Homemade Prepper Sunblock

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So as my facebook following knows, this last weekend I burnt myself getting the Raised Garden beds planted.  It is very bad, blisters cover my shoulders and a testament to my lack of forethought that day (supposed to be a Prepper right?).  It got me thinking however….What did people do to protect themselves from the sun before modern industrial chemical companies began filling shelves with tubes?  People still worked outside and it isnt like human skin became susceptible to being burnt in the last 50 or so years or that early farmers had time to lay out and get a good base layer before they worked in their fields?

This is very important as bad sunburns can cause health issues or even lead to overheating if a cool place is hard to find, not to mention you may be out of commission for a couple weeks healing and letting that new layer of skin grow.  This could be very bad if there is a collapse scenario and you need to be out there planting, hunting, etc.

The best protection is and always will be clothing, long shirts, pants and wide brimmed hats will keep the sun off of you.  Arabs have been living in the deserts since time immemorial, giving them a slight advantage over say a Nordic European.  however they wear light baggy clothing to allow the air to cool them but keep the sun off of them they also wear their Shemaghs (the “scarves” they wear on their heads) over their necks to protect their necks and ears as well, and sometimes faces.  However their are some herbal concoctions you can make to help

Well after some research I found some age-old medicinal options from plants that help to protect our largest organ (our skin) from the sun’s damage.

One of my favorite sites to look around on for great information is frugallysustainable.com which is where I got the bulk of my information.

Use any of these oils with the recipes located below

• Raspberry Seed Oil. Estimated SPF 30-50
• Carrot Seed Oil. Estimated SPF 30
• Wheat Germ Oil. Estimated SPF 20
• Shea Butter. Estimated SPF 6-10
• Sesame, Avocado, Hemp, Coconut, Soybean or Peanut Oil. Estimated SPF 4-10.

However these oils dont have the “staying power” to last all day so you will need to reapply throughout.  if you mix with Zinc or Titanium oxide you will be able to have that SPF hold on longer and repel water and other things that rip away that protective Layer.

Here is the recipe from FrugallySustainable to make your own Herbal Sunscreen that doesnt have all the chemicals found in storebought varieties.  Its interesting to note that incidences of skin cancer have risen to coincide with the advent of sunscreen, there might not be causation but definitely a correlation!

• 1 ounce oil blend (use any combination of the oils listed above)

• 1 ounce beeswax (adds waterproof properties)

• 1 ounce butter blend (i.e. Shea butter, mango butter, or cocoa butter)

• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

• 0.36 ounces zinc oxide powder   (You can pick up this powder for around 5 dollars for 4.4 oz, which means you can make about 12 batches of this recipe!)

• 30 drops essential oils, optional

Step: 1

In a Double Boiler, melt the Beesewax, oils and butters on low heat

Step 2:

Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before you add the Vitamin E, Zinc Oxide powder or Essential oils

Step 3:

Stir until Zinc Oxide powder is dissolved

Step 4:

Push into a pushup or roll up dispenser (such as an old deodorant or lip balm).  The recipe will be similar to a lotion bar

You can also buy commercially availablSO IMe empty containers for just this purpose.

Step 5:

Let it cool and harden overnight on the counter and Voila! You have some sunscreen!

Note: that the Zinc Oxide in this recipe was around 12% giving an additional SPF of 10-12 ontop of the oils inside!

SO IM ALLREADY BURNED NOW WHAT?

Here are a few easy and simple things to have and do if you get a bad sunburn

1. DRINK WATER! you have become partially dehydrated exposing yourself to so much sun as well as the fact that the body needs water to heal, the more hydrated you are the better and faster you will heal, this applies to any injury
2. Apply ice to infected area, in a collapse scenario you may not have this ability unless you have some icemaking/solar combos stored away
3. Cucumber. Fresh Cucumber can help to relieve pain and sooth the skin and take away the “itchy” feeling that often comes from a good burn
4. Baking Soda.  Add about a cup of Baking Soda to some bathwater and it will help to relieve your skin of that itchy feeling as wel
5. Lemon Juice.  This will help to “pull out” the burn and promote faster healing. Plant some if they can grow in your area
6. Oatmeal.  you can use Quaker oats if you have to, but the more natural the better. add some to a bath and let it help to make your skin smoother and feel better
7. Aloe Vera.  Get a plant today, set it in the window and water it once a week, it will do the rest.  They will grow and grow and eventually be too much to handle! not a bad problem to have.  if a friend has one just cut off a “stick” and shove it in some dirt and it will be a great starter.

Other remedies include

• Take a cool shower or soak in cool water
• Selsun Blue.  Have not tried it but some say it works
• Lavender oil
• Vinegar.  youll stink but it helps promote healing
• Solarcaine.  Contains Aloe and Lidocaine to help ease the pain, might be good to stock up a few in your preps.
• Cooked Oatmeal.  Cook it like you would for breakfast, let it cool and rub it on the skin.

If you know of any other recipes or things that can help, comment below!