Since beginning my quest to go chemical free and natural with my skincare, finding the best DIY face serum was on my to-do list. I was surprised to see how easy making your own can be.
Facial oils are super nourishing and are a great way to moisturise the skin and seal in hydration. Facial serums are typically made with a variety of different plant oils such as avocado oil and evening primrose oil.
If you are looking to nourish your skin and provide it with a healthy, glowing appearance making your own facial serum is a great way to go.
Facial serums can be used on all skin types and can be formulated to your needs, such as DIY anti aging serum, DIY face serum for acne scars, DIY face serum for oily skin and more.
DIY facial serum is simple and easy to make and totally luxurious to use. Store bought facial oils are often expensive and can contain chemicals and additional ingredients. Facial oils are easy to make at home and are a more cost effective option, saving you money.
The best homemade facial serum is one that you can formulate to your skin needs. I have provided a DIY face oil recipe below. However, this is just a starting point. You can choose your own favourite oils and formulate your own face serum essential oil recipe specific to the needs of your skin.
In this guide, I will be walking you through all about making your own natural homemade serum for face.
What Is A DIY Facial Serum Vs A Facial Oil?
Facial oils and serums are easy to make and great for your skin. They are basically taking the best oils for skincare and making them easy to apply to your face for great skincare.
The difference between facial oils and serums is minimal. Basically facial serums are made using more expensive ingredients that are added to target a very specific skin concern and usually have smaller molecules so they can penetrate deeper into the skin.
Specific ingredients for a specialised DIY natural face serum can be hard to source in Australia so I don’t find there is any difference between face oils and serums I want to make. In this article, I use the two terms interchangeably.
PinWhy Make A Homemade Face Serum Recipe?
Making your own DIY hydrating face serum is easy, cost effective and super nourishing for the skin. Facial serums are quickly absorbed by your skin carrying all their beneficial nutrients with them.
Making your own face serum also means you can customise it with a variety of oils that you enjoy using and that benefit your skin type. All natural, chemical free, nourishing ingredients. I go through more detail of these benefits below.
You Control What’s Added
If you are looking for a DIY face serum for dry skin, a homemade face oil for glowing skin or a DIY face serum for aging skin, making your own facial serum is the way to go. Controlling what is added to your facial serum means you can ensure your skin is being nourished with ingredients it loves.
If you have sensitive skin, making your own facial serum means you can avoid the ingredients you know your skin can’t tolerate and use ones you find soothing instead.
You Can Make A Variety Of Face Serums
When making face serum at home, you can make a variety of different serums for different purposes.
For example making a facial serum specific to targeting scarring, a facial serum formulated for brightening the skin, a facial serum for anti aging, etc.
It’s A Cheaper Option Than Branded Serums
Making your own facial serum is the more cost effective option. Branded facial serums are so often sold in tiny bottles accompanied by a large price tag.
PinIt’s An Eco-Friendlier Option
Making your own facial serum means you can reuse glass bottles and pipettes again and again. Reducing waste from repurchasing bottles of branded facial serums.
PinIngredients For The Best DIY Serum For Face
One of the best things about this easy face serum DIY recipe is that you actually only need some oils that you love for your face to make it work. You don’t have to use the oils I mention below and can really use any that suit your skin and give you results.
These oils are just great starting points that can help you if you want a DIY essential oil face serum for anti aging or a homemade face serum for oily skin. They are good for all types of skin, although I especially made this to target dry skin (as that’s what I have).
eBay and Amazon Australia are quick and easy places to buy ingredients and all the gear you need. Below, I direct you to the best place to buy each ingredient or you can click here to buy now on Amazon or here for eBay. This is how I buy all of these ingredients.
Macademia Oil
PinMacadamia oil is high in fatty acids, specifically in oleic and linoleic acid which are known for being great for the skin. Macadamia oils also contain the fatty acid palmitoleic acid which is believed to help retain softness and suppleness of the skin and has antimicrobial activity.
