Coconut oil sunscreen recipe is made with three all-natural ingredients that offer natural sun protection, without harmful chemicals.
I don’t wear sunscreen…
I’ve actually never needed to wear sunscreen since I was blessed with skin that doesn’t burn… ever. BUT some of my babies inherited their daddy’s skin so sun protection lotion has been needed for my family occasionally. I avoid body care products for a lot of reasons, but mainly because I can’t pronounce the name of half the ingredients listed. A simple search online or looking at the ingredient list of sunscreen lotion in your home will show a concerning amount of hard-to-pronounce chemicals that my little ones don’t need…at all.
Enter COCONUT OIL.
Coconut oil has a natural SPF of 4-5 and contains antioxidants that help protect the skin from harmful radiation from the sun. Natural sunscreen!
“The Polynesians, who traditionally wear very little clothing, have for generations been exposed to the hot blistering sun, yet have beautiful healthy skin without blemishes and without cancer. The reason is they eat coconut and use the oil on their bodies as lotion. The oil is absorbed into the skin and into the cell structure of the connective tissues, limiting the damage excessive sun exposure can cause. Their skin remains undamaged even when exposed to long hours in the sun. Whether it’s applied topically or taken internally, coconut oil helps to keep the skin young, healthy, and free of disease.“ – Bruce Fife, The Coconut Oil Miracle
Coconut oil alone has an SPF of 4-5, which isn’t sufficient for a long day in the sun, so I add red raspberry seed oil, zinc oxide, and essential oils. Red raspberry seed oil has an SPF of roughly 25. Zinc oxide (we use non-synthetic) is also known for its ability to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
How To Make Coconut Oil Sunscreen
You will need the following ingredients:
- Virgin Coconut Oil
- Non-Nana Zinc Oxide
- Raspberry Seed Oil
About The Ingredients:
COCONUT OIL: Natural SPF of 5. Moisturizing and high in antioxidants that help protect the skin from harmful radiation from the sun.
RASPBERRY SEED OIL: Absorbs UVB and UVC sun rays. Soothes inflamed skin and encourages healthy skin cell regeneration.
Zinc Oxide: Powerful UV filter that’s proven to scatter or reflect UV rays. Zinc Oxide is one of the few minerals recommended by the EWG as a safe and effective ingredient in sunscreens.
Essential Oils: Anti-inflammatory and reduces inflammation.
There is no way to know exactly how much SPF is in the lotion since there are varying sources of information about how much SPF is in carrier oils and essential oils. If you have fair skin that burns easily you may need to add more zinc oxide. This recipe is intended for educational purposes only. Please test out the recipes and change them up to suit the needs of your skin.
2021 Update: I used this recipe for several years for daily sun protection. I still use it and love it but I now also use a safe, non-toxic sunscreen during the spring and summer when I’m out in the sun for long durations of time.
FAQ
- What other oil can I use in place of coconut oil? Cocoa butter or shea butter are good substitutes for coconut oil in this recipe.
- What essential oils work best in this homemade sunscreen? Lavender, carrot seed and vanilla essential oils are all good options.
- Is coconut oil a natural sunscreen? Coconut oil has an spf of 5, so it offers a small amount of protections but it isn’t a substitute for sunscreen.
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Coconut Oil Sunscreen – Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe!
Coconut oil sunscreen recipe is made with three all-natural ingredients that offer natural sun protection, without harmful chemicals.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Virgin Coconut Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Non Nana Zinc Oxide
- 1 Tablespoon Red Raspberry Seed Oil
- Optional: 10 Drops Essential Oils (I used Carrot Seed & Lavender)
Instructions
- Whip coconut oil up in a mixer or food processor.
- Carefully add the zinc oxide (you don’t want to inhale it!), red raspberry seed oil and essential oils.
- Once the oils and zinc oxide are mixed well pour them into a small container.
Originally published on July 2nd, 2015 and updated with new images on May 20th, 2022.
Sources
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Can the raspberry seed oil be replaced with carrot seed oil?
Hi, A friend living in France sent this link to me because I was sceptical of spf properties of coconut oil. This recipe sounds divine. I might add shea butter and maybe eventually usd chamomile essential oil as well. I will personally use this and use it on my cremello horse’s pink nose and my black horse’s mane. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Sali in S CA.
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What is the SPF value of using these ingredients?
Hi there, why do I have to whip up the coconut oil? Is that just to soften it. I live in Arizona, my coconut oil is liquid pretty much all year long!
Love this recipe!
I have been using on my entire body ( yep all it). The zinc also works as deodorant and a disinfectant. I love applying it to my feet and toes to stay fresh in hot summer months. It also helps heal toe nail fungus.
