I use high proof alcohol from the US or failing that, vodka. You can get potato vodka if you don’t want the GMO grain factor.

I wash everything by hand with soapy water, then swab in swirls from bottom inside to top outside, then I rinse again with water because some people of Muslim, Hindu etc faiths don’t want alcohol, then I dry the pots on the stove to heat sterilize.

Susanne—rubbing alcohol and denatured alcohol are just regular alcohol with a poison added to exempt them from the taxes on alcoholic beverages. the one in rubbing alcohol is allegedly safe for topical use but that safety is doubtful. I never use it in any toiletries or even for sterilizing tools for anything to be consumed (internally or externally) but instead I buy the cheapest potable alcohol I can find instead—usually vodka here, but some places sell plain grain alcohol. good luck.

I sell zinc oxide by the 100g (never micronized) for $2.39 at http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/249 . You can also buy it through a wholesale distributor such as New Directions Aromatics. Look for @325 microns in size.

I can’t recall if I got your questions and answered them, but in brief:
~ benzoin is used primarily for a vanilla scent and as a skin protector. You can leave it out.
~ pola wax is completely safe in my view. If you use bees wax, you must emulsify it with a tiny amount of dissolved borax. Vegetable waxes like pola are absorbed into the skin, while bees wax sits on the surface, which is why it’s great for sunscreen.
~ borax is needed to emulsify the beeswax properly. If you don’t mind a beady texture then you can whip the beeswax in without borax until it sets.
~ I prefer zinc oxide because the body uses it, while TD is not natural to the body. They are interchangeable and give a high SPF and are the only reliable UVA blockers.

Email me for more details! AnarresHealth@gmail.com.

Thanks!