Protect Your Skin With Cannabis Sunscreen

Sunscreen is paramount to overall skin health, especially in these sizzling, hot summer months. The sun can damage the skin but CBD can help protect against these harmful rays and then heal it when burnt. This natural skin protectant is the perfect addition to your sunny day beauty routine, I’ve even included a recipe on how to create your own!

What Causes Sunburn

Our bodies are equipped to deal with minor sunburns and are always working hard to repair damaged cells. When you take suntanning too far though the body can’t keep up. The cherryred burn we see is the body’s reaction to the UV rays that are supplied by the sun, triggering an anti-inflammatory response. As I’m sure everyone has experienced firsthand at some point in their lives, it can lead to days of pain, discomfort, and the dreaded reptilian skin peel. This is not only cosmetically jarring but can lead to long-term health effects.

The Benefit of Adding CBD to the Mix

1. Prevents skin damage

Prevention is always better than cure, this is where CBD-infused sunscreen comes into play. You shouldn’t wait until the damage has been done before turning to this natural skincare molecule. Using a skin protectant that contains CBD will prevent it from happening in the first place. A good SPF matched with the powerful anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties of CBD is the best defense against mid-day sun rays. Make sure to keep reapplying often so that you’re shielded throughout the day.

2. Treats Burns

So, you forgot to put on sunscreen and now you’re looking a little rosy? Burns are uncomfortable, leaving skin inflamed but CBD can help with the healing process. This “bliss molecule” is a natural anti-inflammatory, working hard to soothe sunburnt skin by reducing redness and swelling. On top of this, it acts as an antibacterial agent and pain suppressant. This gives the added protection against painful bacterial infections that can lead to more severe issues while reducing fever and pain.

3. Protects Against Skin Cancer

The free radicals that emanate from the sun can lead to early aging, fine lines, and uneven skin tone. In severe cases, it can even lead to skin cancer. Antioxidants are your best friends when it comes to fighting this horrible skin disease because they soak up the extra, unwanted radicals that cause harm to the skin. You can get antioxidants from many different sources including kale, goji berries, raspberries, and CBD. This means that when applying any kind of CBD topical you are protecting your skin and even improving skin tone. Watch your complexion clear up and begin to glow with your improved CBD-infused skin routine.

What is SPF?

You know that you want a high SPF to protect your skin from all of the harmful rays that beam down on you, but what does that number on the bottle actually mean? SPF is short for sun protection factor and measures how well the sunscreen can protect you. If you have fair skin and burn within 10 minutes then an SPF of 15 will protect you from sunburn for around 150 minutes. Doctors recommend using at least an SPF of 30 no matter the skin type for basic protection. At the very least this will keep your skin healthy and guard it against premature signs of aging.

Tips For Buying Sunscreen

We love our beautiful oceans so it’s important to ensure the product you are purchasing is reef safe (or follow my fun, easy recipe to make it at home). Common UV filtering ingredients are harmful to reefs and lead to coral bleaching. Coral bleaching happens when all of the vibrant, colorful algae living inside of these ocean wonders leave. This leaves the coral bleached to a chalky white and leads to their imminent death. Protect these salty ecosystems and opt for safer, mineral-based sun protectants instead.

Make CBD Sunscreen At Home

This natural sun protectant will have a fairly low SPF without the zinc oxide so I strongly recommend adding it for full coverage and protection. First, I will take you through some of the best oils for creating your summer concoction.

Raspberry Seed Oil: This is your best oil option for sun protection as it naturally has a higher SPF of 30-50.

Carrot Seed Oil: This essential oil is also a great, natural sun protectant even at a lower SPF than raspberry seed oil of around 30.

Wheat Germ Oil: Nourishing wheat germ oil keeps skin soft and moisturized while providing an SPF of 20.

Sesame, Coconut, Avocado, Soybean, Peanut Oil: These are more common oils that are most likely already lying around the house. Any of them will work in this recipe but will provide very little sun protection with an SPF of only 4-10. If you go with one of these, definitely make sure to add the zinc component.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ounce Oil of Choice
• 100 mg CBD Oil
• 1 Ounce Beeswax
• 1 Ounce Shea Butter (You can choose another lotion but shea is the best option since it has a natural SPF of 6-10).
• 1 Tsp Vitamin E Oil
• 0.36 Ounces of Zinc Oxide (it’s reef safe!)
• Essential Oil (optional for a beautiful, aromatic experience, anywhere up to 30 drops should be sufficient).

Instructions:

1. In a double boiler melt your beeswax, shea butter, and SPF oil on low heat.
2. When everything is melted and combined, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. After having chilled, it’s time to add CBD oil, vitamin e oil, zinc oxide, and essential oils.
4. Stir, stir, stir until everything is mixed.
5. The sun cream is now complete and it’s time to be stored for future use. You can either put it into a container or an old push stick deodorant tube.
6. Allow your sun lotion to harden overnight on the counter.
7. Apply as needed and keep that beautiful skin of yours looking happy and healthy!

*SPF rating is dependent on the products used. Apply frequently and use with caution.

Do you swear by this natural sun protection secret or have tried out this recipe?

Let us know in the comments!