DIY Natural Sunscreen Lotion Recipe
You can make your natural sunscreen using natural oils; some natural oils have great protection without the harsh chemicals that can be found in some store-bought sunscreens.
Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are two other natural ingredients used in natural sunscreen.
What does Zinc Oxide Do?
Zinc Oxide Powder 4oz/120g (Made in Canada)– by Amson Naturals
Zinc Oxide is a great addition to natural sunscreen as it blocks both the UVA and UVB sun rays, when using sunscreen with Zinc Oxide you don’t have to wait the suggested 15 – 20 minutes as recommended with other sunscreens. The zinc oxide is a physical blocker and works to block harmful sun rays as soon as it is applied.
Zinc Oxide is safe for all skin types and rarely if ever causes any irritation to the skin, in fact, zinc oxide has inflammatory properties that can benefit people with skin conditions such as acne and rosacea.
Zinc Oxide is also an ingredient you will find in natural baby diaper rash recipes.
Natural Oils Sun Protection
Oils like Red Raspberry are great for sun protection; they block UVB rays very well but are limited in protection against UVA. The UVA rays are what can cause premature aging and cancer so it’s important to add a UVA protectant to your Homemade Sunscreen lotion. Red Raspberry has an SPF of 28-50.
Other Oils that have natural protection are Carrot Seed Oil, wheat germ, Aloe Vera, Soybean, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, and Jojoba Oil. Read more on these oils and their SPF Values here Natural Sunscreen Oils
Everything you need for this recipe can be purchased on Amazon – or if you have a local soap supply store you will be able to purchase the ingredients there.
Sunscreen Recipe
Part 1
- 850 Grams Water
- 50 Grams of oils of your choice:
- 17 grams Calendula Oil
- 14 grams Grape seed Oil
- 11 grams Almond Oil
- 10 grams Apricot Kernel Oil
- 40 Grams Emulsifying Wax
- 30 Grams Jojoba Oil
- 20 Grams Glycerin
- 16 Grams Cocoa Butter
Part 2
- 10 Grams Preservative (Germabin II) (Grapefruit seed extract)
- 100 Grams Zinc Oxide
Part 3
- 10 Grams Fragrance or Essential Oil (optional)
Directions: Use a Double Boiler when making this lotion
- Melt Cocoa Butter in a Double Boiler
- Slowly stir in water
- Add Part 1 Oils, emulsifying Wax, and Glycerin heat and stir until emulsifiers have melted and the temperature has reached 160 degrees (70 Celsius)
- Remove from heat and use a stick blender to mix. Continue to mix every once in a while while cooling.
- Once cooled remove any foam that may have formed on top of the lotion
- When cooled to below 120 degrees (50 Celsius) add Part 2 ingredients
- Mix in well and continue to mix every so often as the mixture cools
- Add scent if wanted
- Once the mixture cools and starts to thicken pour it into tubes and label
These tubes can be purchased at Amazon in 4 different sizes. I make some of both, the smaller ones are great for short vacations and small enough to take in your carry-on bags.
Zinc Oxide is a great sunscreen, but can leave a white film on your skin. I use Zinc Oxide because although oils have a natural SPF only Red Raspberry Seed Oil protects from UVA and UVB but it’s limited in its protection of UVA. The SPF in natural oils can vary over time and when exposed to light so they can’t always be as reliable as Zinc Oxide.
Make your own lip balm with this lip balm recipe
#handmadesoap #naturalsoap #makingsoapnaturally #soapmaking #soapmaking #soaps #artisansoap #bathandbody #cpsoap #coldprocesssoap #etsy #soapbase #soapcrafter #soapmaker #soaping #soapcrafting #soaphandmade #soap #giftidea #christmas #barsoap #handmadesoap #natural #organic #skincare #coldprocess #soapsupplies #diysunscreen #naturalsunscreen #sunscreenrecipe
© 2019 – 2024, Tes. All rights reserved.
Thanks. For this post on the DNY natural sunscreen lotion recipe, I really do react to sunray and I think the zink oxide lotion will really help me against that, am gonna try to make the lotion on my own with the ingredients you have listed we are going to family vacation a very soon so this lotion will really be the best for us thanks ,
Hi Rose, have a great family vacation. Have fun making the lotions, just remember to reapply when your swimming etc.
Thanks for this post on how to make the DNY lotion, my kid do react to sunlight rays this is why am scared of the summer vacation we are going together this December, I think me making the DNY lotion for her will be the best thing to do, am going to get the ingredients and make it on my own or order for the lotion if I can’t , thanks
Have a great summer vacation it’s always nice to get off to a sunny location in December.
So great that you included a sunscreen recipe in your post. I’ve heard of the value of zinc oxide, of course, as it has been an ingredient in the product I used on my babies for diaper rash. I am also pleased that you mention that all the ingredients are available on Amazon. As we have only one poor excuse for a store in my little wilderness community, I know I would not find the needed ingredients there. What would we do without Amazon shopping? In my part of the world, it is very helpful.
We have a lady here in my community who makes goat’s milk soap. I plan to turn her on to your website, as she will find it interesting to read about soap-making from your perspective.
Thanks for your helpful information.
Hi Fran, I hear you I also live in a very small community and use Amazon a lot. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly my orders arrive and right to the front door! Thanks for sharing my site.
Hai Tes,
I was looking for a natural sunscreen and I found your DIY article. Thank you for a very clear & concise explaination. I have heard about DIY sunscreens before but never had the courage to try them. But something about “Zinc oxide” just scares me. I want to give your recipe a try. I have read that the best kind of sunscreens has non-nano Zinc oxide in them. I don’t know if that’s something that’s available. Any suggestions?
Hi Mithra, a non-nano zinc Oxide is great for sunscreen. It’s the same Zinc Oxide used in Diaper Rash Creams and Calamine lotion. If you don’t want to use Zinc Oxide you can always make an oil sunscreen rather than a cream. To do this just mix some of the best oils.
It is always great if one can make their own natural sunscreen. And this post is very useful in that respect. It provides all the ingredients required, where to get them and the step-by-step directions.
We were intrigued knowing that oils like red raspberry blocks UVB rays but do not do well in protecting against UVA. In this case, what would be the best UVA protectant that needs to be added? Wouldn’t that diminish the natural essence of the DIY product?
Red Raspberry does have some UVA protection, but a sunscreen using zinc oxide would increase the UVA protection for sure. I find the recipe I have provided to be a really good sunscreen it has ingredients that have both UVA and UVB protection.
I learned a lot reading this article, that I have never thought about before. We need to really know what is being put on our bodies, the harsh chemicals we use and don’t realize. Thank you for your wonderful site and sharing how to make natural soaps and all. I would love to book mark your site.
Blessings
Thanks Renea, I’m glad you are finding the site useful. We really do need to check the ingredients of our skin creams etc. as our skin is the largest body organ.