A few years ago, when I discovered how unregulated the cosmetics industry is, I started making my own natural beauty products. I wanted to avoid nasty additives and ingredients that aren’t properly tested. I didn’t want to mess around with my skin, so I did lots of research. I’ve since fallen in love with certain ingredients that I find myself going back to over and over.

Since then I’ve gone from following tutorials and making other people’s recipes, to making small changes to those, to creating my own recipes from scratch. I’ve got a ridiculously large stockpile of different oils, butters, clays, and waxes. You don’t need to get as large a stockpile as I do to make your own stuff though! You can use a few simple ingredients to replace pretty much any of your personal care products.

So, these are my 10 favorite ingredients that I LOVE to put in my homemade natural beauty products:

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe will get my top spot pretty much forever. It’s a nice lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer. It is naturally anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants, and it reduces redness and irritation. I like to use an all natural aloe vera gel, but lots of people just pop a leaf off their own aloe plant and use it straight from there.

Some of my most popular recipes feature aloe: my aloe vera moisturizer, aloe vera face wash, and aloe vera sunburn soother.

2. Avocado oil

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about why avocado oil is so popular lately. It might be my favorite carrier oil. It feels less greasy than some other oils and it is rich in vitamin E. I often add vitamin E to my recipes, so using avocado oil means you’re getting that already.

I’ve used avocado oil to make a green tea face scrub and my aloe vera sunburn soother.

3. Beeswax

Beeswax is great for so many reasons- I don’t know how those bees do it! Between beeswax, honey, and being amazing pollinators, they really are some of the most useful creatures out there.

Anyways, beeswax is an awesome ingredient in homemade recipes. It basically forms a protective barrier over the skin which keeps the moisture in. It can also help make some lotions semi-waterproof. And it’s an emulsifier, which means it allows oils and waters to mix when making homemade natural beauty products.

I’ve used beeswax in pretty much everything… but some of my favorites are my homemade sunscreen that’s good for your skin, my green tea eye cream, and homemade all natural lip balm.

4. Coconut oil

Coconut oil has to make the top ten of most natural beauty mavens. Although, I think it’s being overshadowed lately by avocado oil. Regardless, coconut oil is much beloved, and for good reasons.

It is naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and it is a GREAT natural moisturizer. It’s supposed to be one of the best oils for your hair because your hair absorbs it easily. Plus it smells amazing. Because it is solid but soft at room temperature it can balance out the texture of a lot of lotions.

Some of my favorite recipes with coconut oil are my peppermint body butter, homemade hot oil hair treatment, and my all natural lip balm.

5. Cocoa butter

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’re bound to love cocoa butter. The amazing chocolate scent gets me every time. Plus it melts at skin temperature, so it makes a great ingredient for thicker lotions and body butters. Cocoa butter is a great emollient (prevents moisture loss) and is high in antioxidants. When its cold enough, it whips up to a wonderful texture.

Some of my favorite recipes with cocoa butter are my silky cocoa butter body lotion, my pumpkin spice lotion, and peppermint body butter.

6. Essential oils

I’m not one to talk about the health benefits of essential oils, but they do make great ingredients in homemade natural beauty products! Whether its just for scent, or to add some extra benefits to your products, they are a great addition. I am a huge fan of Rocky Mountain Oils, because I believe they have the best oils for the best price (if you want to know more reasons why I love RMO, you can click here).

Essential oils have different beneficial properties depending on which oil you use. Lavender is one of my favorites because it not only smells amazing, but is a great anti-inflammatory oil. You can add essential oils to most homemade natural beauty products, but some of my favorites are my homemade soothing scalp mask for dandruff and irritation, my aloe vera face wash, and pumpkin spice lotion.

7. Green tea

Green tea is amazing for your skin, whether you drink it or put it directly on it. I love using recipes with green tea in them because it does so many great things for your skin. It is naturally anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants. It also has a small amount of caffeine which can tighten pores.

My favorite products with green tea are my green tea face scrub and my green tea eye cream.

8. Mango butter

I’ve only recently started experimenting with mango butter and now I’m wondering what took me so long! It’s a wonderful emollient oil that is solid at room temperature. It has a faint scent of mango (yum), and it does a great job at moisturizing. It’s also non-comedogenic, which means it is highly unlikely to clog pores and cause acne.

I’ve only featured one recipe so far with mango butter, but it is a great one! It’s my miracle mango moisturizer.

9. Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is very cool, because it has properties of both an oil and a wax. It’s a great lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer. It is also non-comedogenic, which means it is highly unlikely to clog pores and cause acne. If it were less expensive I would use it all the time. Because it is a wax it also helps emulsify and improve the texture of lots of homemade personal care products.

Some of my favorite recipes with jojoba oil are my all natural facial sunscreen and my aloe vera face moisturizer.

10. Argan oil

Argan oil is definitely one of my favorites, but it ranks a little lower because it is pricey. If it were more affordable, it would be one of the main ingredients that I use in the bulk of my recipes. I often use a small drop of it on my face for a simple moisturizer.

Argan oil is great because it moisturizes your skin without leaving you feeling greasy. It is absorbed quickly. It is also non-comedogenic, which means it is highly unlikely to clog your pores and cause acne. The silky soft feel of argan oil is one of the reasons I love it so much.

I’ve used argan oil in my anti-frizz aloe vera hairspray and my homemade beach texturizing hairspray.

So there you have it- my top ten ingredients for making your own natural beauty products! What do you think? Are you ready to stock up? Good luck!

The post Top 10 Ingredients for Making Your Own Natural Beauty Products appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some coconut oil. I use it all the time! In food, in skincare recipes, and for my hair as well. There is reason for the hype. But I’ve been sensing a trend lately… a new miracle oil is emerging. Avocado oil!

And it makes sense. Avocados are not only incredibly delicious, but they are packed with nutrients. Like coconut oil, the oil is made from the flesh of the fruit and not the seeds, so it is very nutrient rich. It’s the new oil to look out for, and here are some reasons why:

1. subtle flavor

If you’re going to be cooking with an oil, avocado oil has a much more subtle flavor than coconut oil. It doesn’t overwhelm or change the flavor of your recipes.

2. high smoke point

Have you ever been cooking with oil and noticed it starts emitting lots and lots of smoke? That means the oil has reached its smoke point. Oils with a high smoke point can withstand higher temperatures before they start spewing smoke. Avocado oil has a smoke point of about 500°F whereas coconut oil has a smoke point of about 350°F.

3. doesn’t cause acne

According to lots of people, coconut oil will help get rid of your acne. But that isn’t quite accurate. Coconut oil is highly comedogenic, which means it has a high likelihood of clogging your pores. I learned this the hard way. It has the highest comedogenicity rating possible, a 5.

Avocado oil is much less comedogenic, so it’s suitable to use on your face if you are more acne prone. It has a rating of 2. That being said, comedogenic ratings aren’t perfect, so your skin may react differently. Personally, my skin loves avocado oil.

4. rich in beta-sitosterol

Beta-sitosterol is a plant ester that we have found to be highly beneficial. It is used to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Some even claim that helps prevent cancer, though I’m always more cautious to parrot those claims. It is also said to boost the immune system.

5. liquid at room temperature

I’m probably not the only one who has experienced some frustration with coconut oil’s reactiveness to temperature. It is solid at room temperature, but if it goes slightly above (76°F), it becomes liquid. In the summer my coconut oil changes form frequently, leaving me with difficulty controlling the texture of some of my homemade beauty products. But avocado oil is liquid at room temperature, so it wont change the texture of your products if it gets a little hot in the room.

6. monounsaturated fats

There’s a lot of debate right now about whether or not saturated fats are bad for you. For years we were told to eat less saturated fats because they increase your blood cholesterol level, but some people are now saying that’s inaccurate. It’s always a fun balance trying to figure out what nutrition guidelines to stick to.

That being said, coconut oil is very high in saturated fats. Avocado oil is low in saturated fats, but high in monounsaturated fats where are supposed to be the “healthy” good fats because they don’t raise cholesterol levels. Interpret this however you like- but if you avoid saturated fats, coconut oil isn’t your friend.

7. skin penetration

Coconut oil, while great for your skin and highly moisturizing, leaves your skin feeling quite greasy for a while. Avocado oil is absorbed more quickly by the skin, so you are left with less of a greasy feeling.

8. enhances absorption of other nutrients

A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that consuming avocados and avocado oil helps your body absorb carotenoids. Carotenoids are a nutrient humans can’t produce themselves, so they have to get it from fruit and vegetable sources. So if you eat a little avocado oil at the same time as your carrots and sweet potatoes, you reap more of the benefits of those foods.