Macadamia oil is an emollient which means it creates a protective barrier over the skin while keeping skin beneath moisturised and hydrated. It also contains squalene and vitamin E which are helpful ingredients for the skin for reducing oxidative stress and inflammation of the skin.
Macadamia oil is a good choice for those with mature skin, acne, scarring, sensitive skin and eczema.
Click here to buy macademia oil on eBay now.
Avocado Oil
PinAvocado oil can be found in two varieties, refined and unrefined. Refined avocado oil is thin, light in colour and has nearly no aroma. Unrefined avocado oil, however, is thicker, dark green in colour and provides a strong scent. Both refined and unrefined avocado oils can be absorbed rapidly by your skin. This is the one time I recommend you buy the refined version.
Avocado oil contains protein, beta carotene, fatty acids like oleic acid, vitamins A, D and E which are all super nourishing ingredients for your skin. The benefits of these nutrients include skin softening, moisturising, anti aging, skin rejeneration and more.
Avocado oil is a good choice of oil for all skin types but particularly those with mature skin, dry skin and eczema.
Click here to buy avocado oil now.
Evening Primrose Oil
PinEvening primose oil is high in the fatty acids, linoleic acid and gamma linolenic acid. These fatty acids are great at helping the skin to retain moisture, for skin dryness, roughness, eczema and psoriasis.
Evening primrose oil can soothe your skin and enhance the elasticity of your skin.
Evening primrose oil is a popular oil used frequently in skincare and can leave the skin moisturised, hydrated, soothed and rejuvenated.
It is good for all skin types but can be particularly helpful for those with acne, dry skin, mature skin or oily skin.
Click here to buy evening primrose oil on eBay now.
Geranium Essential Oil
The first of the essential oils I like to use in this recipe is geranium.
Geranium oil has a heap of benefits for the skin. It holds qualities of being an astringent, deodorant, antiseptic, fungicidal and more. It can be used on all types of skin due to its sebum balancing qualities.
Geranium oil is handy for acne and spots, dry, rough and chapped skin, eczema and psoriasis. It can also be used to promote wound healing and cuts. It has qualities that can make it an antidepressant, uplifting and sweet.
Geranium oil smells sweet, soft and floral. Geranium oil has the potential to irritate sensitive skin. You shouldn’t use geranium oil in the first trimester of pregnancy. It can be used in the second and third trimesters but only in low dilutions. It’s best to check with your doctor first.
Note, this recipe uses nearly 2% essential oils which is the maximum recommended amount. If you are sensitive to essential oils or this is for kids or pregnant women, consider lowering the amount.
Click here to buy geranium essential oil on eBay now.
PinRosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary essential oil is great for promoting healing of scar tissue and encouraging growth of new skin cells. Rosemary essential oil has antiseptic, antioxidant, astringent, fungicidal and more properties which can help the skin in a number of ways.
It can be used on all skin types and is particularly good for those with oily skin, mature skin and acne prone skin.
Rosemary oil can also ease joint and muscular aches, increase your immunity, relieve stress and sadness, is stimulating for the mind and so much more. It can also be helpful at healing wounds and cuts.
I love rosemary oil because it helps wake me up and keep me alert and focused. I use my homemade serum for face in the morning so this works well for me then.
If you prefer to use your facial serum at night, I highly recommend you switch out this oil for ylang ylang essential oil. It has many benefits for your skin as well but won’t wake you up. Instead, it’ll help you feel relaxed and sleepy.
Of course, you can switch either of these essential oils for any that you prefer or you could make this DIY face serum without essential oils. Up to you.
Click here to buy rosemary essential oil on eBay now.
Vitamin E Oil
PinVitamin E in an antioxidant. It can help repair problems with the skin and smooth and soften it.
However, we are primarily adding vitamin E oil to this homemade face serum recipe because it will help it last longer.
When oils are exposed to air, they start to oxidise. Over time, they will go rancid. This could happen to your facial oil if you don’t use it within 6 months of opening any of the oils you buy for this recipe.
To help it last longer, adding an antioxidant, like vitamin E, helps slow this down.
