Try it, you'll like it, make your own homemade Sunscreen Lotion
But remember, there's no such thing as a safe tan.
A sunscreens has two purposes. Firstly it helps the skin maintain
moisture and its own natural oils which can be lost through exposure to
the sun's radiation. Secondly, a good sunscreen protect the skin against
UVA and UVB rays. It is said that the reduction in the atmosphere's
ozone layer has made these rays more damaging. The body's own defense
system to sunlight causes skin pigment cells, called melanocytes,
to synthesize increasing amounts of melanin, which is what a tan
actually is, gives our skin a protective pigmentation. It may not be
quite enough these days, especially if you are fair-skinned or have a
family history of skin cancer. Also see Suntan
Oil
|
Take Care
Tip:
If you use perfume oils, avoid citrus oils
- such as bergamot, orange, lemon or lime. They may cause unpleasant
skin reactions when exposed to the sun. They also reduce a
sunscreen's effectiveness. |
 |
|
Sunscreen Lotion
Recipe
Natural-Protection Cream
3 tbsp. unrefined sesame oil
1 tbsp. unrefined avocado oil
1 tbsp. unrefined jojoba oil
1 tbsp. walnut or almond oil
1 tbsp. shea butter
2 tbsp. cocoa butter
1 tsp. beeswax
1 tsp. soya-lecithin
2 tbsp. aloe-vera gel
2 tbsp. rose or lavender water
1/2 tsp. borax powder
20 drops carrot-seed essential oil
3-5 drops coconut fragrance oil (optional)
- Melt the first 4 oils, butters and beeswax in a double boiler
over medium heat until just melted. Add the soya-lecithin, and
stir to blend. Remove from heat.
- In a small saucepan, gently warm the aloe-vera gel and rose or
lavender water, and stir in borax powder until dissolved. Remove
from heat.
- When the oil and water mixtures are still warm to the touch
and about the same temperature, set the small saucepan into a bowl
of ice. Drizzle in the oil mixture while mixing rapidly with a
small whisk; a cream will quickly form.
- Add carrot-seed essential oil and coconut fragrance oil if
desired; blend thoroughly.
- Store in a clean, airtight jar or bottle, and refrigerate.
|
For After-Sun Relief
- To help reduce inflammation and cool and moisturize
sunburned skin, apply a thin coat of yogurt or aloe-vera gel to
reddened areas.
- Spray pure lavender water or hydrosol freely on sun-damaged
skin to keep skin hydrated, help prevent peeling and promote the
regeneration of cells.
- Add 2-3 drops of lavender oil to 1 tsp. of a carrier oil,
such as sweet-almond oil, and massage onto affected area. Or
apply diluted St. John's wort oil.
No Such Thing As A Safe Tan
To protect your skin from harmful UVA radiation,
use a suntan lotion with a high sun protection factor. Lotions
with plant-based oils, such as vitamin E-rich avocado oil, have
enhanced effectiveness. Vitamin E helps prevent premature skin
aging due to sun exposure. Remember, there is no such thing as a
safe tan. Use common sense, and always avoid any overexposure to
the sun.
|
|
What is UVA and UVB ?
|
|
Although benefits of UVA protection may seem limited in current
sunscreens, the lotions are still useful for protecting against
UVB rays and should continue to be used. The power of the sun can
seem hard to avoid in the heat of the summer, but by following
safe sun practices and taking care to protect vulnerable skin, the
risk of developing skin cancer can be minimized.
Australian researchers found that UVA rays caused
DNA damage to the cells deep within the skin. It is this layer of
cells that regenerates our
|
skin and it is feared that damage to the DNA of these cells may
increase a person's risk of developing skin cancer.
according to new research, while useful for protecting against UVB
rays, lotions are less protective against harmful UVA.
They discovered that the UVA protection offered by leading
sunscreen brands was not what might be expected. Furthermore, even
when sunscreens were applied in the recommended concentration,
they afforded much lower protection against the melanoma-inducing
and skin-ageing UVA light than against UVB.
More information can be found
here |
|
Application:
As well as containing moisturizing properties,
avocado, sesame oil and shea butter contain a low SPF sunscreen.
However, they have only a limited UVA/UVB-filtering ability, thus
you should not use them as your only skin protection. For a natural
sunscreen with a higher SPF. use a commercial sunscreen with
titanium dioxide. |
|
Ingredient
Benefits:
Perishability and storage: To keep homemade sunscreen from
spoiling, use only clean utensils for preparation and storage. Store
lotions in the refrigerator, where they will keep for about three to
four weeks.
Proper application: To achieve maximum protection from the
sun, apply sunscreen to dry skin 30 minutes before exposure. Limit
your sun exposure time to less than one hour; actual amount of time
depends on your skin type.
Skin types: There are four basic skin types, each with a
different level of tolerance to sun exposure. People with light skin
and blond or reddish hair are Type I and their natural protection
time (amount of time skin can be exposed to the sun without burning)
is 5-10 minutes. The natural protection time for people with skin
Type II, who have a somewhat darker complexion, is up to 20 minutes.
People with skin Type III and IV, those with much darker skin tones,
can stay in the sun for 30-40 minutes. To determine how long a
sunscreen will protect you, multiply your natural protection time by
the SPF. Of course, if you have a family history of skin cancer, you
should always use a sunscreen with a high SPF.
Hydrosol - The condensed water that is left
behind when plants are steam distilled to make essential oil. A
little like waters made from roses and lavenders and other herbs,
except more pure and a little more concentrated. You can make your
own waters, just by steeping an herb in warm water and straining.
Or, you can purchase hydrosols. See below.
What is a hydrosol? |
|
|
