Sunscreen

By mold recovery 5/15/2010 , 6 comments
How can you protect your skin from the sun while avoiding chemicals found in most sunscreen products?

One solution is to make your own sunscreen. We use the following recipe when needed.

1 tsp. zinc oxide (one source is Soap Goods)
1 tbl. olive oil, jojoba oil, or oil of choice

This is not a waterproof sunscreen. It must be reapplied after swimming. It also cannot be stored. I mix it quickly in a disposable cup.

While not a perfect option, it's simple and affordable.

Dr. Joseph Mercola has an excellent article on the health benefits of sunlight as well as the hazards of common sunscreen products. He also offers an all-natural sunscreen. This article can be viewed here.

Some natural remedies for sunburn include: lavender essential oil, cucumber slices, aloe, vitamin E, and tea tree oil.

6 comments :

  1. MaribethMay 15, 2010 at 9:39 AM

    I am so glad to learn there are alternatives to the store-bought sunscreens with all those chemicals. I'll make our own, but for preschool, Dr. Merola's sunscreen would be best. I liked his information about how sunlight's good for us. Last summer, my kids went without sunscreen, and did not get burned - of course, we weren't in the sun constantly.

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  2. TonyaMay 15, 2010 at 3:21 PM

    I was just thinking about this topic! I got burnt a week ago and now am peeling. Don't want to burn again. I will have to try this!!! Thank you Andrea.

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  3. sweetnikaMay 16, 2010 at 11:33 AM

    Several years ago I spent a lot of time researching this topic.. GRANTED I have learned MUCH since then... but one company I was well pleased with was ARBONNE.. they had a super wonderful sunscreen, it was very very much natural, and no harsh chemicals were used.. it did not bother my MCS at all.. but I have not sold ARBONNE in years and have run out.. and have pondered what EVER to do :)
    I usually do not use much anyways because of our need for VIT D as Mercola points out.. but I come to a conundrum with his concept of not washing daily vs the need to do this to be certain we have no ticks on us..
    HOT showers irrate ticks and if you take them daily they can't cling to you, or rather the chances are greatly reduced...
    I suppose I could just take a HOT shower and not use soap.. He's sort of funny though.. have you met him? I used to be a patient there... :)
    anyways...
    I think for now, I will use some sparingly..
    thanks for the great recipe!
    I wonder if Melaluca sells some too.. they have wonderful products as does Shacklee...

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  4. sweetnikaMay 16, 2010 at 11:36 AM

    & by the whole "i've learned a lot since then...." comment.. what I mean is this..
    I may very well relook at that research and realize it no longer applies to me or my family..
    or
    because my MCS is so much worse now than it was then, the products just may NOT be an option...
    :)
    hope that makes sense... ha... I realized AFTER my ramble that I left that statement sort of hanging there in no mans land...
    ((hugs))
    BLESSINGS to you all! thanks for another great post

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  5. AnonymousMay 16, 2010 at 2:17 PM

    You can buy zinc oxide powder? Good to know! Thanks for the help Andrea. kt

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  6. StephMay 17, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    I think that California Baby's titanium dioxide sunscreen is free of the chemicals that Dr. Mercola mentions. Overall, I really like California Baby's product line, but some of the products do have a scent (just scented with essential oils but this could still be an issue for some with MCS). Their Super Sensitive products are truly unscented, though. http://www.californiababy.com/spf-suncare.html

    I just purchased some of their nonchemical bug repellent (because I seem to be a mosquito magnet), but I haven't tried it yet. It smells like citronella.

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