Homemade Sunscreen

We are having a homeschool field trip to Sanibel Island this week, and I noticed that we have used up all of our sunscreen. Although some sun exposure is good for your vitamin D levels, spending all day at the beach with no sun protection is a sunburn waiting to happen.

Drugstore sunscreen is no longer allowed in my home because of the chemicals used in them. These chemicals actually penetrate your bloodstream and flow through your body- I would rather use a sunscreen that protects my kids from the outside.



Here are the ingredients for my homemade sunscreen:

48 g liquid oil (I use either sweet almond or olive oil)
52 g coconut oil
20 g emulsifier (this is to mix the water and oil)
10 g stearic acid (this is a thickening agent)
380 g water
35 g zinc oxide- at this amount, the sunscreen will be approx. SPF 20
10-20 drops essential oil (NOT sweet orange, which can make your skin sensitive to sunlight.)

Heat all ingredients except zinc oxide and essential oil in a stainless steel pan until hot but not boiling. Then, mix with a stick blender until everything is incorporated and creamy- be careful as this mixture will be hot. Once it is mixed, you can add your zinc oxide and mix again with the stick blender. If you are adding essential oils, wait until the mixture has cooled to add them.

Here is the finished product! It is thick and looks a lot like store-bought sunscreen. This is not completely waterproof, so re-apply after swimming!

I put my sunscreen in a recycled lotion bottle with a pump. This makes it easier for the kids to re-apply themselves!