How to Make Your Own Homemade Sunscreen

Homemade Sunscreen

Three reasons you should make your own:

1. Cost: Compare Jason Natural sunblock $11.29/4 oz. to making your own: $4.25/5 oz
2. Control your ingredients: zinc oxide offers the best sun protection with a low hazard rating (per EWG). You can create a high or low SPF when you make it yourself.
3. Four ingredients and 30 minutes is all you need.

Instructions: Melt ½ oz beeswax, 2 oz shea butter, and 2 oz coconut oil using the double boiler method (Pyrex or glass container with ingredients, sitting in a pot of  boiling water until mixture is melted).

Remove from heat. Add 1 oz (2 TBS) zinc oxide to melted mixture and using a stick blender, blend until all zinc oxide is well-blended. Pour into a glass or plastic container. Sunscreen is ready when solidified.

This is approximately 30 spf – I wouldn’t add more zinc oxide than the recipe calls for unless you can handle the extra “whiteness” which might be difficult to rub into the skin. Use less zinc oxide for a lower spf. 

For a video and more summer skin care recipes, see the My Buttered Life ebook. 

How do you color lip balm and can you color hard lotion bars?

Question via email:

 
I found your site from a Pinterest board. Just wondering how you colour
the lip balm and bars if you didn't want a natural look.  My daughter
loves pink! Will colouring it change the consistency?

Answer: I've colored the lip balm with something called carmine (it's insect
material but you might not have wanted to know that!). Here's a video I did on that:


You could also go to fromnaturewithlove:
http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/?affiliate=34177 (it's my affiliate link
- I highly recommend the products and I also get a cut if you purchase
through the link)  and look for their mica powders. Some are safe for the
lips and some are not. Just make sure whatever colorant that you use, that
it's not a water based colorant because there is no water in the lotion - it's all oils/wax.

BUT, I would only tint a lip balm and not a lotion bar, or your body
will become that color!

Here's my carmine-tinted lip balm mixture:

What's the best way to keep hard lotion long term?

  Question via email:

I was wondering, after I've made lotion bars, what's the best
way to keep them?  Should I freeze them if I don't intend on using them
right away?  Are they ok just at room temp?  I made some with shae
butter, beeswax and grapeseed oil.  Any advice is appreciated!

Answer:

No need to store them other than in parchment paper, and if it's an indefinite period of time, 

stored in a dark place. 

If you don't plan to use them for several months, you could simply refrigerate

them (wrapped), although I'd only do that if it's really warm in your area.

Can expeller-pressed coconut oil from Tropical Tradition be used to make hard lotion?

photo source

Question via email:

First let me say that this is the absolute BEST lotion I've ever used!  I have very dry heels and eczema on my hands.  I cannot believe what one use of your hard lotion has done for my skin.  THANK YOU!!!

Now I'm thinking I'll make my own and had a question about the coconut oil.  I buy expeller-pressed coconut oil from Tropical Traditions and wondered if you thought I could use it in making hard lotion.  I can't wait to make this for Christmas gifts next year!!  I also am highly anticipating the bug lotion.

Answer: You can certainly use any type of 76 degree coconut oil with the same great results. I've personally used Tropical Traditions' coconut oil; it makes a wonderful lotion bar with the scent of coconut oil coming out even stronger in this high-quality coconut oil.

How to Make Lotion Bars for Gift Giving

How to Make Beeswax Tea Light Candles

You only need a few ingredients, and you'll have fantastic handcrafted gifts for Christmas.