Best natural SPF, Deodorant, Anti- Aging Moisturizer all in one 👍
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Hi, can you use cream zinc instead of the powder? If you can what would be the amount of cream you would put into this recipe. If I took the zinc out completely what would you use for the best sun protection?
How do you remove the sunscreen from your face? Do you still need make up remover?
I use a cloth towel to rub it off. Then I wash my face with cleanser.
It looks like the Red Raspberry Oil is crossed out of the ingredients list. Why?
Hi,
Can i use zinc oxide cream(normally used for diaper rash) as a replacement to zinc oxide powder? How many tsp or tbsp should i use for this recipe?
loved it! doubled the coconut, added 1/2 cup of cosmetic grade bees wax (to make it waterproof), added another tablespoon of red raspberry seed oil & an extra tablespoon of zinc
Will give you skin cancer. That oil does not has an spf of 25. It’s been disproven and you can easily google the debunking of this myth.
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Coconut oil all over your body and sun screen on the face.
Which oil gives skin CANCER?
Actually a lot of store bought sunscreens have been recently shown to be toxic so…I’ll take my chances using something all natural versus chemical infused store bought ones. I read a report today that a lot of the ones for kids are deemed unsafe. Just take a look at EWF’s website.
Thanks for giving us a healthy option for sun protection.
@Tamar If coconut oil gives you cancer, what does toxic sunscreen give you? : P
My sentiments EXACTLY. I’ll take my chances with this recipe over a bunch of toxic chemicals!
My dermatologist told me that the sunscreens can cause cancer also. She said to use an all natural one. I choose to make my own so I know what is in it.
That is very true Lamar. The myth about red raspberry seed oil spf levels has been debunked. And a spf of 6 is very low, not much protection at all. Sunscreen is one product I would never diy. Not worth the risk.
Coconut oil does not “give” you cancer. Alone it is not an effective sunscreen, but when combined with zinc oxide and other oils, as mentioned in the blog above, it can be an effective natural replacement for commercial sunscreen.
Hi, do you use essential or carrier oils in this sunscreen?
I’ve got coconut oil, the zinc oxide and some carrot oil which has a high SPF. What I want to do is whether or not this is white on the skin like the stuff lifeguards used to put on their noses?
You can use some cocoa powder to help with the white
Hi Tiffany I just tried your recipe and I have a question for you how do I store it since it’s coconut oil and I live in the desert and it’s pretty warm here and I think it might melt so do I put it in the fridge raider is it OK to do that thank you for answering and thank you for the recipe sounds amazing can’t wait to use it
does this go on white?
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Is this safe to use on a child under 2 years old? Are raspberry seed oil and carrot seed oil essential oils?
yes raspberry seed oil and carrot seed are both essential oils.
No guarantee of safety of essential oils on children. Really more of an inhalation risk (inhaling oils not good for alveoli in the lungs and can cause significant inflammatory reactions..more so with use of diffuser) That being said, a few drops of fragrance in a sunscreen probably wouldn’t be horrible. Or…skip the fragrance part. Kid sunscreens have zinc in them now, and typically are not scented.
Can’t wait to try but why aren’t we supposed to breathe in the zinc?
How long will this keep and do I need to store it in any special way (refrigerator or ?) I am made it and am using it today and LOVE it!
★★★★★
I was wondering if the zinc is white and if so, does that make it difficult to rub into the skin? Do you know where to find clear zinc?
Thanks!
Well, it should not be transparent as this is the problem with chemical off the shelf sunscreens. Those sunscreens contain chemicals alongside zinc oxide in the form of nanoparticles (basically the materials are broken down into tiny particles that can be absorbed by your skin and Is no longer only on the surface, which is why the sun screen turns transparent).
Now the problem with this is the chemicals and zinc oxide are pretty harmful inside the body, so being absorbed by the skin means all the bad stuff goes into your body. Thus you must ensure you use non nano uncoated zinc oxide which will remain on your skin and block UV radiation. And that zinc oxide is white.
This is awesome, thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Make sure you dont use a citrus essential oil as they are phototoxic as in the cause burns in direct sunlight. Carrotseed oil and lavender probably the best to use like it says in the example.
Hi, can I use zink oxide cream in in stead of powder?
I was so excited to make this, so I made it today and I doubled the Zinc because I burn so easily. I was hoping to use this as an everyday sunscreen for the whole exposed body, but it leaves a mild white film on the skin. Not sure, if it’s because of the extra Zinc or if this is for swimming only. I haven’t been outside to try it out yet and I most likely won’t. I also have had it on my skin for about 15 minutes and it is not absorbing. I have a white film all over, including my palms. However, there is a plus side, after washing my hands it didn’t seem to come off, so definitely for swimming!
