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Don't make your own sunscreen
While do-it-yourself projects can be very green, DIY sunscreens may not provide the protection you need.
Wed, Jul 08 2009 at 1:12 PM
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I’m a huge fan of do-it-yourself projects, whether homemade bread or cardboard laptop bags, because they often mean creative upcycling and unique, handcrafted goodies that are free of weird ingredients or materials. So when I saw directions for making homemade sunscreen on Instructables (via Lifehacker) right after writing about some of the not-so-healthy chemicals that are used in many store-bought sunscreens, I thought, maybe I should give this a shot! After all, as the directions point out, “By making your own sunscreen, you control exactly what goes in!”
But before investing in gloves, a mask, and titanium dioxide, I thought it best to check with the experts to see if DIY sunscreen really is a good idea. So I put the question to Sonya Lunder, senior analyst and Environmental Working Group. Her response: “The long and short of it is that it is better to trust the pros than try to make this stuff at home.”
Why? “Formulating sunscreens is an art and a science,” says Lunder. Since homemade concoctions can go on unevenly leaving portions your skin vulnerable to the sun, and since even some essential oils can make skin more sensitive to the sun, expert mixologists are really the best people to be crafting these sunscreens.
Lunder especially cautions people against buying nano forms of zinc and titanium powder. “The particles are much more absorbed by the lungs and nasal passages — which is why we don’t recommend people use powder or spray sunscreens.”
So there you have it: Don’t worry about getting a sunscreen-dedicated mini mixer and just get your sunscreens from the store. Here again are the details on the safest, easy-to-find sunscreens.
Photo courtesy of scoochmaroo / Instructables
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until they make a sunscreen that actually works for me and my skin tone, that doesn't cause a fortune, and it's full of medically proven dangerous chemicals, then maybe I won't make my own. Until then, you are misinformed about actual safety issues.
Huh? Oh please, of course one can make their own sunscreen, and their pocket full of money will be heavier. I refuse to ever purchase another sunscreen from any company again.
I've been making my own physical sunscreen for myself and family going on 5 years, with 2 simple ingredients, my favorite oil, which has a small of spf in it, and zinc oxide sunscreen. We've never gotten burned or much tan.
I'll take your writing with a grain of salt.
This author of this article is a complete sell out to big companies. It doesn't require a Ph.D in organic chemistry to be able to make a great sunscreen. Just another example of someone on the "take" to discredit DIY sunscreen. Wonder who paid her off or maybe she is just a complete idiot.
sure is good to sell out (to the author)
afcourse "the experts" will say it better to buy their sunscreen.
Actually I just finished my own sunblock this morning!
I used Vani Cream as base, and Everyday Mineral powder with my shade
Then I just mix both together, and there we go! SunBLOCK with zinc and titanium that doesn't leave me white cast anymore but provide the same protective!!
I used 1 pump of Vani cream and dust enough powder to make the cream turn into a semi solid color sunblock, then apply .
I just used my fingers to mix both together too, there was no un-even-ness. It went on smoothly!
Commercial sunscreens are dangerous, some are selling that don't even have expiration dates, over inflate prices. I've been making sunscreen for 10 years, and not one single time have I been burned or any family member. It's simple as can be, you can even get you a plain bottle of lotion, and mix your sunscreen in with that, add any oil that you want.
This article is hogwash.
which ingredients do you use to make your own sunscreen? I tried it just once and it became so greasy....I used zinc oxide ( approximately 15-20%), sheabutter, jojoba oil and carnauba wax. Now I'm trying to find a non-greasy formula! so if you can help me... please!
just use lotion. your sunscreen probably feels greasy because you used way too much oil (shea butter, jojoba, carnuba...). While shea butter and jojoba are nice, they contribute to the greasy feeling.
I absolutely agree.