DIY After Sun Lotion

Last weekend, I completely overdid it and was outside all day long. You know how it goes, you think you’ve got enough homemade sunscreen on, the kids are playing around, you lose track of time, and suddenly you’re lobster-red by 4pm.

My daughter looked at me and said, “Mama, your arms matches your shirt.” (My shirt was red. She wasn’t wrong.)

I’d run out of my usual DIY after sun spray last summer and never replaced it during winter, so I did what I always do, I headed to the kitchen and started figuring out a lotion version!

What I came up with became one of my absolute FAVORITE DIY skincare recipes, and I knew I had to share it with you.

This DIY after sun lotion draws on some seriously powerful ingredients. Tallow has been used for skin healing for centuries, aloe vera has been a go-to home remedy for sunburn since ancient Egypt, and calendula has been soothing irritated skin in traditional herbal medicine for just as long.

Together they make a homemade after sun lotion that genuinely WORKS, not just for the beach aftermath, but any time your skin is dry, irritated, or just plain unhappy.

By the end of this post, you’ll have a simple DIY lotion recipe you can make in under an hour and actually trust on your whole family’s skin 🙂

Benefits of This Lotion

• Tallow: This is the star of the show. Tallow (rendered animal fat) is remarkably similar in structure to our skin’s own sebum, which means it absorbs beautifully and doesn’t just sit on top.
  
  It’s deeply nourishing and has been used for centuries to help heal and protect damaged skin. It’s by far my FAVORITE fat to use in homemade skincare recipes.

• Emulsifying Wax: This is what holds your water-based and oil-based ingredients together so you end up with a real lotion instead of a separated mess. Trust me, I figured that out the hard way plenty of times before!

• Mango Butter: Rich, creamy, and full of fatty acids that help restore the skin barrier. When sun exposure strips your skin dry, mango butter helps bring that softness back. It also melts right into skin without feeling greasy (my favorite benefit!!).

• Calendula Infused Oil: Calendula is one of the most beloved herbs in traditional skincare. It’s been used for generations to calm irritated, red, and inflamed skin, making it perfect for sunburn remedies. Infusing it into oil pulls out all those beneficial plant compounds right where your skin needs them most.

• Aloe Vera Gel: The original sunburn relief remedy. Aloe is cooling, hydrating, and has a long history of being used to treat sunburn and speed up skin recovery. If you’re wondering how to get rid of a sunburn fast, aloe is always part of the answer!

• Essential Oils: Lavender is my top pick here for its traditionally soothing and skin-supporting properties, but peppermint (cooling!) or frankincense are also lovely options for sunburn remedies for face and body.

• Preservative: Not glamorous, but necessary! Any lotion with a water-based ingredient like aloe needs a preservative to stay safe for more than a few days at room temperature 🙂

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DIY After Sun Lotion Recipe

Makes: About 8 ounces

Ingredients

• ¼ cup tallow (learn how to render your own)
• ½ tablespoon emulsifying wax
• ½ tablespoon mango butter
• ½ tablespoon calendula infused oil
• ½ cup aloe vera gel
• 15 drops essential oil (I used lavender)
• Preservative (I used Geogard ECT)

Instructions

Add the tallow, emulsifying wax, mango butter, and calendula infused oil to a double boiler or heat-safe bowl over simmering water.

Heat gently until everything is fully melted. Then allow it to cool.

When the lotion is cooled and slightly hardened, slowly add in the aloe vera gel and begin to mix.

Continue blending until the lotion begins to thicken.

Once the mixture is below about 100°F, stir in the essential oil and preservative.

Notes

• Store in a cool, dry place.
• Because this recipe contains aloe vera gel, a preservative is important. If not, keep in fridge and it should last around a week or so.

How to Use It

Apply generously to sun-exposed skin as soon as possible after time in the sun, this is truly how to heal sunburn fast, getting those soothing ingredients on before inflammation sets in.

For how to treat sunburn on the face specifically, just use a lighter touch and avoid the eye area. Reapply as often as your skin wants it.

Always patch test first, especially on little ones. If you’re allergic to any ingredients, swap them out. Check with a doctor for severe sunburns!

Final Thoughts

I now keep a jar of this in our beach bag every single summer, and honestly, my kids ask for it even on non-sun days because it’s just that good of a lotion.

It makes a beautiful DIY gift too, tucked into a little summer basket with a wooden applicator and some lip balm.

Next time I make it, I want to try adding a touch of peppermint essential oil for an extra cooling effect on really hot skin. If you try this homemade after sun lotion, I’d love to hear how it goes for your family!

More Recipes For Summertime

• Herbal Summer First Aid Kit
• Natural Sunscreen Recipe
• DIY Bug Spray
• DIY Bug Repellant Balm
• DIY Bug Bite Itch Relief Balm
• Burn Relief Salve
• After Sun Spray
• DIY Citronella Candle
• DIY Sunscreen Spray
• DIY Tanning Oil
• DIY Swim Spray

Want more herbal recipes just for summer? Get my Herbal Summer First Aid Kit!