Last Updated on March 11, 2020 by April
Natural Ingredients for DIY Skincare
As you all know, I am a huge fan of making my own skincare. Nothing beats the relaxing ritual of handcrafting your own personal wellness routine that you can rely on no matter what. Time and time again I have gotten curious about more traditional retail body care products and have been disappointed. Not only do they not work as well as the DIY products I have made (not to brag, tee-hee), they are potentially harmful to my body and are far more costly. So, at this point, I think I have finally realized for good, nothing beats a good DIY. I hope you enjoy the list of useful DIY skincare ingredients!
Carrier/Moisturizing Oils
Carrier Oils are bases (also known as vegetable oil) that is used to dilute essential oils in products such as body lotion, face moisturizers, scrubs, and cleansers. The reason they are called carrier oils is that they assist the absorption of essential oils into your skin. Here are some examples to include among the DIY skincare ingredients you keep on hand at home:
- Sweet almond oil
- Grape seed oil
- Olive oil
- Jojoba oil
- Emu oil
- Borage seed oil
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Apricot oil
- Avocado oil
- Evening primrose oil
- Castor oil
- Walnut oil
- Peanut oil
- Pecan oil
- Hazelnut oil
My favorites out of the list that I used regularly in my personal recipes are sweet almond oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and jojoba oil. Each of these are so good for my skin type which is dry and help keep it moisturized without getting greasy.
Body Butters
This is the part that is going to add some body to your recipe along with a splash of vitamins and moisture for your skin. Butters are typically used as moisturizers for your skin rather than your hair as they can get quite heavy. The three main body butters are the following DIY skincare ingredients:
- Cocoa butter
- Shea butter
- Mango butter
Out of the three I have used the cocoa and shea butter but I am definitely looking to make something in the near future with some mango butter! As for the cocoa butter and shea butter, I am absolutely nuts about them. They are so moisturizing and both smell great! Cocoa butter smells of, well you guessed it, chocolate; so if you like chocolate scented things, you’re in luck. What I like to do to make the smell even more indulgent is to incorporate it into a sugar scrub. Your skin will be unbelievably smooth afterward.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can be pretty tricky to purchase because of all the MLM companies out there trying to make a quick buck. Out of everything on the list, I find essential oils to be the most difficult to shop for since there are just so many scams to weed out. Lucky for you guys though, I have had some luck after extensive searching. Remember guys, this stuff is going on your body, which is your largest organ; you don’t want toxic substances absorbing straight into your bloodstream. If you wouldn’t eat it, then don’t put it on your skin!
WARNING: I am super obsessed with essential oils; they are so beneficial to me for my skin/hair care and I even use them in a diffuser for my asthma.
Here is a list of my favorite essential oils:
- Lavender – I also use this outside of my skincare regime in my diffuser to help me sleep. Lavender essential oil is great at the end of the day when you just want to wind down and get in the mood for relaxation. As a bonus, it reduces my partner’s LOUD snoring to just loud breathing. It’s still audible but it’s a huge improvement and allows me to sleep next to him peacefully. : )
- Lemongrass
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Rose
- Geranium
- Clove
- Cinnamon
- Frankincense
- Lemon
- Ginger
- Rosemary
- Tea tree
- Sage
Oatmeal
If you are looking for something to put in a mask, or cleanser that will moisturize your skin without getting it greasy, then oatmeal is the way to go. Ever since I tried a product by Lush called ‘Let The Good Times Roll‘, I have been hooked on recipes that contain oatmeal.
Exfoliants
Sugar, coffee grounds and salt are excellent for getting rid of dead skin without being too abrasive. Personally, I prefer to use sugar and (very finely ground) coffee beans for my face, and body scrubs and salt for shampoos which gives my hair plenty of volume and removes product build-up.
Hydrosols
If you aren’t familiar with the term, hydrosols are floral waters that can be used as a toner for your skin. My favorites are rosewater and witch hazel. Both of these have been a big help in keeping acne away throughout the month.
Castille Soap + Black African Soap
Whenever I am in need of something that I can use by itself quickly to clean my face, it’s Castille soap or black African soap. These two things are powerhouses at removing makeup in one go and leave your skin absolutely divine. However, I tend to also go to these as a simple body wash.
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel can get kind of tricky. Ever since natural products started to gain traction, aloe has been one of the popular ingredients big companies decided to dilute. Still, searching through all of the aloe vera gel options is totally worth it as this ingredient is amazing at healing and soothing sensitive skin.
Honey
So this is the ingredient I really rely on to keep my skin moisturized throughout the day even with windy dry weather conditions. I have tried making lotions without honey and it just isn’t the same. Remember though, like the other DIY skincare ingredients on this list, make sure to purchase raw forms for the full natural DIY benefits! 😉
