For some time now, I have been making my own facial cleansers and creams. The cleanser I have had down for quite some time, but the creams have always been hit or miss. But recently I found the perfect recipe and the perfect directions to make my favorite cream by far (how you make is almost more important to get the right cream consistency). I have also been dabbling in a night serum as I just ran out of my very expensive store bought one. I tried it all together last night and my skin is amazing this morning. Here it is so you can try it to. I promise that it is so easy, so much better for your skin (nothing bad being adsorbed into your body) and really inexpensive. Good luck and have fun!
Facial Cleanser: Oil-cleansing method
I have been using oils to clean my face now for a couple years. Oils combat the oils of your skin (sounds crazy but it works). Most cleansers actually strip your skin, but oils balance it and keep it soft and younger looking. You will need a small travel size bottle. First start with Castor Oil, this will clean your skin. This oil can be drying so the amount you use will depend upon the type of skin you have. I have combination skin on the oily side so I tend to fill the bottle about 1/3 with the Castor oil. If you have dry skin, keep it under 1/4 of the mixture. Next I use olive oil. I tend to buy my olive oil at local shops that specialize in olive oil. The oil is usually freshly pressed (with-in the last 6 months) and they can usually tell you a lot about the oil - where it is from, the antioxidant level, if its organic. I always try to get the freshest pressed, organic if I can (no chemicals) and with the highest antioxidant level. If you don't have any of these shops around, try a store like Whole Foods as most of their oils list the press date and will also have some organic. I usually add the olive oil and leave about 1/4 of the bottle empty. Here I will add some additional oils like grapeseed oil (contains linoleic acid which is great for promoting skin health) or apricot oil (great for anti-aging) and some essential oils like lavender. To wash you want to have clean, dry hands and then massage the cleanser all over your face, massaging more in trouble spots. Then take a face cloth and make it as hot with water as you can stand. Place it over your face and let it steam your skin for up to 5 minutes. Then use the other side of the cloth to take the oils off. That's it, easy and done!
Face Serum: Vitamin C and Glycerin
This will make 1oz of a 15% serum. I also added a drop of vitamin E to the mix at the end.
First you will need:
1 teaspoon vit c crystals/powder
3 teaspoons distilled water
2 teaspoons glycerin
Dark, small serum bottle
Dissolve the vit c in the distilled water. I use a shot glass and stir frequently until it dissolves. This usually takes about 30 minutes. (sounds ridiculous and its a bit tedious but just did it while watching TV)
When it has fully dissolved, add the glycerin, put it in a dark bottle, and shake (this is where I added the drop of vitamin C). In the summer you might want to keep it in the fridge.
If you are very impatient, or if it doesn't fully dissolve after 30 minutes, they say you add 2 or 3 drops of vodka to the water. I opted not to do this as alcohol is drying to the skin.
The mixture will be very thin but that's okay, still works great!
Night Cream:
I found this recipe on the internet, and can't remember where...but it's the best I have tried by far!
First, choose among grapeseed, almond,
jojoba or coconut oil (you could also use olive oil, sunflower oil, apricot oil, etc). You need 1 cup in any combination. The liquid may come from scented
water, such as rose water, distilled water or aloe vera gel. Use any
combination to total 1 cup. You also need about 2 to 3 tbsp. beeswax pellets.
Use a double boiler to heat the oils and beeswax until they warm and the wax melts. If you don't have a double boiler, put the liquid and beeswax in a glass jar and put the jar in a small pot of boiling water. Put the liquid combination in
the blender (just liquid, not oils yet). With the blender running, slowly drip the heated oils and beeswax
through the top of the blender. When the blender makes a choking sound and the
mixture turns white, you have successfully made an organic night cream. After
the mixture cools, place it in jars. Super easy!
That's it! Good luck....
