After I had been making my own natural skincare for awhile, I was ready for a new challenge.
While I loved my facial oil, body butters, balms and everything else I was making and it was leaving my skin soft and amazing, I knew that the only way to actually hydrate your skin is to add hydration. And that requires using a home made face moisturiser that has water as an ingredient.
This makes it much more complicated to make especially if you want to make an all natural homemade face moisturiser recipe. Many preservatives and emulsifiers are not natural and often the ones recommended online are not available in Australia.
It also doesn’t help that most people who blog online about natural skincare call their recipes face lotion recipes or face moisturiser but then actually make a body butter or oil with no water whatsoever.
So it took my awhile to start mastering making my own homemade face creams and lotions, but I finally have. And it’s so so good that I can’t wait to share it with you here.
I will warn you, though, that it is trickier than making oil-based skincare. If you are new to DIY skincare, I suggest you start with my facial oil recipe here or body butter here and work your way up to this recipe.
If you have made some skincare before though, I urge you to give this homemade face moisturiser for dry skin a try. Just follow the instructions and you’ll find it’s easy than you first think. And it feels just so so good on your skin.
Below, I describe why you may want to make your own face moisturiser, what ingredients you need and the benefits of them and exactly how to make your own face lotion.
Let’s start!
What Is A Homemade Face Lotion/Moisturiser?
This face moisturiser homemade is a natural mixture of water and oil based ingredients. Together with an emulsifier, they create a hydrating and rejuvenating facial moisturiser.
While oil based skincare is great for the skin, adding water increases your skin’s ability to absorb all the goodness from the other ingredients. When water is added to the other ingredients, it absorbs and extracts the compounds from them – meaning we get more of the good stuff.
Water is also more rapidly absorbed into the skin than oils and so you get a faster delivery of hydration.
This homemade daily moisturiser for face is a mix of several oils, glycerine, water, an emulsifier – to bind the water and oil, xanthan gum and preservatives.
The idea of using a preservative may sound intimidating. However, it is a natural broad spectrum preservative that is going to protect your face moisturiser from growing moulds, yeast or bacteria.
Vitamin E is used in this face moisturiser to slow the process of oils oxidising. Vitamin E oil is not an effective preservative for water based ingredients despite several online recipes stating otherwise.
PinWhy Make A DIY Face Moisturiser?
There are plenty of reasons you should be making your own DIY light face moisturiser and here are some of them.
Super Hydrating
This DIY non greasy face moisturiser delivers quick hydration to the skin and is super hydrating. The ingredients all work together to moisturise, soften and nourish your skin.
All Natural
One of the best benefits of making your own skincare is knowing exactly what you are putting on your skin – natural goodness. Although this recipe contains a preservative, it is a natural preservative.
You Can Customise It
Another awesome benefit of making your own DIY non greasy face moisturiser is that you can customise it to suit your needs, whether that be budget needs or skin needs.
You could make a homemade face moisturiser for acne prone skin or a homemade face cream for aging skin, whatever you want.
You Control What Is Added
Knowing you have full control over what is going on your skin is an empowering feeling. Having full control means you can add or leave out anything you want.
Eco Friendly
Making your own face moisturiser is an eco friendlier option than constantly purchasing plastic containers of face lotion.
Cost Effective
Creating your own skincare is cost effective. Many skincare creams can be super pricey and making your own is often a much more cost effective option in the long run.
Ingredients For The Best Homemade Moisturiser For Face
There are quite a few ingredients for this homemade face moisturizer for aging skin, dry skin and normal skin, but don’t worry. They are all easy to buy and available in Australia.
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.
A couple of ingredients are only available on a specialist site. I also link to that where relevant.
These are the places where I buy all these ingredients.
You don’t need to use avocado, macadamia and evening primrose oils and can use whichever oils suit you. Or if you want to buy less ingredients to make it less pricey to start with, you could just use one of them (and use 15 grams then instead of 5 grams).
Olivem 1000
PinThis product is derived from olive oil and is a natural emulsifier. It is a wax that is white and flaky and in skincare, it is used to create emulsions for water and oil ingredients.
Olivem 1000 can also be used to thicken your lotion and improve its spread-ability. It can be used to create a heap of emulsions that range from cleansers, creams and lotions, conditioners, body butters and more.
It is added to the oil heating phase and then combined with the water phase when creating an emulsion, and it is active at a pH range between 3 and 12.
In skincare, olivem 1000 also adds moisturising benefits to products and it is hypoallergenic. It can be used on sensitive skin.
Avocado Oil
PinAvocado oil is great for the skin. It contains protein, oleic acid, beta carotene and vitamins A, D and E, all of which are nourishing for the skin.
The benefits of avocado oil on the skin include moisturisation, skin softening, skin cell regeneration, anti aging and more.
Avocado oil is available in either refined or unrefined varieties.
