# Tallow Sunscreen DIY



## MooMac (Aug 1, 2021)

Hello everyone, MooMac here.

I'm having trouble cleaning my stainless steel pitcher!

I used some recipes online like from bumblebeeapothecary and other places to make my own sunscreen cream. 

It works great! Mostly macadamia oil and tallow, absorbs wonderfully and spread evenly. It's a non nano zinc oxide sunscreen.

The problem is cleaning the pitcher I made the sunscreen in. Water and dawn dish soap barely help. I used paper towels to soak up a lot of it. I used apple cider vinegar and olive oil to try and break it down....then I put it in the dishwasher.

Still has sunscreen residue on it...any suggestions?? Much appreciated!


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## Zany_in_CO (Aug 1, 2021)

HIya MooMac!
Try Arm & Hammer Washing Soda - 1 tablespoon dissolved in 16 oz. hot water. Let soak for 5 minutes. It's fairly caustic, so gloves are recommended.


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## MooMac (Aug 2, 2021)

Zany_in_CO said:


> HIya MooMac!
> Try Arm & Hammer Washing Soda - 1 tablespoon dissolved in 16 oz. hot water. Let soak for 5 minutes. It's fairly caustic, so gloves are recommended.


I will try it, thank you!!


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## cmzaha (Aug 3, 2021)

MooMac said:


> Hello everyone, MooMac here.
> 
> I'm having trouble cleaning my stainless steel pitcher!
> 
> ...


I know this is completely off the topic, but just remember Do not sell your sunscreen. Sunscreen is a drug under FDA standards. Alcohol will usually cut oily residue in containers. 

Another thought, there is a reason most sunscreens are made with no oil, because oil burns. When I was a teenager we used cocoa butter and oils for tanning but really all it did was cause us to burn if we were not careful. This was before the wide use of sunscreens.


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## MooMac (Aug 3, 2021)

cmzaha said:


> I know this is completely off the topic, but just remember Do not sell your sunscreen. Sunscreen is a drug under FDA standards. Alcohol will usually cut oily residue in containers.
> 
> Another thought, there is a reason most sunscreens are made with no oil, because oil burns. When I was a teenager we used cocoa butter and oils for tanning but really all it did was cause us to burn if we were not careful. This was before the wide use of sunscreens.


I see! Thank you, I'll make sure not to worry about selling sunscreen until I'm able to do it the right way. As for oil burning I haven't had that problem with mine yet but I haven't tested it on a full day in the sun. I'll put it to the test, maybe the kind of fat matters?


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## artemis (Aug 3, 2021)

MooMac said:


> I see! Thank you, I'll make sure not to worry about selling sunscreen until I'm able to do it the right way.



There are several threads recently that talk about the complications of making your own sunscreen. If you do a quick search you will find them easily. One thread even discusses which ingredients can mess with the SPF and why zinc oxide is probably not enough protection on its own. 

I had a friend make her own once. She was so excited and happy to have done it. Then, her family tested it out on a full beach day. Everyone got badly burned. I say this to just recommend that you be careful with testing. Maybe only do a patch test and use a commercial sunscreen for the rest of your body.


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## earlene (Aug 3, 2021)

MooMac said:


> I see! Thank you, I'll make sure not to worry about selling sunscreen until I'm able to do it the right way. As for oil burning I haven't had that problem with mine yet but I haven't tested it on a full day in the sun. I'll put it to the test, maybe the kind of fat matters?


Perhaps this will shed some light:


			404 Error
		









						Coconut Oil for Sunscreen Is a Recipe for Sun Damage
					

Seeing as sun damage is one of the highest risk factors for skin cancer, you don’t want to play around with oils that might cause your skin to burn.




					www.healthline.com
				











						Myth or Fact: Coconut oil is an effective sunscreen
					

There are safe, effective sunscreens, and coconut oil is not one of them.




					www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org
				





Also of interest:








						Protect Your Skin by Avoiding These Unexpected Sunburn Triggers
					

Did you know the hot Oklahoma sun can do serious damage to your skin in as little as 10 minutes? Take a look at these unexpected triggers that might cause you to burn in the sun before you know it.




					integrisok.com


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## MooMac (Aug 3, 2021)

earlene said:


> Perhaps this will shed some light:
> 
> 
> 404 Error
> ...


Thank you for sharing! I didn't see any information on tallow and macadamia oil effectiveness but it's really the zinc oxide that's the main active ingredient in the sunscreen I made. I don't know if tallow and mac oil enhance, weaken, or don't affect the ability of the sunscreen to block the sun. But as a drug i wouldn't want to enter that market til I had a big enough business, maybe I can do some testing if things get to that point.



artemis said:


> There are several threads recently that talk about the complications of making your own sunscreen. If you do a quick search you will find them easily. One thread even discusses which ingredients can mess with the SPF and why zinc oxide is probably not enough protection on its own.
> 
> I had a friend make her own once. She was so excited and happy to have done it. Then, her family tested it out on a full beach day. Everyone got badly burned. I say this to just recommend that you be careful with testing. Maybe only do a patch test and use a commercial sunscreen for the rest of your body.


