A few days ago I had to give in, go to the store and purchase some moisturiser. The winter had wreaked havoc with my skin and I had been uncomfortable in it for weeks. Buying that bottle wasn’t my proudest moment since I aim to make my own skin care. Nevertheless, I want to share […]
Avocado oil
My absolute favourite among the oils for skin care is avocado oil. This rich but heavy oil is perfect for dry and very dry skin. I discovered its healing properties in a very cold and dry European winter. It’s perfect for moisturising and also healing dry and cracked skin. Being a heavy oil, it leaves […]
Making homemade skin care: melting
I have found melting oils and butters together the easiest way to a skin care product. There are other methods such as cold blending but they require more power. Below I’m describing the basic (double boiler) technique. Tools The tools needed to make your own skin care product are relatively simple. You will need […]
Coconut oil
Coconut oil as a skin care product is probably one of those oils you have heard about and maybe used. For my part, I was told to use it on my newborn daughter exclusively to treat nappy rash. It didn’t work as promised but coconut oil still remains one of the most affordable and available […]
General additives
I regularly give workshops on homemade face creams where I talk about additives, among many other things. These additives are specific to face creams but can be added to any homemade skin care product. They are generally easy to buy and they do not require any special equipment or extra attention. The only word of […]
Beeswax
Beeswax forms the home of the bees and it is a by-product of the honey production. There is much to be said about the building of a bee hive and the role of the wax in it. Let me highlight that beeswax is a natural product, edible (in small amounts), and it contains many of […]
Shea butter
One of my stables in face creams is shea butter. I’m not the first to note its properties and hence use it in face creams. Shea butter originates from a nut-like berry harvested from the shea tree (or Vitellaria tree) in tropical Africa. It has been used for centuries in the region as skin care […]
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is a by-product of the cacao production and the major ingredient in chocolate. For skin care it offers some fantastic properties. Texture Cocoa butter is a luxury product. It creates a very smooth cream and it is very nourishing. It can also add a nice hint of chocolate to any cream. The butter […]
Olive oil
Talking about olive oil seems repetitive. It’s been around as a cooking oil for millennia. Even as an ingredient for skin care, olive oil is difficult to beat. Above all, it’s accessible and affordable. Even just the oil on its own makes for excellent skin care. Texture Among oils used for skin care, olive oil […]
Storing skin care products
The most important rule for storing any homemade skin care is: moisture is your enemy. Any water in your product can result in mold growing. So, the number one rule for storing homemade skin care products is to keep water out of your jar(s). There are two main stages where water can enter jars are […]