If you don’t have any vitamin E, you don’t have to add it. If your DIY essential oil face serum is just for you and you plan to use it immediately, you probably won’t need it.
Click here to buy vitamin E oil now.
How To Make Your Own DIY Face Serum
It is super easy to make this DIY face oil for glowing skin. You simply mix the ingredients together!
In fact, natural skincare recipes don’t come any easier and the best part is that although it’s simple, it’s just so good for your skin. Winning!
In the DIY face serum recipe, I list all the ingredients in grams. Having the recipe this way ensures we use the correct amount of ingredients like essential oils that can cause problems if we use too much.
If you have good digital scales, this also makes it so much easier than measuring everything in cups and spoons. I use these digital scales I bought on Amazon.
PinIf you don’t want to weigh, you can google for the amounts using another measurement system.
Don’t worry about getting everything exact to the .01 gram. I find it impossible to get exactly 0.05 grams of vitamin E oil, for example. The main thing is that all up, you don’t have more than 2% (or 1 gram in this recipe) of essential oils.
You’ll see in the video of this recipe that I don’t get everything 100% correct but I promise the resulting oil is awesome!
I like to mix the essential oils together first to make sure I like the blend before combining with the other oils.
I find the best way to package this homemade oil cleanser is in an amber bottle (to keep light out) with a pipette. You can buy them on eBay here.
Moisturising Facial Oil Recipe
If you're looking for a moisturing, excellent homemade face serum for dry skin, don't look any further! You've got it below 🙂
Ingredients
- 25g Macademia Oil
- 12g Avocado Oil
- 12g Evening Primrose Oil
- .6g Geranium Essential Oil
- .35g Rosemary Essential Oil
- .05g Vitamin E Oil
Instructions
- Weigh and combine the essential oils and vitamin E oil and mix
- Mix the other oils together, adding one at a time in a separate container
- Combine all ingredients together
- Pour into a bottle ready to use. I recommend an amber bottle with a pipette
Notes
I use this essential oil face serum recipe in the morning. If you prefer to use your facial oil at night, I recommend switching rosemary oil for ylang ylang essential oil. It'll help you relax and feel sleepy.
It can be very difficult to measure ingredients to 0.01 grams. As long as you don't use over 1.00 grams of essential oils all up in this recipe, it'll be fine if the ingredients are small amounts off.
It doesn't matter which order you add the ingredients. I like to add the essential oils together first so I can smell them and make sure I'm happy with the blend if I haven't used the exact mixture before.
How To Use Your DIY Face Serum For Glowing Skin
Using your DIY face glow serum is simple, and it’s easy to achieve the results you are looking for. The general rule for applying skincare products is that you apply the thinnest products first to the thickest products last. Using your facial serum after cleansing and before moisturising is the best time to get the most benefits out of your serum.
PinTake 1-2 drops of your serum into the palms of your hands then take your hands and gently dab the serum onto your face. Giving it a nice massage is a good idea as stimulation to your skin helps to strengthen it. Once you have let your serum soak into your skin you can leave it at that or then go on to apply your favourite moisturiser.
You can use your facial serum day and night and up to twice a day if you so wish. If you are using your oils twice a day, you may like to think about making a morning/night variety of serum with different essential oils.
Final Words
I hope you have found this guide to DIY facial serum interesting and useful. There are a heap of benefits to making your own facial serum, from saving money to knowing exactly what is going on your skin. Nourishing, protective, moisturising and so much more, facial serums can be a great addition to your skincare routine.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe and give DIY facial serums a try for yourself.
Want to learn more? Click here for my face cream recipe or here for my face scrub. Or you can find my awesome cleansing oil recipe here, massage oil recipe here or body oil recipe here. You can also find all my guides to making your own skincare here.
Ask any questions below! I love to hear from other skincare makers.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I am a huge almond oil lover. Would almond oil work in this face oil recipe too?
Yes, you could definitely use almond oil. You can change the oils to whatever works for your skin/you have available. Definitely try it once with the oils suggested though. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
This is the best!!! Thank you
No problem 🙂
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! Thanks!
It’s seriously the best, isn’t it!