Herbal Sunscreen Recipe for Natural Sun Protection

While we’re in the peak of summer, it’s a good time to be thinking about how we are going to be protecting our skin!

Sunshine is incredibly beneficial for us. We actually need unprotected sun exposure, and regular moderate sun exposure helps us build up a tolerance so that we don’t burn. Sunshine reduces inflammation and regulates your immune system, improves mitochondrial function and your energy production, supports your mood by optimizing serotonin levels, regulates your circadian rhythm, and promotes vitamin D production.

TL;DR: You need time in the sun without sunscreen. It’s necessary for your health!

With that being said, many of us don’t have a high tolerance for sun exposure and we may burn easily. So understand your own tolerance and practice safe sun exposure by applying sunscreen when you know you’re going to be out for extended periods of time. If you can, cover up with hats and layered clothing too.

The Problem with Conventional Sunscreens

Not all sunscreens are created equal! Most sunscreens out there are made with toxic chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, homosalate, octinoxate, and octocrylene. These chemicals easily get absorbed into your bloodstream and affect every organ system in your body. Yikes!

The active ingredients in conventional sunscreens:

• Can cause allergic reactions
• Disrupt your hormones
• May cause cancer
• Kill our coral reefs

Yeah, no thanks!

Stick with Mineral-Based Sunscreens

Sunscreens made with minerals (zinc oxide or titanium oxide) are considered much safer than conventional sunscreens. I prefer zinc-based sunscreens because zinc has a host of benefits for the skin, including reducing inflammation and regulating cell turnover and sebum production.

Meaning, zinc-based sunscreen is great for acne-prone skin!

My Simple DIY Sunscreen Recipe

You can go out and buy mineral-based sunscreen, but I prefer making my own because then I know exactly what I’m putting on my skin. My DIY herbal sunscreen recipe is SUPER easy to make, effective, and it makes my skin feel silky soft. Plus it actually helps to heal any skin irritation I might have going on, thanks to the Calendula, vitamin E-rich cocoa butter, and zinc.

For this recipe, you’re going to need non-nanoparticle zinc oxide powder. You can order this online or at many bulk herb or DIY stores. Make sure to avoid nanoparticle zinc oxide, as nanoparticles can damage the lining of your lungs when inhaled. Even though non-nanoparticle minerals don’t have this same concern, I still recommend wearing a mask to prevent inhalation–just to be on the safe side!

The key herbal ingredient in this sunscreen is Calendula. Calendula is a versatile plant that makes its way into most of my DIY skincare products. It’s excellent at calming down inflammation, reducing skin irritation and acne formation, and promoting healing and healthy, radiant skin. (I discuss how to make Calendula-infused olive oil in this post.)

This recipe should make you enough to last at least a year, depending on how often you use it. I absolutely love making it. I love how great it feels on my skin, and how wonderful it is to know I’m not using any toxic, unsafe chemicals on my body!

Let me know if you try out this recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out! Feel free to also share any DIY sunscreen tips or other herbal ingredients you’d add to the recipe. 🙂

Disclaimer: Some of the links to herbal products in this article are affiliate links. I make a small commission off of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping to support my small business!