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Could this be used on infants under 6 months?
I live in a warm climate, so my coconut oil is always liquid in the summer. Is the whipping step necessary, or is that just to soften it enough to mix the other ingredients? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the recipe!
I have been experience a burning sensation around my eyes and on my cheeks from my current sunscreen. I am a really fair redhead who loves the outdoors, but I want to protect myself at the same time. I am going to give this a try and see how it works for protection. Any other thoughts or suggestions of sunscreens that I can use?
Thanks for the recipe Coconut mama
Thank you, very much for this all natural recipe. As you noted, it is difficult to know what level of sunscreen is in the finished product because of varying reports; this is noted for OTC products as well, no matter what the label says. Manufacturers fudge on ingredient labels (shock! not really?), poor quality control messes with purity and strength (just think of all the processes ingredients go through until they make it into a product and the product gets to the shelf, and then… gets to your skin!). All that being said, before my concerns arose about the ingredients in all OTC products, I was in the habit of reapplying, often, to my kids and my skin, keeping all of us from burning. I would consider that step (reapplication) a wise decision for this product as well. Also, with the lovely pure and natural ingredients, my skin will be so soft! Thanks, again. Nice, simple, easy natural recipe!
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I am just curious, why carrot seed oil? I don’t know anything about carrot seed oil, that’s the main reason for my asking.
It has a high SPF on its own
I love the idea of the coconut sun cream!
Any idea of the shelf life?
Will it last 1 summer? 2 summers?
Wondering if I make large batches, will it “go bad”, before it gets used?
Do you know if the Beauty Counter sunscreen will melt in the car? I am looking for a sunscreen that I can leave in my car on days I forget and I take the top off.
I am definitely making the other for days I am sure I am going to be in the sun.
What age can use this ? How young ..thanks !
I am a very fair skinned freckled person. Sunburns are the story of my life.. Until I started supplementing with Vit D and also using coconut oil on my skin. Anymore when I go out I usually use my face oil mix and I haven’t had a major burn in several years. We farm so I am outside a lot. It works for my kids too. 🙂
HI Tonia,
I am also a fair skinned person. Curious what are you using on your face for your face oil mix?
Cheers Amy 🙂
Tonia… eating coconut oil has also seed to help me not burn.
I also travel with Young Living’s sunscreen.
It amazed me! Between that & their after sun I DID NOT BURN!!!
I actually tanned. Love it!
But expensive ao I use this recipe at home & on my gkids.
Hi Tiffany, I am thinking about making this sunscreen for my 6 month old. Is it safe for babies this young? It has essential oils as ingredients, that makes me wonder.
I was with a dermatologist recently who kept INSISTING that because coconut oil smells like coconut it contains fragrance and is therefore not natural and has chemicals in it. Ugh! {shaking my head}
I’m a former healthcare professional and have seen many medical and dental professionals who shouldn’t have licenses! It’s disgusting!
It may be natural but it is still made up of chemicals
Hi, thanks for this recipe, it looks great! I’ve often worried as the spa in commercial sunscreens increases, if we might be trading skin cancer for a worse health horror.
My question is regarding my son who has some sensory issues, do you think I would maintain the spf properties if I was to add beeswax… Like your lotion bars? He’s quite happy to use the stick-style sunscreen… What sort of quantity should I try to start with? Cheers 🙂
Currently on holiday in Ialy, temps in the 30s, hot and sunny. I have a typical European fair skin. Have only used this sunscreen for the last six days and not a single burn. Love it. Will NEVER used commercially prepped sunscreen ever again.
Hi, I assume this is safe for babies.
What store do we get each ingredient from?
Ty. ..where can I buy carrot seed oil? I haven’t been able to find it. .
I bought some organic carrot oil via Amazon.
Hi coconut mama!
I read most of your posts but I am especially excited about this one, my almost two year old seems to be allergic to sunscreen and has very very pale pasty skin.
I would love to make this recipe but I have no idea where to buy zinc or the essential oils; where do you buy yours?
Thank you!
Amazon.com is where I bought my ingredients
Hi could I use cocoa butter instead of the coconut oil?!
Thanks for the recipe! Just one question: once it is made how long is it good for?
I mean, would it turn bad after a while?
My son had eczema & I’m worried the raspberry seed oil will irritate his skin. Would just coconut oil & zinc oxide work?
Yes! You could also use sweet almond oil in place of the raspberry seed oil.
Do you have a hard time rubbing this lotion into your kids’ skin? In other words, does it absorb or is it thick and pasty? That’s not a deal breaker for me; I just want to know what to expect!
