If you're trying to avoid toxic sunscreen this summer, while still protecting your skin, you could choose from a list of the best sunscreen options on the market… OR (my preference)… save a little money by DIY'ing it! If you're up for it, this is by far the easiest natural sunscreen recipe I've made.
…week before last we were up north visiting family and celebrating my grandfather's 90th birthday. The last day we were there I thought we were going to freeze our tails off! Who else experienced the glorious-ness of fall rolling in unexpectedly? I was so excited, but got a reality check this past week when summer made it very clear she wasn't ready to leave just yet. Highs in the 90's anyone? Eww.
Anyways, I'm admittedly ready for fall, but trying to soak up and savor these last few weeks of summer before the cold comes and it's harder to get some natural Vitamin D! If you're like me, as the weather cools and we spend more time outside in the sun, it's easy to forget that we still need to be protecting our skin. Just because it's cooler doesn't necessarily mean that the sun's power is any less to affect lasting damage. We don't always wear sunscreen, even in the summer, but if we're going to be out for long periods of time, it's a good idea to apply a sunblock since we don't always have heat as an indicator of damage being done.
I've been wanting to make my own sunscreen for like 2 years now, but honestly I've just been too lazy to do it. It's seriously like the easiest thing in the world to make though, so I'm kicking myself now for having spent this long not making my own. The non-toxic options we've been using for sunscreen are fantastic, but honestly can be somewhat expensive, especially compared to most conventional sunblocks on the market right now… so I'm really happy to have an alternative that's not only safe, but is also extremely cost-effective! My new friends over at Raise Them Well were kind enough to send me a container of their very first launch product of Zinc Oxide Powder to try out, so now I really don't have an excuse not to make it myself!
(Hey, just so we're clear, I'm big on honesty, so even though I was provided a free container of zinc oxide powder to review, the words here are All my own. If I ever receive products for review like this, you can rest assured that my review will be honest, fair, and unbiased. I can't imagine writing a review any other way. If you'd like to read more about my affiliate & sponsorship disclosure you can check that out here. thanks!)
A little bit of background about my friends at Raise Them Well…
Dr. Saunders and his wife Emily are the brains and beauty behind this charming upstart company. I had the pleasure of “meeting” Emily over the phone, and she is just so genuine and shared with me she and her husband's passion for wellness and for providing safe alternatives for families that would help them raise Well kids! Their site is a wonderful resource for educating families on how to live toxic free and for helping parents raise happy and healthy kids based on Christian principles. Through their site they have helpful articles on non-toxic living, as well as a select group of products (with lots of new things in the works and coming soon!) that are geared towards parents who are looking for affordable and convenient solutions for keeping their families healthy. You can learn more about them here, and be sure to “like” Raise Them Well on Facebook to keep up with all the latest happenings and new products!
As for the zinc oxide powder that I'm super excited to share with you guys… it's not only great for making a quick, easy, and very effective sunscreen… it's also great for making homemade diaper creams, acne creams, and more! I'll be writing a follow up post on using it for supporting healthy skin here soon after giving it a try for myself, but I'm really looking forward to that. Oh, and just so you know, whenever you purchase a container of Raise Them Well's zinc oxide, you also get a free e-book with tons of recipes to get you started with using it, which was incredibly helpful!
Things to consider when choosing a zinc oxide powder…
- Particle Size. There is some debate over toxicity in nanoparticles in sunscreen. This article from EWG provided me with a lot of insight into the issue, and gave me comfort in using even nanoparticle zine oxide in a topical application sunscreen. But, the debate still exists. If given the option, I would always choose a non-nano particle zinc oxide. Essentially this means a larger particle… which lends itself to mean a couple different things… for one thing, it will be harder for those particles to penetrate the skin, leaving less risk for potential damage, and also that the UVA protection provided is greater with a non-nano zinc oxide. The smaller the particles are, the better the SPF/UVB protection and the less UVA protection… so there needs to be a balance here. Raise Them Well states their zinc oxide has the largest particle size on the market at 480nm, which ensures that it will be non-toxic and not absorbed through the skin.
- **Important** Although zinc oxide isn't known to be harmful when applied topically, it can be dangerous when inhaled. For this reason, I recommend wearing a mask while mixing your sunscreen to make sure that you don't breathe in any of the particles.
- Sourcing. Many cheap sources of zinc oxide have lead in them, not exactly something you want to be applying topically to your kiddo (or yourself)… Raise Them Well states that their zinc oxide is “lead free”, confirmed by independent labs to be <10 parts per million. It's great to have a source you can trust!
I feel very confident that Raise Them Well's zinc oxide powder is one of the safest and most effective brands on the market, and I'm happy to be able to recommend them.
The easiest, most cost-effective, & safe Natural Sunscreen Recipe of all time!
Ingredients
- zinc oxide powder (buy here)
- coconut oil (here's the one we get for topical use, you can also find it at Costco)
Directions
- Melt 1 cup of coconut oil, either in a microwave safe dish or in a double boiler pot over the stove. It doesn't have to be a complete liquid, just enough to be able to mix well.
- Measure 1-3 tablespoons of zinc oxide powder and add to the coconut oil. *The more you use, the better barrier protection provided.
- Stir well and place into a seal-able container. I've seen people use a squeezable container (like these) for this as well, but if the solution solidifies, just run the container under warm water and mix/shake before use.
- Apply on dry skin for sun protection, and remember to reapply about every 30 minutes when in full, direct sunlight.
And… Done! Wasn't that easy?? I love this new option for making great sunscreen for my family that I can trust to be safe and effective!
What do you think… would you try this easy natural sunscreen recipe?
photo creds: raisethemwell.com