Gayle wrote: These days, I’m trying to find a natural sunscreen and was wondering if you could recommend one. My philosophy is ‘less is more’ so although there seems to be many organic product lines out there, I’m just looking for something natural and simple!
This question seems to be on many minds lately as I have received it several times over the last month…Here are a few thoughts.
Receiving vitamin D from the sun is very valuable for our bodies. It is estimated that 80% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. Where, besides milk, do we get Vitaim D? Exposure to the sun! The sun is definitely not something to be afraid of under regular exposure.
Despite the widespread use of sunscreen, skin cancer rates continue to escalate. In fact, the sun actually helps prevent cancer! Did you know that it only takes a matter of minutes for the product that you apply to your skin to be absorbed into your body? Try rubbing garlic on your foot. In a few minutes you will be able to taste it in your mouth. This is good reason to choose wisely what you apply to your skin and the ingredients in your favorite sunscreen. Limiting extensive exposure to the sun and applying sunscreen sparingly is the safest choice!
It is definitely wise to use a natural sunscreen if you intend to be outside for extensive periods of time (vacation, hiking, etc). I have found that the SPF levels in my mineral makeup are adequate in protecting my skin in a natural manner, so I rarely apply any to myself. But I am more concerned for my kids. In such events, I will apply a thin coat of sunscreen and use sun hats! Coconut oil is also another option for natural protection. Surprisingly enough, I have heard many people using coconut oil successfully for sunscreen while at the beach and various tropical locations – fair skinned individuals and all.
Safe Sunscreen List - this list was compiled by Safe Mama and is an excellent guide to some of the safest sunscreen products on the market including the EWG’s rating of each product. Their standards for being on the list are as follows: “All sunscreens we approved needed to be free of parabens, phthalates, and all the nasty ingredients we avoid in regular skin care (like PEG’s). Another ingredient we watch out for is the synthetic chemical oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor which can affect the nervous system, has been linked to cancer in some laboratory studies, and creates free-radicals when exposed to the sun which are harmful.”
Safe Sunscreen List 2008 - The Cosmetic Database released a safe sunscreen list last year. Please note that not all the ones recommended are indeed accurate. Always double check the ingredient list. Blue Lizard, for example, has parabens. Always take the Cosmetic Database with a grain of salt!
I personally have heard the best reviews in regards to the California Baby and TruKid sunscreens. California Baby is available at Target. Although several of these are described as children’s sunscreens, I know they would be perfectly adequate for parents/adults as well. We used the Weleda brand last year for our whole family as needed with great success. Another good choice for adults and children would be the Jason Sunbrella’s Minerals. The most frugal choice appears to be the TruKid line which retails for $10.99 for a 4 oz bottle. I have found that although these natural alternatives are more expensive, they last a very long time when you are only applying sparingly!
My Thoughts on Suncreen – Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home wrote a thorough post on the topic evaluating the pro’s and con’s of sunscreen. She also wrote a second part highlighting some recommendations of particular brands. She covered the topic better than I could!
Do you use sunscreen? If so, have you found a natural alternative or natural and safe brand that you can recommend?
I just started using coconut oil for myself and 10 month old sun. It’s been great so far, which is a relief brcause we are both allergic to store ought sunscreen. I’ve seen recipes using coconut oil,Shea butter and zinc powder, but straight virgin coconut oil is working for us…and it smells so good!
The diet is the root of it all cracks me up.
I burn. I eat very healthfully. Plenty of whole grains and healthy oils and fish – and NO heavily processed foods. (Steel cut oatmeal as processed as it get. When I was a child, they thought I might have a sun allergy for a while because I burned quickly and severely. It is not quite as bad as an adult as it was back then, but I do burn. (more so in the spring then the end of the summer, a light burn early on seems to protect me later)
My exhusband eats crap. Processed food all the time. He is as white as me but with a yellow undertone where mine is pink – He goes into the sun and TANS.
