How To - Make Your Own Sunscreen!

During the spring and summer seasons, fun in the sun is the name of the game. Sadly, it's not all fun and games when people start getting hurt--hurt by the sun's harmful rays, that is. Wearing protective sunscreen is always recommended if you plan on spending any significant time under direct sunlight, but not all sunscreens are created equal. The active ingredients found in most sunblocks are of either the mineral or chemical variety, and both can be harmful to human health. Sometimes, the best alternative to a commercial sunblock is a homemade one.

Common sunscreens typically use chemicals such as: avobenzone, oxybenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octinoxate, and octocrylene. You can find at least half of these ingredients in an off-the-shelf sunscreen. Of the above, oxybenzone is probably the most hazardous. This chemical is used in over three-fourths of all production sunscreens, and it is known to cause skin rashes and alter hormonal activity. The potential risks of oxybenzone include: low birth weight, endometriosis, mood swings, and even cancer. If you are looking for an effective sunblock that doesn't harm you at the same time, it's best to consider making one from scratch.

The experts at Skana Spa of the New York Resort Turning Stone were nice enough to share with us this easy DIY recipe for chemical free sunscreen.

• 1/4 cup diaper rash cream
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cocoa butter
• 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon beeswax

This homemade concoction is all-natural and doesn't include any of the unnecessary  chemicals found in common sunscreens. Why use this combination of ingredients, you might ask? Well, cocoa butter creates a barrier when applied to the skin to keep in moisture, contains cocoa mass polyphenol to reduce cancer risk and skin disease risk, and contains a variety of different acids that contribute to heart health and more. Like cocoa butter, coconut oil moisturizes the skin with vitamin E but also contains antibacterial and anti-oxidant lauric acid to fight cancer. Aloe vera has many of the same properties as the above, and this is because it contains many of the same vitamins, minerals, and acids.

To soothe sunburns, B-sisterole and other substances found in aloe vera control pain and swelling. Beeswax serves mainly as a protective shield when applied to the skin, but it also has minor anti-pathogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Sesame oil contains zinc, which contributes to skin elasticity and strength, and it also contains phylate and magnesium to combat cancer. Finally, diaper rash cream shields the skin and prevents and soothes rashes.

Sources:
http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/
http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2013/06/05/sunscreen-danger/
http://www.veria.com/healing/cocoa-butter-benefits-and-uses
http://www.gnet.org/coconut-oil-the-healthiest-oil/
http://sacredsourcenutrition.com/top-12-benefits-of-aloe-vera/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/192009-skin-benefits-of-beeswax/
http://naturalsociety.com/12-health-benefits-of-sesame-seeds-sesame-oil/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/542757-the-benefits-of-diaper-rash-ointment-forthe-skin/\

Thanks ladies!