I got this sunscreen recipe from Lisa, author of Style Essentials,  who got it from Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide .  Thanks so much, Lisa!

There is no excuse for not putting on sunscreen cause you can make it yourself.  I admit we may not all have pure beeswax or zinc oxide in our medicine chest.  But, you get the picture.

Simple Sunscreen Recipe

3 oz. sesame oil

2 oz. sweet almond oil

1/2 oz. pure beeswax

4 oz. distilled water

2 T zinc oxide

5 drops rose hip oil

5 drops chamomile

smallish enamel simmer pot

double boiler

stick blender

glass jar

Directions:

1.)  Heat your water first, then begin adding your ingredients. Melt sesame,  sweet almond oil and beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat.

2.)  Remove from the heat, add water & blend until smooth. You can also use a wire whisk; we did.

3.)  Allow to cool. Now here is the truly cool part..watch what happens when you add the zinc (I won’t ruin the surprise)….add the zinc oxide and the essential oils, if using, and blend more. (The essential oils are optional, btw.)

4.)  Transfer to a glass jar. Your sunscreen will last for up to six months. You can begin using it right away!

Cleaning

Now, cleaning up can be a bit tricky. Minerals and water do not mix.   Soap and hot water don’t easily take off the residue from your tools.  Advice from Lisa:  rewash all the dishes and do not load them in the dishwasher.  Remove the residue using newspaper, or paper towels.  Then, wash with hot soapy water to remove the rest of the residue.

Lisa bought her supplies from Mountain Rose Herbs, which she highly recommends and got her simmer pot from a thrift store. Lisa had a hard time finding zinc oxide.  I have always seen it in drugstores like Duane Reade in NYC.    In Lisa’s blog, she stated she may put together kits, each one enough for one batch of sunscreen.  If interested, please contact her.

{image:  found via Green Genie)

Tags: skin care