Crunchy momma question. Homemade sunscreen in the parks?

[Svhadden]

Admin, I have no idea where this question belongs, so if you need to move, I totally get it .

We go the first week of Sept every year, and it's still quite hot, of course, and sun exposure is a big deal for us. That's because my son and I are incredibly fair-skinned. My daughter and DH could cavort naked on the surface of the sun and only get darker . We do wear hats/visors, rash guards while swimming, etc.

But I'd like to try a homemade sunscreen this year for our trip as I'm not sure I even trust some of the natural brands I've used (Badger, etc). Trying to avoid harmful chemicals altogether.

I have a couple of questions about homemade sunscreens, if there are others who've tried this. First of all, how to keep it from melting? Most of the recipes I've seen are coconut oil (some type of oil)/beeswax based, and will most likely melt above 80 degrees. Obviously, it'll be much hotter than that during our trip. One thought I had is that I carry a Camelbak into the parks, and fill it twice a day with ice cold water, so if I stored my sunscreen next to the water bladder, melting may not be an issue.

My biggest concern, of course, is effectiveness. How well do homemade sunscreens work when you're out in the heat/sun from 8:00a till sundown (12ish hrs)? I know you can add more zinc oxide to increase the SPF, but I've also read that you have to reapply them more frequently.

Just processing through whether I want to do this before our trip, and hoping there are some other crunchy mommas who can help me out. Thanks!

 

[MSSANDRA]

What an interesting idea. I am really not familiar with making your own sun screen but I would encourage you to try using them out on a sunny day trip at home before you go to WDW. People can react to even natural products (we are an allergy family) and you don't want to learn that in the parks. You can also play with how much zinc you need to add to protect yourself and see how the products feels on your skin.
let us know how it works and good luck.

 

[ChitownFamily]

Admin, I have no idea where this question belongs, so if you need to move, I totally get it .

We go the first week of Sept every year, and it's still quite hot, of course, and sun exposure is a big deal for us. That's because my son and I are incredibly fair-skinned. My daughter and DH could cavort naked on the surface of the sun and only get darker . We do wear hats/visors, rash guards while swimming, etc.

But I'd like to try a homemade sunscreen this year for our trip as I'm not sure I even trust some of the natural brands I've used (Badger, etc). Trying to avoid harmful chemicals altogether.

I have a couple of questions about homemade sunscreens, if there are others who've tried this. First of all, how to keep it from melting? Most of the recipes I've seen are coconut oil (some type of oil)/beeswax based, and will most likely melt above 80 degrees. Obviously, it'll be much hotter than that during our trip. One thought I had is that I carry a Camelbak into the parks, and fill it twice a day with ice cold water, so if I stored my sunscreen next to the water bladder, melting may not be an issue.

My biggest concern, of course, is effectiveness. How well do homemade sunscreens work when you're out in the heat/sun from 8:00a till sundown (12ish hrs)? I know you can add more zinc oxide to increase the SPF, but I've also read that you have to reapply them more frequently.

Just processing through whether I want to do this before our trip, and hoping there are some other crunchy mommas who can help me out. Thanks!

I'm not really familiar either. I'm thinking you are probably aware of the EWG's sunscreen guide? http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/

 

[DSNY4ever]

I am a pretty crunchy mom and I use Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen, (the fragrance free one). I tried a lot of the natural sunscreens and I burned right through them, Alba is the only one that works for me. I have very pale, sensitive skin. If you try it out and find one that works, please share, I am very curious.

 

[Lilliputian]

If you increase the ratio of beeswax to coconut oil, it should remain pretty stable in hotter temperatures. I've never had to take it outside (we don't stay out all day), but sometimes my homemade lotions are too hard if I use too much beeswax, and then I have to melt them again and add something that's liquid at room temp. I add olive oil or jojoba oil for homemade lotions, but since it's sunscreen, you probably do want to stick to coconut oil. Even that doesn't melt until about 74 degrees, though, so you're not going to need too much beeswax.

Are you taking a stroller? If so, it's probably not a bad idea to take a little cooler and an ice pack. If not, then I'd go to the Container Store and get some of their plastic containers made for traveling that are designed to not leak. Just in case.

