Image: Flickr, AMkuchl

Summertime is sunburn time and with our being in the height of summer right now, sunscreen is definitely required. Whether you live in Alaska or Florida, this is sunburn season for sure.

In this and the next article, we will be discussing some sunscreen and sunburn remedies that are both organic and natural.  Best of all, you’ll have the option of either buying all-natural versions in the store (and knowing what to look for when you do) or making your own!

Of course, you need sunlight to keep yourself healthy.  Most people need around ten minutes a day and your body self-regulates it’s vitamin D production, so once you have enough, your body stops making it until you need more.  In most conditions, of course, you won’t burn in only ten minutes of exposure.  It’s the rest of the time that’s the issue.

Simple Solutions For Avoiding Sunburn

The easiest way to keep from getting burnt, of course, is to stay out of the sun in the first place.  That doesn’t sound like much of an option really.  Does it?  Well, the clothing you wear when you are in the sun can help prevent sunburn.  Wear as much clothing as you feel comfortable with.  Light, breezy shirts or blouses, longer “knee” shorts, or loose coverlets can go a long ways towards keeping the sun off your skin.

Of course, the one thing you can’t go without this time of year is a hat.  A wide-brimmed hat is best—one that provides as much shade as possible for your face and neck.  Not only can this help keep you cool and unburnt, but it shades your eyes from harmful sunlight too.

Sunscreen Options

The normal sunscreens you see on the store shelf might work really well, but they have interesting ingredients.  To be nice about it.

Most off-the-shelf sunscreens that aren’t natural contain parabens, which are estrogen-mimicking and endocrine-disrupting substances.  Others contain nano-particles of zinc and/or titanium as their active ingredient, which are readily absorbed by your skin and are highly reactive (absorbent) of other substances.

Neither of those is a good thing, so the natural alternatives are definitely the way to go.

Of the two above problem ingredients, parabens are by far the worst, so at the very least, a paraben-free sunscreen is preferred.  Those aren’t too hard to find, even at big box stores.  In the healthy living section of most stores, however, you’ll find much better alternatives.

That section (or a health food store itself) will probably have sunscreens that are labeled “biodegradable.”  They’ll likely have “natural” or other descriptions on the label (never “organic,” as that’s a word controlled by the FDA).  There are a handful of popular brands of natural sunscreens off-the-shelf.

How to Make Your Own Sunscreen at Home

If you’d like to try making your own, it’s actually a lot easier than you think.  Your pharmacy, health food store, or even just the vitamin shelf will have zinc oxide in powdered or undiluted pill form.  Powdered is preferred, but if you get the pills, you can use a mortar and pestle or a blender to crush them to powder.

Zinc oxide is the primary ingredient.  Others you’ll need are any kind of lotion (aloe vera gel from a plant is preferred).  Mix the powder and lotion until a somewhat jellied paste is formed.  Dilute to taste and spread as you would lotion or sunscreen.

The zinc can be replaced with vitamin C powder with rosehips added if you prefer, though this is not quite as effective.  Coconut oil can also be used/added for scent and healthy skin.  You can mix and match most of these ingredients as you wish, though keep in mind that the zinc oxide and C are the main sunblock components.

Do you have natural sunscreen options you enjoy?  Let us know in the comments!

Bur Organic Sunscreen Products

[phpzon]Organic Sunscreen, 10,Beauty[/phpzon]