If you’ve been following Creative Fashion Blog for very long, you know how much I love a good DIY skin care recipe! We’ve created Caffeine Eye Serums, Avocado & Lavender Hair Growth Serum, and even Cucumber Facial Toners in the past. There is something so rewarding in creating your own skincare products. Not only can you customize each ingredient to your own skin, but you can also avoid all the fillers that come with expensive brands.
In my experience, the natural alternatives have also been far more impactful overall. They have caused my skin less irritation, been more moisturizing overall, and cost far less. After all, I’m not twenty anymore and I’ve got to start taking better care of my skin now if it’s going to keep glowing for years to come.
That’s why in today’s post, I thought it would be fun to break down the basics. What makes a DIY skin care product effective? What ingredients should you include? And exactly how do you make it?
It can all seem a little overwhelming to get started right?
Thankfully, a well known beauty brand just launched a DIY skin care line that breaks down all of these questions for you. Now, you can design your very own beauty products from home. I’m so excited to partner with Shea Moisture to show you guys how this works!
Nearly every DIY skin care item we’ll talk about today is only made up of 3 parts: a base (or carrier), an activator, and an essential oil as a powerful finale. You can use these 3 simple parts to create countless DIY skin care products.
Step 1: What Is A Base?
A “base” is the carrier ingredient that gives your beauty recipe it’s consistency. For example, when you are using essential oils, they are often too potent to apply directly on your skin. To avoid skin irritation without depleting any essential oil benefits, you’ll need a carrier or base in your beauty recipe. Usually, Fractionated Coconut Oil
For facial and body masks, I like using the Shea Moisture Mud Mask Base and adding other ingredients to it. This mud mask base also contains bentonite and Shea Butter, which are awesome for all skin types.
Sugar and oil combined create an excellent base for body scrubs and exfoliates. Oils are extremely moisturizing while the sugar gently removes dead skin from the surface, revealing a glowing, more healthy skin underneath. If you don;t want to make your own, you can buy it pre-made here as well.
Step 2: What Is An Activator?
Once you’ve decided which base you want to begin with, it’s time to add an activator. An activator is simply an additional ingredient that gives your skin some extra love and carries added benefits. There are literally hundreds to choose from. If the idea of choosing an activator sounds intimidating, the new DIY skin care line by Shea Moisture has several options that are all labeled “Step 2.”
A few of my favorite natural activators are:
Ground Coffee: Ground coffee contains Vitamin B-3, reduces inflammation, serves as an acne treatment, has anti-aging benefits, reduces the appearance of cellulite, dark circles, and reduces the appearance of cellulite. Since it already has such a coarse texture, I love mixing it with olive oil (or castor oil if my skin is extra dry) and using it as a body scrub. My 2 favorite coffee scrub recipes are HERE and HERE. Shea Moisture created a potent Espresso Shot designed for DIY beauty recipes HERE.
Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is a beautiful succulent with incredible healing properties for dry or damaged skin. It’s gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive skin, heals wounds faster, offers anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and even anti-itch benefits. Aloe is also extremely soothing for irritated or sunburned skin. Just last night I mixed the Shea Moisture Mud Mask Base with this Aloe Vera gel and this Peppermint Essential Oil
Turmeric Powder: Turmeric Powder is incredible for enhancing your skins natural glow and making it look more vibrant and youthful. It’s antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components give skin a healthy radiance with quick results. I like to add the Shea Moisture Turmeric Powder to both body scrubs and facial masks.
Witch Hazel: Diluted Witch Hazel (you can dilute it with any base) is a powerful astringent, removes extra dirt and oils from your skin, helps shrink your pores, and tightens and tones your skin. It’s safe to use on sensitive skin and contains a high concentration of tannins found in it’s leaves. Witch Hazel makes a great facial toner and calms irritated skin. You can see my Lemon and Witch Hazel Facial Toner HERE.
Matcha Tea: Matcha tea is exceptionally good for acne-prone skin since it reduces sebum (oil) production. It also contains chlorophyll, a natural detoxifier that removes toxins and fights free radicals naturally. Free radicals damage our skin by grabbing extra electrons from atoms in our skin cells. It causes damage to our skin’s DNA and is one of the most well-known causes of premature aging. Try out the Matcha Tea Shot HERE.
