Sometimes it can be difficult to find a truly non toxic sunscreen. A sunscreen that has only natural ingredients and doesn’t do harm to your body. Sometimes it’s best to make your own.
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Vitamin D from the sun is beneficial, but too much sun exposure can be harmful. However, using toxic sunscreen with chemical ingredients can also be harmful. If you are looking to make your own non toxic sunscreen, these DIY recipes are for you!
What is A Non Toxic Sunscreen?
A non toxic sunscreen doesn’t contain harmful ingredients. It contains natural ingredients that help to block the sun and nourish your skin.
Unfortunately, many commercial sunscreens can be loaded with harmful chemicals such as Oxybenzone and Octinoxate.
- “Oxybenzone absorbs UVB and short UVA rays but is a relatively weak chemical UV absorber. It also helps preserve the integrity of other cosmetic ingredients, preventing their deterioration under the sun.”
- Octinoxate is a UV filter that protects from UV-B sun rays. (Actually, UV-A rays are more harmful than UV-B rays).
Both of these ingredients are linked to endocrine disruption in addition to other toxicities.
Purchasing Chemical Free Sunscreen – There are Some Options
If you prefer to purchase a natural sunscreen, there are organizations that rate sunscreens and/or certify safer, more natural options.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out both the Environmental Working Group (which has an annual sunscreen guide) and MadeSafe for safe sunscreen options.
If you want to purchase a natural sunscreen at a local retailer, you have some options.
Here are 14 recommended chemical free sunscreen brands!
Mineral Based Natural Sunscreen Without Chemicals
Fortunately, there are some companies that are creating more natural sunscreen alternatives. They are typically mineral-based instead of chemical-based.
The minerals used in non-toxic sunscreen to protect from harmful UV rays are typically zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
“Zinc oxide ist the EWG’s first choice for sun protection. It is stable in sunlight and can provide greater protection from UVA rays than titanium oxide or any other sunscreen chemical approved for use in the U.S..”
“Titanium dioxide has been classified by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens as a possible carcinogen when inhaled in large doses.” “This was based on an animal study showing inhaling high concentrations of titanium dioxide dust may lead to lung cancer.”
“Titanium dioxide is generally considered to be a relatively inert, safe material.”
If you choose to make your own sunscreen with minerals, you should not use nanoparticles. Make sure the ingredients are guaranteed to be non-nano. Also, if you use either of these ingredients to make your own sunscreen, wear a mask when mixing in the ingredients. You don’t want to inhale the particles as they could aggravate your lungs.
If you would prefer not to use titanium dioxide, you might consider making your own non-toxic sunscreen.
Try a Non Toxic Sunscreen Recipe
Homemade natural sunscreen is usually pretty easy to make. It is also cost-effective and nourishing for your skin. If you’re someone who prefers to make your own products so you know exactly what ingredients are in it, here is a roundup of some non-toxic sunscreen recipes.
You will find that most of these recipes all have some ingredients in common: zinc oxide and oils.
Natural sunscreen can come in different forms. I’ve included recipes for creams, spray, and roll-on.
Natural Sunscreen Lotion
This video shared by Dr. Josh Axe shows you how easy it can be to make your own sunscreen.
Homemade Sunscreen Recipe by Wellness Mama
Many oils and essential oils have a natural amount of SPF in them. Katie provides a nice image in her article which mentions how much SPF typically is in natural ingredients.
Homemade Sunscreen Recipes by No Fuss Natural
I love that Stacy provides 3 different easy natural sunscreen recipes!
She reminds us that it’s best to test a sunscreen because it’s almost impossible to predict exactly how each recipe variation will work on each individual person. Everyone’s skin tone is different as is the environment in which it is used (what time of day, dry air, being in the water, etc).
Stacy also provides an online Natural Body Care Club where she shares videos and tips to help you make your own skincare products.
DIY Sunscreen Lotion by Body Unburdened
Nadia uses zinc oxide, shea butter, and essential oils to make her natural sunscreen.
She reminds us to use a “micronized”, or non-nano zinc oxide instead of “nano” zinc oxide powder because micronized isn’t ground as small or fine as nano powder particles. Nano particles can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Since it’s ground into larger particles, micronized zinc oxide isn’t absorbed into the skin. Instead, it forms a coating on the skin’s surface.
Waterproof Sunscreen Lotion by Real Food RN
Kate says that this natural sunscreen lasts, even underwater! This sunscreen combines coconut and almond oils with beeswax, shea butter, and zinc oxide.
The sunscreen can be stored in the refrigerator during the winter in order to keep the oils from going rancid.
Homemade Sunscreen Lotion Bars by Mommypotamus
In this recipe, Heather uses similar ingredients to the other natural sunscreen recipes; however, you pour the mixture into a mold to create a lotion bar. It makes for easy storing in the refrigerator for up to a year.
Last, but not least I wanted to include a natural sunscreen lotion recipe for a sunscreen without zinc oxide in case you needed to keep that out of your sunscreen.
DIY Sunscreen Without Chemicals or Zinc Oxide by Mommy Footprint
Suzanne uses a variety of oils and a few other real whole ingredients to create this natural sunscreen without zinc oxide. She relies on the oils for SPF.
She also calculated the cost of her ingredients and compared it to what she has paid for natural sunscreen. The homemade sunscreen costs less.
Non Toxic Sunscreen Spray
Sometimes it nice to use a sunscreen spray instead of a lotion. If you prefer sprays, here is a DIY recipe for you:
Homemade Spray Sunscreen Recipe by Simple Life Mom
Kelly provides a natural sunscreen spray recipe that is simple and effective. She likes sunscreen spray better than cream because it’s really easy to spread out.
Non-Toxic Roll-on Sunscreen
Do you prefer roll-on sunscreen? It can be easy to make. Try the recipe below:
Homemade Roll-on Sunscreen Stick by Nourishing Joy
The same thing here – this sunscreen recipe has similar ingredients to the other sunscreens, however, it is melted and poured into a roll-on stick.
The Most Natural Type of Sunscreen
Finally, if you are looking for alternatives to using sunscreen, there are a few options such as staying in the shade, wearing protective clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat.
You can also protect your skin from the inside out. Katie, the Wellness Mama, describes how she eats her sunscreen. By avoiding certain foods and making sure you have enough fats and antioxidants in your diet, you should be able to spend a limited amount of time in the sun without using sunscreen.
Whether you purchase natural sunscreen, wear protective clothing, or use this non toxic sunscreen DIY recipe roundup to make sunscreen, be sure to protect yourself from excessive sun exposure so you don’t get burnt while you’re having fun in the sun!
Read Next: Eat and Drink Your Way to Healthier Skin
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Laura says
I would stay away from titanium dioxide. A friend told me that dioxide ingredients (often found in supplements) is dioxin