Don’t DIY Your Clean Skincare Products Until You Read This!

Basic Cares When Producing Homemade Skin Care Products

When producing homemade skin care products, one of the most basic cares is to use high-quality ingredients, but that is definitely not enough!

Mixing ingredients that come directly from nature into a truly magical potion capable of restoring beauty and your connection to our beloved planet is a dream for all green lifestyle lovers. Still, the truth is that things don’t work in such a “magical” and simple way. Some basic steps are fundamental when preparing your skin care product, so let’s meet some of them.

Clean Pure Skincare Products

It’s no secret that microorganisms are everywhere, even inside us; Trust me, we need them! For you to clearly understand what we’re talking about, Studies have revealed that the human body contains up to a kilogram of bacteria – pretty wild, right? Some even suggest that humans have more microorganisms than human cells. For me, this is fantastic! 

But it’s important to remember that all incredible microorganisms aren’t necessarily beneficial. 

So, What Does This Have to do With My Natural skincare & Homemade Cosmetics? 

Well, unfortunately, many of these tiny living beings can be harmful to our health. That’s why the risk of growing unwanted germs, such as fungi, is high when making cosmetics at home, especially since these products don’t contain preservatives. 

The risk is even more significant if there is water in the composition. Thus, a vast difference exists between a cream made with aloe vera and a lip balm made only with oils and butter.

Therefore, when you make your own product, always remember that even with the best hygiene practices, the product’s lifespan will be very short. 

To sum up how to keep your Skincare Products safe:

• Avoid products that use water in their composition.
• Make small quantities for short-term use.
• If making a homemade face mask with fresh products, use it immediately and discard any leftovers.
• Making sure that all tools and containers used for producing homemade skin care products are squeaky clean and sterile is essential basic care – as we said earlier, you don’t want to be dealing with any germy surprises!

You Are Unique, and Your Skin Too

Simple recipes of creams and facial masks can be trendy online, but are they made for all women? Obviously not! Nevertheless, they use ingredients that we have in our kitchens, so they must be natural and safe, right?

As you might imagine, the answer is NO!

A basic example is oat. Simply because OAT is an amazing natural ingredient with an infinite amount of studies showing its benefits, and it has an even bigger advantage of not containing gluten, What’s worrying us these nowadays. However, in many places where oat is produced and processed, there are a lot of other cereals that do contain gluten, such as wheat.

Therefore this inoffensive cream or natural facial mask can be dangerous to a gluten-intolerant or allergic person.

This was just a simple example, but there are countless others. So keep in mind that your clean skincare product should be tailored specifically to your skin type and with the safest features and ingredients.

Therefore, always reflect on the following principles:

Natural doesn’t mean safe, and it is not because it worked for my friend that it will be safe for me!

Stay Away From These Ingredients

There are tons of DIY recipes all over the internet, but the truth is that many ingredients in these recipes should be used with a lot of caution; moreover, some of them should never be used, or you can use them to make a dessert or a drink, except for the first one! LOL

Some examples are:

Toothpaste

That’s right, you didn’t read incorrectly! I have no idea where this insane idea to use toothpaste in the composition of homemade cosmetics for acne came from… Actually, I do know, and I will explain it to you:

The belief that it could be used to end acne arose because it contains triclosan, an ingredient that helps to kill the bacteria responsible for caries and tartar. Then, people started to believe that it would also be good for killing acne bacteria. However, these bacterias are completely different.

In sum, applying it on the skin will not help you treat acne; rather, it can cause dehydration, dermatitis, allergies, and dark marks.

Learn more About Acne Natural Treatments here

P.S.: To our relief, nowadays, many brands have stopped using triclosan since studies suggest a relation between this substance and osteoporosis, besides other possible alterations to human health.

Lime and Other Citrus Ingredients

Due to their acid PH, they can damage the skin protection barrier, cause irritation, and leave burns in case there is exposure to the sun.

Egg white

Since it is utilized in its raw form, egg white might be contaminated with Salmonella. These nocive bacteria can cause diarrhea if it is accidentally absorbed by the mouth or eyes.

Q: Why did the chicken get sick?

A: He had a bad case of salmonella eggs! Ok, sorry for the lame joke. I couldn’t resist 🤪

Other natural ingredients to avoid are baking soda, some essential oils ( Learn More About E. Oils Here ), Vinegar, Alcohol, and some highly comedogenic oils, such as Olive Oil.

In reality, the list of ingredients is way bigger since some people might have sensibility or allergies to different substances.

So, it is much better always to research ingredients from safe sources and remember that testing a small batch of your homemade skincare product before using it is basic care that must not be overlooked!

Conservation

Well, let’s put it this way – homemade products are like fast food; you want to enjoy them fresh and ASAP!

So when it comes to DIY skincare and other homemade products, please:

• Keep them in a dry and cool place (not the bathroom because it’s too damp in there!)
• When producing homemade skin care products, another important basic care is following the exact measurements and directions provided in recipes. This is indirectly linked to conservation, as the correct proportions of water and oil are necessary to obtain the desired result.
• Pop them in a previously sterilized jar with a lid and store them away
• Keep them for a short time!

Remember: some homemade skincare products should be used immediately without being stored, as is the case with homemade masks.

Here Are Some Natural Preservatives for your Clean Homemade Skincare

Besides all the tips and basic care we discussed, If you want to ensure your homemade cosmetics stay fresh, you can also add some natural preservatives!

Here are some 3 great options:

Vitamin E

Got you covered! Vitamin E is to the rescue – with its high concentration of Gamma Tocopherol, the superhero of antioxidants, It will protect your oils from oxidizing, so your homemade skincare stays cleaner longer!

P.S: Gamma Tocopherol acts as an antioxidant; this can help to extend the shelf life of oils exposed to oxygen that could otherwise oxidize; however, the use of Vitamin E does NOT prevent the proliferation of microorganisms in the product.

Up to 0.04%, Vitamin E can lend an antioxidant effect to oil-based cosmetic formulas, but it will not be good in water-based recipes.

Learn more about the Top 3 Vitamins You Need to Add to Your Skincare Routine Here

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Grapefruit Seed Extract can shut down 43 strains of super-tough S.aureus, and it’s like the Hulk of microorganism-blockers, taking out all sorts of other microbes, too! Due to its antibiotic, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties, Grapefruit Seed Extract has enormous potential as a natural conservant, according to laboratory studies.

Use the extract at a rate of 0.5 to 1% in the formula.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is like the knight in shining armor that swoops in and saves the day by preventing the growth of bacteria, fungi, and microbes. It can also help keep everything balanced, like a pH adjuster, so the pH level in cosmetics is just right. Plus, it’s non-toxic, non-irritating, and a safe and effective preservative for your beauty products – basically, it’s a win-win!

Please, be aware that it may irritate the skin if undiluted. Handle it with gloves!

For water-based formulas, less than 1% is acceptable.

Conclusion

I hope that, by taking these basic precautions when producing your homemade clean skincare product, you can have as much fun as I do (I must admit that creating my own products is excellent not just for my skin but also for my mind). So, have fun and explore this new world of possibilities without putting your health at risk. Keep these basic steps in your mind when preparing your skin care product!

“Prevention is better than cure.”

Desiderius Erasmus

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099538/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28208630/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789494/

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/10/4531/5522022