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How to use Coconut Oil as a Sunscreen

Elsie Goycoolea
By Elsie Goycoolea. Updated: August 3, 2020
How to use Coconut Oil as a Sunscreen

Coconut oil can be used to make natural sunscreen that is free from harmful preservatives and aggressive chemicals. Coconut oil has many uses including oil pulling, natural digestive remedies, beauty uses but also natural sun protection qualities. Unlike many conventional sunscreens, making homemade sunscreen with coconut oil can offer a much more safer alternative to avoiding getting sunburnt and also exposing your skin to synthetic chemicals.

In this oneHOWTO article we explain how to use coconut oil as a sunscreen.

You may also be interested in: How To Use Coconut Oil for Tanning
Steps to follow:
1

Even if you never tend to burn it is important that you still protect your skin from excessive sun exposure. Coconut oil offers an SPF protection between 4 and 5. This is actually quite low especially for lighter colored skin.

To be able to use coconut oil as a sunscreen you need to mix it with other natural essential oils. Red raspberry seed essential oil has an SPF of around 25, which in turns offers a much higher protection.

 

How to use Coconut Oil as a Sunscreen - Step 1
2

There hasn’t been concluding research on the effectiveness of using solely natural essential oils to protect from UV rays. Studies have indicated that natural essential oils may not block harmful UV rays at appropriate wavelengths. Therefore it is important that you include zinc oxide in your natural sunscreen.

Zinc oxide offers mineral protection, which is often recommended against chemical sunscreen protection. This powder sits on top of the skin and blocks most UVA and UVB rays that can cause damage to the skin. Zinc oxide is a natural ingredient and often used in combination with titanium dioxide.

3

To make homemade sunscreen you will thus need coconut oil, a carrier oil such as red raspberry seed oil or carrot seed oil, and zinc oxide. You can also add a few drops of other essential oils to give it a nice scent. Just make sure to avoid most citric essential oils, as they are sun-sensitizing oils.

Some other ingredients that you can add include beeswax and shea butter. By adding these ingredients you will be making a denser product that looks like a cream as opposed to an oily mixture.

Keep in mind that such oils can stain clothes, so you should learn how to remove oil stains.

How to use Coconut Oil as a Sunscreen - Step 3
4

This is a recipe we suggest you try making at home is the following:

Ingredients

  • 100g (3.5 oz) of coconut oil
  • 70 g (2.4 oz) of red seed raspberry oil or carrot seed oil
  • 50g (1.7 oz) of non-nano zinc oxide
  • A few drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

To make it a cream also add:

  • 30g (1 oz)of beeswax (optional)
  • 30g (1 oz)of shea butter (optional)

Preparation

Mix all your ingredients except the zinc oxide. Then stir your ingredients over a pot of simmering water. Use gentle heat and make sure the water doesn’t reach the mixture. Once all the ingredients are blended turn off the stove and move to your countertop. Slowly add the zinc oxide and whisk until desired consistency.

5

In just a few steps you can use coconut oil to make a natural sunscreen alternative that completely avoids chemically aggressive conventional sunscreens. Coconut oil will also help you keep your tan for longer. However, we still recommend that you try to avoid excessive sun exposure and that you protect your skin with breathable clothing as much as possible.

If you want to read similar articles to How to use Coconut Oil as a Sunscreen, we recommend you visit our Beauty & Personal Care category.

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hina
how to massage coconut oil for belly fat and hips???
OneHowTo Editor
Massage with your hands doing circular movements for two minutes or until your skin has absorbed the oil
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