by Ewa Bekiesch, Permaculture designer, educator, sustainable living consultant, and healthy lifestyle advocate.
I love making and using my homemade skin moisturiser! I am not buying commercial beauty products since I started to make my own. There are many different formulas but this one is super simple so I thought some of you might want to try it. Note: Always do your own research before making and using any new ingredients and products.
This is a basic recipe. You can make healing balms using this formula, too. You can also use different herbs and essential oils to your liking, however, when you add essential oils, the only go is therapeutic-grade natural essential oils.
This is a carrier oil-based moisturiser. The advantage of it is that:
- it is super easy to make so perfect for beginners
- it includes only simple ingredients
- the production cost is very low, only about a few cents for the amount below and it lasts for about two months if used on the face only (you can use it as a body moisturiser as well)
- no greasy fill on the skin if you use the right oil like in my formula below
- it is made with natural products without toxins so nourishing and skin-improving, and it may also have healing properties depending on the herbs you use
Before you start to make the skin moisturiser, you need to turn the carrier oil into an infused oil. There are two ways of making an infused oil.
Note: All jars and utensils must always be sterilised (clean, rinsed with boiling water, and completely dry!) while making your own beauty products.
To make an infused oil, you need:
Infused Oil Formula/Recipe
Carrier oil: There are many that can be used but we want to keep it simple today so I recommend the Grapeseed oil. It is affordable, almost odor-free, emollient, absorbs well to the skin without leaving a greasy feel on the skin, and it is good for all skin types.
Herbs: Like with oils, there are thousands of herbs you can use. The most important is that all the herbs have to be completely dry. Any moisture will spoil your product and the oil will go rancid. Always go for organically grown herbs if you don’t have your own, however, if you have your own garden, there are plenty of flowers and leaves with amazing properties that can be used. I will expand on it in my future articles. You will be surprised! Note: Do your own research before using or trying any new plant or part of a plant!!!
Method #1: In a sterilised jar, cover the herbs of your choice with carrier oil. Stir to remove any bubbles, seal, and allow to sit for at least 4 weeks or longer up to 3 months at the most. Strain through sterilised and very fine sieve or muslin cloth. Store in a dark bottle or jar in a dark place.
Method #2 The double boiler method. Place a small pot with herbs and oil, in a colander that is placed on a larger pot (see the photos for better understanding). The smaller pot should NOT touch the water with its bottom. Infuse for at least one hour checking the temperature of the oil. It should not exceed 50°C. Strain as by method #1. I usually repeat the process with another lot of dried herbs to maximise the therapeutic action, especially when making healing salves but this is optional for a skin moisturiser.
For this moisturiser, I use one or a blend of my infused oils that I made using Method #1 using the following homegrown dried herbs:
- Aloe Vera: antioxidant, antiwrinkle, emollient, skin improver, vulnerary, protecting, moisture-locking. Check my video below if you want to know how to dehydrate Aloe Vera and which one can you use.
- Patchouli: vibrant look, healthy and smooth skin feel, anti-age, toning, tightening, reducing wrinkles and blemishes, and wonderful scent!
- Rose petals: antiwrinkle, astringent, anti-age
- Rose geranium: skin-balancing, astringent, anti-age, anti-wrinkle, large pores remover
Now, after you have gone through all the important (in my opinion) notes, you can move to make your own skin moisturiser. I usually make the double amount but when you just starting to experiment with homemade beauty products, I would recommend making a smaller batch for the first time. You can always double the amount of the ingredients next time if you like the end product.
Everyday Face Balm – Skin Moisturiser with Aloe Vera, Patchouli, and Rose
Phase #1:
- 125ml infused oil of your choice.
- 12.5g beeswax
Melt in a double boiler at a maximum of 50°C (as described above)
Phase #2
- Take off the heat
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of natural Vitamine E + a few drops of essential oils of your choice. Use therapeutical-grade natural essential oils only! I used this time Lavender + Rose + Frankincense
- Mix well and move into sterilised containers. Use within six months. It doesn’t last long for me as I use it on my face and a body moisturizer.
Comment below for any questions and to let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you!
HOT TIP: I use the same formula for my deodorant (125ml infused oil + 12.5g beeswax + a few drops of essential oils: tea tree and lemon.
And here is my short video about how to dehydrate Aloe Vera and which one to use. Hope you like it. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. It’s free!
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