Natural Shea Butter Sunscreen

Natural Shea Butter Sunscreen

MAY 15, 2013 BY KELLY 70 COMMENTS

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Written by Kelly, Contributing Writer

Hi, Everyone! I am so very excited to be visiting with you at Day2Day Joys today! Thank you, Rachel!! 

My name is Kelly and I blog over at Eyes on the Source.

Today, I wanted to share with you something relatively new to our family, but I am sure many of you have heard of or tried this product, already. We started using Shea Butter several months ago as yet another experiment to bring healing to my son’s eczema and psoriasis.

I had heard of its super moisturizing qualities, but was uncertain of how it would react to his skin as he has a slight nut allergy. Shea butter is made from Shea (or Karite) tree nuts and I usually shy away from anything in the nut family for that reason.

Shea Butter is rich in vitamins A and E and fatty acids which helps the skin to retain elasticity, it also has antibacterial properties to speed healing. It encourages circulation and cellular restoration; it is rich in moisturizing nutrients the list goes on and on… So, hesitantly, we tried Shea Butter and it has worked wonders on my son’s skin!

And it turns out that Shea Butter has innumerable uses! Shea Butter has quickly become my family’s “go-to” remedy!

Here is a quick list of uses:

• Calm and heal eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis break outs
• Speed healing of sunburn and prevent peeling
• Stops itching from insect bites (also, antibacterial to protect from infection)
• Soften dry, cracked skin on heels and elbows
• Soothe and speed healing of cuts, scrapes and burns
• Soften cuticles
• Prevent and provide relief from diaper rash
• Fade stretch marks, skin blemishes and wrinkles
• Protects from windburn, razor burn and chapped skin
• Reduces joint pain and swelling
• Deep conditioning hair treatment and prevents dandruff when used on the scalp
• Natural sun protection of 4-5 SPF (from Vitamins E and F)

When I discovered the natural sun protection of Shea Butter, I couldn’t resist the idea of making my own sunscreen. My son’s skin is very irritated by regular over-the-counter sunscreen products and if you have done any research on sunscreen, you know that the chemicals on your skin are just as bad, if not worse, than getting sunburned. (check out the chemicals in any skin product here)

So, here is a simple recipe for Shea Butter Sunscreen! 

The only difficult part of this recipe might be finding the ingredients! I had to order the Zinc Oxide online, but the rest of the ingredients I found at Walmart and the local health food store.

Shea Butter Sunscreen!

What you need:

• 1 C 100% pure Shea Butter
• 1/2 C Coconut Oil
• 4 ounces Beeswax (less if you want thinner lotion, but this if for water resistance)
• 1/2 C Olive Oil
• 2 t or more Liquid Vitamin E
• 3 T Zinc Oxide Powder

What to do:

Combine all ingredients except the Zinc Oxide in crockpot. I highly recommend a crockpot liner for easy clean-up! Heat on high until all ingredients are completely melted. Will be a clear golden color. Then slowly, whisk in the three tablespoons of Zinc Oxide. Carefully, pour into Mason Jars or other heat safe containers and let sit uncovered until cooled. The SPF on this recipe is about 30, but adding more Zinc Oxide will make it higher.

**If you want to make a liquid sunscreen, try this natural homemade sunscreen oil recipe. 

I am blessed to be with you all today! I’d love for you to connect with me on Facebook! Until next time~ Kelly@Eyes on the Source