Have you ever wondered how our ancestors protected themselves from ultraviolet rays? In addition to protecting yourself with clothing, spending as much time as possible in the shade and avoiding direct exposure to the sun in the hours of the day when it is most prevalent, the key was to use a homemade sunscreen.
A homemade sunscreen can help us in the same way as a conventional sunscreen that we can find in any store. The crux of the matter is knowing which foods are best suited to protect our skin . Next we will see what they are and how to prepare different types of homemade sunscreen.
Foods that can act as a homemade sunscreen
It is very important to know that in addition to applying a specific sun protection product on our skin, we can also help our body to be better protected through the food we eat.
These are, for example, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries , walnuts … and in general all foods whose season is summer. The reason why these foods help the body to be protected from the harmful rays of the sun is because they are the best antioxidants and prevent the most superficial layers of the skin from weakening due to the massive intake of processed foods .
It may also be convenient to add fruits such as melon, aloe vera and tea to our diet, which are also quite powerful antioxidants.
Recipe for our homemade sunscreen
To make our homemade sunscreen we have to use the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- Wheat germ oil, sesame oil, carrot seed oil or raspberry seed oil (we will only need two tablespoons of two of the oils just mentioned).
- 30 grams of beeswax. We can find it very easily online or in our trusted herbalist.
- 30 grams of mango, cocoa or shea butter. It is also possible to find it in practically any herbalist.
- A small spoonful of wheat germ oil, very rich in vitamin E.
- 10 grams of zinc oxide powder. They usually sell it in pharmacies or cosmetic stores.
- Optionally, 30 drops of carrot or raspberry essential oils can be added to the mixture.
How to make a homemade sunscreen
- Present all the ingredients and two saucepans of different sizes, as well as other kitchen utensils to stir the mixture.
- Bring the largest pot of water to a simmer. In the smallest pot, add the non-essential oils, the beeswax and the shortening. Let them melt and mix in a water bath.
- Remove from heat and let cool. Then add the vitamin E oil, zinc oxide powder and essential oils to the mixture.
- Stir until the mixture is as homogeneous as possible.
- Pour the content of the homemade sunscreen into, for example, a spray bottle. The final product will look very similar to conventional cream. You can also use cans of other products that have run out, such as bath gel or shampoo.
- Before applying it to the skin, it is important to let it cool down for at least one night and once it is ready , apply it to the skin, especially at times of the day when the sun hits the hardest.
As you have seen in this article, making your own homemade sunscreen is very simple, and you will help the environment as well as protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.