How to make sunscreen plant based.

Greetings folks. I wanna find ways to create sunscreen from plant material, no chemicals or nothing, all healthy and eco-friendly. I want one that will make a substantial difference to my health and life in this complex to time. I'm looking for more healthy skin this summer free from burnouts and dry outs that will cause it to crack down. If anybody wanna make their skin smooth again, please drop in your ideas and stuff in this box and we'll go to the max. Addios!

This - a type of lotion bar - is what I make & use,  even when we go very close to the equator, and deep in the woods at home, or Central American tropics (The Caribbean, Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc):

SUNSCREEN, TICK & SKEETER REPELLENT
2oz(weight)cocoa butter
2oz (weight) beeswax
1oz (weight) jojoba
.5oz@ evening primrose & frankincense
3ml@ lemongrass, geranium, & lavender essential oils
10drops sweet orange e.o. (Leave out, for use in the tropics, as it can increase sun sensitivity - is more for bug repelling)
1T non-nano zinc oxide
Melt first 3 ingredients together, in a double-boiler (or a heat proof bowl on a pan of water), stirring, occasionally. Allow to cool a few minutes, then stir in everything else, and pour into molds of your choice. I prefer using deodorant applicators, for ease of use & carrying.

Are there more simpler ways besides the ones I mentioned? I'm looking for stuff I can get from wild plants in my backyard instead of always depending on the merchants all the time.

We don't know where you are, what your plans are, what's available in your area, or pretty much anything else about you or your environment - other than your need for sunscreen - so we don't know what does or will grow, for you. We need you to help us help you. I've not found anything that grows locally, near me.

I don't know either, but I'm doing my very best to remain sustainable for the foreseeable future. Are there places out there to buy stuff on the cheap to create a more sustainable sunscreen?

You can make all sorts of lotions to help the skin heal from sun damage, but I'm not sure about anything that actually absorbs UV in the right wavelengths to consistently block UV.

My immediate thoughts for a "Plant based sunscreen":



You can't always find a direct substitute for items, but there are usually alternatives that do the job.

The white powdery stuff that's on the outside of aspen bark, rub it off with your hands then rub it on your body.

I would suggest making a salve from a mixture of plantain, self-heal, and red clover.

For the oil, you could just use what oil you normally use like olive or or coconut oil.

If you have clay soil you could use that for the based, just mix it us daily then spread where you want protection.

Avocado might work in place of the clay.

Just start experimenting and see what you can come up with.

Even plain olive or coconut oil have an SPF of on average 7.5 or 8 although it can be as low as 2.  Experiment.

You could infuse St. John's Wort flowers or Calendula flowers to add to the SPF, making it around double that.  Hope this helps <3

for the high desert climates, the only traditional recipe ive come across with a provable/functional spf rating is buffalo fat mixed with western wallflower (not sure what part of the plant sorry) then diluting the mixture with wet clay before spreading on your body. It doesn't sound pleasant.    

Friends in the tropics regularly use thinned out sap/latex from sapodilla trees as a mild sunscreen, though it would likely not provide enough protection for very light skin.

The suggestion to include self-heal in your ingredients is valid as it has been shown to prevent damage by the worst 2 wavelengths of sunlight and it grows almost everywhere.

Lisa Allen wrote:Even plain olive or coconut oil have an SPF of on average 7.5 or 8 although it can be as low as 2.  Experiment.

You could infuse St. John's Wort flowers or Calendula flowers to add to the SPF, making it around double that.  Hope this helps <3

St.John's Wort flowers infused in olive oil is a healing mix for scars but it may leave permanent stains on your skin under direct sunlight, especially in warm climates.

red raspberry seed oil has a very high spf something like 50+
mix with something with coconut oil to get the spf you want

This is online info about red raspberry seed oil:  "It absorbs damaging UVA and UVB rays, preventing them from reaching your skin and causing inflammation and sun damage. Some studies have shown that, on its own, red raspberry seed oil has an SPF of between 28 and 50 for UVA rays and up to SPF 8 for UVB rays".

I have been using this oil on my face for the past several years.  I leave my face exposed when outside with it on for 45 minutes or so and then I wear a hat with a huge brim.  I also wear shorts and tank for 45 minutes and then switch to long sleeves, bandana, and long pants.  

If you are going completely plant based, you can start from the inside of the body.  Eating tomatoes can reduce the negative effects of UV on the skin and therefore skin damage from sun exposure.  This knowledge has long been known in Mediterranean cultures and of course, tomatoes grow so well in that climate.  

Here's the science:

Eating Tomato Protects Skin.  

There are other plants to eat that can help.  I've seen carrots talked about and also lemons.

The most effective and pleasant external plant-based sunscreen I have used is organic shea butter but I did purchase it. It is about 4% protection.  

Also think about mineral-based ointments. Many tropical people used clay on their skin, and even now you can buy expensive clay-based ointments for sun protection. I don't know if you have any clay deposits down in the calumet area If you do, maybe a combination of wide-brimmed hat, loose long-sleeved shirt, and a bit of clay lotion on any still-exposed skin.

for plant-based, I think like others have said the best options are oils, so you would need some kind of productive oil seed. Maybe sunflower or squash?

