homemade skin care products
/What we have here is almost entirely edible.
However, nothing is meant to be eaten.
And nothing is green, chocolate, or filled with Bailey’s Irish Cream.
What we have here are quick + easy homemade natural skin care products.
Two things I loathe buying are cleaning products + skincare products [oh, and makeup!]. First of all, if you’re going the more natural route, they’re expensive. Secondly, just because it’s a product sold at Whole Foods [or another natural food store] doesn’t automatically make it perfect in regards to the ingredients. Food labels are one thing, but cleaning and body products are another. The ingredients all sound foreign to me, and I always forget the key words to look out for.
So for the most part I try and take matters into my own hands.
Simplicity is where it’s at.
The other day I got roped into a free facial assessment at Whole Foods. There was a big fancy machine that took a photo of your face and showed all the different layers and problem areas of your skin. There wasalso a woman that seemed to know what she was talking about. I knew she would be trying to sell products at the end, but I wanted to see the results of the evaluation.
It seemed legit, but I’m also pretty gullible.
Four areas where my skin was average or below [for my age] were UV spots, pores, brown spots, and red areas. Even though I can’t physically see red areas or spotting it’s something that will become more pronounced as I age
After the assessment, she asked what my current skin care regimen was. Ummm, barely anything. I’ve never really had problematic skin and like to keep things pretty basic. I use a creamy cleanser, toner [earth science], and unrefined coconut oil for moisturizing. One thing she recommended was adding a gentle exfoliating scrub to my routine and said it would help in many different areas.
Of course the one she recommended was around $30 [MyChelle]. $30 that I would rather spend on delicious food. However, I realize taking care of my skin is important to overall health so I went on a search for alternatives.
*please note* I am not a skincare professional. Always use caution when adding new skincare products to your daily/weekly routine. Consult with your dermatologist if you have questions.
I looked up gentle skin exfoliating recipe and found something extremely simple.
- honey
- oats
- apple cider vinegar
The amount of honey was not specified on the website so here is the recipe I ended up using.
Oat + Honey Exfoliant
- 1 Tablespoon raw honey
- 2 Tablespoons ground rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Grind the oats almost all the way to flour.
- Mix in the honey and apple cider vinegar with a fork until smooth.
- Wet your face, then gently apply a small amount of the scrub in circular motions.
- Leave on for 10-15min, rinse off with warm water, and moisturize.
*Recommended use is once a week or bi-weekly. Is said to…help to remove dead skin, improve skin texture, and keep skin firm + hydrated.
After my first use: My face has never felt so soft. I was pleasantly surprised and will continue to use this about once per week. Even the day after my skin still feels softer than normal.
other recommendations for my face: looking out for translucent zinc + titanium dioxide in sunscreen as safe alternatives to harsh chemicals, a light moisturizer [will try to make one], a gentle eye cream, and vitamin C serum with a 17% dose of L-Ascorbic Acid [improves skin texture]
I’ll keep you posted if I make any of above. I definitely won’t be buying them anytime soon as they are quite pricey.
Next, let’s move on to coffee + skin.
I’ve read time and time again that using coffee grounds in a skin scrub helps to tighten the skin, diminish cellulite, etc.
I finally decided to give it a go and used this simple recipe. I’ve also started to re-incorporate dry brushing into my daily routine and spend about 3-5 minutes brushing before my shower. Within two weeks my skin [especially legs] is noticeably tighter and smoother.
coffee grounds + sugar + oil
Could this possibly be any cheaper or easier?? It doesn’t specify but I used used coffee grounds [still wet] and it seemed to work great.
They have a list of other ingredients you can add, but I wanted to keep things as simplistic as possible. I applied to my legs in the shower and rinsed thoroughly. The amazing scent of coffee will definitely help wake you up in the morning!
After 1 use: My legs felt incredibly soft. I will most likely use this 1x/week. I imagine it takes at least a few applications to see results. You may want to use a drain catch so the coffee grounds don’t go down your tub drain.
Below you will find the latest version of my deodorant recipe. I have been using this for 2.5 years and will never go back to anything that comes in a tube. I use this all year long, even in the dead of summer and on 30+ mile bike rides.
I added a little more vitamin E oil to this version as my skin has been fairly irritated from the dryness this winter. I also changed up the essential oils to peppermint + sweet orange. I recently realized I was using lavender in my deodorant, dryer sheets, and laundry detergent. I’ve been using these for the past 6 months, which is around the time my skin became irritated. I’m switching things up without lavender to see if that was part of the problem.
Mint Orange Deodorant
- 6 Tablespoons unrefined organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 4 capsules [400 IU] Vitamin E oil
- 10 drops peppermint oil
- 10 drops sweet orange oil
- Soften the coconut oil in the microwave and mix everything together until smooth.
- Store in a jar.
- Apply a small amount under each arm with your fingertips and gently rub in. [~1/8-1/4t] Reapply throughout the day if needed.
notes: Lavender and clove essential oils are said to have natural anti-perspirant properties. I haven’t had any issues with staining or white marks on my clothes with this deodorant, but I’m sure it can happen. In the cooler months it can become quite hard but softens easily when applied. If it becomes too soft in warmer months store in the refrigerator.
Next up was a concoction I found via Pinterest.
Another super easy + inexpensive 2-3 ingredient recipe. I was out of full fat coconut milk, but had coconut cream on hand which works just as well when mixed with water. A large container of castile soap will set you back $10-15, but it’s an amazing + versatile product that will last you a long time. I left out the essential oil since my castile soap is peppermint scented.
After one use: The soap was very sudsy which I love, and a little goes a long way. I only used about 2tsp. After drying my hair it felt noticeably thicker [even with already thick hair]. However, it was also on the heavy/greasy side. There could have been a few problems: I may have mixed in too much coconut cream and not enough water. Next time I’ll use the full fat coconut milk. I should have scrubbed it out more thoroughly. I may need to add a touch more castile soap. I’m not giving up on this yet! This may work better for a conditioner to be used on the ends of my hair.
I keep all of these homemade goods in used + washed jelly jars or random mason jars I have sitting around. I am a jar hoarder if you didn’t know.
While you’re sipping Bailey’s or baking green cupcakes, you can whip up these products. It’s always fun to share a little something different, especially when it involves saving money!
Have a great weekend!
Ashley
