DIY Natural Sunscreen and After Sun Lotion

In case you haven't tried it for yourself, we've been receiving a ton of positive feedback on our all-natural goat milk lotion. Not only are there ingredients in this lotion that make it gentle and hydrating, it's also free of toxins and other harsh chemicals you'll find in nearly every type of name brand lotion.

Providing our customers with ingredients that are healthy and moisturizing for the skin is one of our highest priorities — it’s important to know what you're putting on your skin (and your children's skin.) We guarantee that there are ZERO alcohols, dyes, parabens, phthalates, GMO ingredients, synthetic preservatives or any other toxic chemicals in our products. Isn't that wonderful?

There are several wonderful things about this product, like that it's rich in nutrients and vitamins. As mentioned, these ingredients make the lotion very hydrating and protecting. It can be used for sensitive, dry, itchy skin. It's even hypoallergenic and gentle enough to use on babies! Additional benefits include...

• Original nourishing and moisturizing goat milk formula
• No fragrances or scents of any sort
• Non-greasy
• Quick absorption for long-lasting effects
• Hypoallergenic, great for sensitive skin
• No alcohol, parabens, or phthalates – this means it won’t sting sensitive skin!
• No GMOs, dyes, or synthetic fragrances

But here's something that makes this product even better: you can make your own natural sunscreen with it!

Yes, you read that right. You can use our product to make your own all-natural sunscreen! You might be wondering, “Why should I use natural sunscreen versus just buying sunscreen from the store?”

Natural Versus Store Bought Sunscreen

Well, for starters, most commercial sunblock or sunscreen products use chemicals to prevent damage from UVA and UVB rays. Popular articles from Time and Los Angeles Times suggest that scientists have concerns about certain sunscreens using these “protective” chemicals (such as titanium dioxide) only in its nanoparticle form. Concerns include chemicals or nanoparticles being small enough to potentially get into the bloodstream, which could link to aging or cancer. The issue with traditional sunscreen is how much the skin absorbs it and the effect it can have on the body.

Concerns with sprayed sunscreen are primarily based around the risk of the product being inhaled by the user. The article from Time also stated that the use of sunscreen outweighs the dangers of sun damage. Although this is true, we want to present to you a product that substitutes the harsh chemicals of commercial products yet also provides the protection you need from harmful sun rays. All-natural sunscreen does contain zinc oxide but in a non-nanoparticle form. These are the preferred ingredients since they are not as small and do not penetrate the skin as easily. Instead, researchers recommend the use of non-nanoparticle forms of the physical sun blockers, which is what we use. We believe it is necessary to prevent skin damage but also protect our skin by avoiding harmful chemicals.

Here at Bend Soap Company, we've found a quick and easy natural solution to the sunscreen matter through making our own all-natural goat milk lotion. While we haven't determined the combined SPF, we can guarantee that this product offers natural SPF protection. There are ratings specific to the ingredients we use in this product. For example, coconut oil has an SPF rating of 5-10 while Shea butter has an SPF rating of 6-10. Carrot seed is known to have one of the highest SPF ratings, but it does have a strong smell. And using zinc oxide in a ratio of 20% of your formula suggests a rating of SPF 30.

DIY Natural Sunscreen Recipe

Ingredients & Materials:

• 1/2 cup (5 oz.) of Unscented Goat Milk Lotion (get ours here)
• 2 Tbsp Non-nano zinc oxide (1 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp Coconut oil (1 oz.)
• 10-20 drops of natural scent or essential oil (avoid citrus oils)
• 1 lotion airtight lotion pump (you can purchase ours here for a $1)
• 1 stainless steel mixing bowl
• 10-20 drops of carrot seed oil (optional)

Directions:

1. In the stainless steel bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.
2. Once thoroughly mixed, store in the airtight lotion pump.
3. Apply generously to skin before sun exposure and allow to sit on skin for a few minutes before getting wet. Re-apply every few hours as you would normally.

But What About Sunburns?

Uh-oh! Did you come across this blog post too late? Are you or your kids already sunburned? Don’t worry, you can use our goat milk lotion to make an after sun moisturizer! It’s packed with natural ingredients that are full of nutrients to soothe and rejuvenate your sun-kissed skin. One of the key ingredients in our lotion is aloe vera which is already known to calm sunburned skin!

After sun tips:

• Taking a soak in a milk bath does wonders for the skin. A couple of heaping handfuls of our milk bath will leave your skin hydrated and on the path towards recovery. After the soak, apply our goat milk lotion straight to the skin. The aloe vera we use in our goat milk lotion is the primary ingredient used to help calm the skin, and the Vitamin E is superb as well. Both of these ingredients can be found in our goat milk lotion.

• When choosing a milk bath product, remember that eucalyptus essential oil is extremely cooling for the skin (as found in our Eucalyptus Spearmint Milk Bath, available here.) Alternatively, lavender essential oil is a great option if you're looking for something that's more calming and soothing (and also relieves pain). You'll find lavender in our Hint of Lavender Milk Bath  and our Lavender Blossom Milk Bath Ready to go the extra mile for your skin? Consider this quick and easy recipe for creating your own after sun lotion:

DIY Natural After Sun Lotion Recipe

Ingredients & Materials:

• 1/2 cup of Unscented Goat Milk Lotion (5 oz.)
• 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil or 10 drops lavender essential oil (avoid citrus oils)
• 1 lotion airtight lotion pump (you can purchase ours here for a $1)
• 1 stainless steel mixing bowl

Directions:

1. In the stainless steel bowl, mix all of the ingredients together and store in the lotion pump.
2. Apply generously to skin after sun exposure. Re-apply every few hours as you would with any other after sun lotion.

Don’t let the harmful sun rays ruin your summer! Instead, protect your skin, put on some of your all-natural sunscreen, and enjoy the warm sunshine. Make sure to re-apply every few hours and use your new after sun lotion to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. And if you give these recipes a try, don't forget to leave a comment below sharing your experience! We always look forward to hearing from you.

Other Posts You Might Enjoy

• Blog Post: Milk & Match Milk Bath Recipes
• Blog Post: The Best Products for Sensitive Skin
• Blog Post: How to Step Up Your Moisturizer Routine
• Blog Post: The #1 Thing Missing From Your Skincare Regime
• Blog Post: Mama Marilee's Goat Milk Laundry Detergent