Homemade Dog Sunscreen Recipe (With Natural SPF) for Dogs

You’re looking into making homemade dog sunscreen for your furbaby but have no idea where to start. No worries! We have been making this dog sunscreen for a few years, and it feels better than ever that we are looking out for our pup.

Plus, we’re the best pet parents in the world! We gave ourselves that award, but still…

We started making our sunscreen for Betty White. She was solid white and prone to sunburn. Now, we use this for Echo. He also has a lot of 

Prevent Sunburn For Your Dog

Summer is here—and you know what that means. Time to get out and enjoy the lovely season with your furry friend! 

But as you grab your sunhat and wear sunscreen, do you ever wonder… does my dog need sun protection, too? 

Well, they sure do!

And what’s the solution? Applying sunscreen, of course. And bonus points if it’s prepared with natural ingredients and a natural SPF. 

After all, you don’t want to protect your dogs from the sun at the cost of exposing them to harmful chemicals, do you?

Keep reading for my quick homemade sunscreen recipe for your dogs—using natural SPF.

Do Dogs Need Sunscreen?

Yep. Just like human beings, dogs need sunscreen, too. This is because your dog’s skin can develop particular conditions (like cancer) if they are exposed to the sun for too long. And protecting them is our duty! 

This is indeed more common for certain breeds. But you want to remember that a dog’s fur becomes lighter with seasonal shedding, and even the dogs with the thickest coats have vulnerable spots (especially on their inside upper legs, groin, belly, or a light nose).

This happens more when your dog becomes a senior. You want to make your senior as comfortable as possible.

So, basically, all dogs are at risk. That is where homemade dog sunscreen comes in.

Also, remember that sunscreen is important, but preventive measures are equally essential. Consider keeping your dog away from the sun during peak hours (usually 10 am to 3 pm) and introducing foods like krill and tomato to their diet (to prevent sunburn from the inside out).

Reducing your pup’s sun exposure with an umbrella or shade is also ideal when you are spending time outside. Echo is prone to being super sensitive to the sun, so he also wears a dog hat and sometimes wears dog sunglasses. 

Ingredients for DIY Dog Sunscreen

Most of these items can be found at your local health foods store, but if you are like us and don’t always have access, we include links to purchase these online.

We use natural ingredients because, according to the Environmental Working Group, pets are prone to ingesting 40-70 industrial chemicals daily. We want to reduce that as much as we can.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer with antioxidant properties that protect against sunburn. It also helps thicken sunscreen.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil includes all the essential vitamins and minerals and soaks quickly into the skin (a must-have property for a dog sunscreen!). If jojoba oil isn’t available, you can use sweet almond oil instead. We don’t use it because I (shannon) am allergic to tree nuts.

Shea Butter

Shea butter has an SPF rating of 4 to 6, which helps filter UVB rays. 

Carrot Seed Oil

Carrot seed oil carries an SPF of 35 and provides antioxidant properties. (We’re not talking about carrot seed essential oil; make sure you get cold-pressed carrot seed oil prepared directly from carrot seeds). This is a must for homemade dog sunscreen for its SPF alone.

Red Raspberry Oil

Yep, another reason to love raspberries. Its oil has a broad-spectrum SPF of 20, which protects the skin from both types of UV rays (UVB and UVA). Same as the carrot seed oil, go the route of cold-pressed unrefined raspberry oil.

Beeswax

This will thicken the mixture and soothe your dog’s skin, especially if they have skin irritations. But you can skip beeswax if you wish.

Essential Oils

Only use a small quantity because you don’t want sunscreen that is too fragrant for your doggo. Our personal favorite is chamomile essential oil, but you can also use lavender or myrrh (both safe for dogs). 

You will also need a double boiler. Since we hardly use ours, we bought this inexpensive small one.

Amount You Will Use for Your Homemade Dog Sunscreen

Let’s quickly look at the quantities of ingredients you’ll need. Remember that you can purchase the ingredients and then have plenty for more batches in the future. It works out to be budget-friendly per application.

• 1/4 cup jojoba oil
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons shea butter
• 1 teaspoon red raspberry seed oil
• 1 teaspoon carrot seed oil
• 1 tablespoon beeswax (optional)
• 10 to 20 drops of essential oils (optional)

How to Make Homemade Dog Sunscreen

Got the ingredients ready? Great! Let’s do this!

1. Combine the oils, shea butter (melted), and beeswax in a double boiler.
2. Pour 1 cup of water into the boiler, then place it over the stove. 
3. Bring the water to a boil; you want to continue whisking it until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour the whisked mixture into a glass bowl. Time to let it sit for 5 minutes.
5. Mix in the red raspberry seed oil and carrot seed oil. 
6. Transfer the dog sunscreen to a glass jar, and it’s ready to use! 

Put it on your dog’s skin, and you’re all ready to enjoy the outdoors with your pup!

Natural Dog Sunscreen is the Way to Go!

Not only are natural ingredients for your dog’s sunscreen better for their health, but it is better for the environment. If you start paying attention to what is in traditional dog food and store-bought sunscreen products, you will see many ingredients you cannot pronounce. 

Do your research. We hope you will give this natural sunscreen a try. It’s a great way of reducing your pup’s skin cancer and other health issues.

No one is going to look after your pup the way you are. Protect him/her. They depend on you. 

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions