Finished After-Sun Body Lotion

We would like to welcome Jennifer, author of Hybrid Rasta Mama, to WeAreCoconuts.com! She will bring you holistic remedies, recipes, and the many benefits of coconut oil from now until December.

Summer is here and with that comes long days spent outdoors! Who doesn’t enjoy soaking up some Vitamin D while reading a good book by the pool?

While getting some sun exposure is actually good for your entire body, too much sun can lead to irritated skin or worse, a sun burn. If you soaked up a few too many rays, grab your jar of coconut oil and head to the kitchen!

Coconut oil is one of the best things you can put on your skin after getting a little too much sun as it is a deeply nourishing oil. The medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) along with other vitamins and minerals (like Vitamins K and E as well as Iron) contained within coconut oil are quickly and easily absorbed into your skin, where they can be directly utilized for nutrition and energy by the mitochondria (the powerhouse of our cells). This provides all the energy your skin needs to heal, maintain, and flourish.

To help you better understand how coconut oil works as an after sun lotion, I need to get a little scientific on you. Ready?

Too much exposure to UV light can cause the development of free radicals in our bodies. These free radicals start destructive chain reactions in our body and damage our cells. After destroying one cell they move on to the next cell. They continue damaging our cells until they are destroyed by antioxidants.

Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free radicals and stop their destructive chain reactions. Our skin is naturally smooth and elastic because it possesses connective tissues and elastic tissues. During youth, these tissues are quite strong making our skin very soft and elastic. After overexposure to UV rays, free radicals are formed in our bodies which destroy elastic tissues and cause connective tissues to lose strength. This loosens our skin and results in wrinkles or worse, cancer. To combat these devastating free radicals, our bodies need adequate amounts of antioxidants. The Vitamin E, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid contained in coconut oil act as strong natural antioxidants.

You certainly can slather on coconut oil after sun exposure and call it a day. However, by mixing coconut oil with some other well-known natural skin healers and protectors, you can create the ultimate After-Sun Body Lotion.

Are you ready to get crafty in the kitchen? I promise you, this is a super simple lotion that you will be able to whip up in no time! If you have children, this is a really fun activity to do together.

This after-sun lotion is nourishing and quickly absorbed into parched skin. Lavender and chamomile are notoriously beneficial for any type of burn, including sunburns.  They offer immediate relief and healing, and may also accelerate the healing process. Peppermint is very cooling to the skin, and therefore very beneficial for relieving sunburned skin.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cocoa butter
• 1/4 cup Kelapo Coconut Oil
• 1 teaspoon almond oil
• 15 drops lavender and/or chamomile essential oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil

 Directions

1. Place the cocoa butter, coconut oil, and almond oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted and heated for 15 minutes.
2. Pour into a cream jar and allow to cool until soft set.
3. Stir in essential oils then allow to cool completely before using.
4. Massage a small amount over body immediately after sun exposure to soothe sun parched skin.

This recipe makes enough for a couple of weeks’ worth of light use and about a week’s worth of heavy use.

-Jennifer

Photo Credit: Jessica at DeliciousObsessions.com