Dr. Kassy's face firming and eye cream
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free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:39 pm

One little hint I can share that came in handy for me was that once I knew I could really do this, I made a clean sweep of all the crap I had accumulated, and kept all the jars.. Then I just write what it is on the bottom with a 'Sharpie'.

I'm all about recycling... Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:47 pm

I'm going to get my sharpie out - I am on a mission! Thanks Kassy!

free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:04 pm

I'm a newbie to DIY, but thanks to Dr Kassy I'm getting braver. I have a question for all you veterans: where do you set up your "lab" so it's out of the way of the rest of the family? My kitchen is Grand Central, and my personal bathroom is tiny, the laundry room is a closet, and there is no dining room table! Any thoughts from someone?
PS I have a very nosy cat too!

free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:20 pm

Oh fawnie, no free space, and a nosy kitty to boot... Laughing

I have the luxury of the empty nest syndrome, except for the grandkids who are here LOTS... Anyhoo, my kitchen is where I put things together..

I keep a good many of my actives, bases, and some oils in one of the veggie bins in my fridge. All the supplies, including jars, bottles, spatulas etc.. are in a big decorative can, that doubles as a plant stand in my family room.

When I'm ready to make something I just set up what I need on the kitchen table or counter, quite like an assembly line, mix what I need, and then back everything goes..

Unless I'm making gifts for others, my own needs are few, and I only need to make my 2 or 3 serums every 3 months or so..

My advice to you and anyone starting out, is to really get a sense of what your skin needs are, and start small, with maybe a nice C serum, and an anti-oxidant lotion or cream..

If I knew then, what I know now, here is what I would get as my must have staples;

L-Ascorbic Acid (4oz will last forever!)
SKB (8oz bottle from NCN will last forever!)
ELS (Every Lipid Serum from Skinactives..

Ferulic Acid (Skinactives)
Green Tea Extract
Lactic Acid
Base Cream and/or Base Lotion
Distilled Water

Squalane Oil
Palm Oil
Coconut Oil
Avocado Oil
MSM Capsules or Powder (must be pure without any fillers) Opti MSM from drugstore.com is what I highly recommend.

The oils I listed are chock full of every wonderful thing our skin needs, and if used in your formulations, will give you all of the anti-oxidants and lipids to make your skin thrive, and also allow you to keep the crap out of your creams/serums...(I could honestly chuck it all, and happily just have my oils...YES, they are that good!) And don't you oily girls be afraid either, they can actually regulate your skin when used correctly.. Wink

**I buy my oils by the quart, but to get the feel of the palm and coconut oil, I recommend you check out this 8oz massage oil... It is pure virgin palm, virgin coconut and jojoba oil without any fillers...It's really awesome, and will give you a good start*** (The only additive, is if you choose a scented one that has essential oils.. I chose the unscented for my needs.)

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_massage_oils.htm

If you want a lot of punch in your serums/creams, or want to address wrinkles or sag etc.. Then you might want to add these, once you know you will enjoy DIY;

Matrixyl peptides
DMAE
Argereline
Idebenone
Alpha Lipoic Acid

I'm sure I'm forgetting some other things that might be helpful, but this is a good start.

K

free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:40 pm

*makes note to self* OK! I'm ready to go shopping now! Thanks for getting me started Dr Kassy!

free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:32 pm

Kassie - BLESS YOU... Really. What a great motivation and guidance you are!

I made my first ever DIY - The viteral A and ascorbic acid crystal serum. And I love it! I'm using it with the anti-aging that I got from ZO but I'll tell you what - I notice it when I use it.

Now this other antioxidant potion you've just posted.... Do I use that in addition or instead of????

I want to make the eye serum too. And I must get that unscented skin cream from the site you've posted. I'm so loving the natural approach and so much cheaper.

Thanks - really Kassie - that's what I mostly wanted to say.

Sis Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:13 pm

Ahh Sis, you make my

go pitter patter.. Such a sweetie you are, and thanks for the "thank you"

...

My best advice to you (and everyone) is don't overdue anything. Keep things simple, and alternate everything, which will keep your skin responsive and receptive..

If the ZO is working out well, stick with that, and then to change things up, you can put the ZO on hold for a couple of weeks, and then use the DIY cream..

The one thing you shouldn't do, is overload yourself with everything new at once.. It's best to keep it simple, so you can have a good idea of what is working well, and what you can do without..