It’s pretty thick and pasty, but after a while the coconut oil absorbs into the skin and it’s not so pasty.
i hear myrrh is a good sun protectant too. You could add that EO to the mix. Be careful of zinc it can be harmful if the particle size is too small. Better to use the oils. Safer.
Yes, Myrrh is wonderful for protection too! The zinc I linked to above is the kind that’s considered safe to use on the skin.
Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Amy tips for cleaning the zinc oxide out of equipment used to make it?
I soaked them in hot water before I hand washed them.
Does this turn to liquid or get all runny in the heat because of the coconut oil?
Yes, it’ll melt if left in the heat.
Hi!
Thanks for the sunscreen recipe. I really need it because I am allergic to any and all products that have sunscreen in them. I don’t know for sure what it is that’s in the sunscreen that I am allergic too, but I can’t use anything with sunscreen in it or touch things with sunscreen on it or ppl that may have sunscreen on. So you can imagine me at the beach or pool wiping down surfaces like a germiphobe and screaming at ppl to get away from me. lol
It’s called PHOTOTOXICITY. It’s nit a true allergy, but essentially the sunscreens burn your skin more than bot having anything on. I became phototoxic to ALL Sunscreens after a diagnosis of a chronic illnes that requires a daily medication. I tried everything…..kids, baby, natuaral mineral, etc and even zinc oxide would burn!!
It felt like someone took a cigarette and was birning my skin. Literally as soon as the sun hit my skin I was in pain. I am fair too, but now I burn not in 15-29mins of being out, but half that.
Everyone please look into sun shirts!!! Especially for kids. People have been using them to fish, exercise, etc and not burn. I have two types on order. Ones is a long sleeve hoody so I can work in my garden and not get a burnt neck.
This recipe is a nice idea, but if you really burn or are out in the sun a lot these shirts work. Ladies look at men’s shirts as the price on comparable women’s shirt is often double the men’s price.
Could I skip the zinc and just use the coconut & raspberry oils? It seems like that might be enough spf, right?
You sure can! The zinc adds a lot more protection for those who need it.
Do the carrot seed and lavender offer any spf or are they purely for fragrance?
Carrot seed and Lavender EO are optional but they are both very beneficial to the skin.
Do you have a natural sunblock with out zinc?
I , like you do not burn easily and the coconut oil has been great for me. I love it and use it every day for moisturizing as well as sunscreen. I have four boys and three of them tan easily, but my youngest is a red head and burns, so I needed this recipe! Thanks Tiffany looking forward to trying this!
Even allowing your children to tan is setting them up for skin cancer later. It isn’t just burns that cause skin cancer. Don’t doom your children.
1) My children don’t burn, they tan and 2) there’s a ton of research that suggests lack of sunlight and Vit D plays a huge role in skin cancer.
http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877%2808%2900599-9/abstract
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/20/deadly-melanoma-not-due-vitamin-d-deficiency.aspx
This was taken from the website you listed… Your children still need protection from UVA rays…
“There are two primary types of UV rays from sunlight, the vitamin-D-producing UVB rays and the skin-damaging UVA light. Both UVA and UVB can cause tanning and burning, although UVB does so far more rapidly. UVA, however, penetrates your skin more deeply than UVB, and may be a much more important factor in photoaging, wrinkles and skin cancers.”
“A study in Medical Hypotheses suggested that indoor workers may have increased rates of melanoma because they’re exposed to sunlight through windows, and only UVA light, unlike UVB, can pass through window glass. At the same time, these indoor workers are missing out on exposure to the beneficial UVB rays, and have lower levels of vitamin D.”
Love this as I only use sunscreen that has a zinc oxide base and would love to be able to make my own. I do have a question – what is the role of the Raspberry Seed Oil?
Thanks for all you share and thanks in advance for your reply,
Iris
Hi Iris! The red raspberry seed oil has a high SPF of 25 which is why I use it in this recipe. 🙂
Actually, red raspberry seed oil, carrot oil, and coconut oil don’t have any SPF rating (source 1, source 2). The SPF for your sunscreen would come completely from the zinc oxide. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with any of the non-zinc ingredients (and the coconut oil is a good way to get the zinc on your body, imo), but they have never been shown to have much, if any, sun protective properties.
Anony Mouse, I have used coconut oil on it’s own for sun protection on myself for years as well as on children. I know that there is a protective factor as when I’ve used it, I don’t burn. Proven many times. I don’t need ‘sourcery’ to tell me what I find out for myself. Try it Anony Mouse, you may be pleasantly surprised.
I too use coconut oil, and it has kept me from burning for years. I am fair, and would burn easily otherwise.