Homemade sunscreen with coconut oil and dandelions

Make your own broad-spectrum homemade sunscreen that will protect you from both UVA and UVB sun rays and smells like coconut and dandelion.

I’m not a big fan of tanning. So much so, that when I see people tanning themselves to the point of being red and damaging their skin, it puts me off. I prefer shielding myself from direct sunlight during peak hours and enjoy the sun after 4 or 5 pm covering the most vulnerable areas. That way I don’t need to use sunscreen most of the time however there are times when I just have to. We used to buy commercially sold sunscreens but they ultimately caused me rashes. So I started to make my own formula…

I started with research and learned some interesting things which is good to know before we start to develop our own sunscreen.

What does sunscreen do for you?

The main role of applying sunscreen is to protect us from the UV radiation produced by the sun.

There are two types of UV radiation that are harmful to our skin. 

Ultraviolet A (UVA) – associated with ageing of the skin that has a longer wavelength.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) – is more carcinogenic, linked to burned skin with a shorter wavelength.

And that is when the SPF comes into play.

SPF stands for the sun protection factor that helps block your skin from the sun’s radiation.

While it is perfectly fine to allow the skin to get a good amount of sunshine (to get some Vitamin D), baking in the sun is not healthy at all. 

SPF helps to extend the skins natural defence against the sun’s rays.

So, for example, SPF of 20 provides 20 times more protection than our skin without sunscreen.

When sunscreen blocks against both UVA and UVB it is called a broad-spectrum sunscreen. – That’s what we are aiming for in our formula.

The base of our homemade sunscreen

Selecting the right base for our sunscreen, there are certain oils and butters that have already got an SPF factor. Moreover, they can at the same time nourish the skin and protect it against the effects of excessive sun exposure. This study suggests that choosing a sunscreen with a base of olive oil or coconut oil would help provide the most protection for our skin. They claim that these two natural ingredients stand for SPF protection of around 8 and would therefore be a good base of any natural sunscreen. 

Selecting the active ingredient

There are two types of active ingredients:

Physical – that block the UV rays before they penetrate the skin. These include the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. 

Chemical  – that absorb UV rays before they can damage the skin. The problem with the chemical ingredients is that they can penetrate into the bloodstream. In this study FDA scientist found some chemical ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone or octocrylene that are systematically absorbed into the user’s skin.  These are present in most of the commercially sold sunscreens (that could explain my rash with the commercially sold sunscreens!)

Let’s look at the physical ones that are much safer to use and approved by FDA.

Zinc oxide is non-toxic, mostly non-irritating and absorbs both UVA and UVB. It sits on the outer layer of the skin and doesn’t penetrate inside. That is why I used it when making this DIY deodorant stick.

It is important to use non-nano zinc oxide (with particle size bigger than 100 nm) Anything below is considered nanoparticles creating an ultrafine powder that doesn’t leave a white film on the skin.

Which made it a popular choice in commercially sold sunscreens however these small particles might be able to enter the skin therefore non-nano zinc oxide is strongly recommended.

Depending on your desired SPF factor you measure the amount of zinc oxide as per the formula below:

• 2-5 SPF: Use 5% zinc oxide
• 6-11 SPF: Use 10% zinc oxide
• 12-19 SPF: Use 15% zinc oxide
• >20 SPF: Use 20% zinc oxide

If you add more zinc oxide the texture will be more like a paste, that will leave a white tint on the skin

Other ingredients in our natural homemade sunscreen

Please note that all ingredients listed below have a natural SPF. The recipe hasn’t been tested and approved by a regulatory organization for exact SPF so I don’t make any claims or guesses to the combined SPF.

If you know me and these pages well, you cannot overlook the fact that we include at least one herb in any of our recipes.

Why do we use dandelions in this recipe?

Dandelion oil (made of soaking dandelion petals in olive oil)  SPF 8

Dandelion oil is very effective in sunburns when applied before or after sun exposure. It is also a great moisturizer with anti-inflammatory properties that is effective when applied on dried skin. I made these dandelion lotion bars to alleviate dry cracked or chapped hands from heavy gardening.

Coconut oil is my favorite as I love its smell as well as  its texture and Its SPF 7 is very suitable for our project.  This study suggests that coconut oil may work as a weak sunscreen, blocking about 20% of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Packed with antioxidants coconut oil can reduce inflammation of the skin as well as moisturize dry skin. It also makes the best non-toxic sunscreen for kids.

Homemade Sunscreen Recipe

First step:

Melt beeswax and coconut oil in a double boiler, remove it from the heat.

Second step:

Let it cool down a bit and add dandelion oil, mix it well

Third step:

Add zinc oxide and mix it all the way until the mixture is cooled completely. 

Fourth step:

Make sure you keep mixing as you want the cream to be homogenous. 

Fifth step:

Pour it into a jar and store at room temperature or in the fridge to increase its shelf life.

You will also need some cream containers or these squeezable tubes that come really handy especially at the beach.

A few other tips on how to avoid sunburns except for the sunscreen.

• Avoid sun exposure during peak hours between 10-3 pm

• Look for shade, use an umbrella or a hat

• Wear clothes with UVA/UVB protection
• use this natural hair and face wash to keep your face and hair smooth and hydrated.

If you still get some sunburn here is a wonderfully natural and healing gel from calendula and aloe vera that will help you to recover fast.