How to make your own sunscreen

How to make your own sunscreen

(NaturalNews) Many commercial sunscreens contain toxic ingredients that actually raise the risk of skin cancer. However, natural sunscreen can get very pricey, especially if you have a large family. Here is a sunscreen that you can make at home and is nontoxic and all natural. While you are blocking the harmful rays of the sun, your skin is getting nourished with all of the wonderful natural ingredients. Your skin will look and feel better than before you started using it. It is important to allow vitamin D to be produced by the sun and your skin for overall physical and mental well-being. So when you know that you are going in the sun for a long time, lather this all-natural sunscreen all over your body! Also, you can add essential oils to this recipe that will protect against insects. Remember to lather after spending time in water! This sunscreen has not been tested for SPF, but it is about 24-30.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Almond/Avocado Oil
  
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
  
• 1/4 cup Beeswax (add less if you want it creamier)
  
• 2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide* (non-nano and uncoated)
  
• 2 T Jojoba Oil
  
• 1 T Vitamin E Oil
  
• 2 T Aloe Vera Gel
  
• Optional : 20 drops of Essential Oils
  

NOTE: Avoid using citrus oils, such as bergamot, orange, lemon or lime. They may cause unpleasant skin reactions when exposed to the sun. They also reduce a sunscreen's effectiveness.

The essential oils that work well against biting insects (mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas) are:

• cinnamon oil (mosquitoes)
  
• neem oil (mosquitoes, fleas, flies, small bugs you can't even see)
  
• eucalyptus oil (mosquitoes, ticks, and lice)
  
• citronella oil (mosquitoes and biting flies)
  
• castor oil (mosquitoes)
  
• rose geranium (ticks and lice)
  
• peppermint (spiders)
  

The beeswax makes it semi-waterproof, but it should be reapplied after exposure to water.

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients except the Zinc Oxide in a glass jar.

2. Place the glass jar in a pot of water on a stove and bring to a boil.

3. Let the wax melt and the oils heat up.

4. Once the wax has melted, carefully remove from the boiling water

5. Add the Zinc Oxide and Essential Oils and stir, and then pour into storage container and let cool before applying.

* Do not use if you have a known allergy to zinc oxide. In very rare cases, some individuals may experience rashes or clogged pores.


http://www.naturalnews.com/046181_natural_sunscreen_recipe_zinc_oxide.html