Refined avocado oil is thin and light in colour and has a barely detectable scent. Unrefined avocado oil is basically the opposite with a thicker texture, a green colour and a strong scent.
Both of these varieties are absorbed quickly by the skin. However, this is the one time I recommend you to buy the refined variety.
Avocado oil is a great oil for all skin types but especially individuals with mature skin, dry skin and eczema and makes a great ingredient in this face moisturiser for dry skin DIY.
Macadamia Oil
PinMacadamia oil is another great choice of oil for the skin. It is high in the fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids, both of which are great for the skin. It also contains an additional fatty acid known as palmitoleic acid which can help the skin retain suppleness and softness and provides anitimicrobial activity.
Macadamia oil is a natural emollient which means it keeps your skin soft and smooth. It also contains vitamin E and squalane which are great for reducing inflammation and oxidative stress on the skin.
Macadamia oil is a great choice for all skin types but particularly mature skin, sensitive skin, scars and eczema. I love using this oil in my home remedy for face moisturiser.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
Evening Primrose Oil
PinEvening primrose oil is great for the skin. It is high in fatty acids, linoleic and gamma linolenic. These essential fatty acids are awesome for the skin and help to retain moisture for skin roughness, dryness, psoriasis and eczema.
Evening primrose oil is a good choice of oil for soothing the skin and enhancing the elasticity of the 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. If you have been looking for a homemade face moisturiser for oily skin, evening primrose oil makes the perfect ingredient.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
Distilled Water
PinFor a DIY water based moisturiser, we need water! A pretty self explanatory ingredient, however it is important to use distilled water rather than plain tap or bottled water as distilled water is completely free of any impurities.
Distilled water is made by boiling water into a vapor and then condensing it back into a liquid in a different container. Distilled water is known as purified water as it is totally free of impurities.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
Glycerine
PinGlycerine is a popular natural product for use on the skin as it is a natural humectant which helps keep the skin hydrated by attracting water from the environment to your skin.
It is a natural, cheap and easy product to find and purchase. It is mild and sweet in taste and thick and sticky in texture. A little goes a long way with this stuff, so you only need a little bit.
Glycerine is a nice ingredient for providing oily skin types with hydration as it pulls water from the environment to hydrate the skin without making it greasy.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
Xanthan Gum
PinYou may have seen xanthan gum before, listed as one of the ingredients in your snacks. Xanthan gum is frequently used in the food industry and in packaged food as it thickens food. In skincare, it basically works the same way.
Xanthan gum is produced from the fermentation of sugar and it is a natural gum. In skincare, it is used to thicken products and can provide a gel like texture which is great for products like eye gels.
It feels lovely on the skin, very smooth and luscious.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
Vitamin E Oil
PinVitamin E oil is another great product for your skin. It is an antioxidant and helps to soften, smooth and repair your skin. However, it is primarily used to extend the shelf life of the oils in this face moisturiser.
When the oils in this recipe are exposed to air, they slowly begin to oxidise which is what causes oil to go rancid.
This is why vitamin E oil is so handy, it delays this process and extends the shelf life of your face moisturiser.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang essential oil is great for all skin types and especially those with dry, oily, sensitive and mature skin. It has plenty of benefits to offer the skin.
Some of the benefits of ylang ylang essential oil include moisturising the skin, softening, hydrating the skin and it can help regulate sebum production which helps to keep it balanced and nourished.
Other benefits include antiseptic properties, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. The aroma is uplifting, sensual and relaxing. It can reduce stress, insomnia and depression.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
PinFrankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense essential oil is a relaxing and great smelling essential oil. It is a natural astringent, antiseptic and more and it can aid dry skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
Frankincense oil is a nice choice for aging skin, mature skin and oily skin and it can also help heal wounds and cuts and reduce the look of scars and stretch marks. It is known as a healing oil that can rejuvenate your skin.
The scent is incredible and if you have been looking for an aroma to help unwind and relax you, this is totally it.
Click here to buy it on eBay now.
Do You Need A Preservative?
Simply, yes you do. Whenever you include water or water based ingredients in a skincare recipe, you need to be using a preservative.
Microbial contamination and waterborne bacteria can occur when you use water and water based ingredients and so a preservative is essential in protecting the skin from these harmful microbes.
Many recipes online sharing skincare recipes that contain water do not also contain a preservative and you can choose not to. However if you don’t, there is a risk of harmful bacteria growing.
Remember, whenever you make a skincare product with water or water based ingredients, you should be using a preservative.
Preservative Eco
PinPreservative eco is a broad spectrum preservative that contains benzyl alcohol, salicyclic acid, glycerine and sorbic acid and is considered a natural preservative.
The compounds found in preservative eco are found in willow bark, rowan berries and pine resin. It contains no formaldehyde, parabens and isothiazolone like other preservatives can.
It smells lightly of almond until it has been added to a product and the smell is then no longer detectable. It is a liquid form of preservative and is added to a product during the cooling phase.
