Crunchy momma question. Homemade sunscreen in the parks?

[Svhadden]

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

I've used Badger with no problems. I'd just like to try something homemade . And it's sort of a pain that I can't get it locally and have to order, which is a bit pricey with shipping. And since it's being used by 4 ppl, it doesn't go very far. I know I can make a big batch of homemade and it will be more wallet-friendly.

 

[aprilchem]

Just a question (or possibly a word of caution), and I'll preface this by saying that I a) have a Ph.D. in chemistry and b) am somewhat of a "crunchy" mom myself.

I'm not sure where you get your zinc oxide, but I'd be VERY careful of the particle size when you purchase it. There has been some preliminary research that shows that zinc oxide can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream, and could potentially be an endocrine disruptor. I know that some sunscreen companies have adjusted their particle sizes already to make them larger. I can personally buy ZnO in all sorts of particle sizes through chemical suppliers, so who knows what people are selling out there. I have no idea what the threshold is for skin absorption; I don't even know if that's been established yet.

April

 

[Svhadden]

Just a question (or possibly a word of caution), and I'll preface this by saying that I a) have a Ph.D. in chemistry and b) am somewhat of a "crunchy" mom myself.

I'm not sure where you get your zinc oxide, but I'd be VERY careful of the particle size when you purchase it. There has been some preliminary research that shows that zinc oxide can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream, and could potentially be an endocrine disruptor. I know that some sunscreen companies have adjusted their particle sizes already to make them larger. I can personally buy ZnO in all sorts of particle sizes through chemical suppliers, so who knows what people are selling out there. I have no idea what the threshold is for skin absorption; I don't even know if that's been established yet.

April

Aprilchem, I'm totally following what you're saying, and I have done a bit of reading about micronized zinc oxide, so it's definitely on my radar. Thanks so much for that insight! I know that the definition of "nanoparticle" can even vary from country to country, unfortunately .

 

[Svhadden]

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.

Grrr, tried to multi-quote, and it didn't work.

Yes, I do wear a good bit of linen, cotton, etc in the summer . And a hat/visor and sunglasses most of the time if I'm going to be out for longer than 10-15 min. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my neck and chest will FRY lobster red in 20 min if I'm in direct sunlight .

But I'm not sure how much denim we'll be wearing . Thanks for your advice!

 

[Schmeck]

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 .

Regular old 'chemical' sunscreens work too, but you seem concerned with them - just pointing out that while homemade sunscreens 'work', they may also be doing damage. Just because something is homemade, doesn't make it any better or safer, KWIM?

We try to limit sun exposure, even at WDW. We go really early in the morning, stay inside for the peak 11-3, and then head back to the parks for a really late night. We use EMH as much as possible, to avoid the peak sun times.

I think life is all a trade-off. There are certain risks attached to everything we do, and deciding how important each risk is is a very personal decision. Since my melanoma diagnosis, I've had to make choices based on a new set of risks.

 

[ChitownFamily]

I've used Badger with no problems. I'd just like to try something homemade . And it's sort of a pain that I can't get it locally and have to order, which is a bit pricey with shipping. And since it's being used by 4 ppl, it doesn't go very far. I know I can make a big batch of homemade and it will be more wallet-friendly.

Yes it is very pricy & personally I don't like the way some of their formulas feel on my skin. that's why I asked you earlier in the thread if you were familiar with the EWG Sunscreen guide, they have other recommendations that are a little less money.

 

[honeybunches]

I never even thought of making my own sunscreen. And I have organic coconut oil in the cabinet. Hmmmm...

We use TruKid. I use it on the kids while in the pool in the middle of summer and it stays on quite well.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

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.

I have one kiddo I cannot go with a homemade at Disney, it burns through and the one week of using a good name chemical skin block is better the the horrid burn she received on her shoulder. A hat, covered her head, but that shoulder was towards the sun. It was a deep 2nd degree burn. The Florida sun is that much closer to the Earth then our home state and a cooler breeze that day was fooling us.
Now it is bullfrog cream on her body. Sensitive coverage for her face.

 

[cheer25mom]

I have one kiddo I cannot go with a homemade at Disney, it burns through and the one week of using a good name chemical skin block is better the the horrid burn she received on her shoulder. A hat, covered her head, but that shoulder was towards the sun. It was a deep 2nd degree burn. The Florida sun is that much closer to the Earth then our home state and a cooler breeze that day was fooling us.
Now it is bullfrog cream on her body. Sensitive coverage for her face.

ITA. We are all very fair skinned, and as I said before we have NEVER found a home made one we can use for any length of time and not fry, except for the opaque paste type stuff you can use on your nose. They are just not as effective. I would rather use sunscreen than get skin cancer, and based on mine and DHs family history, those are our choices.