A Routine As Unique as You

Your skincare routine belongs to you.

Keep in mind that no two people have exactly the same skin type. These formulations are based on my own experiences but I have simplified the recipes to help you customize them to suit your skin.

About the Recipes

Each recipe is given a rating based on its complexity:

  • Basic: These recipes require food ingredients that can typically be found at a grocery store.
  • Intermediate: These recipes require non-food ingredients that might be found at a grocery store and can typically be found at a natural grocery store or online.
  • Advanced: These recipes require non-food ingredients that may not be found a grocery store but can typically be found at a natural grocery store or online, such as herbal extracts. Additionally, these recipes may call for herb-infused oils, which increase overall time and ingredient requirements.

Skincare Ingredients

A Quick Guide to Skincare Oils

utility

cleansing oils
  • castor
  • coconut

carrier

general purpose oils
  • olive
  • grapeseed
  • almond
  • coconut
  • hempseed

nourishment

nutrient-rich oils
  • vitamin E
  • hempseed
  • jojoba
  • argan

Hints for Working with Various Oils

hemp

Hempseed oil has a distinct odor which is stronger than that of olive oil, so keep that in mind if using it as a carrier. You'll likely want to dilute it with almond, coconut, or some other oil with a lighter scent. It also should be refrigerated, which will negatively impact the shelf life of your finished products. You may be able to find some that is processed to be shelf stable, but I have not tried this.

coconut

This oil solidifies at temperatures below 76 degrees Fahrenheit. If a formulation uses primarily coconut oil, you will likely need to store it in a jar rather than a bottle.

vitamin E oil

Many different varieties of vitamin E skin oils exist. I have noticed that the varieties in bases which contain sunflower oil tend to be much more viscous than those in bases of jojoba or blends of nourishing oils.

Get Creative

Although I prefer organic almond oil as a carrier, sometimes I run out or just want to stretch or mix up what I have available. In those cases, I grab grapeseed or olive (whatever I have the most of in my kitchen) and I keep making my formulations. This is why there are several options in every category.

I have experimented with more unique culinary oils such as hazelnut with success too, and I’m sure I’ll give a few others a try.

My Natural Skincare Essentials

Here are the skincare essentials I can’t live without and how I use them in the routine:

  • organic beeswax pastilles for salves, balms, and lotions
  • raw organic shea butter for salves, balms, and lotions
  • organic coconut oil for salves, balms, lotions, and carrier use
  • vitamin E oil for everything!
  • organic jojoba oil for extra nourishment in everything
  • organic almond oil for an all purpose carrier
  • organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) for toner and masks
  • organic aloe juice for nourishing base, makeup removal, body wash, and lip recovery
  • organic castor oil for oil cleanse
  • bentonite clay for masks
  • rose water for nourishing base, general spritzing, body wash, etc.
  • various herbs for infusing into skincare oils

A note on shelf life

I advise against making any formulation in a large amount for personal use, since these products don’t contain much in the way of preservatives. That being said, all of their shelf lives will benefit from added vitamin E and your skin will like it too! As a safe bet, consider the shelf life for your oil-based products to be about 6 months. Many formulations can and will last longer depending on their ingredients, preparation, and storage! Shelf life will be lower in recipes that contain water. You can improve shelf life by storing items in dark, dry, cool places.