9. vitamin E

Avocado oil is high in Vitamin E, which is great for your skin. It is supposed to reduce aging and be highly moisturizing. I frequently add vitamin E oil to my beauty recipes, but the ones that have avocado oil are getting even more!

so what do you think?

Now I’m not saying I’m going to throw coconut oil out of my repertoire, because I do still love it. But avocado oil is quickly making its way up my favorite ingredients list. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go!

get yourself a little avocado oil

The post 9 Reasons Why Avocado Oil is the New Coconut Oil appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Summer is here- which unfortunately means sunburns. If you have very pale skin like me, even if you are responsible with the sunscreen you can still get burnt. So you gotta find sunburn remedies when you do! Luckily I’ve come up with this amazing sunburn soother recipe to help lessen the pain and discomfort and help the sunburn heal. It’s all natural and easy to make too! Plus it makes a great healthy moisturizer, so you can use it even if you aren’t burnt.

I absolutely love aloe vera. It’s one of my favorite ingredients- and with good reason. Not only is it soothing and anti-inflammatory, it’s also a healthy and lightweight all natural moisturizer. It feels refreshing and wonderful- especially on sunburn! The problem is a lot of those aloe vera gels you buy in stores are less than 10% aloe, so you’re not really getting the benefits! Well this moisturizer is full of REAL aloe vera and other great ingredients that help soothe sunburns.

If you love aloe nearly as much as I do, you should also check out my other posts on aloe vera. I have a whole skincare system made with it: aloe vera face wash, aloe vera toner, AND aloe vera moisturizer. Aloe is so great for your skin!

All the ingredients in this recipe are designed to help with sunburn:

• Aloe vera gel: anti-inflammatory, soothing and cooling, lightweight moisture
• Coconut oil: serious moisture for damaged skin, anti-inflammatory
• Avocado oil: healthy hydration filled with fats, minerals, and antioxidants your skin loves
• Witch hazel extract: astringent to tighten and heal skin, anti-inflammatory (I’m very particular about where I get my witch hazel, because it’s hard to find one of good quality and purity. I absolutely love Mountain Rose Herbs Witch Hazel)
• Beeswax: used to emulsify the lotion but also provides a protective layer on the skin
• Peppermint essential oil (optional): cooling and soothing

You’ll notice the word anti-inflammatory in there a lot. That’s why this sunburn remedy is so effective- each of its ingredients helps reduce pain and inflammation from your sunburn to provide relief and promote healing. Together they are a great combination!

Ultimately the goal is not to get sunburnt, so you should check out my homemade sunscreen recipe to help you with that!

I mean, just look how creamy and amazing this stuff is! And it is so healthy.

I know I designed this as a sunburn remedy… but I just can’t help using it for more than just sunburn relief! The soothing cooling feeling is addictive. And the light coconut peppermint smell is so refreshing.

Your skin will really love this stuff. All the ingredients are amazingly healthy for your skin.

Let me know how this sunburn soother works for you!

supplies used in this post

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My hands always get so dry in winter. It’s awful- they get cut from the smallest things just because of the dryness. I know I’m not alone in that. Having a good moisturizing body butter makes all the difference. This peppermint body butter is perfect for winter, and it feels so luxurious and amazing. I can’t get enough of it. Best of all, it only costs $6 to make.

Usually a lotion this luxurious feeling costs so much more than that- often upwards of $25. And you can’t always trust their ingredients. Most lotions you can get in the store are mostly water- so they don’t do much for moisturizing and you have to use them multiple times a day. And that’s not even considering all the preservatives and unhealthy ingredients they usually have.

This amazing moisturizing peppermint body butter works so well all you have to do is put some on at night and you’re golden. And every ingredient is healthy, natural, and good for your skin.

Ingredients:

• Cocoa butter: high in antioxidants, great emollient (prevents loss of moisture), high concentrations of nutrients our skin needs
• Coconut oil: moisturizes skin more efficiently than water or petroleum based lotions, naturally antibacterial
• Almond oil: deep moisturizer, soothes irritation
• Beeswax: locks in moisture, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory
• Peppermint essential oil: for scent
• Beetroot powder (optional): naturally gives the lotion its pink color in the stripe

Tools:

• A double boiler, real or makeshift (I just use a small pot placed over a saucepan)
• Two small mixing bowls (I love my mix and measure bowls)
• A hand mixer, or a whisk and a persistent arm

DIY Peppermint Body Butter Recipe

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Ingredients

• Heaping 1/4 cup cocoa butter
• 2 tablespoons almond oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon beeswax
• 10-20 drops peppermint essential oil
• 1/4 teaspoon beetroot powder