Our daughter? His same skin tone and she is white in the winter and deep tan in the summer no matter what we do or don’t put on her. She eats like me about 3/4 of the time, and him a quarter of time. (Custody)
Your skin lightness isn’t the only factor – its undertone and genetics.
And saying its only diet is going to mislead somebody into getting themselves – or much, much worse- their child into a serious burn.
I have a 2 yr old, 4 month old and myself. Although the pediatrician told me to use sunscreen on the girls since its better than seeing us in her office w/ burns, I REALLY hate slathering on the lotions or inhaling the sprays. Not that we’ve had a bad reaction, you just NEVER know if its safe or not. And, its the not knowing that has me looking for alternatives. I know there has to be something better, but we are SOOOOO FAIR I worry about burns. Really LIGHT (German-Irish decent if it helps). Me and my girls are GUARANTEED to be the MOST fair skinned at the pool. Seriously, I’ve had doctors tease me on how pale my skin is. My legs have not seen sun for years on end, but I want to get my little ones in and used to the water, so its time to suck it up and wriggle into a bathing suit. So IF it works for us, it IS working,
After hearing about coconut, sesame and olive oils having SPF properties and being good for the skin, I have purchased all 3 and am gonna try em out this summer. Of course, I’ll try it out on days when we will only be out in the sun for an hour or so (thats all the time I can usually keep them BOTH happy anyway And then, we just sit in the lotions unnessessarily til bath time- Not liking the store bought sunscreens– just thought they were necessary). I WILL try the oils. I read coconut oil is better for you than the others, but I bought all 3 before doing much research. I’ll try coconut alone and possibly as a mixture w/ sesame and olive oil as well. Either way, it all HAS to be better than the chemical concoctions on the shelves. Its the beginning of summer here and the pool just opened, so I’ll re-post my findings on here (GOOD or BAD) for anyone interested.
I always check with the EWG.org for the least harmful products and one of the best sunscreens is the BADGER. It’s price (paid $14 for it, when you can pay $4 for a cheap kind) but sunscreen last a long time.
I am in agreement your view. My experience has shown your points to be true, however I have also seen the opposite from different posts like this one. Do you have any thoughts for finding more smart info on natural health or related topics? I would most appreciate it!
I used coconut oil and shea butter while on vacation in Mexico for 2 wks and did not burn.
Apply virgin coconut oil.
I have been using MeritVCO Virgin coconut oil prevents the sun’s damaging effects.
Its antioxidant properties will prevent skin from sagging and eliminate wrinkles. Age spots and skin cancer usually caused by the sun’s harmful rays is also avoided. Coconut oil is actually an ingredient of many suntan lotions.
I read the tropicaltraditions website about coconut oil and found that it stated (in many more words than I’m using now) that PEOPLE WHO JUST SLATHER ON COCONUT OIL AND EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO INTENSE SUN FOR MANY HOURS WILL PROBABLY BURN.
The KEY, apparently, is to also INGEST it and to be sensible about sun exposure. If you’re going to spend a few hours at the beach and you don’t eat “the coconut diet”, then use a chemical-free sunscreen and reapply often. However, if you’re just taking your kids to the park during the sun’s off-peak hours (before 12pm and after 5pm is it?) and have moderate sun exposure the rest of the day, a diet with coconut oil in it and using coconut oil before going out for the day may work well for you.
The sun’s peak is between 10 and 2. So before 10, and after 2.
My sister was recently diagnosed w/skin cancer, so I’m finding the BEST sunblock’s out there. I don’t want my children to have skin cancer is 20 yrs because I didn’t apply the right sunblock on them.
I have heard before that sunscreen is probably worse for you than the sun, but I’d never heard of using coconut oil as an alternative. I don’t know how prone we really are to burning, as all my kids are napping during the most sun-intensive time of the day. They never burned at all last summer. Does oatmeal really help with that because they eat it almost every morning!
This just adds to others– I tested coconut oil at the beach in Lake Tahoe multiple times last summer and it DOES COMPLETELY WORK– BUT, as others alluded to you have to RE_APPLY– I foumd EVERY HOUR.
