Expert issues urgent warning as homemade SPF trend takes hold on social media

With the summer sun shining brightly, experts are stressing the importance of using a high-quality SPF every day, regardless of the weather.

However, a worrying trend has emerged on social media, with influencers promoting homemade sunscreens, prompting urgent warnings from skincare professionals.

The trend has gained popularity thanks to popular influencer Nara Smith, a 22-year-old South African content creator known for her ‘trad wife’ lifestyle and her cooking vlogs.

With a cult following of 8.9 million followers on her TikTok account, @naraazizasmith, Smith recently ventured into the wellness realm by posting a video on June 25 showing off her recipe for homemade sunscreen.

The video shows Smith and her husband, American model Lucky Blue Smith, formulating an SPF with coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil and zinc oxide powder.

Smith and her husband, American model Lucky Blue Smith, create an SPF with coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil and zinc oxide powder in a TikTok video

In the clip, the content creator emphasizes that the product applies “smoothly” to the skin and “does not leave a white cast.”

This DIY SPF trend fits right into one of the many TikTok crazes, where controversial wellness influencers often claim that commercial SPF products are harmful and can cause cancer.

Smith’s video has since inspired dozens of creators to share their own DIY sunscreen recipes, but skincare experts are warning of the potential dangers of the practice.

Dr Ahmed el Muntasar, GP, skin expert and aesthetician, has teamed up with SPF brand Hello Sunday to discuss why SPF is necessary and why you shouldn’t try to make your own version of SPF.

He said: ‘SPF is the most important step in your skincare routine because it ultimately helps protect your skin from UV light, prevents signs of ageing and maintains the integrity of the skin. Overall, it’s a really good habit to maintain and keep up.’

He warned against the DIY SPF trend, highlighting the difficulty of achieving the right consistency and concentration needed for effective sun protection.

Dr Ahmed continues: ‘I am strongly against making your own SPF because it is actually very difficult to make SPF in the right consistency and concentration and it can give a false sense of security.

‘You may think you are protected if you take the ingredients incorrectly, but in reality you are not getting the protection you want.’

Smith’s video has since inspired dozens of makers to share their own homemade sunscreen recipes using similar ingredients

Dr. Ahmed el Muntasar, a general practitioner and aesthetic doctor, warns against this trend and highlights the difficulty of achieving the right consistency and concentration needed for effective sun protection.

Thousands of TikTok users have also voiced these concerns, condemning Smith’s alternative to commercial sunscreen

He also highlighted the problem of uneven distribution of homemade sunscreens, leaving some areas without adequate protection. ‘Overall, not approved by Dr. Ahmed,’ he concluded.

Thousands of TikTok users are voicing these concerns and condemning Smith’s alternative to commercial sunscreen. For example, one user said, “Yes, homemade sunscreen is also homemade melanoma.”

Another added: ‘I love this girl but this is not a good idea,’ while a third joked: ‘Y’all are going to go crazy with this concoction this summer.’

Also, another expert reveals the 11 most common sunscreen mistakes, including taking medications that disrupt SPF and leaving bottles of cream out in the sun.

According to Cancer Research UK, 86 percent of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK can be prevented.

Which? has compiled 11 of the most common sunscreen mistakes to avoid so you can stay safe in the sun.