Study || Herbal Oils as a Natural Sunscreen?

According to quite a few studies, certain herbal oils can provide a level of protection from the sun. The calculated SPF values range from 0.248 to 7.549. Olive oil and coconut oil are among the highest ranking ones.

Now, though these oils provide some sun protection, I would not go so far as to use them in place of a regular sunscreen. After all, many dermatologists recommend that women of color wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or even 30. Olive oil and coconut oil have an SPF of only 7.5 and 7.1, respectively. Some of these oils, however, can decelerate damage caused to the skin after sun exposure ... which is something that sunscreens generally do not do. (Check out my earlier post on olive oil after UVB-exposure.) Additionally, these oils can provide our hair with a level of sun protection. :o)

SOURCES
SPF DETERMINATION OF HERBAL OILS IN COSMETICS (2010)
OLIVE OIL ON UV-INDUCED CANCER (2000)
EFFECT OF ALMOND OIL ON UVB-INDUCED PHOTOAGING (2007)