Natural Homemade Skincare: Beginner’s Guide to DIY Recipes

Skincare is a topic with a lot of conflicting information. When you read the label on a favorite lotion, you may find 15–20 ingredients you can’t pronounce. Even products marketed as “natural” can include questionable chemicals.

Many mass-market skincare products contain substances that have been associated with health concerns, including carcinogens, neurotoxins, and compounds that can damage DNA. Some studies and reports have linked certain ingredients to increased allergies, cancer, birth defects, and reproductive or developmental problems.

Because skin absorbs roughly 60% of what is applied to it, using products with potentially harmful ingredients carries risk. I don’t claim to be perfect in my own routine, but I’ve been learning and making gradual changes toward safer, simpler skincare. With an upcoming vacation, I plan to try a natural sunscreen recipe, and I’m also interested in making my own shampoo after trying the “No Poo” method and a few natural store-bought options.

I enjoy experimenting with homemade skincare recipes and I keep a small pantry of natural ingredients on hand so I can mix up treatments as needed.

Natural Ingredients to Stock Your Pantry

• Coconut oil
• Shea butter
• Aloe vera gel
• Almond oil
• Jojoba oil
• Bentonite clay
• Vitamin E oil
• Essential oils – tea tree, lavender, orange, and peppermint are popular choices
• Beeswax

With just these basics you can create a wide range of body and skincare products. I didn’t build my collection overnight; I started slowly, buying what I could as a student and often ordering in bulk to save money.

Here are some of my favorite DIY skincare recipes I’ve developed so far, with more to come.

Other great homemade skincare recipes:

Homemade Vapor Rub

Homemade Hand Sanitizers

Homemade Antibacterial Cream {Neosporin}

Homemade Natural Sunscreen

This was part of the 30 Day Natural Living Challenge!

Check out all the other great posts from the challenge:

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