Another Look at Sunscreen

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There is a lot of controversy about sunscreen and how much sun exposure we need to maintain our health.  As a teacher, I spend time outside everyday at recess and believe I spend more time outdoors than the average person.  Despite my time outside, I was surprised to learn after a recent blood test, that my levels of vitamin D were actually low.

How do you balance protecting yourself from the sun and getting enough Vitamin D?  Are the ingredients in sunscreens safe for your body?  One way to make sure you know exactly what you are putting on your body is by making your own protective blends using essential oils and carrier oils such as sesame, coconut, and olive oil.

In this post we talked about how sesame oil can be used as a natural sunscreen.  With the summer months upon us, I wanted to share a couple other recipes for natural sunscreens.  The first recipe includes the essential oil, helichrysum.  Sometimes called the Italian Strawflower, the papery flowers of the helichrysum plant emit a honey-like fragrance. The oil has a sweet, warm, spicy scent that can be used to decrease inflammation and help regenerate skin. Many people use helichrysum to reduce scars and skin discoloration, including relieving the pain and redness of sunburn. Recent research suggests it is also effective as a sunscreen.   The second recipe includes coconut and olive oils which have been shown to block or reduce 20% of harmful rays.

  Sunblock: Mix 3-6 drops Helichrysum with 100 drops of sesame oil or

  olive oil. Apply on skin every few hours.

  Sunscreen: 1 oz. sesame oil, 1/2 oz. coconut oil, 1/2 oz. olive oil,

  10 drops Helichrysum, 5 drops Lavender, 3 drops Chamomile. Mix and apply.

Interested in learning more about sunscreen and becoming more knowledgeable about their contents?  There has been lots written about the side effects of some of the ingredients in sunscreen.  This article provides guidelines about what to look for in a sunscreen and what to stay away from.