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Instructions

1. Melt your cocoa butter, almond oil, coconut oil, and beeswax over medium heat in a double boiler, or a pot placed on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water
2. Once melted, pour half the mixture into a mixing bowl, and place in the fridge. If you don’t want to add color to your lotion, skip steps 3-4.
3. Add the beetroot powder to the remaining oil mixture on the double boiler. Let simmer, mixing occasionally, for about 5 minutes. You can leave it on longer for a stronger color.
4. Once the mixture starts to turn pink, turn off the heat. The beetroot powder will settle on the bottom of your pot. Carefully pour into a mixing bowl, stopping before you pour in the beetroot powder leftovers. Dispose of the extra mixture from the pot.
5. Place both mixing bowls in the fridge for 15-30 minutes
6. Once the mixtures have hardened but are not completely solid, remove from the fridge and whip with a hand mixer, adding 5-10 drops of peppermint oil per mixing bowl as you mix.
7. Add the lotions to two separate ziplock bags, one for white and one for pink. Snip the corners.
8. Use the ziplock bags to place the lotion in an airtight jar. Alternate white and pink for a striped effect.
9. Store in a cool, dry, place, and use on your dry skin!

I love this homemade lotion! My favorite part about body butters that are mostly cocoa butter is how they just melt on your skin. They are so easy to rub in and absorb. And this lotion is really a great moisturizer.

Do you love the smell of peppermint as much as I do? Because I really just can’t get enough of this awesome peppermint body butter! I love it so much I made some for 14 family members this year for Christmas! The house smelled so great that day.

And really, there’s nothing cuter than that pink stripe!

Let me know how making your own peppermint body butter goes for you!

Supplies Used In This Post

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You probably have been in the pumpkin spice spirit for a good two months already… fall inspires it in us all. While I’m not personally a fan of the pumpkin spice latte (although I know many of you will think I’m insane) I still love the smell and taste of pumpkin spice. It’s a brilliant blend of spices. And now that smell has become synonymous with autumn.

Well I was inspired to make an all natural pumpkin spice lotion last week. The idea popped in my head when I was trying to think of a new body lotion to put on the site, because I’ve only made one other lotion: my cocoa butter body lotion. And I just knew it was going to be amazing.

I also had fun experimenting with natural colorants for this recipe. This lotion has a nice orange tint to it- courtesy of paprika. Simple and effective- I love it!

So not only is the lotion all natural, has a nice orange hue, and smells like pumpkin spice. What’s not to love?

All the ingredients are great, healthy, and natural. Here is the benefit of each:

• Cocoa butter: high in antioxidants, great emollient (prevents loss of moisture), high concentrations of nutrients our skin needs
• Almond Oil: deep moisturizer, soothes irritation
• Coconut Oil: moisturizes skin more efficiently than water or petroleum based lotions, naturally antibacterial, full of antioxidants and nutrients your skin needs
• Beeswax: locks in moisture, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory
• Paprika: gives lotion orange color
• Essential oils (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and clove): For scent, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory

And here is how you make it:

I am so happy with this lotion. When I showed it to Lars he got super excited and pretty much tried to steal it from me. I wish I had taped his reaction. This stuff is really that good.

I mean just look at it.

So creamy and luxurious. I’m really getting the hang of these homemade beauty products. I don’t feel like a beginner anymore. And it’s pretty exciting. That being said- this one is so easy to make that it’s fine if you are a beginner.

Can’t you smell it already?

The best part about this lotion- you can use it year round! When you’re missing fall, just put a little on and you’ll be dreaming of crunchy leaves and sweaters. It’s truly lovely.

Let me know how making pumpkin spice lotion goes for you!

The post Homemade All Natural Pumpkin Spice Lotion appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I’ve been feeling like my hair is in a bit of a rut lately. It’s fine- but it hasn’t been spectacular. I love it when my hair is soft and looks sleek and shiny. It’s just been feeling a little dull.

So I wanted to treat my hair to a little spa day.

I usually do a coconut oil mask on my hair about once a month to help with deep moisturizing. But I was feeling like doing something a little more fun and luxurious. And this definitely was! And it was so easy- anyone can do it.

Why pay someone to give you a hot oil treatment when you can do it yourself at home for less than two dollars? And the ingredients are all high quality and natural. It’s pretty great.

