top of page
Search

Healthy natural face care


Most of us are aware of the amount of chemicals used in commercially prepared beauty products and are also trying to reduce the chemicals we are exposed to.


It’s a big undertaking to remove all chemicals from everything we use, but we can cut down massively on the chemicals we apply to our face and bodies.



Making your own beauty products


Often what stops people from making their own beauty products is the thought of specialist ingredients and equipment. In this post I’ll show you that you can make fabulous, effective products from things you already have in your kitchen or that are easy to get.



What kitchen ingredients can you use safely

There are so many everyday ingredients you can use that I can’t include everything, so I’m concentrating on a few of the best easily available ingredients. They can be combined in so many ways.


I have given some beauty product recipes later in this post for you to try, but have fun experimenting with these ingredients to see what you like.



Honey

Honey is a bit of a wonder ingredient. It is:

  • a natural exfoliant, which helps get rid of dead skin cells without being harsh or abrasive which some salt and sugar scrubs can be

  • a great moisturizer, and leaves your face feeling soft and smooth

  • a natural antiseptic. It can helps remove toxins from your skin, and help kill any spot-causing bacteria

  • an excellent humectant to helps skin retain moisture without feeling oily. Massaged on to affected areas, it can helps the appearance of scars and increase healing

  • suitable for all skin types.

While honey is a great cleanser all by itself it’s not suitable for removing make up.

Oats


Oats have healing and moisturising properties and are fantastic at nourishing, calming and soothing skin.


Raw oats can be added to products to use as an exfoliator.



Avocado

Avocados have ultra-nourishing oils and essential fatty acids. You can just use mashed avocado spread on your face to get rid of rough or dry skin and leave it silky smooth.

It can also reduce inflammation.



Milk


Milk contains lactic acid, which will gently exfoliate and brighten the skin. It is gentle and won’t irritate your skin.



Coconut oil

Coconut oil can be used in so many beauty products it’s a great item to have in the house. It contains essential fatty acids to deeply nourish the skin.

It can be used in:

  • cleansers

  • moisturisers

  • masks

  • scrubs

  • balms


Bananas


Bananas can be added to many of the recipes for face products to provide an extra hit of moisture.


The multitude of vitamins and minerals in bananas is just as good when applied to the skin as when you eat them.


They are particularly good when added to hand made hair products, but that’s a whole new post.


Obviously adding banana to a recipe means that you will have to keep it in the fridge.



Things to remember when making your own face products


Don’t apply certain things directly to your skin.

Hand made beauty products are safe, but some ingredients need mixing with other things before you applying to the skin, such as:

  • apple cider vinegar

  • lemon juice

  • essential oils

Be aware that these items could:

  • irritate the skin

  • make the skin sensitive to light

  • cause skin bleaching

Always mix with other ingredients first and do a patch test. In fact …


'Always do a patch test first’


You need to do this to see how your skin reacts. Try your product on an out of site area, like the side of the neck, before applying to your face.



Use a face mask on the day you make it


Or keep in the fridge. Ingredients exposed to air and bacteria will quickly go off and might irritate your skin.


If you are concerned about how long your mask will last, to be on the safe side, make your mask with fresh ingredients and use it within an hour of mixing.



Face product recipes

There are many products that can be made for the face, they are mostly masks and face scrubs, but I’ve included one moisturiser recipe.



Face moisturiser


Making your own moisturiser can be very easy, but most recipes call for ingredients such as cocoa butter, beeswax, jojoba and essential oils that you probably won’t have in your kitchen. I haven’t included any of these recipes as this post is about things you can make with easily obtained ingredients, basically bought in your weekly shop.


There is one ingredient that can make a very good moisturiser all on it’s own and that is coconut oil.


Coconut oil face moisturiser


Basically get some coconut oil out of the jar (use a little to start with)

break into smaller chunks in a high-sided bowl

warm until it melts

whisk with a blender until the oil resembles whipped cream

and that basically is it!

You can add:

  • honey to make the cream into a really nourishing face mask

  • an essential oil if you have them and know how to use them. Be careful which ones you add, some oils should not be put directly onto the face such as citrus oils as they can irritate the skin and make it sensitive to sun.

Put the cream into a clean sterilised jar.



Face cleansers


Honey and lemon cleanser for oily skin

  • ½ cup (50 grams) rolled oats

  • ¼ cup (60 millilitres) fresh lemon juice

  • ¼ cup (60 millilitres) water

  • ½ tablespoon honey

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and stir together with a fork or spoon.

Massage the mixture onto a damp face and leave it on for 30 seconds before washing it off using lukewarm water.



Apple, honey and olive oil cleanser for dry skin


  • 2 apple slices, peeled

  • ½ cup (125 grams) plain yogurt

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil

  • ½ tablespoon honey

Put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and combine until smooth.

Spread this onto damp skin and leave it on for five minutes before washing it off using lukewarm water.



Face masks

Calming, soothing face mask


This face mask provides deep hydration from the coconut oil, gives your skin a hit of antioxidants with the honey and soothes redness with the lavender oil.

Mix it up and spread onto the face. Leave five to fifteen minutes before washing off with lukewarm water.



Moisturising face mask


This hydrating face mask is great for tight dry skin.


  • 1/2 avocado

  • 1 tablespoon of honey

  • A handful of oats or oat bran

Mix it up and spread onto the face. Leave five to fifteen minutes before washing off with lukewarm water.



Smoothing soothing face mask


This face mask helps to lift dull surface cells, and is great if you've been out in the sun a bit too long and have some sun spots or pigmentation on your face.


Yoghurt is full of lactic acid which gently removes those dull cells, honey adds moisture, and turmeric helps with sun spots and pigmentation.


  • 1 tablespoon of natural, plain yoghurt

  • 1 tablespoon of honey

  • 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder

Mix it up and spread onto the face. Leave for five to minutes before washing off with lukewarm water.



Oily skin facemask


This facemask is great for cleaning and cooling the skin, leaving it feeling clean and fresh.

The cucumber will hydrate and also contains vitamin C.

The avocado helps regulate oil production, and can help reduce inflammation.


  • half an avocado

  • 1/4 cucumber, blended

Mix well and spread onto the face. Leave five to fifteen minutes before washing off with lukewarm water.



Anti pollution facemask


Pollution, and the elements, can be very damaging to the skin. Fatty acids in the almonds can penetrate the skin, leaving it soft and supple. The vitamin E in the olive oil helps against free radicals which can cause dehydration and dullness.


  • a handful of ground almonds

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Mix well into a smooth paste and spread over face. Leave it on for 10 minutes, then gently massage the paste into your skin to really dislodge everyday grime, make-up, dead cells and oil. Then rinse off with lukewarm water.



A little bit of pampering

The recipes I’ve included here are a great way of focusing on just you for a while.

When you’ve made the product and filled a lovely jar or tin, why not give yourself a bit of time for a pamper.


Take an hour to have a bath, or to do a facial. Combined with some gentle stretching beforehand or some facial yoga, it will leave you feeling relaxed and if you’ve spent time at a spa.


Read more about facial yoga and it’s benefits here, read more about relaxing and taking time for yourself here