DIY Herbal Sunscreen – Safe For Kids And Babies

This DIY Herbal Sunscreen recipe is safe for kids and for babies, and it’s all natural, making it perfect for sensitive skin. Learn how to make my homemade sunscreen with Shea butter, lavender essential oil, zinc oxide, beeswax, and more!

I’ve finally perfected my DIY herbal sunscreen recipe! It took several batches to get it just right. Some turned out too thin, and others were a pasty mess. But this one is juuuust right.

If you like your sunscreen to be thicker and pastier, add less herbal infused oil, and add a bit more beeswax. You can also infuse your coconut oil and leave the almond oil out altogether.

I prefer a creamy, melt-on-your-skin kind of consistency. 

This smells heavenly! With only 10 drops of lavender essential oil, it didn’t smell too strong at all. I love essential oils, I just prefer to keep them to a minimum when it comes to kids.

Are Store-Bought Sunscreens Unsafe?

I’m a skeptical person. I’m not totally convinced that store-bought sunscreens are the devil, but I will tell you I almost never use them. (To be fair, we don’t really go out much. It’s too dang hot out here for my toddler to spend more than an hour or two outside.) I simply enjoy making my own. It’s nice knowing exactly what I’m using on my body, and I definitely like knowing what I’m slathering on my son. But… (dun dun DUUN) I also use store-bought sunscreen, and I certainly don’t allow my 20 month old to spend hours directly in the sun.

What I can tell you is what I’ve read. Apparently the chemicals in many store-bought sunscreens react with the sun’s rays (what the hell is that about, by the way?) and create damaging free radicals. It’s said that this can actually increase the risk of skin cancer.

If that’s not bad enough, these chemicals supposedly disrupt hormones, acting like estrogen in the body and creating an imbalance. This can increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

There’s a ton of information out there. Some of it may be hyped up, and some may be valid. I urge you to do your own research if you’re truly interested. I’ll leave some links for you at the bottom of this article.

It should also be noted that an article from Consumer Reports states the following regarding homemade sunscreen recipes:

“Different bloggers make unsubstantiated SPF claims, saying their concoctions provide a SPF 20, 50, or 80, for instance.”

“‘Some people worry about the safety of chemical ingredients in commercial sunscreens, but the active ingredients used in this country have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration,’ says Joel L. Cohen, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Colorado and director of AboutSkin Dermatology in Denver. ‘What’s unsafe is making homemade sunscreen using ingredients without proven SPF or broad spectrum coverage in formulations that aren’t standardized or verified for their efficacy. That can leave you unprotected from the sun—a known carcinogen.'”

See why I’m skeptical of both sides? 

Be Safe!

Above all, use common sense. It’s great to be conscientious of the ingredients in the products you use on your family, but it’s equally important to understand that all-natural DIY’s can also pose a threat on their own.

I don’t recommend using this sunscreen exclusively if you plan on being outside for an extended period of time, and even more so if you plan on using this as your only form of protection for your kids. For example, if I were taking my son to Six Flags, I would do a combination of this sunscreen along with a store-bought brand, alternating every hour or two. To be honest, given our fair complexion and the horrifying sunburns I’ve had in the past, I can tell you straight up that I wouldn’t put myself or my toddler in a situation where he’s in the sun all day. Not yet, anyway.

I use my DIY herbal sunscreen for our day-to-day outdoor activities. Think more along the lines of going outside for about an hour to water the garden and play in the pool. Nothing too crazy.

Let’s move on, because my reason for making and sharing this herbal sunscreen recipe has more to do with a love of DIY’s and a stepping stone to ultimate self-sufficiency; not to strike fear into your soul or totally confuse you.

DIY Herbal Sunscreen

This post contains affiliate links. See sidebar for more information.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Shea Butter
• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup Beeswax
• 4 tbsp Zinc Oxide
• 2 tbsp Herbal Infused Oil (I used a mix of Calendula and Chamomile infused Almond Oil)
• 10 drops Lavender Essentail Oil
• 4 drops Vitamin E Oil
• *Optional: Cocoa Powder for Color

Directions:

First of all – If you don’t already have herb infused oil on hand, you can add the coconut oil and almond oil to a double boiler along 2-4 tbsp of your preferred herbs to infuse them for this recipe. Let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes to two hours on low heat and strain through cheesecloth. Add the ingredients back to the double boiler and carry on with the rest of the directions.

1. Add Shea butter, Coconut Oil and Beeswax to a double boiler and simmer until melted.

2. Once melted, take off of the heat and add Vitamin E Oil and Lavender Essential Oil. Mix well.

3. Quickly whisk in the Zinc Oxide. I mean, really whisk it! Keep on whiskin’ ’til it feels like your arm is going to fall off, and then whisk some more.

4. I’ve seen other makeup and sunscreen recipes that recommend adding a bit of cocoa powder to darken the color just a tad. Y’all know my son and I are some pasty folks, so I only added one teaspoon. Clearly, it could have used a bit more, but I was happy with how it turned out.

Just add a teaspoon at a time until it matches your skin tone. It’s not a huge deal either way, because it melts into your skin.

You might also like my DIY Sweet Orange Calendula Salve

It can take a while for this DIY herbal sunscreen to set. I’m not joking, it took almost a day and a half for mine to thicken up to desired consistency.

To be fair, we live in Texas, and it’s been hotter than a jalepeno’s armpit lately. Coconut oil likes to get sloshy and thin when it’s hot out. No matter where you live, I recommend making this at least one day in advance and store it in a cool, dark place. 

Have you made your own DIY herbal sunscreen before? Let me know if you make my recipe! You can comment below or tag me on Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!

---

If you liked this post, don’t forget to pin it for later:

Articles about the dangers of many store-bought sunscreens:

AnnMarieGianni.com PopSci.com CNN.com Mercola.com DontMessWithMama.com