Zinc Oxide Sunblock
Healthy Living on a Budget Tip #5
Make your own Sunblock. Store bought sunscreens contain a significant number of chemicals and anything you put on your skin is likely absorbed into your bloodstream. So we want to limit those chemicals as much as possible. Here's a super easy that you just have to try.
I’m a huge proponent of being outside in the sun! And I believe that there are innumerable benefits to sun exposure. But… I’m also not a fan of sunburns and I do believe that they are harmful. I do all of the strategies to protect my skin naturally that Serena described in this video, but there are times when I need more protection, especially on my face. My goal is for age to only be a number, one that no one could guess, and I don’t want wrinkles to give me away. So I use sunblock when I am going to get an unusually high amount of sun. Here’s my recipe for my go-to quick and affordable sunblock.
Zinc Oxide Sunblock
Ingredients:
Directions:
Put a small amount of coconut oil in the palm of your hand. Add a small pinch of zinc oxide powder and mix together with your fingers. Once mixed, apply to your face, neck, chest, and arms… or wherever you want :)
Notes:
The more zinc oxide powder you use, the more sunblock you get… and the whiter your face becomes. So I add the zinc oxide slowly and stop before it makes my face white. Though, I have been known to add a darker face powder over the zinc oxide when I was especially concerned about getting sunburned.
Be careful to use a non-nano zinc oxide. That means that particles are just big enough to not be completely absorbed into your bloodstream.
Why zinc oxide powder?
Anytime we put something on our skin, we run the risk of it being absorbed into our skin. So we want to be very careful about the chemicals in the products we use. Zinc oxide is not a chemical, it’s a mineral. It provides a strong sun protection that doesn’t breakdown. It’s unclear it nanoparticles of zinc oxide absorb into your skin, but to be safe, buy a non-nano zinc oxide to minimize your risk even more.
Check out the Environmental Working Group’s posts on sunscreen for more information.
EWG Sunscreen: Executive Summary
EWG Sunscreen: Nanoparticles in Sunscreen
Give it a try and let us know how it works.
Happy Sunbathing,
Emily
P.S. If zinc oxide just isn't your style, we also have an awesome essential oil sunblock that Serena posted.
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