Easy Non-Toxic Beach Cream

Here in Arizona we spend a lot of time in the sun ~ with summer temps that reach 115 and even 117-118 at times, it’s almost a necessity TO have protection against the sun.

We spend our summers in the pool, at the waterpark, and going to the zoo – and with that, comes the worry about being in the blazing hot heat of the rays.  

I myself am a pretty light-skinned person – I am often told I look sick because I am so white, and when put outside, instead of tanning, I simply burn. Red. And it doesn’t take much for me to fry up to a nice lobster color.

My children are not as light as me, but my 3 youngest do have the same problem – so we’re always looking for ways to protect their skin too.

The idea of buying and using sun protection isn’t what we are aiming for though ~ it might be easier for some to just grab a tube at the store, but commercial products aren’t the best option for our skin.  Commercial products in general are very toxic for you to use – what goes on your skin is just as important as what goes in.

So why are these sun care products in pure abundance in almost every store around the U.S.?

Sun Care and Protection is a HUGE industry – just like food {processed}, and health care, there are lack of regulations and oversight by the FDA.

Many of the commercial sun protection products have Oxybenzone – which is a hormone disruptor and can easily penetrate skin and enter the bloodstream . Once in the bloodstream, it acts like estrogen in the body and triggers allergic reactions. (Src)

Commercial products contain Retinol and Retinyl Palmitate – which, in some cases, can increase the speed at which malignant cancer cells develop – they can spread skin cancer because they can contain Vitamin A that is harmful when exposed to the sun. (Src)

Here’s the real danger — and you can read HERE for more:

Researchers at the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based nonprofit, released their annual report claiming nearly half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate.

Not to mention commercial products contain synthetic fragrances which can ALSO cause hormone disruption; they can accumulate in the breast milk of a pregnant mother, in the umbilical cord blood and also in your body fat.   Parabens interfere with hormone production, and phthalates are linked to reproductive issues as well.

To avoid these problems, it’s best to either make your own or there are some types that are generally safer.

Considering that we make our own beauty products in general, making beach cream is just another addition to our list.

It’s really very easy to make, and very effective – we wore Beach Cream to go pick peaches at our local farm on a day that was pushing 95… not to mention, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. AND we decided to walk to the peach grove, which was about a mile each way.  

I knew we’d be outside for a few hours; I dressed appropriately, but I still wanted light protection.

In past years, I have gotten burnt, even with protection (and I usually always have a hat, too!). But not this year… and this past trip my son decided to wear my wide brimmed hat, so I was hat-less and it was a LONG walk to the orchard.

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 C. Coconut Oil
• 25-30 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
• 12 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 4 Tbsp Zinc Oxide

To make:  Whip the coconut oil on high in your KitchenAid or with a hand mixer until fluffy.   Add the Zinc Oxide – then mix in your Essential Oils.   Store in a glass jar in a cool place (refrigerator).  Reapply as needed to skin.

This Beach Cream is NOT waterproof – you can adjust the recipe to make it waterproof by adding a small amount of beeswax.

About the Ingredients:

Zinc Oxide: Is unique among ingredients in that it is truly a broad-spectrum blocker, protecting from UVA, UVB, and even UVC.  It has the BEST UV Absorption profile. is a mineral nutrient, is safe for children & for babies and in comparison to titanium dioxide, it weighs in as being the better option.

Carrot Seed Oil: Is effective in supporting healthy skin.

Lavender: Great to support healthy skin – combined with wonderful scent it makes a great addition to DIY beauty items.

Being out for short periods of time is actually GOOD for your body – it boosts natural vitamin D production, which helps protect your skin. Spending hours in the rays though, is not healthy .. no matter what type of cream or lotion you put on your body.

You can read more about the role of creams and being in the rays on this post HERE – try your best to stay away from commercial cream or lotion products, spend 20-30 minutes each day without protection to boost your vitamin D, and after that period of time, dress cautiously and use a cream like this recipe, above, to provide support for any additional time.

Just fair warning though: creams and lotions are great but they should not be relied upon too heavily.  Always use common sense when being outdoors – have kids? Then prepare for being outside for extended periods if needed. If you have a new baby or a younger child, it’s always best to use good judgement when it comes to taking them outside or, keeping them outside for long periods of time.

 

We use Young Living for ALL of our Oily needs ~ if you are interested in using Essential Oils for your personal care, wellness, or home, Young Living offers a tremendous opportunity to score their oils at wholesale cost (24% OFF) when you buy the premium starter kit (which includes 11 popular oils, a diffuser and samples of various other items).

Not to mention, when you purchase the starter kit, we will send you a bonus, and reference materials to help you get started on your oily journey, in addition to access to several Facebook groups for training, too.

See 25 DIYs with Essential Oils!