HOMEMADE COSMETICS MADE EASY – DIY RECIPES FOR AN ALL NATURAL AND AFFORDABLE FACE AND BODY CARE ROUTINE

Anything homemade has been trending in the last few years, and natural cosmetics aren’t the exception to the rule.

Although I’m not a huge cosmetics consumer, there are things that I can’t live without such as a body cream, deodorant and a moisturizer.

During the last two years I’ve been trying to save money and not buy any more cosmetics until I finished all the ones I already had.  I’ve been purging my bathroom cabinet. I’m well aware that the shelf life of certain products has probably expired, but I just can’t seem to depart myself from some of them. 

It’s crazy how much some of these beauty care products and it’s no wonder I inflated my credit card after falling prey like an idiot to all the (mostly) false promises cosmetics companies make to you in order to use their products.

Of course, buying them already made makes things simpler and easier but when you read about what is actually in them, you just might decide to hop on the homemade cosmetics wagon.

Homemade cosmetics are a healthier alternative to commercial products and not just for you, but for the environment and your wallet.  

Most DIY cosmetics recipes use products that you probably already have at home.  Although you shouldn’t dump in the trash all your cosmetics overnight, you could gradually test out and replace them with the homemade ones mentioned below for your daily skin care routine or even your makeup. If anything else, it’s fun to do and relatively inexpensive.

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Safety tips for homemade cosmetics

Before we get started with the recipes, as with anything homemade, certain guidelines need to be mentioned and respected.

 A product is a cosmetic if it is intended for uses such as cleansing the human body, making a person more attractive, or changing a person’s appearance.

fda.gov

Full disclosure: I am not a homemade cosmetics guru and have not yet tried all of these recipes. Careful research was done to put this list together and I tried to pick ones that were the easiest to make and affordable.

Little tips before you get started

• Disinfect, sterilize and dry completely your containers before reusing them.
• Keep your homemade cosmetics in dark and cool places, away from sunlight or in the fridge.
• Make small batches as natural cosmetics won’t last very long unless otherwise specified in the recipe.  This is because they usually don’t have preservatives like the commercial version and bacteria can rapidly build up if you are not careful.  That being said, natural preservatives do exist and can be added to recipes. Aloe vera, citric acid, lemon juice, salt, various essential oils can be used as natural preservatives.

Natural preservatives are ingredients that are found in nature and can — without artificial processing or synthesis with other substances — prevent products from prematurely spoiling.

Joseph Rauch on blog.publicgoods.com

• Always use clean and dry hands when applying homemade cosmetics to your skin because bacteria loves a wet environment.  You don’t want to contaminate your product you have carefully made, right?
• If starts to smell bad or different, discard it right away.
• Olive oil is not necessarily recommended for mixed, oily or acne prone skin.  Instead, substitute it with argan or sunflower oil.
• Always try to test the ingredients for skin irritation before use.
• For a full on homemade experience, start keeping your empty store bought cosmetics containers to reuse. You will need small jars, spray bottle or ones with a pump.
• When starting out, if you can, only buy the quantities you need.  This will save you money.  One Soak – cosmetic products in bulk.

Essential oils guide for the skin

• Carrot seed:  aging skin
• Frankincense:  aging skin, acne and blemishes, dry skin
• Geranium: eczema, dermatitis, aging skin, acne and blemishes
• Lavender: dry skin, aging skin, acne and blemishes
• Tea tree: acne and blemishes

Essential oils aren’t recommended to be used by pregnant women or ones that breastfeed. Ask before using an essential oil. Also, essential oils are not necessarily good for sensitive skin.

Daily facial routine

What does your skin care routine look like? What is your skin type? Which products do you use? When you walk into Sephora and are looking for a daily moisturizer, those are some of the questions you will be asked.  You will soon find out that a moisturizer is not enough for an efficient skin care routine.

When asked those questions, my answer has always been: nothing, a splash of water or just a moisturizer from Clinique or whatever I had found that didn’t cost and arm or a leg. You should see the look of horror on the salesperson face every single time I answered.  

It’s not clear to me why I need to use all these different products to look pretty despite the anti-aging benefits and what not. Nonetheless, I have included a homemade recipe for each of the different daily steps you ought to take to keep your skin looking its best.

Cleansing Oil

Cleansing oil does just that, it is meant to remove all the crappy stuff that have adhered itself to the surface of your skin.

I just use water, but that has a tendency to dry my skin.  The salesperson at Sephora or any  other beauty place for that matter will tell you that its a huge no-no to using H2O.  When you live on a budget like me, I usually skip the cleansing oil. 

However, I found the following recipe below by Les Trappeuses and have been applying it daily. It’s really simple to make.

Ingredients:

• Sunflower oil
• Organic jojoba oil
• Essential oils

Fill half a bottle with sunflower oil, a quarter of it with jojoba oil and then add 20-30 drops of essential oils.

Shake thoroughly and apply it on your face after removing the makeup and impurities.  Wipe off with a warm wash cloth.

Essential oils you can use:

• Tea tree oil for acne prone skin
• Ylang yang for dry skin
• Lavender oil for combination skin

Toner

Once you’ve cleaned your face, it’s time to use the toner.  It’s supposed to help smooth and calm your skin while restoring certain nutrients.  I am not a toner type of gal.

Ingredients:

• 4.5 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup of rose water
• 1/4 cup of witch hazel

You can add essential oils such as tea tree for acne or oily skin and lavender for dry or sensitive skin.

Another option if you want to kick up your day a notch is to use a fresh tonic on your face.  

Put grated cucumber in boiling water.  Cook 5 minutes.  Filter the water and pour it into a bottle.  Keep it in the fridge no longer than 3 days.

Moisturizer

Although I might not use it everyday by sheer lazyness, when I do use a moisturizer I feel the difference.  My skin seems healthier and less itchy.  That’s because like the name entails it hydrates your skin. It helps prevent the appearance of blemishes, acne and those dreaded wrinkles.  Clearly I have not used enough moisturizer in my lifetime but you can’t be forever young either.

Sunshine in a jar

Sunshine in a jar to balance, calm and hydrate skin.  You can buy the finish product by Yay for Earth or try to make it on your own.

• 1tbsp of organic olive oil
• 1/2 cup beeswax pellets or grated 
• 1 cup of shea butter
• 20-30 drops of pomegranate seed oil
• 2 tsp of raw honey (optional)

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In a double boiler, melt together the beeswax and shea butter.  Remove from heat and add the olive oil and honey. Stir well.  Add the pomegranate seed oil and stir.  Pour in a small container and store away from sunlight.  Apply daily.

I’ve tested this recipe at home.  I think I used too much beeswax which is why in this recipe I reduced the quantity from 1 cup to 1/2 cup. Just play around with it and see what works best for you. Just melt it again in a double boiler and add what you need. I used a yogurt jar to store my finish product.

Pomegranate seed oil doesn’t seem to be common in natural stores near me.  I had to buy mine online from Mountain Rose Herbs.  It was a speedy delivery which was great since I already had all the other ingredients on hand and couldn’t wait to try it. 

Other moisturizer recipe (RootandRevel.com)

• 1/2 cup shea butter
• 2 tbsp of organic coconut oil
• 2 tbsp of organic extra virgin olive oil
• 20 drops of essential oil of your choice based on your own skin type.

Make a double boiler.  Place all the ingredients in a bowl.  Allow everything to melt and stir.  Pour everything in a jar and let it cool.  Then place in a fridge to solidify completely (overnight).  Remove and store at room temperature.

Aloe Vera Moisturizer

The aloe vera plant can help treat sun burns and acne. It contains antioxidants, vitamin A and C.

The steps:

Cut a leaf of an aloe vera plant. Hopefully, you already have one at home.

Let it soak in a bowl of water overnight. This will allow the aloin and iodin to remove itself, and make the water turn red.

Peel the skin and remove the pulp out from the leaf.

Mix the pulp in a blender to create a gel which can then be used on your face and body. Store it in the fridge.

Sunscreen (healthline.com)

To have an effective and safe sunscreen, it needs to include litanium dioxide or zinc oxide. 

I usually apply sunscreen if I’m going to be outdoors for a long period of time.  Otherwise, I just don’t see the point to apply some daily.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 2-4 tbsp of powdered zinc oxide
• 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel (50% or higher pure aloe)

Aloe vera both treats and prevents sunburns on your skin.

• 25 drops of walnut  extract oil for scent + spa boost
• 1 cup of shea butter

THIS IS NOT A WATERPROOF SUNSCREEN

• In a double boiler, melt the coconut oil, walnut and shea butter together.  Let it cool a few minutes.
• Add the aloe vera gel and then let it cool completely.
• Finally, add the zinc oxide and mix well to ensure that it is equally distributed.
• Store in a glass jar and keep it in a cool and dry place.

Tip: for a stickier consistency, add some beeswax.

If you’d rather use sunscreen as a spray, replace the shea butter by almond oil.  Add enough of it to make it sprayable.  Keep it in the fridge for best results.

Eye cream (Je Suis Belle! 100% Bio)

Apparently, you’re supposed to use a different cream in your eye area than the rest of your face.  Of course, I don’t do it which might explain my little squinty eye wrinkles.

This recipe does require some odd ingredients I’ll give you that but it seemed the easiest to make compared to others I came across. 

• 2 tsp of shea butter
• 2 tsp of beeswax pellets
• 3 tsp of almond oil
• 2 tsp of avocado oil
• 1 tsp of aloe vera gel
• 1 tsp blueberry water
• 5 drops of carrot essential oil

In a double boiler, mix and melt all the ingredients together with the exception of the aloe vera, carrot essential oil and the blueberry water.

Remove from heat and whisk in the aloe vera and blueberry water. Add the drops of carrot essential oil, mix and pour into a clean container.

Store it in the fridge and dispose of it after 3-4 days.

Bye bye dark circles (grands-meres.net)

If the eye cream is not enough, here is a little recipe to get rid of the dark circles after a late night of partying, studying or taking care of baby.

• 1 tsp of plain yogurt
• 1 tsp of coffee grounds
• A few drops of lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients together in a container. Place it in the fridge for a few hours.  Apply it to your dark circles, let it sit 15 minutes and then rince your face.

For a simpler solution use cucumber as it’s a natural moisturizer, antioxidant and is refreshing when applied to the skin.

Cut 2 slices of cucumber and place them in the fridge for 1 hour.  Place them on your closed eye lids for 15 minutes.  This is a good and simple way to hydrate dry your skin and restore radiance to the eyes.

Homemade Cosmetics – Makeup time

As previously mentioned, adjust the following homemade cosmetics recipes according to your own skin type and needs.

If you are doing your own makeup for your wedding, need to save some money and don’t usually wear primer or fancy blushes,  these recipes are for you.

Primer

Primer can be quite expensive, think $80!  It’s become a trend in the last 5 years.  Although it’s not a real necessity to have and use, it does help make your make up last longer.  A primer, just like when you are painting a wall, acts as a barrier between your skin and makeup. It can also act as a moisturizer.

Once you’ve made your primer, store it in a cool place away from the sun and moisture.  This will prevent the ingredients from breaking down.

Primer spray

Glycerine helps the skin retain water.

• Mix 10 parts filtered or distilled water with 1 part glycerine in a spray bottle.

It’s a simple solution to moisturize your skin and give it a “tacky” texture to allow the make up to adhere better.

Dispose of it every few days to avoid bacteria build up. If that scares you, simply drop glycerine in your palm, spread water around and pat it into your face.

Primer Cream

As mentioned before, primer helps cover the pores and can make your skin and makeup look flawless.

Aloe vera is a key ingredient to making a good primer.  It has anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties and helps in cell regeneration.

When you apply it to your skin it not only protects and nourishes it but keeps it youthful as well.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup aloe vera
• 1 tsp of coconut oil
• Pinches of mineral powder (optional)

Blend together in a small container.  Apply with clean and dry fingers or a clean make up brush.

Or 

• 2 tbsp of aloe vera
• 1 tbsp of olive oil

Apply a thin layer and let it dry before applying makeup.

Bronzer (Zero Waste Legacy)

Start off with a small amount of each.  Add in more of whichever ingredients you need until you find the right colour to match your skin tone.

Ingredients:

• Arrowroot powder – 1 tsp
• Cinnamon powder (glow) – 1 tbsp
• Nutmeg powder (sun kissed brown) – 1 tbsp
• Cocoa powder (depth and darkness) – 1 tbsp

Mascara (ThankYourBody.com)

Back in the day when Cleopatra was Queen of the Nile, Egyptians applied a mixture of bone and ivory to embellish their eyelashes.

Fast forward to early 20th century and a commercial mascara appears in stores across America.  Perhaps you’ve heard of it: Maybe it’s Maybelline.

Created by Thomas Lyle Williams and inspired by his sister Maybel’s failed attempts to apply a homemade version of it with coal dust ashes, burnt cork and pretoleum jelly; Thomas decided to make one that worked!  His second attempt was a success and he named it Maybelline, a combination of Maybel and Vaseline.

Ingredients:

• 2tsp of coconut oil
• 4 tsp of aloe vera gel
• 1/2 – 1 tsp of beeswax pellet
• 1-2 capsules of activated charcoal or  1/4 –  1/2 tsp of cocoa powder

Melt all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir.  Pour the capsules or powder into the mix and stir.  Remove from heat.

Pour into a reusable mascara container or a cleaned mascara container you have at home.  If you choose option 2, use white vinegar to clean the inside of the container and the brush.

To avoid spilling, use a syringe that you probably have laying around from all the cough syrups or possible antibiotics in your medicine cabinet or use a small stainless steel funnel.

Dispose after 3 months or if it starts to smell differently.

Tip: add more beeswax for thicker mascara.

Blush (HappyMothering.com)

If you don’t use or have blush, do what my mom taught me: use your lipstick.  Works just as well.

Otherwise, here is simple recipe to try with only 2 ingredients which you should already have at home.

• 1 or 2 tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp of powder

Pink or red: beet root, hibiscus

Brown: cacao, cinnamon

Golden: turmeric

Mix the ingredients together in a small container.  Add more powder to get the exact desired shade.  You can test it out on the back of your hand to see if it works well with your skin tone. You wouldn’t want your face to look like a paint jar right?

Note: If it’s too lumpy, put it in a blender.

Lip balm

Last year when I was trying myself again to making my beeswax wraps I stumbled onto a lip balm recipe.  I took it a step further by repurposing an old lipstick tube which you can read about HERE (recipe included).

Makeup remover

After a long days work or a night of partying, you should remove your makeup before going to bed.

The cleansing oil mentioned in the skin care routine can be used to remove makeup.  Alternatively, you can use coconut oil which I tell you all about HERE.

Homemade and natural body care

The rest of your body is just as important as your face and hair. You’ve probably noticed during winter time or when you are pregnant that you skin gets itchier.  That’s because it is loosing its moisture, hence the dry skin.

Body butter whip (Zero Waste Legacy )

• 1/4 cup shea butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 6 drops of essential oil (optional)

You can use lavender and grapefruit essential oils for the smell and antibacterial properties. Beware of sun exposure if you use grapefruit. Like lemon, grapefruit can stain your skin.

Whip together using electric beaters.  I personally whipped it manually and it was easy.  Store in a small jar and keep in a cool place out of sunlight.

Apply it on a cold wintery or fall day to give extra moisture to your dry skin.  Don’t use it when it is humid and hot out as it will make your skin even more oily and stain your clothes.

I’m pretty happy with my own result, it smells good and my skin is super smooth.

Use within 9 months.

Zesty body scrub (LittleGreenDot.com)

A scrub shouldn’t be used daily on your skin because it might just do it more harm than good.  Use it sparingly.

Add lemon zest to some soft brown sugar and mix it in with some coconut oil.  Continue the process until the mixture feels like wet sand.

Apply it to your body or your face to achieve glowing skin.

Body lotion (goingzerowaste.com)

I’m more of a lotion than a cream kind of gal as I find it easier to apply.  However, a cream usually comes in a small container which makes it easy to grab when you’re going away for the week-end.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp pf grated beeswax 
• 1/2 cup of almond or olive oil
• 2 tbsp of vitamin E oil
• 2 tbsp of cocoa butter 
• 3/4 cup of water or rose water

In a double boiler, melt the beeswax, almond oil and cocoa butter, then add vitamin E.

Use a blender to pour the water in and slowly add the melted mixture.  DO IT SLOWLY.

Pour it into a pump bottle or jar.  Store in fridge.

Now that you have your list of homemade cosmetics to try, test them out and share your results on Instagram using the #carlotaswebblog. I’ll gladly share them with my community.  Do you have a natural skin care routine you’d like to share? Drop it in the comment section below.