Every month or so, I grab a few simple ingredients and play kitchen chemist while I concoct custom skincare products using essential oils. It recently occurred to me that it has been awhile since I shared some DIY products using essential oils so what better time than now while we are getting into the holiday gift-giving spirit?
Today I am going to share how I make some amazing, everyday skincare products along with some simple variations so that you can customize them yourself. These products include:
Fantastic Facial Toner
Manly Man Beard Oil
Luminous Face Serum
DIY Makeup Wipes
Using your existing supply of essential oils plus fractionated coconut oil, alcohol-free witch hazel, or BDS Simple Salve as your base, you can make an endless variety of products. You do this by mixing and matching your oils. Depending on your skin type, you can tailor each of these DIY products for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, or sensitive, aging skin. The only differentiator are the essential oils. It does not get simpler than that.
Let’s dig right in and get started because I know you are going to want to make some of these 4 amazing skincare products yourself.
Fantastic Facial Toner
Facial toners are used to remove soap residue and help exfoliate skin after washing your face and/or removing makeup. They are also used to remove environmental pollutants, and to either remove excess oil or to add moisture back to dry, thirsty skin. Facial toners can restore your skin to normal PH and will leave it feeling soft and velvety.
Funny how that works; a facial toner using a single essential oil can help with both oily and dry skin. That said, some EOs are better for one type of skin than the other so you can pick and choose the oil that work best from the list I have included below.
Here is the recipe for Fantastic Facial Toner.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup alcohol-free witch hazel (like this)
15 drops of your favorite essential oil (my favorite is Tangerine)
Directions:
Combine in a storage container (I used a glass spray bottle) and shake vigorously to blend.
To use, apply to a cotton ball or cotton pad and apply to the face. Your face will feel clean and soft to the touch.
Manly Man Beard Oil
Beard oil is used to soften and tame beard hair and also to hydrate the skin below. Using beard oil is going to help keep the underlying skin supple and prevent those nasty ingrown hairs. The nice thing is that nothing could be simpler to make.
Here is how to make Manly Man Beard Oil.
Ingredients:
1 ounce Fractionated Coconut Oil (liquid coconut oil) or other carrier oil
5 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (we like Patchouli because it smells woodsy and masculine)
Directions:
Combine in a storage container and shake vigorously to blend. To use, apply a small amount to your facial hair and massage down to the skin level. The best time to do this is after washing your face.
Luminous Face Serum
Have you ever priced facial serums? You can easily spend $20 or more for a single ounce. Ouch. Here is what I use but of course, you can change out the essential oils to meet your needs.
Ingredients:
1 ounce BDS Simple Salve
20 drops of essential oil alone or in combination
I use this combination:
4 drops Lavender
4 drops Frankincense
4 drops Geranium
4 drop Lemon
4 drops Basil
Directions:
Add Simple Salve to a 1 ounce jar. Be sure to leave some room at the top for the oils. At this point, I like to gently heat the Simple Salve in the microwave to so that it becomes liquefied but you don’t have to do this.
Add your essential oils then stir well. I like to use those stir sticks you get at the local coffee shop or a chopstick. If you have liquefied the Simple Salve, cap the jar and shake it up. Then open the lid and wait for your salve to solidify before putting the cap back on.
DIY Makeup Wipes
I shared this recipe on the Buzz awhile back but it is worth repeating. This what you need to make up a small, 4 ounce jar (such as a mason jar).
Ingredients
1/4 cup warm water
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner’s Lavender)
1/2 tablespoon fractionated (liquid) coconut oil (like this)
4 drops essential oils of choice (I use a combination of lavender and ylang ylang)
Round cotton pads
Directions
Mix all of the ingredients except for the cotton pads in measuring cup. Set the cup aside.
Take a stack of cotton pads and put them in the jar. Fill the jar to the top then scrunch them down and add a few more.
Pour the wet ingredients over the cotton pads then put a lid on your container. It takes a few minutes but they will soak up the liquid. To ensure that all of the pads are evenly soaked, let them sit for 30 minutes then turn your tightly capped container upside down for 30 minutes.
That’s it. When you are ready to take off makeup (or wipe down a sweaty, grimy face), remove a pad and use it to clean things up. The coconut oil ensures that you face stays nice and moist. The essential oils add skin healing properties plus fragrance.
I like making this up in small batches because the small jars fit nicely in a drawer but this DIY can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.
Variations: Essential Oils for Various Skin Types
We all have our favorites when it comes to essential oils and to be honest, there is so much goodness in E.O.s that almost any type will work in these recipes. The following list can be used to help identify those that are best for your skin type but be forewarned, there is a lot of overlap.
For dry skin:
Cedarwood
Geranium
Myrrh
Roman Chamomile
Sandalwood
For oily skin:
Bergamot
Cypress
Geranium
Lemon
Wild Orange
For combination skin:
Bergamot
Lavender
Patchouli
Wild Orange
For blemish prone ski:
Geranium
Lavender
Melaleuca
Patchouli
Vetiver
For aging skin:
Frankincense
Lavender
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Ylang-ylang
In addition to this list, the chart on pages 392-395 of Valeria Worwood’s Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
BDS Simple Salve
You might be asking: what is BDS Simple Salve? This easy to make salve is a mixture of coconut oil, olive oil, and beeswax. No more, no less. You can find complete instructions here or follow along with the Cliff Notes version.