I don't trust most of the sunscreens, either, but our main plan for sun protection is to stay out of the sun in the middle of the day as much as possible. For us really fair skinned people, there is really no good way to avoid burning if we're out when the sun is the brightest. So we go to the parks at rope drop, eat lunch in the shade around 11:30, and then we usually do one more ride and head "home" to our villa for a few hours. We go back around 5:00 or so. Since there is so much shade at WDW anyway, we do fine with that plan.

 

[Schmeck]

Don't forget to calculate the magnifying effect of the melted oil on your skin with the blocking of any zinc product. The oil is going to increase your chance of a burn.

 

[cheer25mom]

Sunscreens without an actual sun blocking agent don't really work. At all. Coconut oil will only make you burn faster, even if you add the zinc oxide. There is a reason sunscreens co tain other ingredients. They need them to be truly effective. Sorry, but I would say use real sunscreen or stay out of the sun unless you are willing to use a completely opaque paste of zinc oxide. That is the only DYI I have seen actually work.

 

[cheshireqt]

I am a crunchy momma too, and my DH, DS and DD don't burn either
The only thing that has worked for me comes in a pot called FACE by Ocean Potion. It is 45 spf, zinc oxide, which rubs in. After years of burning right through everything else, and getting sunscreen melting into my eyes, ow, I found this stuff. I do bring it and reapply after a few hours. I also usually wear a hat during the day, which makes me sad for pictures, and this stuff let me go hatless without burning. Just watch out for the part in your hair. I do wear a hat some of the days though. I really don't need the extra wrinkles.

 

[Maclaine]

I throw all my crunchy scruples to the winds for Disney. I buy one bottle of super chemical filled sunscreen for the whole family to use for the one week we are in Florida and we leave our Badger sunscreen home. I can't find anything less concerning that stands up to all that sun!

 

[paysensmom]

We used a homemade one when we went in June and we didn't burn at all, even at the water parks and we stayed all day. We did reapply though. You will go through more than you think you would. I used zinc oxide, coconut oil and Shea butter. I just searched online for a recipe. Next time, I will add some beeswax to make it a little more stable and a touch water repellent. It won't be waterproof no matter what, but none of them truly are. I put mine in some travel squeeze type bottles from Walmart but next time I will use a pot because every morning we had to take the lid off and dig our fingers in to get it out because it was in it's hardened state.
My opinion is to keep away from the chemicals at all costs. You will go through this one quicker, but it's natural and I don't mind rubbing it all over my 2 year old

 

[Svhadden]

If you increase the ratio of beeswax to coconut oil, it should remain pretty stable in hotter temperatures. I've never had to take it outside (we don't stay out all day), but sometimes my homemade lotions are too hard if I use too much beeswax, and then I have to melt them again and add something that's liquid at room temp. I add olive oil or jojoba oil for homemade lotions, but since it's sunscreen, you probably do want to stick to coconut oil. Even that doesn't melt until about 74 degrees, though, so you're not going to need too much beeswax.

Thank you, Lilliputian! I do plan to use a recipe that includes beeswax--from our own hives--told ya we're crunchy lol--as I think that would help with waterproofing so I wouldn't have to reapply every 5 min .

And no, this will be our first year with no stroller, and I'm feeling the withdrawal, ha! I used that stroller as our catch-all for so many years that I'm sure going without it will be a bit of a shock at first. Again, I think that if I store the sunscreen next to the water bladder in my backpack, it may remain solid.

I am a crunchy momma too, and my DH, DS and DD don't burn either
The only thing that has worked for me comes in a pot called FACE by Ocean Potion. It is 45 spf, zinc oxide, which rubs in. After years of burning right through everything else, and getting sunscreen melting into my eyes, ow, I found this stuff. I do bring it and reapply after a few hours. I also usually wear a hat during the day, which makes me sad for pictures, and this stuff let me go hatless without burning. Just watch out for the part in your hair. I do wear a hat some of the days though. I really don't need the extra wrinkles.

I always wear a visor (my hair is pretty thick and I don't really have a distinct part, so no worries . I do have to put sunscreen on my ears, though, as my hair is short. And I hear ya on the wrinkles .

