Sun protection oil recipe
I made this on the go few weeks ago ,one unexpected sunny day in Dublin when we decided to go to St.Anne’s park for a picnic. I love this park and so my family. So I put together, yes I formulated something quick on the go that could protect me from the sun without using SPF creams, in my opinion full of unnecessary ingredients based on my current knowledge of cosmetics technology . I thought in an oil-based product which is quick to make and to avoid preservatives and other synthetics .
So what oils would I use in this formula? What these oils need to contain in order to protect my skin from the sun the most efficient way? Basically what properties I am looking for in an oil to create a good performance sun protection product ? I need oils rich in polyphenols to reduce inflammation, good humectant to keep the moist in the skin, linoleic acid that helps to reduce TWL (transpidermal water loss), phytosterols , carotenoids, hight in vitamin E , great antioxidant to protect the skin from free radical and UVB damaged skin. There are many to choose from but these are the most popular ones.
Let’s start:
Olive oil – of course !! – not only my first choice as a native Spanish but it contains a natural chemical compound called “squalene” good anti-inflammatory and moisturizing hence good after sun exposure.
Sesame oil– First oil in many sun protection products ingredients label.
Rice bran oil– contains Ferulic acid that helps sun damaged skin.
Wheatgerm– super high levels in Vitamin E ,
Carrot oil – high in carotenoids- very popular in sun products in Spain, and NO, don’t worry it is not going to make your skin orange 🙂
Rosehip oil – the love of my life – always Organic please! Irish Camelina oil can be a good replacement as it is quite similar to Rosehip oil in chemical structure and less expensive .
Sea buckthorn oil is a MUST ingredient in any sun product, and its rich orange color is beautiful.
All berries oil ; blueberry seed oil, cramberry , raspberry have a great reputation of being high sun protection oils.
All the high GLA oils like borage seed oil and evening primrose. The essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA) in vegetable oils shows an strong anti-inflammatory benefit for the skin.
Coconut oil– Great oil for the sun of course, but a bit light for moisturizing . Definitely a good hair oil too ! I am not very fond of coconut oil on a leave-on product as it is comedogenic , therefore I would avoid on the face but as this sun product is going to be used for only sun exposure and then will be thoroughly rinsed , I gave it a chance but not on its own.
At the moment of making this oil on the go, I realized -believe it or not- with all the amount of oils that I normally have, Murphy’s law, I didn’t have the main ones ; Rosehip oil, Sea buckthorn and Rice Bran I used them in my superantioxidant face serum. I had to improvise , part of a cosmetic formulator life: replacing ingredients and reformulating.
45% Raw organic coconut oil (solid)
10%Blueberry seed oil
10% Tamanu oil
15% Sesame oil
All ingredients melted in bain marie just for few minutes as coconut oil has a low melting point. Stir it up and store in a dark bottle and label. Expiry date? the earliest date of all the oils you are using. If you replace any ingredient, or reduce or increase the amounts , make sure the formula need to total up 100 % ALWAYS. If you are making 100 g batch just change the % per g . Forget about using tablespoons, cups, etc…this is not accurate and you will end up with an unbalanced and unstable product.
I know I din’t list Tamanu oil, but since it is an EXTRAORDINARY oil to repair skin tissue, scars, I put in my product , by the way it gives a nice subtle liquorice smell to the product.
Talking about smell, I did not include essential oils nor fragrances when making products for the summer. Not vitamin E this time as it only was 100g batch and my daughter, husband and myself have been using it every day, no need for an antioxidant then (as pic above already running out ) But you can add min 0.1 % – 0.5% of Tocopherol (natural vitamin E) if you make larger batch to prevent the oils go rancid.
My personal feedback
I applied this oil on my face, and body. I am 49 y/o with very sensitive fair skin but used to sun exposure in Spain, my 10 y/o daughter and my husband used it as well. We were on the sun for 2 hours in the afternoon (Irish sun 18 C degrees) , neither of us got burnt. Now please note this is NOT an SPF product, hence does NOT carry any sun factor. SPF products must be made in a professional lab by professional trained staff.
I am just sharing my experience with you and you can try yourself if you wish but you must be responsible of what you put on your skin.
Tip
If you are going to make your own carrot oil you can infuse it in Olive oil so you get the benefits from the carrots and olive oil .
Don’t forget to apply PLENTY of Organic aloe vera gel before and after sun exposure. A must skincare product all year around.
La Mayca x
Mayca Fernandez@WapoBeauty www.wapo.ie has created these skincare recipes, formula and information based on knowledge , training and experience . They are given in good faith and WapoBeauty is not taking responsibility in mistakes, faults or damages result from making these products. These skincare recipes are for personal use ONLY. Please do not share or distribute for commercial purposes © Copyright 2018– WapoBeauty
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