With warm weather in full swing it’s time for some fun in the sun. I’m super excited to share this DIY natural sunscreen recipe with you guys. It’s a clean and easy to make alternative to the toxic products that are on the market. And, nothing beats a sunscreen made with five clean and simple ingredients!
DIY Natural Sunscreen Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup carrier oil
like sweet almond, jojoba, avocado, or grapeseed
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup beeswax
(pellets melt easier and faster)
- 2 TBSP shea butter
- 2 TBSP non-nano zinc oxide powder
- Optional: up to 1 tsp Vitamin E oil
(to extend shelf life)
DIRECTIONS
- Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat
- In a small bowl add all ingredients except zinc oxide and place over water on stove
- As the water heats the ingredients will start to melt, stir or gently shake to combine
- Once the ingredients are melted remove bowl from water, wiping excess water from outside of bowl, being careful not to let any water get in the sunscreen
- Wearing a mask, or something to cover your face, slowly add the zinc oxide (being careful not to inhale) and begin whisking – whisk, whisk, whisk until the powder is incorporated well
- Pour into glass jars or tins, or whatever container you would like to store it in
- Let it cool, stirring a few times to make sure the zinc oxide is fully incorporated
- Once cooled, it should be thickened and ready to use. Store in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge. Should last for about 6 months.
Additional Notes
- Zinc oxide is safe to use topically on skin since it creates more of a barrier rather then absorbs but be careful not to inhale it as it’s not good for the lungs
- Whisking well insures the proper coverage of zinc oxide on the skin
- This does leave a white tint on the skin, but if rubbed in really well is not as noticeable
- The SPF of this sunscreen is around 15, you can achieve a higher SPF by adding more zinc oxide, however the white tint will be more intense
- The beeswax makes this somewhat waterproof but you will need to reapply after swimming or sweating
- If you want a thicker sunscreen add more beeswax, a smoother consistency add less beeswax keeping in mind less beeswax makes it less waterproof
- The remnants of the sunscreen really stick to the bowl you mix it in, and harden fast. A little trick I learned was to wipe the excess out of the bowl with a dry paper towel right when you’re done pouring the finished product into it’s storage container(s). This will save you from a ruined kitchen sponge and make cleaning the bowl much easier
- This sunscreen should be applied liberally, rubbed in well 30 minutes before sun exposure, and reapplied often, at least every hour, to be effective
I’ve also received some requests for safe non-toxic pre-made sunscreen options for those who don’t have the time or desire to make it at home. Click here for my top favorite safe picks.
Finally, something I can feel good about putting on my skin! I always hate the battle with sunscreen, but I like how you’ve provided this recipe. Do you have something for sugar scrubs? Where do you recommend one buy these carrier oils?
Great Sarah! I hope you will give it try. That’s a great suggestion, I’ll have to experiment with a salt scrub recipe and post it. I definitely have more DIY projects for body and home in the works. I buy all my supplies from amazon or vitacost. In this case amazon has all the supplies, vitacost doesn’t carry zinc oxide. You can click on the link in the recipe for the carrier oil I use and suggest :) Hope this helps!
Hey Jess,
This is great! I’m a surfer who lives in South Africa, so sunscreen is an absolute must.
You mentioned that more beeswax will make it somewhat waterproof – so I can go in the sea with it?
I’d rather have a natural sunscreen than put all those chemicals on my skin any day.
Thanks,
Sean
Awesome, Sean! My fiance and I live a block from the ocean so we’re in the sun a lot, and he’s in the water surfing all the time, so I totally get it. You definitely can feel good about wearing this in the sea and chemicals not harming marine life too! I talk about this in my post here. To answer your question, more beeswax will make it last in the water longer but you still need to reapply often. At least every hour, maybe more if your skin burns easily. Once you have a good base tan going you may be able to hold off a bit longer to reapply. You’ll have to experiment a bit. Hope this helps :)
DIY natural Sunscreen recipe hits the spot! I have been kind of concerned about this topic since I had my first positive skin cancer a couple of months ago. Thanks for sharing this info. Can you advise on how strong of sunscreen this would be?
So sorry to hear that, and sincerely wishing you a positive recovery. Particularly in your circumstance this sunscreen is definitely the way to go. Please consider reading my post regarding the harmful chemicals in most sunscreens on the market and what they can do to your skin. Hopefully it can shed some light for you on the importance of non-toxic sunscreen. As I mention in my post this recipe is approximately 15 SPF (there is also info in my other post regarding the actual variances in percentage of UVB ray blockage between different SPF’s – important to know) but you can add more zinc oxide for more protection, just keep in mind it may have more of a white tint, which for me is not a big deal. Hope this helps.
I have saved your website and this page so I am able to make this for my family and my own use. I love everything natural. Congratulations on a great website. Thank you so much.
Thank you for your kind words! I love that you love everything natural because I do too :) I’m exited for you to try this recipe, that’s the beauty about these ingredients, they are safe for the entire family. Please come back and let me know how you like it :)
I was looking to find a simple recipe to make a sun screen and now I’ve found it. I have all ingredients except for the beeswax and zinc oxide. Better start shopping cause summer is just around the corner! Thanks for the recipe.
Fantastic! Hope you like it, and enjoy that sunshine!
Hi Jess- This is a healthy and awesome recipe for sunscreen. I would not dare use commercially prepared sunscreen and I encourage others not to as well- Now I can direct them to your site to get the recipe for an optimum sunscreen that is actually healthy for your body. Well done!
All the best-Tom
Thanks so much Tom! Glad you like the recipe. All the best to you too :)