Blair Murphy-Rose, MD: Homemade sunscreen is not safe. When it comes to DIY sunscreens, you don’t know what you’re getting.
Homemade formulations that are being shared on social media have no science behind them, and can be dangerous to use. Many ingredients commonly used in homemade sunscreen recipes (like vegetable and fruit oils) do not offer effective sun protection and should not replace sunscreen. Applying oil to your skin instead of sunscreen is very harmful. Depending on the main ingredient, oils provide either zero protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, or very low protection – tanning oils typically have an SPF 8. Even if you do include effective UV filters like zinc oxide, it’s impossible to create a product with the level of precision required to guarantee effective, long-lasting protection.
Sunscreens sold in the U.S. are regulated as drugs by the FDA and must undergo rigorous testing. In the U.S, the FDA has requested additional data on 12 organic (still sometimes called “chemical”) sunscreen ingredients to make a generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) status determination. The FDA notes that this data request does not mean that these sunscreen ingredients are unsafe — and does recommend using sunscreen daily, including products that may contain these ingredients. Also, the organic sunscreen active ingredient bemotrizinol (BEMT), or PARSOL Shield, an active ingredient long used with good safety data in many countries, was FDA-approved in 2026. It is the first new active ingredient in the U.S. in more than 25 years.
That said, if there are any ingredients you prefer to avoid, you can certainly choose a product without them. Those with sensitive skin, for example, may want to choose a sunscreen with only inorganic UV filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. There are so many sunscreens on the market today — the most important thing is to choose a product you’re comfortable using daily and that is labeled broad spectrum with an SPF of at least 30 for daily use and minimum SPF 50 for extended outdoor activity.
ABOUT THE EXPERT:
Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City and the Hamptons. Dr. Rose has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dermatology Surgery, and Pediatric Dermatology.