I'm glad you like the C Serum, (I really like it also).... For this week and next, just continue that and the ZO, then you can make a switch...

Keep this in mind also Sis, because you have an oily skin, you might want to tweak the new recipe I posted, and make it more of a lotion rather than cream. If you think this would suit you better, just get 'base lotion' from Skinactives instead of 'base cream'... You can further thin down a lotion or cream by removing a couple of TBS, and replacing it with equal parts distilled water.. Do this prior to mixing everything in.

If any of you DIY'ers have recipe's to share, please feel free to join in and share them .. Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:01 am

Kassy_A wrote:

15% L-Ascorbic Acid
0.5% Ferulic Acid
1% Pure Vitamin E (which means Alpha + D Alpha together)

Other ingredients are; glycerin, hyaluronic acid, B-5, solvent + water.

Kassy - I'm very excited to try out your C,E, Ferulic serum as my first DIY. Is there any reason of which you are aware that I should not add glucosamine and niacinamide, as long as I keep the pH below 3.5?

Thanks for your expertise.

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:00 pm

tessera wrote:

Kassy_A wrote:

15% L-Ascorbic Acid
0.5% Ferulic Acid
1% Pure Vitamin E (which means Alpha + D Alpha together)

Other ingredients are; glycerin, hyaluronic acid, B-5, solvent + water.

Kassy - I'm very excited to try out your C,E, Ferulic serum as my first DIY. Is there any reason of which you are aware that I should not add glucosamine and niacinamide, as long as I keep the pH below 3.5?

Off the top of my head I can't remember if those two ingredients are water soluble.. If they aren't, you will have to mix it together with the vitamin E, and use something to emulsify it all together... SKB might be good, but use just as little as possible to get the job done... (SKB is great, but if you use too much it will leave a tacky layer on your skin) You could also try mixing it into glycerin, which is in Skinceuticals C, E + Ferulic also.

The G + N will be a great addition, as long as the PH checks out at 3.5 or less!

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:23 pm

Kassy, can you expand on this statement of yours from earlier back in this thread?

1% Pure Vitamin E (which means Alpha + D Alpha together)

I am trying to order all of the ingredients for your C serum with the Ferrulic Acid, water, SKB, etc. but I am just not sure which Vit. E product is the right one.
Are either of the liquid Vit. E's at personal formulatior correct? Garden of Wisdom?

Thanks!

Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:00 pm

Kassy As I am just getting my feet wet with DIY, I thank you so much for all the information you share. I have made the vit c serum and love it. I so appreciate the beginner's list as a guide-that is very helpful.
My questions-
1.do you recommend your eye serum with the viterol or the new one made as you made your anti-oxidant cream?
2. I did the OCM with caster oil and olive oil. After the first time, I have 2 small black spots(about pinhead size) now that I did not have. I assume this is gunk trying to come to the surface but just not there yet. What do you think? I have done the OCM three times.
Thanks!

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:17 pm

brenpatsa wrote:

Kassy, can you expand on this statement of yours from earlier back in this thread?

1% Pure Vitamin E (which means Alpha + D Alpha together) Thanks!

I am trying to order all of the ingredients for your C serum with the Ferrulic Acid, water, SKB, etc. but I am just not sure which Vit. E product is the right one.
Are either of the liquid Vit. E's at personal formulatior correct? Garden of Wisdom?

I have bought the vitamin e from TPF and it's pretty good.. (Most of the DIY'er websites have pure vitamin E, so don't worry about that.) There are 8 types of vitamin e in all, but the 'Alpha' supposedly is the purest, most natural form..

One thing I will tell you though, is to get the smallest one they carry, (I believe it's 2oz.), and keep it in the fridge... It gets that awful fishy smell after about 2 months once it's opened, and a little goes a very long way.

If you can find Vitamin E gelcaps without fillers or preservatives in a health food store, that works also.. You only need a few drops to get the optimal 1%.

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:33 pm

kathyt wrote:

Kassy As I am just getting my feet wet with DIY, I thank you so much for all the information you share. I have made the vit c serum and love it. I so appreciate the beginner's list as a guide-that is very helpful.
My questions-
1.do you recommend your eye serum with the viterol or the new one made as you made your anti-oxidant cream?2. I did the OCM with caster oil and olive oil. After the first time, I have 2 small black spots(about pinhead size) now that I did not have. I assume this is gunk trying to come to the surface but just not there yet. What do you think? I have done the OCM three times.
Thanks!