This preservative can be used for water based products for a large variety of products for the hair and skin.
How To Make Homemade Face Moisturiser
Like I said earlier, this is a trickier DIY skincare recipe.
PinThis is because you basically start making the recipe in two parts – one part is the water based ingredients and the other one is the oil based. It’s still quite straightforward as you are just mixing the ingredients together.
Where it gets trickier is that you need to heat both of these parts of the recipe to 70 degrees Celsius at the same time so that when you mix them together, they are both around this temperature.
PinTo heat the water and oil ingredients, you need to use a double boiler or a bain-marie set up. I generally use a double boiler when I’m making skincare (you can buy one like mine on eBay), but for this recipe, I find it easier to use beakers, especially for the water ingredients. This is because then I can easily heat them both in the same pot and I can also weigh the water ingredients before and after easily.
You need to weigh the water ingredients because some of them will evaporate when you are heating it. This way, you can replace whatever evaporates. Just follow the instructions below.
When you use beakers, you do need to put something metal in the pot for them to sit on. Don’t put the beaker directly on the bottom of the pot.
PinOnce both parts are heated and any water loss is made up for with more water, you simply mix the two parts together with a hand blender. Easy!
Finally, the preservatives and essential oils are added at the end when the lotion has cooled a little. This is because adding them when the lotion is hotter than 40 degrees can stop them working correctly.
PinWhen you are finished, you can place the lotion in whatever you want to store it. I love bail jars (on eBay) and pump bottles (on eBay) but you can use whatever you like.
Regenerating And Rejuvenating Face Lotion Recipe
This DIY face moisturiser is the perfect mix for dry, normal or mature skin. It's formulated to be super regenerating and rejuvenating for your skin with ingredients that are hydrating and combat the signs of aging.
Ingredients
- 5g Olivem 1000
- 5g Avocado Oil
- 5g Macadamia Oil
- 5g Evening Primrose Oil
- 75.6g Distilled Water
- 2g Glycerin
- 0.3g Xanthan Gum
- 0.1g Vitamin E Oil
- 0.5g Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
- 0.5g Frankincense Essential Oil
- 1g Preservative Eco
- Bail jar
Instructions
- Weigh and mix together the olivem 1000, avocado oil, macadamia oil and evening primrose oil. Place in a heatproof beaker, bowl or double boiler ready to heat
- Mix the weighed xanthan gum and glycerine in a small bowl
- Weigh and add the distilled water and glycerine and xanthan gum mix in a heatproof beaker, bowl or double boiler. Mix together
- Weigh the water mixture in its container and write down the amount so you can compare it later
- Heat both the oil mixture and the water mixture in a double boiler/bain-marie setup. You want them both to heat to 70 degrees Celsius around the same time. Use thermometres to check this and stir regularly
- Once both have reached this temperature and are the same heat, remove from the heat
- Weigh the water mixture in its container again. This will tell you how much water has evaporated. Add more distilled water to take it back to the same weight it was before
- Blend this water mixture with a stick blender for 20 seconds to mix it together
- Add the oil mixture to the water mixture and blend with the stick blender for another 30-60 seconds until well mixed. It will be white and still quite fluid
- Cool the product to 40 degrees Celsius while stirring. You can speed this up by placing the mixture and its container into a cold water bath
- Weigh the vitamin E oil, essential oils and preservative eco and add one at a time to the mixture stirring thoroughly after adding each one
- Place into the packaging you want to use - a bail jar or a pump bottle works well. A funnel can help with this
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you want to be extra sure that this face moisturiser DIY will last, you should check the pH of the end product to check that it's between 3 - 8 which is what is required for the preservative in this recipe to work. This is a big range and it's highly unlikely this won't be the case though.
A pump bottle can be the best choice for this face lotion as it will stop any contaminants from possibly entering the lotion as you won't need to use your fingers to get it out. A bail jar looks cool though - so it's up to you.
PinHow To Use Your Natural Face Moisturiser Recipe
Now you have made your DIY face cream for glowing and hydrated skin, it is time to use it!
Using this best DIY face moisturiser for dry skin couldn’t be any more simple.
Simply take a small amount of your homemade face moisturiser for combination skin (and any other type) and rub it into cleansed and dry skin day/night.
You will feel instant hydration!
PinFinal Words
I hope you have enjoyed this guide to making your own natural face moisturiser, and I hope you have found it interesting and helpful.
Whether you want to create a homemade face moisturiser for sensitive skin, a homemade face moisturiser with coconut oil or a homemade face moisturiser for oily skin, you can pick and choose certain ingredients that will work best for you.
This face moisturiser works great as a homemade moisturiser for dry face. I love using it and hope you do as well.
Want to learn more? Find my recipe for awesome facial serum here or luxe body cream here as well as moisturising hand lotion here. You can also find all my DIY skincare recipes here.
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