Published on
Updated
Reading 1 min.
If the idea is tempting to save money and be green, making homemade sunscreen is not the right solution. Explanations.
Going from day cream to laundry detergent to sunscreen… In the era of do it yourself (DIY) tutorials, it is more and more common to make your own beauty products. However, if this seems to be an effective, inexpensive and ecological solution, it is not without danger. The “homemade” sunscreen does not offer sufficient protection against UV rays.
Insufficient protection against UV rays
To assess the effectiveness of these homemade sunscreens, the site The Conversation tested 15 DIY sunscreen recipes available on the internet. First observation: 3 of the 15 products tested did not contain any sunscreen and therefore had no protection against UV rays. Then, the 12 other products contained a sun protection factor of less than 6. This is the minimum protection threshold authorized in Europe for a cosmetic product to fall into the sun protection category.
Some sunscreen recipes indicated adding more than 25% zinc oxide, a concentration potentially dangerous to health. Typically, blog recipes suggest adding essential oil to provide protection. However, not only do they not provide enough protection, but they can in particular be harmful to health and cause allergies when applied through the skin.
The complexity of sunscreens
Developing an effective sunscreen is not something to be taken lightly. Sunscreens made by brands are created in the laboratory with specific ingredients that reflect the sun’s rays so that they do not penetrate the skin. They are then tested to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Finally, it is better to invest in a sunscreen with SPF already manufactured by laboratories rather than try the experiment and damage your sun capital. Don’t forget that sun damage can be significant: burns, premature skin aging, skin cancer… So, we go to the beach but with a high SPF sunscreen!
Slide: Organic sunscreens: 10 eco-friendly and natural sunscreens