Our high today is 91 with thunderstorms starting at 2:00 p.m and going all the way through the night!!!
How HOT is it where you live??? What are you doing to beat the heat???
If you’re headed to the beach or the lake to celebrate the 4th of July weekend, you’ve probably packed sunscreen in your bag. Why apply harmful chemicals that are found in store-bought sunscreens when you can make one that is actually good for you and your family!!!
I was excited to find this recipe for sun protection in the Lemon Dropper files to share with you for the holiday weekend. It’s a 100% natural recipe that really works!!! Then you know how I am, I decided to do MORE RESEARCH on using essential oils for sun protection.
The more research I do, the more I feel the need to EDUCATE YOU more!!!
(Word of the day apparently is “More”. Hahaha!!!)
FIRST, do not depend on this recipe for long-term exposure to the sun until you’ve had a chance to experiment and see how much protection it gives you. The time of exposure protection it will have depends on the sensitivity of your skin.
SECOND, most people under-apply sunscreen, using only 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount recommended. Using half the required amount of sunscreen only provides the square root of the SPF. For example, a half application of SPF 30 sunscreen only provides an effective SPF of 5.5!!!
Research shows you need to use one ounce of sunscreen for full body coverage and reapply every 2 hours. This recipe is not water-proof or sweat-proof.
THIRD, some studies claim that coconut Oil has an SPF of 4, which blocks 75% off UV radiation. This translates to 75% protection, meaning it would protect you for up to 45 minutes of sun exposure before you start burning.
When Pharmacognosy Research tested non-volatile oils they found the SPF to be slightly higher. Their test showed the value for coconut oil was 7.1, and olive oil, with SPF 7.5, had the highest rating for non-volatile oils.
If your skin would normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 7 sunscreen would allow you to stay in the sun without burning for approximately 70 minutes (a factor of 7 times longer). A typical white t-shirt has a sun protection factor around 7, SPF drops to about 3 when it is wet.
FOURTH, some resources claim that carrot seed oil has a natural SPF between 38 and 40, but Pharmacognosy Research reports that SPF values for the volatile oils they tested were only between SPF 1 and 7. Carrot seed oil was not on their list of volatile oils tested. (Essential oils are volatile oils.)
Health Impact News says that the book “Oil Of Nature” shows, “Raspberry seed oil has a natural SPF of 28-50 and carrot seed oil has a natural SPF of 38-40.” However the book was not quoted, nor cited and is no longer in print. I’ve not been able to verify how the authors of “Oil of Nature” determined the 38-40 SPF rating for carrot seed oil.
Pharmacognosy Research did find that for the essential oils tested, the SPF value of peppermint oil was highest at SPF 7; lemongrass was SPF 6.3; lavender oil was SPF 6; orange oil was SPF 4; eucalyptus oil was SPF 3; tea tree oil was SPF 2; and rose oil was SPF 1.
Since the highest that any of the volatile oils tested was SPF 7, I have to question the SPF 38-40 rating that has been claimed for carrot seed oil. This research leads me to believe that carrot seed oil has a significantly lower SPF than stated in “Oil of Nature”.
FINALLY, I don’t burn easily, so I believe this recipe will give me all the protection I need when I’m going to be in the sun for just a few hours. I love that I can get protection without applying harmful chemicals that are found in store-bought sunscreens!!!