Castor Oil: Castor Oil is one of my favorite beauty oils. I probably use it more than coconut oil to be honest! It’s thick texture come from all the fatty acids naturally found in Castor Oil. It smooths and moisturizes when lighter oils don’t do the trick and can heal even the driest skin. On the cooler, dry months, Castor Oil is your best friend. It also contains Ricinoleic Acid which prevents the growth of bacteria-causing acne and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. This is the Castor Oil I’m using lately and I love it! HERE is also a post I wrote on several ways to incorporate this thick oil into your beauty routine.
Avocado Oil: Avocado Oil is packed with fatty acids and is incredibly moisturizing for your skin. It also has Vitamin E and Potassium, which helps regulate the amount of water in your body’s cells. A lack of Potassium can show up as excessive dryness and other skin disorders. Potassium is also an electrolyte, which means it holds and electric charge and helps all of your cells work properly.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar has the ability to restore the pH levels in your skin and beta-carotene to help prevent future damage. Beta-carotene is valuable because it is converted into Vitamin A in your body and helps repair, maintain, and protect your skin. I am loving this Apple Cider Vinegar w/ Citrus Mint. For a quick treatment, apple cider vinegar can also be used overnight as a spot treatment for freckles, age spots, and pimples to reduce their appearance.
Step 3: The Best Essential Oils To Include In DIY Skin Care Products
The last and final step to creating your own DIY skin care is adding essential oils. I love the potency and effectiveness of essential oils and think adding them to your beauty routine just makes sense! Essential oils are created by distilling the plant and extracting it’s natural properties. This means that if a whole, natural ingredient can provide incredible benefits, an essential oil is basically one on steroids. Since essential oils are so potent, I don;t recommend applying them directly to your skin. Instead, add them to a base (or carrier) or as the finishing touch on your DIY skin care recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:
Lavender: Lavender essential oil is the perfect, all in one oil. It’s high in antioxidants, clears skin, heals dry skin, and is a natural anti-inflammatory making is great for treating a variety of skin conditions. Plus, it’s great to use at night since it’s aromatherapy qualities help induce sleep and reduce stress. Buy this oil HERE.
Cedarwood: Cedarwood improves skin conditions such as eczema, promotes hair growth (which is why it’s in my DIY Healthy Hair Gel HERE) and fights acne. The light, fresh scent also reduces stress and improves focus and concentration.
Peppermint: Peppermint oil is an exceptionally potent essential oil in beauty products so start small. It aids in oil secretion, making it a great acne treatment and also has causes a refreshing, cooling sensation that feels great and soothes your skin. Adding peppermint essential oil to any DIY skin care recipe makes that product both antimicrobial and antiseptic. Buy Peppermint Essential Oil HERE
Sweet Orange: Sweet Orange essential oil helps your skin absorb vitamin C, increase collagen production, and increase blood flow. It is also a great antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. The aromatherapy mood-boosting benefits are just the cherry on top! Buy it HERE.
Frankincense: Frankincense Essential Oil strengthens skin, improves tone and texture, and increases elasticity. It also reduces the appearance of scars, acne, and helps your skin heal faster from wounds. It also has the ability to lift and tighten your skin naturally while simultaneously reducing the appearance of large pores. Buy it HERE.
Chamomile: Chamomile Essential Oil can relieve redness and irritation almost immediately. It is also a great remedy for eczema, skin irritations, burns, bruises, and even diaper rash.
Once you have picked the ingredients you’d like, it’s time to mix! I believe that knowing why each ingredient is important makes all the difference in the world. Now that you understand what each ingredient does and why they matter, you can begin crafting your own DIY skin care products. Why NOT treat your skin to custom-curated spa-grade products?
Still feeling overwhelmed? Just remember that you don;t have to include every ingredient into every product. Maybe tonight you give your skin a moisturizing mud mask with avocado and sweet orange and tomorrow, you can add some apple cider vinegar later as a spot treatment for that zit that just won’t budge. Making your own DIY skin care products gives you the chance to get to know your own skin, listen to what it needs, and then provide.
I like to store my products in these small mason jars
As always, thank you so much for reading Creative Fashion Blog! Before you go, be sure to check out the beauty recipes below and see what piques your interest. Thanks again and I hope to see you again soon!
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