How To Make Your Own Clean Beauty Products
Please note this post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. By using these links you are directly supporting us. Thank you!
How To Make Clean Beauty Products
A couple of years ago I started to try and go down the clean beauty route in a bid to help rid my life of toxins. I quickly became pretty disillusioned with all the products out there that claimed to be natural, organic etc. but still contained a long ingredients list.
I also disliked most of the products themselves, whether that was because of how they felt on my skin or how they made my skin look, I was so frustrated at constantly being on the hunt for natural beauty products I liked and could incorporate into my daily routine. Eventually I started doing my own research and discovered that there are a few key natural ingredients that are good for your skin, and the rest are unnecessary. And so my journey into making my own DIY beauty products began and I haven’t looked back since! I’ve done a lot of trial and error and have finally settled on a regime that my skin loves.
Products I DIY:
Soothing Honey Face Wash
I first came across the miracle benefits of honey as a face wash after I read rave reviews on other health blogs and websites such as Well + Good. This is a really great, simple face cleanser that is effective for all skin types from acne-prone to oily, combination to normal and also sensitive to dry! As with all these products, the beauty is that you can really tailor them to suit your skin’s specific needs by adding/taking out ingredients or adjusting the quantities.
Recipe:
– 5 tbsp raw honey (if you can get your hands on manuka honey for its medicinal properties even better!). The honey must be raw to preserve its healing, antibiotic properties.
– 5 tbsp oats
– 1 chamomile tea bag (optional just the contents, not the bag haha)
– 1 tbsp aloe vera gel (optional)
– 2 tablespoons of clay (optional. I use bentonite clay but an equivalent will work just as well. If you have dry or sensitive skin you can skip this step if you like, if you have oily skin you could add more)
– 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
– 2 probiotic pills (optional)
– 1 drop essential oil of Tea Tree, Lavender, Rose Geranium, Ylang Ylang, and Frankincense each (optional - for some people they may have a potentially sensitising nature, but if your skin tolerates them well you can also adjust them to be specific to your skin type too)
I have also started crushing two charcoal tablets and adding those into the mix for added clarifying benefits during the summer months, this quantity is so small it probably doesn’t do much though haha but, again, it’s totally optional if you want! You can also add more for oily/acne-prone skin. Click to read my comprehensive guide on the best essential oils here.
Directions:
Simply mix all products together and blend! It’s super quick and easy and probably takes me about 5 minutes flat. Obviously the longer you blend the ingredients for, the smoother your consistency will be. I like mine to be quite blended so it’s not too exfoliating (the ingredients will soften even more over time anyway). Pour into a, preferably, glass jar and voila! You’ve made yourself a super soothing, balancing cleanser. This makes quite a lot of product and usually lasts me aaaaaages (like months).
To use, simply scoop a bit out and massage all over your face, after removing makeup. Add a little bit of water to help spreadability. Rinse off and then warm a washcloth and use to wipe off any excess. You can experiment with this part and maybe if you have dry skin you might like to skip the wash cloth altogether?
If this seems like a bit too much work for you, you can simply use just honey on its own with great success! This is especially useful when travelling and I do this quite a lot.
TOTAL COST: About £8 per jar
Calming Rose Water Toner
This is an excellent toner for soothing and balancing the skin’s natural pH levels and getting rid of any last products so your skin is prepped to fully absorb any subsequent products you use. It’s also an antioxidant anti-ager, yay!
Recipe:
– 1 bottle of rose water (I use a cooking one so it’s pure)
– 1 bag green tea
– 1 bag chamomile tea
– 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (if you have oily or acne-prone skin you can up this quantity, if you have dry or sensitive skin you can skip this step altogether if you want. Bonus use: add a dash to water on an empty stomach in the morning to kickstart your digestion- you can read more about my morning routine here.)
– 2 probiotic pills (optional)
If you have extra dry skin you could also add a tablespoon of aloe vera gel or honey for their moisturising, humectant properties.
Directions:
Gently heat up the rose water on the stove (just before a boil), turn off and add the chamomile and green tea bags. Let steep for a while, strain and pour back into the original rose water bottle. Add the ACV and probiotic pills and you’re done! Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
To use, simply dab on cotton wool and swipe over the entire face after cleansing, before adding any serums or creams. I also use this as the first step in the morning in place of washing my face.
TOTAL COST: About £7 for £100ml and it lasts me roughly a month I think.
BONUS DIY: Refreshing Face Mist
Simply add this concoction to a spray bottle and spritz away throughout the day for a lovely pick-me-up! You can tailor this to your needs, for example if your concern is oiliness as the day goes on, add a little more ACV. If you’re dealing with harsh weather, travelling, or just suffer from dry skin in general, add some oils and/or honey, aloe vera etc. If you need help with concentration or fatigue, add a few essential oil drops!
I use a combination of all of the above plus a dash of glycerin for extra hydration. The blend of essential oils I use is Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender, Geranium and Ylang Ylang for a tonic that’s simultaneously energising and relaxing.