I see! I'll look for those threads. Thank you, yes a patch test will be the best way to do it. I hadn't heard about zinc oxide being insufficient, that's interesting!


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## Quanta (Aug 4, 2021)

MooMac said:


> Thank you for sharing! I didn't see any information on tallow and macadamia oil effectiveness but it's really the zinc oxide that's the main active ingredient in the sunscreen I made. I don't know if tallow and mac oil enhance, weaken, or don't affect the ability of the sunscreen to block the sun. But as a drug i wouldn't want to enter that market til I had a big enough business, maybe I can do some testing if things get to that point.


Pretty much any oil will increase sun damage. So putting zinc oxide in a mixture that's basically just fat and oil is like putting a humidifier and dehumidifier in the same room.


MooMac said:


> I see! I'll look for those threads. Thank you, yes a patch test will be the best way to do it. I hadn't heard about zinc oxide being insufficient, that's interesting!


No, the best way to do it is to send it to a lab that tests sunscreen. There is no way you can test a sunscreen yourself to make sure it blocks the UV rays that cause aging and cancer. Only a lab can do that because they have the equipment. 

All you can do yourself is see if it delays sunburn, and even then you don't know the SPF or how long you can go between reapplications.


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## MooMac (Aug 5, 2021)

Quanta said:


> Pretty much any oil will increase sun damage. So putting zinc oxide in a mixture that's basically just fat and oil is like putting a humidifier and dehumidifier in the same room.
> 
> No, the best way to do it is to send it to a lab that tests sunscreen. There is no way you can test a sunscreen yourself to make sure it blocks the UV rays that cause aging and cancer. Only a lab can do that because they have the equipment.
> 
> All you can do yourself is see if it delays sunburn, and even then you don't know the SPF or how long you can go between reapplications.


I see, thank you! I'm not sure why all fats and oils would necessarily increase the effects of the sun. I figure maybe saturated fats would be different. But yes I'll wait until I can have it legitimately tested before further experimenting in this area, thank you.


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## Quanta (Aug 5, 2021)

MooMac said:


> I see, thank you! I'm not sure why all fats and oils would necessarily increase the effects of the sun. I figure maybe saturated fats would be different. But yes I'll wait until I can have it legitimately tested before further experimenting in this area, thank you.


When people want to tan quickly, they put oil on their skin before sunbathing. I don't remember the exact reason, I think it has something to do with the refractive index of the oil? I think? I will have to look into it, but from what I remember, any UV blocking/absorbing properties of oils in vitro don't have any UV blocking/absorbing properties in vivo. In other words, it might be able to block some UV if it's not on skin, but on skin the UV blocking effect isn't enough to outweigh the UV amplifying effect of the same oil. If that makes sense.

I'm on break at work right now, when I go on lunch I'll see if I can find an article to explain it.



Quanta said:


> I'm on break at work right now, when I go on lunch I'll see if I can find an article to explain it.


Ok, here you go.








						Serious Question: Is There a Tanning Oil That Isn't Bad for Your Skin?
					

Tanning oil is known to give a deeper tan, quicker. But how healthy is it for our skin? We tapped two dermatologists to give us the truth.




					www.byrdie.com
				




This article mentions that it does have to do with the refractive index, which will be similar enough among different kinds of oil that the effects on the skin will be similar.


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## MooMac (Aug 5, 2021)

Quanta said:


> Ok, here you go.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I appreciate the source searching and making sure to put good information out there. I should try to keep in mind that just because I have a hammer doesn't mean everything is a nail lol


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## cmzaha (Aug 5, 2021)

In the US you simply cannot sell handmade sunscreen with proper testing and FDA approval. It is considered to be under drug restrictions and I am betting you do not have the tens of thousands of dollars to accomplish the requirements. My apologies if I am wrong. Also if you see such a product stating a particular SPF and someone gets a bad sunburn you open yourself up for a big lawsuit and you will negate any insurance coverage you carry since handmade insurance will not cover a product considered a drug.

Some products are best left to the large labs that know what they are doing and have the testing capabilities. Even then, unfortunately, mistakes are known to happen.


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## MooMac (Aug 5, 2021)

cmzaha said:


> In the US you simply cannot sell handmade sunscreen with proper testing and FDA approval. It is considered to be under drug restrictions and I am betting you do not have the tens of thousands of dollars to accomplish the requirements. My apologies if I am wrong. Also if you see such a product stating a particular SPF and someone gets a bad sunburn you open yourself up for a big lawsuit and you will negate any insurance coverage you carry since handmade insurance will not cover a product considered a drug.
> 
> Some products are best left to the large labs that know what they are doing and have the testing capabilities. Even then, unfortunately, mistakes are known to happen.


I understand! I think I saw you say something similar in another post, I appreciate you looking out for people, your posts helped me realize I'll need to wait and jump through hoops to sell sunscreen if ever.


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## amd (Aug 6, 2021)

I am hesitant to use any type of handmade sunscreen.... much less even think of making it to sell, legal or not. My skin is too precious - and cancer is not something to mess with - to trust to those mucking around. Sunscreens are tested and regulated for a reason. I leave it to those who have done and maintain their products with those regulations.


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