We used a homemade one when we went in June and we didn't burn at all, even at the water parks and we stayed all day. We did reapply though. You will go through more than you think you would. I used zinc oxide, coconut oil and Shea butter. I just searched online for a recipe. Next time, I will add some beeswax to make it a little more stable and a touch water repellent. It won't be waterproof no matter what, but none of them truly are. I put mine in some travel squeeze type bottles from Walmart but next time I will use a pot because every morning we had to take the lid off and dig our fingers in to get it out because it was in it's hardened state.
My opinion is to keep away from the chemicals at all costs. You will go through this one quicker, but it's natural and I don't mind rubbing it all over my 2 year old

Paysensmom, this reassures me so much! I know that homemade sunscreens DO work if made and used correctly, as I have many friends who've used them, but I'd think that 8 days in Aug/Sept at WDW would be the ULTIMATE field-test for a homemade sunscreen .

We are planning a water park day, which is my biggest concern. I can keep my boy covered pretty well. He wears a hat, that shields his face/neck, a rash guard with 3/4 length sleeves, and his bottoms come to about knee length. I also have a cover-up (bought a few years ago in AK...so pretty!) that's long, and a hat, so also not worried about keeping myself covered. But I don't want to have to live in a tent all week .

And we've worked very hard for several years now to remove chemicals and harmful products from our home and health. The idea of hosing all of us down with dangerous chemicals for a solid week is distressing .

 

[Schmeck]

And we've worked very hard for several years now to remove chemicals and harmful products from our home and health. The idea of hosing all of us down with dangerous chemicals for a solid week is distressing .

You'll want to stay out of the pools then, as they are highly chlorinated at WDW. Also, stay off of the grass, as they spray with pesticides to keep the mosquito, tick, and chigger populations down.

 

[cheer25mom]

And we've worked very hard for several years now to remove chemicals and harmful products from our home and health. The idea of hosing all of us down with dangerous chemicals for a solid week is distressing .

As a chemist, this statement makes me sad. It really bothers me that I many people have been convinced of danger where none has been shown to exist. The " avoid chemicals at all costs" mentality is really sad to me. Just because it has a chemical formula does t mean it is bad. Water is a chemical, but we cannot live without it. All chemicals are not bad, and a lot of what is hyped as being horrible today had never been proven to cause harm, but it is the hip thing to do so peope get sucked in. Yes there are chemicals that are harmful, just as there are poisonous plants. Being " all natural" oesmt make them any less deadly, and being manufactured doesn't automatically make something harmful. The zinc oxide you are using in the home made sunscreen is a commercially manufactured chemical too.

 

[Svhadden]

Ok, first of all, thank you to everyone who offered HELPFUL advice...which is exactly what I asked for. I really do appreciate the insight.

Second, I didn't imply that my mission is to remove EVERY chemical from our lives as that would be impossible. I'm aware that there are chemicals in our clothes, homes, vehicles etc that aren't harmful to us in the first place. I don't want to live in a bubble. And this isn't a "fad" for me. My fam has been living this way for over 12 yrs, since our first child was born.

The skin is the body's largest organ, and so I am quite cautious about what I slather all over myself and my kids. Many sunscreens contain harmful chemicals, and I won't argue that, because it's easily researchable for anyone interested, as well as a long-established fact. This is my personal choice for my fam, and I am honestly boggled that anyone would choose to be offended by my question, or feel the need to insert sarcastic commentary .

I really don't get why almost every flippin' question that gets asked on these boards has to include someone's angst-filled reply? If the question doesn't apply to you, directly address you, why do ppl feel the need to comment??? I specifically asked a question directed at crunchy mommas (plz refer to my title), or those with experience using homemade sunscreen in the park (again, plz refer to my title). If neither of those topics apply to you...I don't see why anyone would feel the need to comment.

Rant complete, and plz don't interpret my caps as yelling, but rather as strong emphasis .

 

[Svhadden]

What an interesting idea. I am really not familiar with making your own sun screen but I would encourage you to try using them out on a sunny day trip at home before you go to WDW. People can react to even natural products (we are an allergy family) and you don't want to learn that in the parks. You can also play with how much zinc you need to add to protect yourself and see how the products feels on your skin.
let us know how it works and good luck.

Thanks for the encouragement . I'm hoping to experiment soon, and I'll post the results in this thread. I'm pretty hopeful!