Nourishing Face Cream
This is a super hydrating balm that nourishes and repairs the skin whilst also protecting it from the elements. I am totally in love with this face cream and use it morning and night, all year round- I’ve even got Sam hooked on it too! The only thing I change with the seasons is that in summer I use a bit of this mixed in with a couple of drops of my face oil (below), and in winter I massage this cream on first and then pat on some extra face oil on top (after using my Jade Roller, but that’s a story for another post!).
Due to the low comedogenic score of the ingredients I use in all my beauty products (meaning they won’t block your pores. Not everyone has a problem with this but it’s why I can never personally use coconut oil or cocoa butter on my skin), this cream actually works well for all skin types. However, if you’re used to using a lotion or gel, or you’re simply not down with the dewy look, then this might not be for you. I actually have a tendency towards a more oily skin type but just love it to feel super-hydrated.
Recipe:
– 2 tablespoons raw shea butter
– 1 tablespoon argan oil (I use this oil because of its healing vitamin C + E content but you can use any you like)
– 1 tablespoon jojoba oil (technically a wax, this is the “oil” that’s closest in chemical makeup to our skin’s natural sebum and so is hydrating whilst also balancing oil production!)
– 1 tablespoon aloe vera (I’ve found some brands of aloe vera to be sticky, so this is the only one I personally use now)
– 1 tablespoon raw honey
– 1 tablespoon beeswax (optional - creates a balmier consistency and extra layer of protection)
– A few drops of vegetable glycerin (optional - excellent for very dry skin)
Directions:
OK this recipe requires you to get your cook on a lil bit. First, melt the beeswax in a double boiler/Bain-Marie, then add the shea butter. Once all that has totally melted, take off the stove and add the argan and jojoba oil. Then, add the honey, aloe vera gel and glycerin and mix really well. Pour into a jar and mix a couple more times as it cools to ensure all ingredients are fully combined.
Massage well into skin after cleansing, toning and serums/eye creams. I like to pair mine with a lymph drainage technique for an extra luxurious self-care feel.
If you don’t have access to all ingredients, simply shea butter mixed with an oil will work wonders! You can mix and match with quantities as well, bearing in mind that the texture of the product will change doing so.
TOTAL COST: About £5 for 50g which lasts me up to 2 months but some of the ingredients on the list last me over 4 months+, which I use for my other products.
BONUS DIY: Body Cream and Hand Cream
I actually make a huge tub of body cream first and then scoop out that mixture to make my face and hand cream. This consists of 2 tablespoons of melted beeswax and 250g of melted shea butter plus 250ml of argan and jojoba oil combined (so 125ml each). I use about 4 tablespoons of this body cream with an extra tablespoon of beeswax, honey and aloe vera gel each (as in the above recipe) for my face cream.
To make the hand cream I simply take 4 tablespoons of body cream and add 2 tablespoons of beeswax and 1 of glycerin, honey and aloe vera gel each (as in the recipe above just with more beeswax) for a slightly harder consistency that doesn’t melt in my bag whilst I’m out and about!
Repairing Face Oil
You may have heard all about the magical wonders of face oil already. They can cure a myriad of skin concerns, and feel so heavenly whilst doing it! If you have oily skin or simply prefer a lighter touch, you could use just a face oil after a serum for your hydration needs. I like to go all out baby-bum soft and use a serum, face cream and face oil! Oils may not be your thing but I say don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. Making a face oil is a really easy addition to your beauty regime, and you can also use it just as a special treat when in need instead of daily.
Recipe:
– 2 parts rosehip oil
– 1 part marula oil
– 1 part sea buckthorn oil (optional– this might sound like a really random oil but I’ve just started trying this one out because The Ordinary launched one and I love it! I used to use their squalene oil which I also really liked)
– 1 drop essential oil each of Frankincense, Lavender, Geranium and Ylang Ylang (optional)
Directions:
Simply mix all together and enjoy! For a longer lasting product, keep in a dark, glass bottle. If possible, always aim for glass containers anyway but especially if working with essential oils as they can break plastic down. You can either use this oil alone, mixed in with your usual face cream or patted on top to create a protective barrier and give your skin a flawless glow! If you don’t want to buy all the oils, I would recommend simply starting off with the Argan and Jojoba oil used for the other products (or whichever oils you chose).
TOTAL COST: About £9-18 for 100-130ml, depending on the combination of oils, and it lasts me about a year!
And that’s the how to make your own clean beauty products! You may have noticed that a large majority of ingredients are used in several products. This is one of the things that’s so great about making homemade natural skincare product- not only can you tailor them to suit your specific needs exactly and rest assured in their safety, you’ll also save a TON of money, especially in the long-run! Once you’ve purchased your initial arsenal, you can chop and change ingredients across a variety of products and get loads of usages out of them.
Of course, whilst you’re on the road to making your own beauty products, if you can afford it, you may as well go all in and buy organic where possible too! No point risking adding unnecessary toxic pesticides to your skin amirite? If you do give these recipes a try I’d absolutely love to hear how you get on in the comments below!
If you already make your own products, what do you do differently?
