For the past couple of years, I’ve been experimenting with different recipes to switch out my purchased personal care items for homemade ones. This has been an effort to simplify our life, regulate toxins in our home, and cut back on waste. I have a post, 6 reasons to make your own personal care and cleaning products, that goes into more depth.
Coconut oil is a staple in most of my homemade bath and beauty recipes. Unrefined coconut oil has tons of benefits for skin. It moisturizes, reduces inflammation, and can help heal skin. It contains antimicrobial properties that can protect the skin from harmful bacteria and help treat acne.
I use coconut oil as the basic ingredient for my moisturizer and add different essential oils that are good for the skin to strengthen it.
Basic Moisturizer to Make at Home with Essential Oils
What You Will Need:
- small glass jar (I use a 4 oz mason jar)
- 3 tbsp unrefined organic coconut oil
- 4 drops of lavender essential oil
- 3 drops of rosemary essential oil
- 4 drops of frankincense frereana essential oil
- 4 drops of tea tree (melaleuca) essential oil
I warm the unrefined coconut oil until it melts. Then I add the drops of essential oil mixing them in.
Lavender is great for dry or sensitive skin and has regenerative properties to help soothe damaged skin or burns. Rosemary hydrates skin and helps control oil production. Frankincense Frereana rejuvenates skin and helps smooth the appearance of wrinkles and scars. Tea Tree eases redness of skin and combats acne and oily skin.
The infused coconut oil will solidify again as it cools. With the temperature in our home it usually stays pretty soft.
After washing my face, I take a dime sized amount to apply to my forehead and cheeks rubbing it in all over my face. The warmth of your skin liquefies the oil as it’s absorbed.
This container lasts me about 6 months.
Notes:
This is a 1% dilution since I apply it daily to my face, a sensitive area. I’m especially careful when applying it around my eyes.
Store this in a location that stays under 78°. Sometimes during summer I keep my moisturizer in the fridge to prevent it from liquefying. The change from solid to liquid and back does not affect the quality.
There are all different types of skin. This is pretty harmless to try but if you have naturally oily skin coconut oil could be too heavy for you.
Other Essential Oils That are Great for Skin:
- Myrrh supports natural oils.
- Lemon is good for oily skin and revitalization but use caution because it is also phototoxic!
- Cypress and fennel also have revitalizing properties.
Other Recipes I Use These Ingredients For:
- I use unrefined coconut oil in my homemade toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, and the beard balm I make for my husband.
- Lavender is the main ingredient for my sleep aid roller bottle and one of the oils I use to help seasonal allergies.
- Rosemary is part of my roller bottle recipe to help sinus issues. I also diffuse it with other oil combinations in the morning to help wake up.
- Since it is a natural disinfectant, I often use tea tree oil to boost my cleaning supplies, including this all purpose cleaning spray. I also make a tea tree roller bottle for skin ailments.
Resources:
Beginning with Essential Oils: A Basic Guide
6 Reasons to Make Your Own Personal Care Products
Modern Essentials: The Complete Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils
Do you make your own bath and beauty products?
