Only six ingredients in this DIY sunscreen with zinc oxide. This homemade sunscreen is all-natural and made with a blend of butters, oils and zinc oxide.
Learn more about how to make DIY, natural sunscreen as well as the best, store-bought, natural sunblocks!
A simple, DIY recipe. In conjunction with safe sun practices, this natural sunscreen has worked well for all of my kids!
Plus, it's a great way to keep your skin moisturized!
- kid-safe
- no essential oils
- easy to make
First off, let’s get the obvious out of the way: I am not a doctor (of any sorts, or a chemist). Gasp! Aside from what I read oh so long ago when I was researching, I don’t have any straight references to give you when it comes to the complete potency or effectiveness of this homemade sunscreen nor do I intend to make any comments about sunscreen and skin cancer.
There's a lot of back and forth regarding homemade sunscreen so do your own research and make the choices best for you 🙂 This blog post lists a few yucky things in traditional sunscreens, so if you're shopping, avoid these ingredients!
All I have to offer in this post is my experience in the last four years of using it and what I have learned along the way.
So as long as you’re cool with that … read on!
My Experience With DIY Sunscreen
I first began using a homemade sunscreen a few years ago when I was starting to switch over a lot of my household and beauty products.
I was definitely a bit worried as I have somewhat fair skin and had always used spf 50 up until that point.
The more I read and learned about traditional sunscreen the more I didn’t really want to rub it onto mine, and now my daughters' skin.
I mean really, if I go through all the trouble to make every single lotion, buy only quality soaps and bubbles and whip up everything else in the house, why would I ruin all my work with regular sunscreen?
I was learning everything I could about homemade beauty products so sunscreen was the next step.
What Is The SPF?
Each ingredient in the natural sunscreen has its own SPF content and the bit of zinc gives it an extra boost.
There's no way that I can give you an exact idea of the SPF content. However, my thinking is it’s around 15-20. Personally, this works for us.
I actually read a long time ago that anything over an spf of 25/30 isn’t “more effective” anyways! It’s just additional chemicals. I have no idea if this is true, but it definitely got me thinking - if you know the answer to this please comment below and inform me!
The thing is, even with traditional sunscreen lotions you sometimes get burned. Nothing is foolproof. This is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to making my own: if I get a little bit red everyone freaks out. I got plenty burnt as a kid with crazy chemical-filled spf 50 so let’s all settle down a tad.
A quick note on zinc. I believe that there are various kinds of zinc and you’re looking for Non-Nano Pharmaceutical Grade Zinc. I wish I would remember why. However, I know it has to be that one (sorry!).
Safe Sun Protection Practices
Now that said, yes both of my daughters wear this homemade sunscreen. But they also:
- Wear hats
- Alternate between sun and shade
- Re-apply
- Wear UV protected clothes
- Drink lots of water
I haven’t tested this natural sunscreen out in direct sunlight for eight hours because that’s insane. Skin cancer aside, the sun here in Canada gets intense so yes, they are forced into shade sometimes to reduce exposed skin and cool off their systems.
One thing I do love about this homemade sunscreen though is that because it is oil-based it doesn’t come off easily in the water!
Oil repels water, so you stay protected a bit longer.
How Do You Make It?
Whipping up a batch of homemade sunscreen is as easy as any homemade lotion. All you need to do is:
- measure out the ingredients
- melt the oils and butters together
- whisk in the zinc oxide
- let sit on the counter until firm (roughly 12 hours)
The Consistency
This particular sunscreen seems a bit hard once it sets and you have to mush it a bit with your fingers.
Buuuttt I actually prefer this as when the jar sits in your beach bag or car all day and gets warm, it’s not insanely goopy- just soft. If this drives you bananas though, just add some extra oil (start with one teaspoon).
This recipe is one that must be stored in a jar or container. It is not soft enough for a squeeze tube.
Can I Make Sunscreen Without Non-Nano Zinc Oxide?
Truth be told, I'm not sure as I've never tried.
I know that carrot seed oil has a higher SPF, as does avocado oil.
That said, be careful adding essential oils to a DIY sunscreen. Some oils (like citrus ones) actually cause burns when exposed to direct sunlight! Keep it natural.
So, I am sure you could make an effective, natural sunscreen without zinc oxide. However, I prefer to use it for a bit of extra sun protection.
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Teaching Tips & Substitutions
Truth be told, you can easily interchange the shea butter or cacao butter for other butters (mango is a great one!). Mango and shea butter have very similar consistencies but I can't comment on their SPF. However, the shea butter does give it a creamier feel.
Learn how to choose butters for DIY recipes.
Leave the coconut oil as is though as it helps create the texture of the sunscreen which will be harder when cool and softer when warm. Interchanging the coconut oil for a straight oil will result in a sopping, messy sunscreen.