Ozge Ba wrote:

Lisa Allen wrote:Even plain olive or coconut oil have an SPF of on average 7.5 or 8 although it can be as low as 2.  Experiment.

You could infuse St. John's Wort flowers or Calendula flowers to add to the SPF, making it around double that.  Hope this helps <3

St.John's Wort flowers infused in olive oil is a healing mix for scars but it may leave permanent stains on your skin under direct sunlight, especially in warm climates.

I have actually made my own St. John's Wort in olive oil (I would spray a bit of vodka on the fresh plant before I put it in the oil to help it not mold), and I have used a purchased one from an herbal store.  Both times I never got sunburned, and I never got stained either, so that has not been my experience.

Sarah Elizabeth wrote:If you are going completely plant based, you can start from the inside of the body.  Eating tomatoes can reduce the negative effects of UV on the skin and therefore skin damage from sun exposure.  This knowledge has long been known in Mediterranean cultures and of course, tomatoes grow so well in that climate.  

Here's the science:

Eating Tomato Protects Skin.  

There are other plants to eat that can help.  I've seen carrots talked about and also lemons.

The most effective and pleasant external plant-based sunscreen I have used is organic shea butter but I did purchase it. It is about 4% protection.  

Indeed, actually I believe this is even better if you eat lots of organic berries, the darker the better (think blueberries).  I had forgotten to mention that!

Thanks for posting this thread, it is just what I need. I tried a hat too but I really like to feel the sun on my face and body  especially now in spring time.

Here is an article on natural oils that you can use to protect your skin from the sun.
https://wildernorthbotanicals.com/blog/5-of-the-best-natural-oils-with-spf-protection/

I have used wheat germ oil a few times but I do not know how effective it is. I am inspired to buy the raspberry oil and mix it with wheatgerm oil and shea butter to make a sun screen that is easy to use.
I don't like the organic sunscreen cremes with zinc oxide as they make my face all white looking in a strange way.


All the best under the sun!

So agree about the zinc oxide sunscreen cremes.  But maybe if we all wore them, people would realize what it was and it would get more trendy.  I also wonder if the zinc oxide is good for you as a source of zinc!  I have also mixed raspberry seed oil into the creme and that cuts the color down some.

I don't know about plant-based, but I have heard of people coating their skin with a thin layer of mud or clay. This accomplished 3 things: It helped keep them cool in hot weather, it protected their skin from the sun, and it made it harder for biting insects to get through. Not impossible, mind you. Just harder.

I don't recommend doing that in public these days. Especially if you are a Caucasian person and the mud is dark! But if you're on your own, on your own property, it might be an option.

I mix my zinc oxide cream with a little cocoa powder. The color isn't perfect but it's not the blinding white look with just zinc oxide. I use this on my arms and neck and it works well. One added bonus is this makes a great deodorant. Lots of natural deodorants are zinc oxide based and ridiculously expensive for what they are made of. Just mix 15-20% of non-nano zinc oxide with your favorite lotion (mine's homemade too) and you have a wonderful deodorant and sun-blocker. Add cocoa powder as desired for your skin tone if you're using it for sunscreen.

I also make foundation cream with zinc oxide, lotion, and both red and gold mineral powders. This gives me the same look as most foundation make-ups.

Wow! Many great info! Thank you
I am perhaps the worst? I never use anything. I don't wear hats, sunglasses, lotions. I dislike them. I have "farmer's tan" on my legs, arms and neck that disappears over Winter .
I like the heat, the sun, the sweat. I don't get sunburn on exposed parts of my body.
Wrinkles? I sure DO have many but I don't care. Those are "roads" of my life. And I'm passed the time when I care what people think
Besides, as many have already mentioned, what's in commercial sunscreens cam be detrimental to ones health.
I tried DIY recipes but frankly speaking.....it's too many ingredients and I just can't be bother.
Could be too, that our Summers are very short, and temperatures rarely exceed 30+ C. Or maybe it's genetic?
Perhaps if I lived in a really hot climate, I may have been forced to rethink .

Besides sun hat and sleeves, sometimes i rub a little shea butter on face and hands and use a powder puff to put a little dusting of red clay (my skin color) over it to reflect the rays. It seems to work! I think any powdery substance, like arrowroot powder, would do the same. At first i had mixed the oils and powders, but this way is less messy and doesn't get rancid as fast.

Beth Mouse wrote:So agree about the zinc oxide sunscreen cremes.  But maybe if we all wore them, people would realize what it was and it would get more trendy.  I also wonder if the zinc oxide is good for you as a source of zinc!  I have also mixed raspberry seed oil into the creme and that cuts the color down some.

I think the amount of zinc you need is tiny relative to the amount being plastered on your skin!
The amount needed is 9.5mg/day (men, 19-64), 8mg/day women; any supplements no more than 25mg/day. (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others/)