Oils As Natural Sunscreen?






  I found this extremely interesting infographic of the SPF factors of oils, based on research done in India. The wheels in my head are turning and I am thinking about how o use this information.

Here are my thoughts:

* The carrot seed oil, the raspberry seed oil and the wheatgerm oil are the only two that have SPF worth taking notice of. I have used raspberry seed oil on my face and liked it, it sinks in well and is not greasy. Wheatgerm oil is much heavier and I used it on the body, I could not imagine using it on the face unless I had very dry skin. Carrot seed oil is an essential oil, so it cannot be applied straight on the skin; but it could be added to the wheatgerm oil or the raspberry seed oil to increase their SPF.

* Some women use oils to get a tan quicker, however as you see most of the oils on this table have a low SPF and will protect your skin only for a short time.

* I could definitely imagine using raspberry seed oil as sunscreen, especially on the body. In fact, using an oil with high SPF as a moisturiser would be a very smart move. I'm thinking of adding a little bit of the Alverde oil mix to a bottle of wheatgerm oil (to improve the scent and feel) and make it my staple body oil. I use oils or body butters almost every day in the summer, so switching them up for something with SPF is probably a good idea.

Oil won't fry your hair in hot temperatures. I have protected my hair with oil in India just like the locals, and I have seen that it does a good job of protecting it against damage. If fact going out in the sun without hair oil makes it very dry, brittle, and lightens the colour. In the west though, oily hair = dirty hair, so I limit myself to a small drop -- just enough to lock in the moisture and add shine. No it looks like raspberry seed oil is the logical choice for this in the summer.

* All-natural sunscreen based on these oils will appear on the market any time now. There must be someone trying to create one as we speak. Just you wait and see.

* Obviously I will still be using my favourite sunscreen on my face, wearing my extra-large hats and staying out of the midday sun.


    What is your experience with oils? WOuld you use any of the above to protect yourself from the sun?




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