Thanks so much for posting this.
Being very fair skinned it only a few minutes for my skin to burn and just a couple of hours to leave me in days of pain. Quite literally:)I’ve used SPF 50 to avoid the burn but know its not safe. I usually only need sun screen when I’m at the pool which only happens a few times a summer so I don’t use it daily as some do.
Are you quite sure the coconut oil works for fair skinned people? I burn so easily I’m scared to try anything else.
I just remembered something else about the coconut oil. Last summer, I ended up burning as per usual on one spot that I couldn’t reach on my back shoulder. However, I had my husband put coconut oil on it that evening and there was no pain, no peeling,no blistering and in fact, that area turned a darker brown than the rest of me! I really am very fair skinned and I’ve no idea why it worked so well for me, but I will certainly continue to use it.
Coconut oil DOES NOT work as a sunscreen for my fair-skinned family. We really slathered up with it (yes, it was the best-quality, organic, extra-virgin kind) at the beach last summer and were only out for a couple hours, and we turned into lobsters. We will not be doing that again!
Just a warning to others who are prone to burning!
I have applied coconut oil and burned my kids. i have found if i put it on 15 to 30 mins b4 going into the sun to let it soak in. if you go into the sun shinny then you will burn. also you do need to reapply just like you would sunscreen. hope this helps. i use it correctly now and it is great. there are so many other benefits to it too! also eating nutritiously will keep you from burning too!
This is very interesting. I don’t use sunscreen on my girls unless we are at the beach or lake for a long period of time. Of course, they are both dark skinned (hispanic and african american), so even when we are at the beach all day, I could put 50 on them and they would still end up with the best tan. I on the other hand am somewhat fair skinned, I used to put 4 on and not get any sun, then none and I would always burn the first time I’m out in the sun, but then tan. I’m interested to see if coconut oil would work for me. I’ve read both sides about it, how one Raw site said coconut oil would cause you to burn and another said it was a good sunscreen. Although I think what you eat could help, it didn’t seem to make a difference for me, I would eat more unhealthy food growing up and burn, then eat all organic/whole grains, etc. and still burn the first time. It would be nice to think it would protect my girls because all I use for lotion for them is coconut oil. My mom had skin cancer a few years ago and there has been other cancer in my family so I’m concerned about it for me and hope to find something that really works. My girls racially have a less chance of getting skin cancer, so that is a little more comforting. I think I’ll have to try coconut oil for me sometime and just see if I get a little burnt at all, if not I will be so happy to found an extremely natural form of sunscreen.
Thanks for the info.
Just wanted to vouch for coconut oil as an incredible sunscreen! I am fair skinned and have always burned if I didn’t use something on my skin, and if I did use sunscreen I would just stay my ‘winter white’.
) However, two years ago, I tried using coconut oil and not only did I NOT burn, I got my first tan, and I continued to get darker though the summer. I also cook with coconut oil and eat a very healthy diet…most of the time so perhaps it is the combination.
As far as insect repellent goes, our family has had good luck with Shaklee’s H2. Yes, that’s a soap. You dab it on your skin with a paper towel or cotton ball and watch the skeeters fly away! I trust Shaklee’s research and all-natural approach. Thanks, Lindsay, for posting on sunscreen! It seems every year I’m trying to find something that works, doesn’t sting little eyes, and we can afford…
This is probably a really silly question, but if products are absorbed in our skin, does that mean that coconut oil would be absorbed and turned to fat? I know, really silly, but I was curious to see if anyone knew an answer to that.
Lauren,
Coconut oil applied to your skin WILL be absorbed, just as anything that you apply to your skin (your largest organ) is. But the good news is that coconut oil is excellent for you! (Read all about it at tropicaltraditions.com) Whether or not it would turn to “fat”, I cannot say. But even if it does, coconut oil is a very good-for-you fat. (Again, read up on it. You’ll probably like what you find.)