Each of the ingredients nourishes your hair and scalp:

• Coconut Oil: Stimulates hair growth, excellent deep conditioner, adds shine, prevents breakage (make sure to get an organic, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil)
• Olive Oil: Prevents breakage, eliminates dandruff, adds shine, moisturizes and softens hair, promotes hair growth
• Lavender Essential Oil: Deep conditions hair, promotes hair growth, reduces dandruff and dryness, restores sebaceous glands, prevents hair breakage

And I’m telling you- it’s really easy!

Step One: Dampen hair

Make sure your hair is a little damp, but not soaking wet when you apply the oil. You can just stick your head under the stream of water in the shower for a second and jump out to get it a little damp. If you wear a lot of products in your hair, you may want to actually wash your hair first so that the oil can penetrate your hair completely.

Step Two: Mix and Heat Oils

Before you mix, heat up about two cups of water in a saucepan (but it doesn’t need to boil). Mix together 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, and a few drops of lavender oil in a small heatable bowl. Place the bowl in the pot of water to make a little water bath.

Leave the bowl in for a few minutes, testing the temperature of the oils. When the oils are quite warm, but not so hot they will burn your scalp, take the bowl out of the water bath.

Step Three: Apply Oils to Hair

Start by massaging the oil into your scalp. Work the oil in from the roots to the ends. You may not need to use the entire bowl of oil depending on how thick and long your hair is.

And enjoy the relaxing smell of the lavender.

Step Four: Heat up a Towel

You could pop a towel into a dryer, but if you don’t have one (like me), you can also heat up a towel using a blow dryer.

I use this awesome Turbie Twist towel that is so great for wrapping your hair after a shower.

Step Five: Leave in for 45 minutes

Wrap the towel around your head and relax for 45 minutes. This is your spa time, so chill out, maybe put some cucumbers on your eyes, and have a good time.

Step Six: Wash out and Enjoy!

Wash your hair thoroughly to make sure you get all the oils out. If you do the no poo method, you will need to wash your ends in addition to your roots. You might want to wash twice to be really certain you won’t have oils left in your hair. Condition as normal.

And once your hair is clean, you can enjoy your shiny, soft, freshly conditioned hair. I can’t stop touching my hair it’s so soft. My hair rut is over!

This was so enjoyable I will probably do it on a regular basis. Doesn’t it look smooth and healthy? Just how I like it!

Let me know how your homemade hot oil treatment works out!

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The post How to Make an at-home Hot Oil Hair Treatment (Only three ingredients!) appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I love lip balm. I don’t know why my lips are so dry, even in the summer, but they are. And so I always have some with me. Well, I made some awesome homemade honey lip balm a while ago, and I am almost out of it. So when I went to make a new batch I decided that I should try making it tinted. Why not have a little color while I moisturize my lips?

And the results were awesome. Why spend extra on tinted lip balm at the store when you can make it yourself? You don’t have to worry about what is in it. Some of the worst offenders of the unnatural and toxic chemicals in our cosmetic products are artificial colors and scents. Well, this lip balm is tinted and scented naturally.

And at 40 cents a tube you can’t beat the price. That includes the price of the empty chapstick tube. Counting only the ingredients, it only costs 13 cents to make one tube! Amazing.

All the ingredients in this lip balm serve a purpose:

• Coconut Oil: natural moisturizer, antibacterial, full of antioxidants and nutrients your skin needs (you can get it here– make sure your coconut oil is organic, unrefined, and cold-pressed)
• Honey: Naturally anti-bacterial, natural humectant (attracts moisture to the skin), (use a raw, organic honey, and local is preferred)
• Beeswax: protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory, keeps lip balm solid at warmer temperature (you can get it here)
• Beet Root Powder: Natural colorant (you can get it here)
• Essential Oils (optional): for scent

I get my empty chapstick containers on amazon (like most of my ingredients).

This picture illustrates how you know the lip balm is done. The easiest mistake to make for this recipe is to not heat the coconut oil, beeswax, and honey for long enough. The honey takes a higher temperature to combine with the coconut oil and beeswax.

It is a subtle difference, but you can see in the picture on the left that the honey is “heavier” and sits on the bottom. On the right it mixes with the other ingredients.

There may be a little separation when you add the beet root powder, which is not a problem. Just make sure it is warm enough and mix it well before you pour it into the tubes and it should turn out fine. 

Looks pretty great right? It feels even better!