 

[Schmeck]

You'll probably want to have a fridge in your room too for food storage. We couldn't find much unprocessed, organic food onsite. Actually, we couldn't find any at all. I think there is a whole foods nearby?

Also, try switching the coconut oil for a less saturated fat one - as you stated, the skin is the largest organ, and will absorb the saturated fats (although the lauric acid may be beneficial). Of course, reapplication is important. Also, something to counter the oxidation risk from the zinc oxide? Maybe some green tea extract?

 

[cheer25mom]

Ok, first of all, thank you to everyone who offered HELPFUL advice...which is exactly what I asked for. I really do appreciate the insight.

Second, I didn't imply that my mission is to remove EVERY chemical from our lives as that would be impossible. I'm aware that there are chemicals in our clothes, homes, vehicles etc that aren't harmful to us in the first place. I don't want to live in a bubble. And this isn't a "fad" for me. My fam has been living this way for over 12 yrs, since our first child was born.

The skin is the body's largest organ, and so I am quite cautious about what I slather all over myself and my kids. Many sunscreens contain harmful chemicals, and I won't argue that, because it's easily researchable for anyone interested, as well as a long-established fact. This is my personal choice for my fam, and I am honestly boggled that anyone would choose to be offended by my question, or feel the need to insert sarcastic commentary .

I really don't get why almost every flippin' question that gets asked on these boards has to include someone's angst-filled reply? If the question doesn't apply to you, directly address you, why do ppl feel the need to comment??? I specifically asked a question directed at crunchy mommas (plz refer to my title), or those with experience using homemade sunscreen in the park (again, plz refer to my title). If neither of those topics apply to you...I don't see why anyone would feel the need to comment.

Rant complete, and plz don't interpret my caps as yelling, but rather as strong emphasis .

For me, I do try to live clean and healthy, and find that there is simply a lot of bad info out there that many fall prey to. If people are not educated about false info, they continue to fall victim to it, so I speak up. I only meant to say that all chemicals are not inherntly bad, and all sunscreens don't contain awful chemicals. Sorry that you don't want comments that don't automatically agree with you. You asked about effectiveness, and I have never found home made sunscreens that were not the opaque zinc variety very effective. I don't think you can make one at home that is, and there are several commercially available options without "harmful chemicals".

 

[Svhadden]

You'll probably want to have a fridge in your room too for food storage. We couldn't find much unprocessed, organic food onsite. Actually, we couldn't find any at all. I think there is a whole foods nearby?

Also, try switching the coconut oil for a less saturated fat one - as you stated, the skin is the largest organ, and will absorb the saturated fats (although the lauric acid may be beneficial). Of course, reapplication is important. Also, something to counter the oxidation risk from the zinc oxide? Maybe some green tea extract?

Oh yes, we always bring a cooler . I bring my own homemade almond milk, raw peanut butter, tons of raw/organic snacks, things like that. That's always part of our luggage, ha! By the way, have you tried The Wave?

And organic coconut oil is all I've used on my face/lips for quite some time. All I cook with, as well. It's a fabulous moisturizer, and I know it seems counterintuitive, but coconut oil actually has a bit of SPF as well...SPF 4 or 6, I think??? I know some who use it as sunscreen quite effectively, but they have a darker skin tone than me, so I'd never even try coconut oil alone.

I have many friends who've used homemade sunscreens with zero complaints, so again, I KNOW they work, at least for short-term sun exposure. My concern is specifically using them at WDW, where we'll be outside for the majority of 8-9 days at the end of Aug/beginning of Sept. So I found myself quite reassured when a pp indicated that she had used a homemade sunscreen at WDW in July, and was pleased with its effectiveness. Repeat--I KNOW THEY CAN WORK--just wanted to hear from someone who had used it as I hope to.

Disclaimer: As previously stated, caps aren't yelling, they're emphasis .

 

[DisneyMomma81]

What have you used for sun screen on your last five September trips?

 

[theelfqueen]

I would look for UV protective clothing (watch for a UPF).
See:
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/get-in-on-the-trend

Wear sleeves and pants in light weight materials. Wear a hat and sunglasses.

Denim has a UPF of 1700.