Recipe for homemade moisturiser

I have amended this a wee bit as I realised, rather belatedly, that it doesn't read very well AND that I left out one ingredient - oops!
 
I have been making my own cleanser and moisturiser for more than 20 years. I started doing this mostly because of the chemicals found in over-the-counter stuff. At least this way I know exactly what I am putting onto/into my body. I am constantly changing the recipe – our bodies like a bit of variety. Some occasions we made need more of one oil than of another.



Make sure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients you use – apply to a small patch of skin as a test before making a batch of cream that you might have to throw away when you realise you are breaking out in rash!


I have three base oils (preferably Organic) that I use every time as I have found them, over the years, to be the best for my combination skin:

Fill a glass bowl with:
Two heaped tablespoons of Shea butter
Two heaped tablespoons of Cocoa butter
Two heaped tablespoons of Coconut oil

I always add to this base:
Vitamin E – couple of squirts
Vegetable glycerin - small tablespoon (binds it all together and stops the cream from drying out. I apologise profusely for forgetting it to include it originally - only realised this when I actually followed the recipe this weekend- shows you when last I made up a batch!!)

Beeswax – small tablespoon
See below for half a tablespoon of a chosen oil

It is optional whether any other oils are added i.e. Avocado oil, Wheatgerm oil, Olive oil, Grapeseed oil, Almond oil, etc. – always half a tablespoon. Or you could use some of these as your base oils. Choice is always yours, it is your skin and you know what is best for you.

Place some water in a bain-marie (double boiler) and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down, place the glass bowl of the above oils into the bain-marie and allow to simmer gently until all the oils have melted, including the Beeswax which always takes the longest to melt. Stir to make sure that there are no little bits of Beeswax lurking at the bottom of the bowl.

Bear in mind – the oils should not boil, which shouldn’t happen if the heat has been turned down. If you forget and the oil does begin to boil – throw it away as the consistency will have changed.

Once all the oils have melted, switch off the heat and take the glass bowl out of the bain-marie. Please be careful as the bowl will be hot!

Add 6 tablespoons of distilled water and all or any of the following optionals (or not!) – quarter of a teaspoon of Sesame oil (natural sunscreen), 30 drops of Grapefruit seed extract (antioxidant) and 10 drops of whatever essential oil you want in the mixture – I use Neroli (toning).

Mix (I use an electric mixer) to whisk it until it has a thick creamy consistency.

Pour into a jar and leave to cool down.

I was advised to keep this in the fridge, but I don’t bother as the UK doesn’t get hot enough to warrant it. I simply keep the jar of moisturiser in a cool cupboard in my bathroom. It should last a long while – approximately 3 months if not longer – depending whether you use it all over your body too.

If you find after a few days that there is a little water residue that has separated from the mixture - don't stress, this is normal. I drain it away. It doesn't always happen. I'm not sure why - may have something to do with the moisture content in the air.

Buying all these ingredients in bulk might initially cost a fair bit, but in the long run it costs next to nothing and you have the advantage of knowing exactly what is going into your cream.

The cream will not have the same consistency as shop bought moisturisers as there are no preservatives or chemicals. It might feel greasy initially but it does soak in and your skin will thank you by glowing happily.

Have fun experimenting.

P.S. This is all good and well if there is the space to keep these ingredients. If not (Let’s face it – I do get lazy after 20 years of doing the same thing :-) ) – coconut oil is a very good moisturiser on its own.