Natural Face Care: Cleanser

I have been absolutely obsessed lately with making my own skin care products. I'm like, why?! I think that if you're eating clean, eventually that trickles into other parts of your life that need cleaning up as well.

I usually just use Cetaphil as a facial cleanser since I have a history of acne and skin issues, but lately have been noticing the astringent, chemical smell of it and have since been embarking on a DIY adventure.

I did some research and found a recipe for a cleanser on LIVESTRONG, one of my favourite health sites. I adjusted it for those with combination skin. (Combination skin is when you have some parts of your face that are dry and some parts that are oily, or just in general, an uneven complexion). You can adapt this recipe by adding essential oils that match your specific skin's needs.

One thing I've noticed with most DIY face cleansers are that they are usually perishable (they either contain milk, avocado, grapefruit etc.) or you have to keep them in the fridge. Well my bathroom is upstairs and I would most likely forget or be too lazy to wash my face then trod downstairs to put it back in the fridge. So this cleanser, you can keep in the bottle under the sink and it will keep pretty much...forever.

This website lists all sorts of herbs/essential oils that adhere to each skin type, it's a rather useful tool if you're considering making your own as well.

One herb that shows up in almost every category was lavender, so I purchased some Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap with Lavender essential oil already in it (better deal than buying the oil separately). Castille Soap is basically a very simple, naturally made soap usually made with olive oil, coconut oil or in this case, hemp oil. You can even make your own at home!

I added ylang ylang to the recipe because it's best for combination skin...but after washing my face with it, I found I was either sensitive to the ylang ylang or the lavender, I would just choose one scent next time instead of going over board on the scent-train. Dr. Bronner's has a mild soap that is unscented.

2 oz. Castille Soap

2 oz. lecithin

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

10 drops essential oil

Combine all ingredients, stir until combined and emulsified. The yellowness by the way is from the lecithin granules. 

If your skin is dry: Reduce apple cider vinegar

If your skin is oily: Add more apple cider vinegar

If you skin is sensitive: Add more water to thin out and use unscented soaps and use essential oils for sensitive skin.

I love how this cleanser suds up and your face really does feel clean after washing.

Stay tuned for a Non-Perishable exfoliant and moisturizer!