#1. The Viterol A is a C serum mixture, but the new cream is loaded with anti-oxidants, and is a rich creamy texture.. You have to decide which of the ingredients would compliment *your* skin needs.. The serum is good for A.M. use, and the new anti-oxidant cream would be excellent as a night cream..

Also, please keep in mind, you can change up just about everything in there to suit you.. Just leave out what you don't need.. (EX: If you are young, without sag, you could skip the DMAE altogether.)

#2. With my limited foray into OCM, I found my skin liked Olive, Avocado and Coconut oil best... Castor oil is much too thick, and goes rancid fairly quickly, so could be the culprit in your situation... If you like it, just cut it down to 70/30 (O + C) and see how that goes.

Listen to your skin! It will tell you what it likes and what it doesn't... Everybody is unique and original, so seldom will one particular thing work for all... (Except my C Serum of course, that is working for everyone, so I hear . And oooh laa la, the money they're saving.. Wink

..

)

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:59 pm

I made up a batch of the Vitamin C and I am lovin' it. Have been using it for 2 weeks and I haven't seen a blackhead yet which I have gotten from all other Vitamin C I have used except Skin Medica. It also absorbs right in which has always been an issue with me and Vit. C.

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:10 pm

Is Dr. Kassy the same as Kassy_A?

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:32 pm

Frodo wrote:

I made up a batch of the Vitamin C and I am lovin' it. Have been using it for 2 weeks and I haven't seen a blackhead yet which I have gotten from all other Vitamin C I have used except Skin Medica. It also absorbs right in which has always been an issue with me and Vit. C.

I'm so glad you like it Frodo, and thanks so much for sharing why... That really helps me to know what ingredients are keepers, and what to kick to the curb..

I haven't had a blackhead from a C serum I made yet either, and it was a given with my retail purchases..

I think it has to do with oxidation, and happens when a product really isn't fresh. Making it yourself, puts an end to that guessing game... (I also haven't had any of my C serums turn yellow either..) They are as white/clear when I finish them up in a few months, as when I made them..

free skin care · Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:33 pm

ruk1 wrote:

Is Dr. Kassy the same as Kassy_A?

One in the same ruk1 .... Laughing

free skin care · Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:47 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

Off the top of my head I can't remember if those two ingredients are water soluble.. If they aren't, you will have to mix it together with the vitamin E, and use something to emulsify it all together...

Thanks, Kass. Niacinamide is water soluble; I'm not sure about the glucosamine but skinactives says it can be put in the SKB. Does that also act as an emulsifier for the Vit. E, or does the vodka (or something else in your recipe)do that? (I'm using the one with L-Ascorbic acid, Vit. E, Ferulic acid,SKB,water and vodka). I know some emulsifiers contain ethyl alcohol and Burt's Bees uses some sort of sea moss as an emulsifier but I haven't found any information on whether SKB serves this function. Chemistry class was a long, looong time ago (and I wasn't much good at it then, either!) Sad

Thanks for the help!

P.S. Now I'm frustrated. I just found a single site (http://www.skingeek.com/a-daily-niacinamide-boost-to-whiten-skin-and-keep-acne-pimples-at-bay/)
that says not to mix niacinamide with Vit. C but doesn't explain why. Hate that! Mad

free skin care · Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:52 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

brenpatsa wrote:

Kassy, can you expand on this statement of yours from earlier back in this thread?

1% Pure Vitamin E (which means Alpha + D Alpha together) Thanks!

I am trying to order all of the ingredients for your C serum with the Ferrulic Acid, water, SKB, etc. but I am just not sure which Vit. E product is the right one.
Are either of the liquid Vit. E's at personal formulatior correct? Garden of Wisdom?

I have bought the vitamin e from TPF and it's pretty good.. (Most of the DIY'er websites have pure vitamin E, so don't worry about that.) There are 8 types of vitamin e in all, but the 'Alpha' supposedly is the purest, most natural form..

One thing I will tell you though, is to get the smallest one they carry, (I believe it's 2oz.), and keep it in the fridge... It gets that awful fishy smell after about 2 months once it's opened, and a little goes a very long way.

