I have had vitiligo for about 30 years. If you don’t know what that is, vitiligo is a condition that causes areas of the skin to lose color, resulting in spots and patches of lighter skin. There is no cure, but there are some studies out there that are showing positive results, but I wonder, at what cost? There are side effects with every medication, even the ones that people believe to be harmless that we can buy everyday over the counter. Tylenol can cause liver damage; Ibuprofen can damage the kidneys and Benadryl can mess up your nervous system. Is it any wonder I use natural, potent DōTERRA essential oils that do not cause side effects?
Because I have olive skin, I never had a sunburn until vitiligo. Then, wow, I learned quick that I needed to apply sunscreen. I would use high SPF because the white patches have absolutely no pigment. Then I found out that sunscreen can cause hormonal imbalances, infected hair follicles and other skin issues. I had put off making my own sunscreen because I was convinced that it would not work for me. One day I decided to try it and to my amazement it worked. The only drawbacks were that it felt a little greasy (I didn’t really care) and I needed to make small batches because by the next year, it kind of stunk. If you want the recipe, I will be glad to share it with you.
Finally, there is an easy solution for me. DōTERRA has come out with a sunscreen spray, lotion, and stick. In addition, an after-sun spray with its soothing ingredients is a great supplement to my self-care. The ingredients are similar to what I put in my home-made sunscreen, with the active ingredient being non-nano zinc oxide. Non-nano simply means the molecules are large enough to not be absorbed into the skin.
Essential Oils 