We have used coconut oil as sunscreen for several years now. It works beautifully. I don’t rely on it to protect my kiddos for HOURS on end, but coupled with discernment in our length of exposure, it’s just great!
i agree. that website is awesome. you actually lose weight by eating coconut oil!!!
i have been using eucalyptus oil or lavender oil or basil mixed in coconut oil and no skeeters on us! plant basil and wavi it around your yard it works great!
We are going to try “homemade” sunscreen this year. From what I have found, you can add zinc oxide to lotion or better yet, shea butter. Shea butter by itself provides an spf of 4.
Just a quick note. I know nothing about sunscreen except that i want it to have as few ingredients and natural as possible and also that the darker pigmented you skin is the more sun you actually have to get in order to get the good vitamin D from the sun (mainly why i use little sunscreen on my children as they are half hispanic). However, some natural bug repellent that i always use is a littly white vinegar on a cotton ball. Just rub on your skin. The smell evaporates almost immediately and my kids never get bug bites (as long as i remember to bring it along). I have also read that vanilla extract mixed with water rubbed on the skin works as a great bug repellent.
I was actually just searching your blog a few days ago to get your take on sunscreen. Fabulous! Thanks for posting on this. I was curious of the all versatile coconut oil could also be used for sunscreen. Have you tried it, does it prevent burning? Thanks! Next question: Bug repellent. Home remedies? Fav. natural brands? Thanks so much.
Alot of sunscreens I have found, even natural ones do have zinc oxide. What are some that do not? Have a unique allergy, I am allergic to the combination of sunscreen and sun. On key thought is that I am allergic to zinc oxide. We know that my daughter is because she gets a rash from zinc oxide diaper cream (we now love Northern Essence). We have skin cancer in my family and I really believe in using sunscreen, even though I haven’t been able to use it for years because I do have a severe reaction to most sunscreens that I have tried (head to toe hives, swollen lips, and red rash). I can’t do coconut oil either as it also gives me a horrible rash and makes my eczema flare (only thing that actualy has caused my eczema to reappear in years)
I was reading this post and am starting to think if all high quality oils do seem to work and if coconut oil is not an option…then perhaps almond oil is? Also, For my 3 year old, I have decided the best thing to do is: apply aloe vera gel prior to sun exposure, as aloe vera gel is known to cure sun burns, perhaps applying before hand may offer some protection. I’ll have to try it out and see.
I’ve read a bit about this and found a helpful article on Dr. Mercola’s website – while he is trying to sell his own product, I’ve just ordered the summer kit of natural sunscreen and bug repellent and will let you know the results ! http://products.mercola.com/summer-survival-kit/
You will have to create a login, but it’s free and there is other fantastic info on the site…
i use mexitan sunscreen. you can buy it online at mexitan.com. it is the cheapest that i have found.
I’m with you, Michele, I can’t believe we’re even talking about sunscreen today.
I thought I would jump in here, though. I spent the last 8 years living in Hawai’i and for the last 2.5 of those I was “the weirdo who never puts sunscreen on her very blond child”! I agree that diet has the biggest impact on how skin tolerates the sun. When I researched it many moons ago I kept finding information on whole grains and specifically oatmeal. My son ate oatmeal pretty much every day of his young life and got the very lightest touch of pinkness twice and both times we were out in the sun, on the water, all day long! At that time we didn’t do cod liver oil but I cooked with mostly olive oil and coconut oil. The only two things he ate pretty much every day was flax seed and oatmeal. He also ate a lot of fish, just not every day. That may support what Organic and Thrifty was saying about balance in the oils. So, maybe my attempt to protect him with the oatmeal was in vain, but something worked! This year I will be scrambling for ways to boost his vitamin D! We’ll be the family with the naked kids in the back yard as soon as the sun peaks through!
We used the Jason Sunbrellas last year, and really liked it! (Although I can’t imagine thinking of sunscreen right now, with our grey weather!)
Hope you’re doing well!
