Today I have a guest recipe for you written by Katja from the lovely Wild for Nature blog. It’s a more advanced recipe that foams while it exfoliates your skin. Perfect if you want to take your homemade skin care to the next level. I can’t wait to try this recipe myself!
Do you love foaming facial cleansers as much as I do? Then I’m sure you’ll love this recipe as well! It’s easy to make, and you can whip up this fragrant beauty in about 10 minutes!
Why You Need an Exfoliating Cleanser in Your Skincare routine
We’re told again and again how regular exfoliation is important for the skin. But then cleansing it properly is also a key step to a glowing and healthy look.
Now, this cleanser combines both steps in one small bottle!
The natural beads exfoliate your skin gently when applying the cleanser. Let’s recap why exfoliation matters:
- Because it helps to remove impurities and dead skin cells
- The skin looks more toned and tight and healthy
- Because it helps to boost the absorption of products you apply after
At the same time, the cleanser is strong enough to remove makeup as well!
This recipe is gorgeous because:
- It lathers nicely when it comes into contact with water.
- It’s easy to make.
- 1000% vegan!
- Fragrant, definitely. And refreshing!
But before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about the exfoliating agent in the cleanser, the beads.
Natural beads and alternatives for microbeads
Using beads in skincare is a fantastic thing. I’ve become obsessed with exfoliating shower gels, facial cleansers, and everything else in between.
Now, I know that some of you might say: but beads are not safe for your face or for the environment! No, they are not. But I’m not talking about those microbeads.
There is a natural alternative to those nasties. The alternative isn’t composed of tiny pieces of plastic that tend to drain showers, pollute the waters, and are eaten by fish, and even us, humans! (I read this weird news that microbeads are being lodged in people’s gums!)
No, you can easily avoid microbeads and start using alternatives instead. And these alternatives are accessible and available online as well as with raw ingredient suppliers.
Some of these alternatives include:
- Ground fruit seeds (blueberry, poppy seed, blackberry…)
- Grain powders (rice husk, rice bran powder, whole oat flower…)
- Nuts and seeds (rosehip seed powder, coconut shell, walnut shell powder…)
- Oil and wax beads (jojoba beads)
- Salts (Epsom, pink Himalayan, dead sea…)
- Bamboo powder, pumice powder…
As I said, this is a simple recipe even if you’re a beginner. There’s no warming up the product, no weird cooking, witchcraft or anything of the sort.
It’s all about a few simple steps: you weigh, you combine, you stir, and you pour (into a container).
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients; feel free to look at the substitution ideas below.
If you want to make this recipe as lovely and successful as it is, there are a few musts to use:
- Xanthan gum gives the cleanser a thicker, gel-like consistency
- Natural beads for exfoliation
- Preservative as all water-based products require a preservative unless you want strange unwanted life forms in your facial cleanser, such as mold, yeast, and bacteria. But don’t worry, the preservative in this recipe is Ecocert approved and allowed in natural skincare. It’s safe and you only need a small amount!
- Lemon balm hydrosol is very refreshing; it gives the cleanser a lovely gentle scent; I’ve paired it with a few drops of grapefruit and tangerine essential oils, and it’s divine! Apart from that, lemon balm has astringent properties; it’s also anti-inflammatory and calming for the skin.
- Coco glucoside is a foaming agent, a surfactant if you will. It’s a mild and very gentle cleanser. It lathers nicely when it comes in contact with water.
- Vegetable glycerin is a humectant. That means it draws moisture to the skin, locking it in.
DIY Lemon Balm Exfoliating Cleanser
Make your own refreshing exfoliating balm with lovely lemon balm!
Materials
- 40 g lemon balm hydrosol
- 30 g distilled water
- 10 g jojoba beads
- 10 g coco glucoside
- 6 g almond oil
- 2.6 g vegetable glycerin
- 0.6 g xanthan gum
- 0.5 g Cosgard
- 0.3 g essential oils (grapefruit, and tangerine)
Instructions
- Prepare and weigh your ingredients
- In a glass cup/beaker, combine xanthan gum with vegetable glycerin. Stir well until the blend is lump free and xanthan has dissolved
- Add and weigh water and hydrosol into the mix, stir well
- Add preservative into the cup
- Weigh and add coco glucoside into the mix. Stir gently.
- Add jojoba beads into the mix, stir again.
- Measure carrier oil and pour it into the gel
- Add essential oils and transfer the gel into a bottle (top flip is the best)
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Xanthan gum dissolves in vegetable glycerin much easier and better than in water (see the photo)
- If you don’t have jojoba beads, feel free to use any from the top list I’ve mentioned
- Add a different carrier oil (if you don’t have almond oil); argan, jojoba or apricot kernel oil would be a good substitute.
How To Use your Exfoliating Cleanser
- Make your face wet with lukewarm water.
- Pour about half a teaspoon of cleanser in the palm of your hand. Use clean fingers to gently massage the balm onto your face. Avoid the area around your eyes.
- Let the cleanser foam up while you massage the jojoba beads onto your skin.
- Rinse your face with plenty of water until all of the cleanser is removed.
- Enjoy your soft, refreshed skin!
If you like this DIY than don’t forget to put a pin on it.
