=$0.719 (or on Amazon for $16.99)
Organic shea butter – $11.70 for 1 lb (453.59 g) on Amazon; (109g/453.59g)x$11.70=$2.812
Organic cocoa butter – $15.15 for 1 lb (453.59 g) on Amazon; (13.6g/453.59g)x$15.15=$0.454
Organic red raspberry seed oil – $8.37 for 1.1 oz (650 drops) on Amazon; (30 drops/650 drops)x$8.37=$0.386
Zinc oxide powder – $8.95 for 1 lb (453.59 g) on Amazon; (82.5g/453.59g)x$8.95=$1.628
Aloe vera gel – $13.89 for 12 oz (about 354 grams) on Amazon; (460g/354g)x$13.89=$18.05
Total: $24.50 for 2.75 cups (735 grams = 25.6 oz), equating to $0.96 per ounce weight. For comparison, Goddess Garden is $12.95 for 6 ounces, or $2.16 per ounce. My recipe is less than half the cost!
Note: The expensive ingredient in this sunscreen is the aloe vera gel. My experience has shown me that aloe vera gel is one product that is often less expensive in brick and mortar stores than online, so you may be able to save even more by checking your local drug stores and grocery stores!
Have you ever made your own sunscreen? Share your experiences in the comments below!