Non-Toxic Homemade Sunscreen Lotion Bars

By Kathy C.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shea butter
• 5 Tbsp beeswax
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp Zinc Oxide
• 1/2 tsp Vitamin E Oil
• 3/4 tsp essential oil (citrus oils increase photosensitivity so do not use those – I used lavender)

Details

Adapted from homemademommy.net

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax in a glass bowl placed over a hot pot of water or use a double boiler. Heat on low until the ingredients are melted and full incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in the zinc oxide, the essential oil, and the vitamin E oil. Pour into silicone mold and place in the fridge to cool for about 30 minutes. Pop out and store in tins or an airtight container. Store at room temperature.

Homemade Sunscreen Notes:
These homemade sunscreen lotion bars will melt in the hot sun. I plan to cut off a small piece to take with me to the pool or the beach and carry it in an airtight container. Once back indoors it will solidify again.
I have received questions about how to apply. You simply rub all over your body while holding in your hand. The texture is firm but emollient and it will feel like a lotion – not soap. You can rub it in further with your hands.
Why a Non-toxic Homemade Sunscreen?
If you didn’t already know, commercial sunscreens can be toxic due to potential endocrine disruptors and other nasty chemicals. I am not entirely sure that exposing my skin to the sun is such a bad thing what with Vitamin D being so important. Maybe the sun doesn’t even cause skin cancer anyway.
However, I live in Texas and the sun can get pretty brutal during the summer. I recently got a nasty sunburn at an outdoor event but thanks to coconut oil it went away within a couple of days without peeling. This never would have happened when I wasn’t eating a real, nourishing diet. I used to get heat rash and heat exhausting from being out in the sun longer than a few hours. Now that I can actually tolerate the sun without getting completely wiped out, I plan to go without sunscreen this summer for my normal day to day activities. However, if I am going to be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time, with my fair skin, I need some kind of protection.
I was inspired by Robin Konie of Thank Your Body to make non-toxic homemade sunscreen after reading her eBook, Toxic Free. However, I love the tallow lotion bars (recipe from Mommypotamus’ DIY Beauty eBook) I have been making because I can easily travel with them. I decided to try my hand at a recipe for a non-toxic homemade sunscreen lotion bar using similar ratios as the tallow bars, but use shea butter and coconut oil to provide some natural SPF as recommended by Robin.
I would assume this homemade sunscreen to be about SPF 15-20 given the amount of zinc oxide added. What I love about this bar is that it is goes on easily and soaks right in without being overly greasy. It also doesn’t turn your skin or your clothes white from the zinc!
- See more at: http://www.homemademommy.net/2013/04/homemade-non-toxic-sunscreen-lotion-bars.html#sthash.yQd0HCQ6.dpuf