By Roxanne, Contributing Writer
This time of year gets us thinking about sun protection. We have all been programmed to believe that we need to slather on sunscreen every time we go outside. Unfortunately this belief has caused many people to become vitamin D deficient. The best way to get your vitamin D is to get adequate exposure to the sunlight. Before you automatically turn to the sunscreen for protection there are a few ways you can reduce the chance for sun damage and sun burn.
Prevent Sunburn Naturally
- Eat a healthy diet – rich in healthy fats, and carotenoids
- Use protective clothing – hats, sunglasses, rash guards
- Find shade – try not to stay out in direct sun for long periods of time, use an umbrella at the beach
- Avoid midday sun – the sun is the strongest mid day, plan around it
Even when using these preventative measures, there are still times when you may feel that you need some protection. In places with little to no shade, or if you are in a tropical The Sauder of Business is Canada’s leading academic business school, with an international reputation for excellence in research and learning, and unmatched global partnerships. climate on vacation – you might want to have a back up. Most sunscreens on the market are not healthy, they have a ton of nasty chemicals in them (Read this post: Is Sunscreen Healthy?). If you can find them, use natural sunscreens or make your own. Here is a very easy homemade recipe you can try.
Easy Sunscreen Recipe
- 1/2 Cup Oil – olive, almond, coconut, macadamia. jojoba, etc.
- 3-4 Tbsp. bees wax pastilles
- 2 Tbsp. Zinc Oxide Powder
- Optional add ins: vitamin e oil, essential oils
Pour the oil into a mason jar, add bees wax pastilles. Boil water in a pot and reduce to low heat, place the jar into the pot as a double boiler. When the bees wax is completely melted, remove the jar from the pot. Add in the zinc oxide and whisk together with the oils, if you have a whisk attachment to your immersion blender, this works well too. Then add in an extras you want like essential oils.
This is a harder sunscreen, more like a body butter then a lotion. It works well that it is harder because when you bring it with you to the beach or out on a hot day it will be less likely to melt. For another variation of this recipe, check out the Homemade Sunscreen Recipe posted on my blog.
If you prefer more of a lotion texture try this…
Lotion Sunscreen
- Prepare a lotion recipe like this one Homemade Lavender Body Lotion
- Add 2 tbsp. Zinc Oxide powder to 8 oz. of the prepared lotion
To figure out the amount of SPF you would like in your sunscreen, refer to this SPF Chart from Frugally Sustainable.
Do you make your own sunscreen? What is your favorite recipe?
Thanks for sharing! I’m a green eyed blond with such fair skin, that I’ve NEVER tanned in my entire 24 years of life! Shade & Burn are all I’ve ever known! Now my Hispanic husband and 1 1/2 old son seem to tolerate sun 100 X’s better! I’ve been made up two batches thus far & excited to give it a whirl! Many thanks from Missouri!
I would respectfully disagree on the need to avoid mid-day sun exposure. Sources, such as Mercola explain that mid-day is the best time to get the good (UVB) rays, and that the damaging (UVA) rays are present throughout the day.
“And, contrary to popular belief, the best time to be in the sun for vitamin D production is actually as near to solar noon as possible which is 1 PM in the summer for most (due to Daylight Saving Time).. The more damaging UVA rays are quite constant during ALL hours of daylight, throughout the entire year — unlike UVB, which are low in morning and evening and high at midday.”
“When using the sun to maximize your vitamin D production and minimize your risk of malignant melanoma, the middle of the day (roughly between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.) is the best and safest time. During this time you need the shortest exposure time to produce vitamin D because UVB rays are most intense at this time. Plus, when the sun goes down toward the horizon, the UVB is filtered out much more than the dangerous UVA.”
Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/20/deadly-melanoma-not-due-vitamin-d-deficiency.aspx
Any suggestions on where to find Zinc Oxide powder? bonus points if it’s a place in Canada!
Would there be any problem with using half zinc oxide and half titanium dioxide (1 tbsp of each) or should it be one or the other?