Blessings,
Michele
Hi! What an appropriate post for me. I’m vacationing in Sunny California (we live in cloudy Oregon) and my kids have been outside for the past 5 days with no sunscreen on. It’s sooo bright and intense, and my two fair toe-headed kids are, at best “rosy”. I’ve applied no sunscreen or alternative sunscreens, I just make sure I give my kids all of their daily doses of EFA’s (through Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil) as well as plenty of coconut oil and raw goat’s milk. I’ve heard that sunburn is a function of EFA ratios being off; too many Omega 6s and not enough Omega 3′s. It’s pretty amazing that these two kids (whose skin is FAIR, people! Their dad burns if he’s out for 10 minutes in weather like this!!) have no sunburns after 5 days outside. They’re not even wearing hats!!! I think the fat ratio is crucial. My two cents
O&T, I’m interested to know more info on this. Do you have a source? What are the ratios and do you go by any sort of formula as far as what you give them? It’s encouraging to hear that it is working for you. I’d like to try it.
First time to post a comment, but since we’re going to the beach soon, I thought I’d jump in here.
I’ve heard that getting a good dose of antioxidants (especially from your berries) is a good way to protect from sunburn, from the inside out. Anyone else heard this or tried it?
Little House in the Suburbs has a homemade sunscreen recipe I have thought about trying. http://www.littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/01/homemade-sunscreen.html
The ingredients looks good to me and since it contains Zinc Oxide it should work pretty well. It might be a good option for those of you wanting a little protection but still trying to avoid the unknowns commercial products can contain.
I just got E california baby bubble bath at Target, but I did not stop to look for sunscreen. Good timing. I probably will need to use some here, although I have avoided it as much as possible in the past. Thank you!
I am using this right now, the starter kit, and have had it for MONTHS:
http://www.ktnaturals.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=126
I use the CA Baby which I bought on line somewhere. I know a fellow Triplet Mama who sells mineral makeup: http://stores.michelesmineralmakeup.com/StoreFront.bok
I have been looking for a sunscreen for my 6 month old son, so this is a great, super helpful and timely post! Thanks for sharing!!
We use coconut oil on our skin. I’ve also found a correlation between the kind of oils we are consuming and our propensity to burn. The better the oil, the less likely we are to get a sunburn. It’s as though it is offering protection from the inside out.
Melissa,
I think you are on to something, as I have also noticed this. Though my kids are light skinned (and naptime is during the high sun periods), they have never burned- and we are outside a lot.
I’m convinced it has to do with all the high quality oils they consume: coconut oil, homemade butter, uncooked olive oil (in things like bruschetta, homemade dressings).
-Kristen
I never thought of that before! I’m very fair skinned and I don’t burn very easily either. Cool!
California Baby sunscreen is indeed available at Target, but I have found it online for cheaper. We LOVE it! It has the nicest scent and really works for the babies. We are all very fair-skinned people here and while I don’t buy into all the hype that sun is bad for us, we do need a little bit extra to protect us from nasty, painful burns. For myself, I really like Kiss My Face sunscreen.
I have used Burt’s Bees sunscreen and really like it. You have to really rub it in, and it does make your skin look a little lighter, but it works well.
Thanks for this post! While I don’t use sunscreen very much and have no children, I have a good friend who has been researching, and feeling a little overwhelmed by, natural sunscreen options for her baby girl. I know she’ll love this helpful info!
I just posted about sunscreen on my blog! We used Badger Sunscreen last year as it was the safest I could find. Its a bit thick, but goes on nicely and I feel that it worked nicely as well. I totally agree with you that we don’t need sunscreen all the time. I build up my girls exposure to the sun, they tend to burn the first time out in the summer sun as they are both very fair skinned. We like having a safe sunscreen on hand for those times when we need extra protection, although I do let them go without it quite often. Thanks for the informative posts, I kind of thought I was crazy not being afraid of the sun, lol, now I know I’m not alone.
I like using Aubrey’s for myself and did buy some California Baby at Target, but it’s EXPENSIVE!!!