This should make about 10 tubes of lip balm

If you want to put labels on your lip balm, 2″x2″ labels fit my tubes perfectly. I think its always fun to have a label on a product you make yourself. It makes it feel even more professional.

My lips feel a little spoiled right now.

You can play around with other natural tints to get a different color. This was just the bright raspberry color I was going for, but nutmeg and cinnamon are also natural colorants that could be mixed with beet root powder to get your desired color. There are a bunch of other natural colorants as well, but you probably have those two on hand.
Next time I make these, I might just add some extra SPF as well. I’ll update the post if I end up doing that.

Try making yourself some tinted lip balm and let me know how it goes for you!

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The post How to Make All Natural Homemade Tinted Lip Balm/ Chapstick appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

On my quest to use all natural cosmetic products, I knew that sunscreen was going to be a necessary product to make. My skin often gets itchy just from using the store-bought kinds, and it leaves me feeling icky. Not to mention, it is usually polluting a water body. You also want to be on the lookout for the endocrine disruptor, oxybenzone, used in many store bought sunscreens.

Anyways, a few weeks ago I spent all afternoon in the park with my boyfriend and his family. It wasn’t a very hot or super sunny day but I didn’t have any sunscreen on because I hadn’t made any yet. Someone brought out a bottle when we noticed we were getting a little toasty. I read the ingredients label and it had so many bad ingredients that I opted not to use it. Well, sunscreen is tricky isn’t it? Because I ended up with a mild sunburn. So- the choice is- run the risk of skin cancer from the sun, or the list or risks that come from ingredients in harmful cosmetics? It’s definitely a trade off.

Well- there’s no need to decide! Just make your own- it is natural, good for your skin, and it won’t harm your body or the environment! Plus- it is mostly waterproof! What’s not to like?

It costs $7.46 to make 6 oz of this sunscreen. For sunscreen- that’s not a bad price at all!

If you are acne prone, this sunscreen is not non-comedogenic and it could cause you to break out. I also have an acne friendly facial sunscreen recipe that is non-comedogenic.

Before I started making my own cosmetics I had no idea that oils could have natural SPF in them. It makes sense when you think about it. This recipe uses both oils and zinc oxide to achieve a higher SPF level. If you want to learn more about natural sun protection- this is a great article.

So if you leave the zinc oxide out- this recipe will naturally have an SPF of about 20 or so. That is my unprofessional estimate based on the oil SPF ratings.

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my cosmetics:

• Coconut Oil: Natural SPF of about 2-8, antibacterial, natural moisturizer, full of antioxidants and nutrients your skin needs (you can get it here)
• Almond Oil: Natural SPF of about 5, deep moisturizer, soothes irritation (You can get it here)
• Beeswax: Makes sunscreen waterproof, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory (You can get it here)
• Shea Butter: Natural SPF of 3-8, natural moisturizer, good source of vitamins for skin, anti-inflammatory (You can get it here)
• Vitamin E Oil: Antioxidant, natural moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, helps preserve shelf life of sunscreen (You can get it here)
• Red Raspberry Seed Oil/ Carrot Seed Oil: Natural SPF of about 30-40, anti-inflammatory (My favorite essential oils are from Rocky Mountain Oils, and I love their Carrot Seed Oil. You can also get these on amazon here and here.)
• Zinc Oxide: Sun protection (You can get it here)

It’s so easy to make- all you need to do is melt the oils together in a double boiler or a pan placed on top of a pot of boiling water.

They should only take a few minutes and a little bit of stirring to combine.

Ta da! Melted and combined! You are half way there!

Then mix in the zinc oxide and essential oils, and pour into your desired container. It really is that easy. Why doesn’t everyone do this??

This recipe is adapted from Real Food RN:

*Note: The beeswax and shea butter make the sunscreen thicker- if you want a sunscreen that is easy to squeeze through a bottle you should use the lower amounts, but it may make the sunscreen less waterproof. If waterproof sunscreen is your priority, stick with the larger amounts.

I used this sunscreen on a day at the beach and it passed the test- no sun burn! I wasn’t laying out in the sun- but I was playing in the water and out on a sailboat for several hours. The water didn’t rub it off and I didn’t get burnt. I am a fan. And my skin was moisturized after.

I wouldn’t recommend using this on your face if you are prone to break outs. Don’t worry- I’m not going to leave you high and dry. You can find my recipe for acne-friendly facial sunscreen here.

Try making your own sunscreen and let me know how it goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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