You want to whisk in the zinc oxide, let the mixture sit a minute or two, and whisk again. This prevents the zinc from falling to the bottom of the jar.
Other Natural DIY Recipes You'll Love
- Sleepytime bath bombs
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- How to make DIY beauty products
- Why homemade bubble bath doesn't exist
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Don’t forget to pin this all-natural sunscreen!
Easy DIY Sunscreen
Equipment
- Double boiler or mason jar
- Mini Whisk
- Mason jars to store it
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup beeswax
- 2 tbs non-nano zinc oxide
- 2 tbs shae butter
- 1 tbs cacao butter
- 3 tbs almond oil
Instructions
- In a jar combine all ingredients except for zinc.
- Place into a pot with only an inch of boiling water. Making sure that no water bubbles into the jar. Stir frequently.
- Leave in the pot until everything is melted.
- Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in the zinc.
- Really whisk it in (for about one full minute). If it’s not dissolved it sinks to the bottom. Likewise, you can whisk it in, let it sit for one minute, and whisk again to ensure it's combined.
- Pour into jars and let sit on the counter for twenty-four hours until firm.
Video
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Sunscreen
In conjunction with safe sun practices, DIY sunscreen can be effective. However, you do need to take into consideration your own personal skin tone as what works for one person may not work the exact same for another.
Though coconut oil has an SPF it's normally not used on its own as a natural sunscreen.
What Are The Best Natural Sunscreens?
This homemade sunscreen may not be for you- and that’s ok!
Remember, I can’t give you a zillion reasons as to why this sunscreen might work, only that it has provided sun protection for me in the past couple of years. It’s our go-to and it leaves my skin soft, so I love it.
However, I also now use store-bought sunscreen as well. The biggest reason for this is that it's easier to bring to a beach than a glass jar. Also, my husband doesn't like the texture of homemade lotion.
My two favorite brands are:
Both of these brands I use a lot for natural baby products (here's a master list of the best baby brands!). Likewise, both have low EWG ratings and work well!
One thing to note is that there have been a few burns on my end in the last few years (none on the kids) and it's mainly from falling asleep on the beach (oops).
Having your own sunscreen on hand is awesome for both yourself and your kids! Personally, I make a big batch up at the start of summer and am good to go.
And while sunscreen is awesome, keep in mind that safe sun protection practices need to be combined with the lotion- enjoy your Vitamin D… but safely!
Casie says
Hi! I was wanting to know how much carrot seed oil you would put in the sunscreen? I have some but I haven’t used it yet.
fitasamamabear says
I haven't done carrot seed oil in a long time but I would go for 1 tsp! if you're adding oil though just remember it will change the consistency of the sunscreen (obviously make it more oily) so I would counter it with a teeny bit extra beeswax. That said, I like my sunscreen more firm so it's not an oil pit after being in the car lol
Bobbi Mullins says
I'm going to have to try this! I honestly hate the sunscreen you buy because it's basically a lot of chemicals. I try and go with the most natural one I can find..lol. I'm going to try this out, I've never thought about trying to make it myself!
fitasamamabear says
Ugh I know, sunscreen can get pretty yucky when it's the regular stuff. I do have a brand I like to buy but it's sooo pricey lol Give this one a try if you can. We really like it!
Katy says
Ooh, I've been looking for a decent natural sunscreen recipe for ages! I'll give this a whirl at the weekend, when I'm making new batches of my other personal care products. Thank you!
fitasamamabear says
Let me know what you think! I personally love it and it works well for us 🙂
Bri says
I love DIY but have yet to try sunscreen. I’ll definitely be trying this soon!
fitasamamabear says
I was super scared at first that I was going to burn to death lol it works pretty well for us but again, we do practice a lot of safe sun protocols! It's just the good brands are soooo expensive lol
Monique says
Can the almond oil be substituted and is the cocoa butter necessary?
fitasamamabear says
Almond oil can be subbed for apricot kernal or jajoba, the cocoa butter firms it up a bit, if omitting it I'd add a touch more shae butter.
Sarah says
This is EXCELLENT sunscreen! We have 6 kiddos and go through sunscreen like crazy. I made a big batch with my fingers crossed and put them in several jars. It definitely takes the beeswax a while to melt so be patient, but this stuff works! We have been using it the last two weeks in direct sunlight reapplying every 2-3 hours and it works wonderfully! Thank you so much! I have been recommending it to everyone!
fitasamamabear says
You just made my day! Also... six kids?! So much love in your house, love it! But truly, I'm happy you love the sunscreen and that it works for you. And I really really appreciate you passing people along to the blog, thanks for making my day!