This article will show some recipes to make a homemade, natural, and environmentally friendly skincare routine with easily available products. Our skincare routine is structured in 3 steps.
The first one is cleansing, then we will move to the application of face toner, and finally we will focus on some ideas to make a face moisturizer.
The proposed ingredients are effective in removing dirt that settles on the skin throughout the day or night, impurities, and city pollution. They also help balance the skin’s pH levels, tighten the pores, and finally nourish the skin. This routine should be repeated twice a day, morning and evening to remove all the accumulated dirt, and yes, skin gets dirty without having to leave the house. All ingredients are of natural origin and can be easily found in herbalist shops, online, and even at the supermarket!
First step: detersion
Detersion is nothing but a first cleaning of the skin necessary to remove the most superficial dirt. For this first step, we propose two different recipes to make a facial cleanser. The first one is based on:
Wheat flour ( 1 teaspoon)
Multani Mitti ( 1 teapoon)
The Multani Mitti is little used in Italy but has been used for centuries in India. It is nothing more than a particular type of clay used in cosmetics for its many properties. Also in Italy, especially in Sardinia, this type of clay is found and has high purifying power, eliminates dead cells, and prepares the skin for subsequent treatments because it facilitates absorption.
This ingredient is particularly effective in the case of acne and blackheads, as it thoroughly cleanses the pores of the skin by removing excess oil and allowing it to breathe. The result? Visibly clean, soft, smooth, and glowing skin.
Wheat flour, on the other hand, is a natural exfoliant and is therefore very suitable for initial facial cleansing.
After making this dry mixture in a small bowl, you can proceed by massaging it on your face for a few minutes and then rinse it off with plenty of water, preferably warm.
Alternatively, here is another good cleanser easily made at home, composed of milk and honey.
Honey is a great ingredient, especially for irritated or acne-prone skin due to its nourishing and moisturizing properties. On the other hand, milk contains lactic acid, which is excellent for removing dirt from pores in depth.
Just mix honey and milk in a bowl in equal parts and massage them on your face for about 3 minutes, then wash your face always with warm water and proceed to the application of toner.
Second step: toner
The face toner is the product that completes a proper cleansing, it serves to remove impurities and bacteria, rebalance the pH, purify the skin more deeply and finally remove traces of makeup or products that may have escaped during the first cleansing.
The first facial toner consists of:
50 ml of green tea
3 – 4 drops of tea tree essential oil
These ingredients allow you to cleanse your skin even more thoroughly and have strong antioxidant properties.
After mixing the ingredients, put them in an empty spray bottle. Then spray it on a cotton and pat the product all over your face.
Alternatively, you can try this toner also very gentle, suitable for all skin types, composed by:
50 ml of rose water
10 – 12 drops of chamomile essential oil
Besides having a very pleasant scent, rosewater helps to balance the pH level of the skin while chamomile essential oil has a calming and nourishing effect.
The application of the product is the same described for the previous toner.
Third step: moisturizing cream
The last step to complete the homemade skincare routine is to apply moisturizer. In particular, we focused on two different types of very gentle creams that can be used for all skin types, the first contains:
Aloe vera gel ( 1 tablespoon)
Rose water ( 1 tablespoon)
Aloe vera is great for moisturizing the skin while rosewater has a calming effect and keeps sebum production under control.
Another moisturizing and nourishing cream can alternatively be made by mixing:
Shea butter ( 1 teaspoon)
Jojoba oil ( 6 – 8 drops)
Shea butter is particularly moisturizing while jojoba oil has a calming effect on the skin, especially on irritated or blemished skin.
To pamper yourself:
The DIY skincare routine ends here but, for complete face care, you cannot miss a wide selection of face masks. Below you will find some (plus one) for different skin types.
Purifying facial mask with:
Oatmeal (2 tablespoons), warm water (5 tablespoons), and baking soda. After mixing the two ingredients, leave them aside for about 5 minutes before applying the mask to your face so that they thicken and reach the desired texture.
To apply the mixture to the face, it would be better to use a brush so that you do not directly touch your face with your hands. The mask works best when applied in 3 layers. To get the best result you should leave it on for about 10 minutes, until it has dried, and then rinse it off with warm water.
Oatmeal has several properties. First of all, it is a natural antioxidant and the saponins inside help remove dirt from the skin and flush out redness caused by acne or eczema. It also helps with various types of inflammation, which is why it is present in many facial products. On the other hand, baking soda acts as an antiseptic and detoxifier on blackheads and imperfections.
Face mask for oily skin:
To make this mask you will need only 2 tablespoons of honey and half a tablespoon of turmeric. These two ingredients are naturally antibacterial and antiseptic and are particularly suitable for oily or acne-prone skin.
All you need to do is apply a thin layer of this mixture on your already cleansed face and neck, leave it on for 10 – 15 minutes, and then remove it with warm water.
Exfoliating face mask:
This mask is great for removing dirt and the most superficial oily layer from the face’s pores to clean them deeply and have an astringent action.
The mask consists of:
2 tablespoons of activated carbon
2 tablespoons of aloe vera
To enjoy the benefits of the mask will be enough to apply a layer on the face and let it act for 10 – 15 minutes before rinsing.
Lip scrub:
Part of skincare is also lip care. Sometimes, especially in winter, lips get dry, and lip balm is not always enough to fix it. A good ally at home is a lip scrub. To make one at home all you need is:
Sea salt
Vegetable glycerine
Rosewater
Before applying the lip scrub, mix equal parts of the three ingredients in a container, apply to lips, massage and rinse. The gentleness of rosewater balances the effect of sea salt and together they help give lips a soft, smooth texture.
Homemade skincare and sustainability:
Those listed were just a few combinations to make a homemade skincare routine, proving that you only need a few natural ingredients to take care of your skin. The benefits of homemade skincare on the environment are many. The first and most obvious is the use of natural and non-polluting ingredients, then the possibility to minimize packaging and use sustainable materials by making sure they are recyclable, also the DIY does not require transportation of goods.
All these factors show us how, even in the world of cosmetics and skincare, a return to the origins and the use of natural ingredients can benefit the environment and help us take an extra step towards a sustainable lifestyle.
100% natural skincare blog:
If you are interested in the topic below, I will recommend a few blogs that have a wide selection of homemade natural skincare recipes and various tips and information about the properties of the natural products they use. These sites are all run by women with years of experience in the world of natural skincare.
The first is The Natural Beauty Workshop blog from New Zealand in which, under the heading “Natural Beauty Recipes” you will find lots of ideas for making natural body products at home, from creams to solid deodorants. The blog was born from a passion for the natural ingredients of the founders and has a history of more than 20 years. On the site, you can also buy natural ingredients to make some recipes.
Little Green Dot is the second blog I recommend for ideas on homemade skincare. The founder’s name is Militza and she is a Singaporean herbalist with a great passion for natural skincare. On her site you will find great and quick beauty recipes to make at home, workshops and personalized consultations.
The third blog is that of Jenni Raincloud, an American beautician who has been working in the world of skincare for over 20 years. Although no longer working in this profession, natural skincare remains her great passion. So she shares natural recipes to take care of themselves, the site has received several awards. Also on the blog, there is a makeup section in which several natural brands are reviewed.
The last two blogs I want to recommend are Island Beauty and The Makeup Dummy, both focused on the use of 100% natural ingredients. On the first site, you will receive several ideas for the care of hair and skin as well as that of the body. In the second one, among the many ideas, you will find a fun recipe to create a homemade salt bath bomb!