If you can find Vitamin E gelcaps without fillers or preservatives in a health food store, that works also
.. You only need a few drops to get the optimal 1%.

What confuses me though is that I thought I read that the synthetic version (obviously what I don't want) is designated with a prefix of dl.

The liquid Vit. E from GOW has the Dl designation
http://www.gardenofwisdom.com/catalog/item/4040338/3856187.htm

and so does one of the two from PF. (the other doesn't indicate one way or the other
http://www.thepersonalformulator.com/wvss/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=vitamin+e&osCsid=ie85o6sb5i5drnqf56ncss5m76&x=7&y=7

Any guidance? Am I wrong about the dl designation meaning it's the synthetic version?

I am so confuzeled!!!!

free skin care · Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:25 pm

Bren; All of that vitamin E stuff had me in a dither also.... That is why I decided to go with the Palm Oil I suggested a few pages back.. It has the very best vitamin E available! (Check it out at the link I provided!)

For formulating, you can really use any vitamin E oil you can find, that doesn't contain fillers... It will be a minute amount in all formulations, so don't drive yourself crazy.

Tess; The SKB acts as a wonderful emulsifier, and you can put vitamin E oil, as well as the Ferulic in that, mix it up, and then add to the water phase.

As far as the niacinamide not being compatible with LAA, I'm really not sure.. It might be a good idea to write an email to Skinactives, to be positive... (From what I saw it looked compatible, but I'm not a pro at this, so don't have the final answer.)

In general, my best advice is to keep the C serums simple, and keep the 'other' actives for a nice anti-oxidant serum..

Sometimes we tend to think more is better, and find out the hard way that that is not always the case..

free skin care · Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:51 pm

Bren, this is the Vitamin E contained in Palm Oil, and this quote is from the product info;

Vitamin E - The Tocotrienols: Super Anti-oxidants

Vitamin E is one of the most important phytonutrients in edible oils. It consists of eight naturally occurring isomers, a family of four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) homologues. While most Vitamin E supplements on the market today are composed of the more common tocopherols, tocotrienols are believed to be a much more potent antioxidant than tocopherols. Tocotrienols are naturally present in most plants, however they are found most abundantly in palm oil extracted from palm fruits. Other sources are rice, wheat germ, oat and barley. It has been shown by published research that alpha-tocotrienol is more potent than alpha-tocopherol as a form of Vitamin E. Since tocotrienols are a form of Vitamin E found less abundantly in nature than tocopherols, the research on this super anti-oxidant is still recent and ongoing. It is predicted that tocotrienols will become recognized as the new super anti-oxidant in the very near future. Virgin Palm Oil is one of your best sources for Vitamin E. Most Vitamin E supplements and skin care products on the market today are soy-based.

This oil is also abundant in vitamin A...You can read more here;

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/red_palm_oil.htm

Check out the 'Skincare' link at this site, for a great 8oz massage oil, that contains only Palm, Coconut + Jojoba oils, and is great for formulating!

free skin care · Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:44 am

Kassy like an idiot I ordered palm and coconut oil from a different site other than tropical (because they had a minimum order) - anyway the oils are solid like butter Rolling Eyes

now what - order the right stuff?

free skin care · Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:53 am

Hey Kassy - I am looking at the site you suggested for the massage oil or lotion and I have a question for you. If I were to choose one of these products to use as a body (not face) moisturizer which would you suggest?

I know you like the massage oil blend - Do you use this in the face cream? Or do you just put it directly on your face?

I really like that these products are natural. I'm dying to start using them. I can add my beloved patchouli oil to them too Very Happy

(Body only)

free skin care · Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:28 am

Alley; please post a link to the products you bought, so I can read exactly what they are.. The short answer is yes, the oils are thick!

Sis; have a look at these lotions. They are awesome for face and/or body, can be used as is, and make an amazing base for formulating..

Just a heads up, the palm and coconut oils are pure, so expect pungent smells.. They have an unscented variety available for the lotions and creams, that I use quite a lot for formulating..

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_moisturizing_lotions.htm

Gotta run now, and take Sonny Boy to Miami for his Drs appointment! More later on.. Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:38 am

Palm oil
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU269/ItemDetail?n=4294967194

Coconut oil
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU229/ItemDetail?n=4294967194

Thanks for your help

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