Backdoor Survival Simple Salve – The Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup Coconut Oil
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil
5 to 5 1/2 Tbl. Organic Beeswax Pastilles
Containers:
8 x 2 ounce jars (mason jars or ointment jars) ** OR **
4 x 4 ounce jars (mason jars or ointment jars)
1. Put a pot of water on the stove to simmer. While the water is heating, put the coconut oil, olive oil and beeswax pastilles in a heatproof jar or measuring cup.
2. Set the jar filled with the coconut oil, olive oil, and wax into the water and leave it there until it melts, giving it a stir from time to time. You want a slow, gentle melt so take your time. It could take 15 or 20 minutes depending on the temperature of the water bath.
3. Pour the melted oils into each of the smaller jars and allow to cool.
4. Set the jars aside for up to 24 hours. Although the salve will start to firm up within minutes, it takes at least 12 hours to complete the firming process. If you are in a hurry, you can refrigerate the salve and it will solidify in just a couple of hours.
That’s it. Easy peasy.
The Final Word
Frugality is one of the cornerstones of preparedness as is self-sufficiency. For that reason I choose to make my own products whenever I can. In doing so, I not only save a lot of money, but I become less dependent on supermarkets, drugstores, and department stores for my basic needs.
Rarely mentioned on prepping sites is the fact that if you look good, you feel good. When I wake up in the morning with the stress of the world on my shoulders, I apply skin care products made from essential oils knowing that I am doing something good for my skin and for myself. I like that my skin looks better in my 60s than it did when I was in my 30s and for that I am ecstatic.
I encourage you to give some of these products a try and if you like them, package some up as gifts for your friends and family. Don’t forget to include the recipe because I can almost guarantee that you will be asked.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Related Articles:
DIY Simple Salve: An All Purpose, All Natural Ointment and Carrier Oil
DIY Healing Vapor Rub for Coughs & Congestion
Make Your Own Healing Lotion Bars
Spotlight Item: Spark Naturals Essential Oils
I use essential oils from Spark Naturals exclusively. They are high quality yet reasonably priced. In addition, there are no membership fees and a distributor relationship is not necessary to get best pricing. Interested in checking them out?
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Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to the items related to today’s article as well as links to everything you need to make your own Simple Salve, an all-natural alternative to petroleum jelly.
Thayers Alcohol-free Unscented Witch Hazel: This is the brand I use. If you are purchasing locally, be sure to pick up the alcohol-free version.
Cobalt Blue Round Glass Bottle 2 oz with Atomizer: I was happy that I stumbled upon the glass spray bottles for such a great price. I have been using them for a few weeks and even when stowed in a drawer, they do not leak.
Plant Therapy Fractionated Coconut Carrier Oil: When it comes to fractionated coconut oil, this is the brand I use. Also referred to as FCO, this is coconut oil is liquid form. It has been heat processed and is not for consumption but for use topically on your skin.
Dr. Bronner’s Lavender: This is just one of the many varieties of Dr. Bronner’s Castile soaps. Pick your favorite. This stuff is amazing; I find that with every passing day I am finding some new use. My latest “find” was adding a drop to my DIY WetJet cleaner (1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water, 1 drop of Dr. Bronners).
One Ounce Glass Jars: Spark Naturals has the best price out there on small glass jars. If you are placing an order for essential oils, include a supply of these jars. Remember to use code BACKDOORSURVIVAL for an additional 10% off.
NOW Foods Essential Oils: I use essential oils from Spark Naturals. For healing purposes, I feel they are superior. On the other hand, NOW Foods has decent essential oils at a budget price from Amazon. I find that the Ylang Ylang is very nice as are many of their other oils.
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: I first became interested in aromatherapy and essential oils in the early 90s which was before they really became mainstream. I read every book I could get my hands on and dabbled at creating synergy’s (a combination of two or more oils that create a chemical compound that is greater than the some of its individual components). My bible then, and even now, is this book.
Beeswax Organic Pastilles, Yellow, 100% Pure 16 Oz: I ordered the white pastilles but have since learned that the natural yellow pastilles are better. That said, the difference may not be discernable – just be sure that what you purchase is cosmetic grade.
Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions is my preferred coconut oil. I love it so much I purchased a 5 gallon tub. Really, I did! I find it very silky to work with and love the taste when used in cooking. Note that no refrigeration is required and although it solid at room temperature, it melts at 76 degrees. The Nutiva brand from Amazon or Costco works well too.
White Plastic Jar with Dome Lid 2 Oz (12 Per Bag): I chose to use these small ointment jars rather than Mason jars for my salve. I also have similar jars in the 1 ounce size and 1/4 ounce size (my favorite for mixing up various salve and essential oil concoctions).
Mason Jar Storage Caps Set of 8: These are fantastic! These plastic lids screw onto a mason jar and are perfect in the pantry or to cap you salves. There is both a regular and a wide mouth version. I can’t believe I have not mentioned these before!
Glass Droppers, Pack of 6: I bought a package of these and loved them. When I went to re-order, I accidentally ordered plastic instead glass droppers. Learn from my mistake. The price is the same so get the glass ones.
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Interested in Essential Oils?
The post 4 Amazing Skincare Products To Make Using Essential Oils by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.