Natural sunscreen from your kitchen

If you open your kitchen cupboard, you’re likely to find many natural ingredients that provide sun protection. The oils you've been using for cooking are a good example of natural ingredients with some pretty impressive SPF properties.

Take these oils off the shelf and use them as nature’s very own sunscreens:

Carrot Seed Oil. Carrot seed oil is estimated to contain SPF levels of approximately 30.Raspberry Seed Oil. Of all natural ingredients, this contains the highest sun protection at an estimated SPF of 30-50.

Wheat Germ Oil. Possesses a natural SPF of 20 and is nourishing for the skin.

Shea Butter. With an SPF of approximately 6-10, it does double duty as a super moisturizer and skin protectant.

Avocado, Coconut, Hemp, Peanut, Sesame and Soybean oils all have SPF levels of 4-10.

No single oil is adequate for all day protection. To maximize their protective properties, a reapplication of oil (or a combination of oils) is necessary, particularly after a dip in the water (or heavy perspiration.) Just remember: none of these oils or butters are a sun block. As a former sun worshipper, I had more than my share of sunburns in my youth, and as a result, I have some permanent pigment damage. I’m now very cognizant of protecting my body from harmful UV rays. But, I refuse to use chemical sunscreens.

Think about it, not only do manufactured sunscreens come packed with laboratory chemicals, they direct us to apply liberally and literally bake these science experiments into our skin. No thanks! Why absorb potentially harmful chemicals into our body when it’s so easy to let nature care for us? It’s easy to make your own natural sunscreen that reflects the sun’s rays. NATURE’S SUNSCREEN RECIPE Ingredients: 1 ounce oil (or combination of the oils from the list above) 1 ounce beeswax (adds waterproof properties) 1 ounce butter (choose from skin soothing Shea butter, mango butter or cocoa butter) 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil Directions: 1. Over low heat, melt the oils, beeswax, and butters.

2. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then, add vitamin E oil and blend well.

3. This recipe will produce a product similar to a lotion bar or sunscreen stick. You could easily clean out and re-purpose a used deodorant push up tube or recycle a cosmetic tub.

4. The sunscreen will cool and harden overnight and be ready for the beach the next day!

Remember to re-apply often and reduce over-exposure to the sun's harmful rays.

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