Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Nara Smith — a model, mom and influencer who has become known for her DIY creations — has drummed up controversy with her latest concoction: homemade sunscreen. And it’s every dermatologist’s worst nightmare.
Smith, who has previously made snacks including Cheez-It crackers and Snickers bars from scratch, posted a viral TikTok earlier this week explaining that her family had run out of sunscreen after basking poolside.
So, she decided to make her own. The clip, which has since amassed more than 16 million views, shows her model husband, Lucky Blue Smith, carefully measuring and combining a mixture of coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter and jojoba oil in a glass bowl, melting it down to a liquid before whisking in zinc oxide powder.
“This went on so smooth and didn’t leave a white cast,” Smith claimed in a soothing voiceover, a hallmark of her serene content.
As aghast viewers shared their dismay at her homemade sunblock — many of whom called it “crazy” — experts are warning curious users not to try this at home.
“DIY sunscreen should be avoided as there is no way to know how effective the formulation is and how much protection it will actually provide,” Dr. Maris Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, told Glamour.
“It may provide a false sense of security and leave someone susceptible to sunburn or potential for irritation.”
NYC dermatologist Dr. Hannah Kopelman agreed, explaining to Yahoo News that “homemade sunscreens are generally not effective” due to the lack of “rigorous testing” that over-the-counter sunscreens undergo.
Sunscreen efficacy, she continued, is determined by its formulation and denoted by a verified sun protection factor rating, a measurement of how well sunscreen blocks the sun’s harmful rays, like SPF 30 or SPF 50, and cannot be determined in the comfort of your own kitchen.
“Homemade sunscreens lack this testing and regulation, making it impossible to ensure consistent and adequate protection,” she said.
In fact, some of the ingredients used in the Smith’s home-cooked recipe may have the opposite effects.
“Coconut oil and jojoba oil can draw in the sun and can actually lead to burns,” Dr. Mina Amin, a dermatologist who practices in Los Angeles, told Yahoo. “Beeswax, shea butter and cocoa butter are meant to be hydrating, but have no efficacy in protecting against the sun.”
And, even if some of the products inside the homemade sunscreen do protect against the sun, it “may be an SPF 2 or 3, not SPF 30,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Adarsh Vija Mudgil, the founder of Mudgil Dermatology in NYC, told Glamour.
“Don’t do it!” Mudgil implored. “Purchase a reputable sunscreen that contains a minimum SPF 30 and contains a mineral ingredient like titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide. There are an infinite number of options available.”
Smith’s clip arrives amid online fearmongering about the health effects of sunscreen, as #AntiSunscreen proponents falsely claim that the sun does not cause skin cancer and instead blame the American diet.
Research, however, shows that exposure to ultraviolet rays emitted from the sun can damage the skin and potentially result in skin cancer, which is why many doctors will recommend using commercial sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
