DIY Sunscreen

Dave and I went swimming at Knife River this weekend. The water was refreshing; not warm but not so cold that we couldn’t soak for a while. Lake Superior is frigid all summer long. The mild water temps only happen about one week in August. We were thrilled to catch the perfect day for a dip. After our swim, we spread our towels along the shore and laid down to dry off. The beach was full of families with children and pets splashing along the shoreline. There was a boat pulled up to the beach and kayakers winding their way back and forth in the cove. A young girl paddled past us and yelled out, “Skin Cancer!” I stifled my urge to yell back at her, "NO, SUNSCREEN...and Vitamin D!"

It's time to begin packing supplies for the trip. On the top of the list of health supplies is sunscreen! Since we will be exposed to the elements each day, all day, we anticipate using a lot of it. How much should we bring? We'd planned to wait and purchase a bunch of sunscreen on sale at the end of the season. Then we heard that some of the sunscreens available on the market are not effective. In addition, many contain chemicals that are bad for us including oxybenzone. Experts believe it is linked to hormone disruption and, ironically, cell damage that may lead to skin cancer.

After researching manufactured sunscreens, we decided to try making our own. We found numerous recipes online. The majority of them have the same basic ingredients; Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Zinc and Beeswax. Most of these ingredients have a level of SPF on their own and become higher SPF when combined. Beeswax has antioxidants and moisturizing properties. We like the idea of using a product that contains natural ingredients and we love to DIY!!!

Sunscreen Ingredients

I selected a recipe from http://www.mommypotamus.com. I found all of the ingredients on amazon.com spending about $40, the cost of 4 cans of Coppertone Sport at a retail shop. Sunscreen is not our only protection from the elements. We have an array of hats, umbrellas, sun glasses and a sun awning that lays across our boom and creates a lovely shaded spot for afternoon tea (or cocktails).

Mystic at anchor, under the sun awning

Hat, glasses and long sleeves

Dave in his favorite straw hat

UPDATE:  

I finally found time to make a double batch of sunscreen. I ended up using this recipe: http://blog.lexienaturals.com/2012/07/homemade-natural-sunscreen.html. It was very easy although very messy. Pay extra attention to Lexi's advice on cleaning up as you go. My first batch matched the recipe exactly. I decided to change things up with the second batch after reading that I could add beeswax to thicken the cream for our time in warmer climates. In addition, I added lavender essential oil to batch two and ended up with a lovely lightly scented cream. This recipe should keep for up to a year!

Both Dave and I tried it right away and liked the feeling of it on our skin. It is a little more oily than the kind you get in the store but it does absorb into your skin. Success!!!