Comments on: Natural Sunscreen Choices

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:50:01 +0000

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.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:18:51 +0000

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.

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:39:56 +0000

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.

By: April

April — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:43:42 +0000

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!

By: Heidi

Heidi — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:41:44 +0000

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.

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:55:23 +0000

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.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:59:51 +0000

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.

By: Melissa @ Anxious for Nothing

Melissa @ Anxious for Nothing — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:31:44 +0000

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!

By: DeAnna

DeAnna — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:08:05 +0000

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.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:48:30 +0000

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.