**Looking for a sunscreen formulation that is safe for babies & marine life?**

*This sunscreen will leave your skin moisturized while offering SPF protection!*

Herbal Infused Tallow Sunscreen

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Before I share the formulation for this herbal infused sunscreen I do want to mention a few things regarding the SPF content of this product. The FDA looks down upon SPF claims & feels that this type of thing is not something people can be making at home.

This formulation is not something I am sharing with you so that you can make it for the purposes of selling it but it is something that you may choose to use on yourself or your family. The ingredients in this formulation are safe for marine life & are gentle enough to use on small children.

So while I can’t tell you what the final SPF rating would be, I can tell you information regarding each of the ingredients & you can be your own judge.

You will be able to completely customize this recipe based on your & your family needs. This formulation does call for some infused oils but keep in mind these are only suggestions so feel free to customize this based on what you already have at home if you don’t want to add the extra infusions.

Let’s talk about our ingredients today starting with the oils you could choose from

This is the first place you can start to think of regarding the SPF you are looking for in the finished product.

These are approximations but they will give you an idea of what you can expect from the finished product

Red Raspberry seed oil - SPF 28-50
Carrot seed oil - SPF 38-40
Olive oil - SPF 8
Avocado oil - SPF 4-8
Coconut oil - SPF 4-10
Hemp Seed oil - SPF 6
Almond oil - SPF 5

So these oils by themselves will provide you with some coverage but they aren’t necessarily going to be enough on their own which is why we are going to add an ingredient called Non-Nano Zinc Oxide.

It is very important that you get the non-nano, uncoated version as it is in my opinion the safer option. I do not recommend any other type of zinc oxide for this formulation

What are the differences between nano zinc oxide & non-nano zinc oxide?

The particles found in nano zinc oxide are less than 100 nanometer in diameter which means they are small enough to enter your bloodstream.

Nanoparticles can affect water life because they are absorbed & marine life can & does react to them.

Non-nano particles can not enter your bloodstream because they are too large to cross that barrier so instead they sit on the surface of the skin blocking UVA & UVB rays reducing the risk of sunburn, premature aging & other sun related damage. This does mean that this sunscreen may leave a whitish tint to the skin as it is sitting on the surface & is not entering the bloodstream

UVA rays affect the deeper layers of the skin & over the long term can cause wrinkles, dark spots & skin discoloration

UVB rays affect the upper layers of your skin & what causes our tans & burns

Non-nano particles are safe for water life & are completely biodegradable. The non-nano particles end up settling on the seabed’s as sediment.

A good resource to read regarding reef safe sunscreen can be found at savethereef.org . This sunscreen does fit into their recommendations.

*Picture of footprints in the sand at a beach courtesy of Pixabay.com*

So how do you know how much SPF non-nano zinc oxide can provide?

The answer to this is simple & is going to depend on exactly how much you plan on using.

1% in your formula will give you an SPF of 1

This formulation is using 20% so you would be looking at an SPF of 20.

If you want it to be less you will need to adjust the other ingredients. The maximum amount you would want in a formulation is 25%.

Herbal Infused Tallow Sunscreen

If you’ve read a few of my blog posts or watched some of my videos you may have noticed I have a great appreciation for Tallow. It has many health benefits that can be gained from ingesting it & using it as a base for various skincare products.

What tallow does tallow have to offer in this sunscreen formulation?

A natural SPF of approximately 4
Tallow creates a physical barrier to help protect the skin's surface & this is due to its saturated & unsaturated fat content
This physical barrier has some reflective properties that can help reduce the impact of the UV rays coming from the sun
It keeps the skin hydrated & more resistant to damage from the sun
Its rich nutrient content of essential vitamins helps maintain skin health, promoting cell regeneration, modulating inflammation completely supporting the skin's overall function

If you’re interested in learning more about tallow check out these posts:

Tallow balm

Whipped tallow body butter

How to render tallow so it’s odorless & pure

I choose some plant allies to go into this formulation as well because if you’re anything like me maybe you’ve forgotten to apply sunscreen before going outside & now you have a bit of a burn.

**Lavender**

*Lavandula*
*Picture courtesy of Pixabay.com*

Antimicrobial, antiseptic & inflammation modulating properties

Analgesic properties helping to relieve pain in the skin & musculature
Vulnerary property to help regenerate cells & this action can be beneficial in preventing scars as well as relieving sun damage
Nervine properties helping to relax the nervous system
Energetically cooling & relaxing properties

**Marigold**

*Calendula officinalis*
*Picture courtesy of Pixabay.com*

Vulnerary properties that has been used as a topical remedy for minor cuts, scrapes & wounds helping the skin to heal by preventing the stagnation & suppurations (process of pus forming) of fluids preventing bacterial overgrowth & infection

Astringent properties help to draw wounds together, this feels like a tightness to the skin
Mucilage rich providing a protective barrier on the skin helping to lock in moisture
Saponin containing which has a cleansing & moisturizing effect on the skin
Energetically gently warming & moistening

If you do find yourself with a sunburn you could make a tea out of calendula, soak a cloth in the tea & place the cloth on the skin to obtain some immediate relief

Recipe

1 oz beeswax

2 oz tallow balm

2 oz shea butter or butter of choice

3 oz liquid oil

2 oz non-nano zinc oxide

Equipment

Double boiler or melting pot

Scale

Whisk

Jar for storage

Instructions:

Weigh out all the ingredients
Place everything except the non-nano zinc oxide on the top of a double boiler or in a melting pot placed over boiling water
Once everything is melted stir well to make sure it’s all incorporated
Remove from the heat & allow the mixture to cool slightly
Whisk in the non-nano zinc oxide
Once fully incorporated pour into a storage container
Allow to fully solidify before you use

Notes:

You don’t have to use any infused oils if you don’t want to but they can offer some added benefits
If you choose to use less non-nano zinc oxide add in more tallow balm or shea butter
If you don’t have shea butter you could use any other butter of your choice like mango butter or cocoa butter

Comment down below & let me know what plant allies are you going to put in your sunscreen formulation? How are you planning on customizing this formulation?

Be sure to come back next week where I’ll be sharing a vinegar recipe that you can use to help balance your blood sugar.

Until next time, may you find Peace wherever you are!