Natural Sunscreen Options – Alternatives to Crazy Chemicals
Filed Under: Do It Yourself, Susatainable Living on June 25, 2009
If you’re like me, then you can get a sunburn under flourescent lights at night. I’m about as white as you can get without being a full albino. Red hair, freckles, giant muscles, the works. I sunburn easily, is what I’m getting at.
So I use sunscreen. I always have. It’s either that or wear clothing from head to toe all the time. Since I’m a shorts, t-shirt, and sandals kinda guy, that’s not gonna happen. Tevas rule my world. My wife has a closet full of shoes of all descriptions. I have a huge assortment of Teva sandals, some steel-toed boots, and some slip-on winter shoes.
Alright, I’m getting a little off subject here. I was talking about sunscreen.
The normal sunscreen you buy in the store–the stuff that comes in a bottle–is either rubbed in or sprayed on. In either case, if you look at the active ingredients list, you’ll see things like “Avobenzone” and “Homosalate” and “Octocrylene.”
I don’t know what those things are either. Chemicals, I know that. I took Latin in high school and I still can’t decipher what those chemicals are. The closest translation I can come up with is “cancer-causing” or “not good.”
Everyone needs sunlight. It’s what makes us healthy. Your body needs about ten minutes (or so) of sunlight per day to produce enough Vitamin D to be balanced. Of course, if you get fifteen minutes or three hours worth, you won’t die or anything. Your body is smart enough to stop producing D when it’s got enough. Good news for Paul Hogan, there.
I wondered what all those chemicals in sunscreen really were and I was amazed. Turns out that most of the more common ingredients in sunscreens are really, really ugly substances. Parabens (a name given to the ingredients for many rub-on sunblocks) are derived from estrogen mimicking and endocrine disrupting substances. How nice.
The titanium and zinc ingredients aren’t bad by themselves, and are usually the most “active” ingredient in sunblocks. In clear sunscreens, though, they’re made clear by a nano-particle process that also makes them highly reactive and absorbable by your skin. Lovely.
So Where Do I Get Natural Sunscreen From?
Good question. A lot of those sold on shelves aren’t really “natural” per se and can still contain toxic ingredients. They’re usually Paraben-free, though, which is at least a good start.
If you’re going to buy sunscreen from the store, though, try looking in the healthy living section or at your health food/goods outlet for one that is mainly made up of zinc oxide. These will usually be labeled “biodegradable.”
There are a lot of these on the market, including those made by Badger, Lavera, and UV Natural.
Can I Make My Own Sunscreen?
Sure, why not? First and foremost, limiting the amount of sunscreen you need is step #1 no matter whether you’re using store-bought or making your own. Wear a hat that shades your face and neck, cover up as much as you’re willing to with sun-blocking clothing (not mesh or “see-through” fabrics), and stay in the shade as much as possible.
That aside, you can make your own sunscreen from several natural ingredients.
The easiest and most effective kind is made from zinc oxide, which you can purchase at a health food store or pharmacy. It will usually come in powdered form. Mix this with lotion, aloe extract/gel, or any other “juicy” item you can spread on your skin safely.
Eating dark vegetables (greens, reds, and yellows) boosts skin health and will help prevent damage from the sun.
Another good formula is to buy vitamin C powder, preferably with rosehips added. You can also get these in pill form and crush them to powder in a mortar and pestle or blender. Mix this with aloe vera, lotion, or something similar. Combine them at about 1:4 (one part powder to 4 parts lotion). You can adjust this up or down some to make the result creamier or thicker, as you wish.
Coconut oil added to the mix (or as the cream mix for the C) can help dry skin while fragrances can also be added, like rose oil or bacon grease. Hey, I’m not gonna judge you if you like to smell like bacon.
You can also mix Vitamin C and zinc oxide together in any of these mixes to maximize the sunblock potential. Zinc is more effective than C is at blocking UV rays. Whatever you mix, it’s best to make as large a quantity as possible. Put the “gel” into a jar, an empty (and clean) shampoo bottle, an old lotion bottle, etc. to make it easy to use and store.
So there you have it. If you do all of this (or forget to), and you get burned anyway, you can read my natural sunburn remedies too.
Related posts:
- Natural Remedies for Sunburn Relief
- Natural Skin Care and Stretch Mark Remedies
- Natural Mosquito Repellents You Can Use Right Now
