*~~~~~~~DIY skincare recipe & discussion thread~~~~~~~~*
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:01 pm

This is really a great information. All the DIY tips you have shared about to take care of skin are useful.

Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:37 am

Anyone know how to recreate Decleor's balm essential? I saw the one for the oil, but I love the neroli balm!!

Also, how can I preserve some of these items naturally, such as the Dr H stuff? I'm in the UK so need something locally available. Thanks!

Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:03 pm

The OCM method is the quintessential way to beautiful skin.

free skin care · Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:27 pm

Where can I buy some pH strips? I did a cursory search on ebay but I really have no idea what I'm looking for. I saw that some strips have to be submerged in the liquid. I need something I can place a small drop on, and get a reading. Can someone point me to an ebay seller with whom they had a good experience?

Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:08 am

hey every1, so excited to be in diy world!! so a couple of days ago i made this vitamin c serum with glycerin..it was too sticky since i live in south florida,, i made it again using water and vit c only..still it feels sticky its like sitting on my skin it doesnt penetrate...do u have any idea why it doesnt penetrate..as i would love to layer my moisturiser over it after a few minutes..but i feel when i do it the serum comes off..what do i do??? Question

also i would like to add vit a and e ..can i add vit e oil in it directly ? what shd i add for vit a? thanks in advance...and i have oily skin around nose and i suffer from acne from time to time...i also have blemishes and acne scars on my face...a lot to deal with....

Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:25 pm

Hi all,

About to begin my diy adventure (2nd time) I've come up with a recipe, that I would like to share before actually trying it. I'm not sure if it makes sense at all, that's why.

I'd like to try an anhydrous ACE "cream" ,because water will cause the LAA to oxidise quickly. I'm not fond of the silicone base either. (And neither the LAA nor the retinol really dissolves in it, it stays grainy)

This is what I want to try:

Oil/wax base: grapeseed oil, almond oil, avocado oil, stabilizer & emulsifier. (I'll try to make it a bit fluid) Total: 70% of the batch.

Adding:
LAA 10%, solved in alcohol
Retinol, 2%
D-tocopherol 2%
Lysolecithin 5%
ELS 6%
lactic acid 5%

I know the pH should be 3,5 in the end, but if its higher,(or lower) how should I adjust it? Ive read baking soda, but some also advise against it, so I really don't know.
I'd like your thoughts about this, since I've learned so much already from all of you, reading and gathering info.

Thanks in advance! Oh, and I'm dutch, so please forgive any "strange" words or spelling...

Cecil

free skin care · Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:34 pm

Firefly and Cecil: honestly if you are new to formulating the best thing you can do is use a tried and tested recipe or adapt one slightly. Many have been perfected over weeks or months by people who have done a lot of research into actives and alchemy!

Firefly you don't say what percentages you are using so no idea how to help. Have you researched the importance of the pH of your L-AA serum, the pH of the product you use before and afterwards and wait times? The ingredients you are suggesting are not all soluble in the same diluent, so you would need to use preservatives and emulsifiers. L-AA can be comedogenic (block pores) and irritant so is not necessarily the best active for acne prone or reactive skin. You might consider the KinNiaNag serum for the issue you describe.

Cecil: I am far from an expert so you may well know more than I do about anhydrous ACE products. Why have you chosen L-AA instead of a more stable form of vitamin C such as MAP or Tetra-C? Do you not want to use ferulic acid to stabilise the L-AA? Have you managed to source powder lactic acid, if so what are you dissolving it in? If you are using 88% then your recipe is not strictly anhydrous ... I have no idea whether you can accurately read or adjust the pH of that formulation, given that the usual alkaline suspects are water soluble and oils don't have a pH. If any of my questions confuses you head over to Skincaretalk DIY board and repost there. SCT gets more traffic than EDS with some highly knowledgeable and experienced formulators. Very Happy

Feel free to copy and paste my amateurish ramblings if it helps. BTW your English is excellent, I would not have noticed if you had not said.

Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:19 am

Thank you FireFox, you have a good point esp. about the lactic acid. I didn't think of that ... Embarassed

I chose LAA because I thought it would work good, and dissolved in alcohol, combined with vit E, it should be pretty stable, or so I read here and there.

I tried the silicone base formula, but the LAA didn't dissolve as well as I'd expected, and my skin needs a bit more nourishing than that. So that's why I thought up this idea of an oil based formula. I searched for weeks now, in several forums, but cant find an anhydrous ACE cream that dissolves the LAA (I already tried...)

I'll keep looking though as you suggest, but at times I feel a bit lost in all these topics, threads and loads of info!

Cecil

free skin care · Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:55 am

You may find the following thread of interest.....

Anhydrous Vitamin C recipe?

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=35528&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Also here is the recipe index (thanks Havana8) there are also the option for Tetra C recipes that are in oil. Very Happy

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=11902

free skin care · Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:10 pm

Cecil wrote:

Thank you FireFox, you have a good point esp. about the lactic acid. I didn't think of that ... Embarassed

I chose LAA because I thought it would work good, and dissolved in alcohol, combined with vit E, it should be pretty stable, or so I read here and there.

I tried the silicone base formula, but the LAA didn't dissolve as well as I'd expected, and my skin needs a bit more nourishing than that. So that's why I thought up this idea of an oil based formula. I searched for weeks now, in several forums, but cant find an anhydrous ACE cream that dissolves the LAA (I already tried...)

I'll keep looking though as you suggest, but at times I feel a bit lost in all these topics, threads and loads of info!

Cecil

IMO you are making it difficult for yourself. There likely aren't many anhydrous recipes because it's difficult to make that work! Most people make up a CE ferulic serum for stability of L-AA, then layer on a separate retinoid cream. Or if they want even more stability they make up a MAP serum or a cream containing Tetra-C. The research shows MAP is as active as L-AA; the research on Tetra-C used it in combination with L-AA anyway.

An anhydrous solution is not the best thing for skin that needs more moisturisation because oils are primarily occlusive. It is generally most successful to use occlusives in combination with humectants, which are water-based. What are your reasons for choosing grapeseed, almond and avocado oils? Which fatty acids are you aiming to supply your skin with, and why?

Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:28 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

Firefly you don't say what percentages you are using so no idea how to help. Have you researched the importance of the pH of your L-AA serum, the pH of the product you use before and afterwards and wait times? The ingredients you are suggesting are not all soluble in the same diluent, so you would need to use preservatives and emulsifiers. L-AA can be comedogenic (block pores) and irritant so is not necessarily the best active for acne prone or reactive skin. You might consider the KinNiaNag serum for the issue you describe.

hi firefox. yeah i have no idea about ph and pecentages(: but i use 1 tsp of camu camu powder and 4 ounces of water mix it and keep it refregerated and finish it in five six days so can u tell me whats it percentage? i just wash my face use witch hazel toner and apply this thing.. at night i wait for ten minutes and apply moisturizer..the reason i keep it simple is that i am mother of 5 month old who is exclusively breastfed.. and i did csm research and basically every product out there has smthing thats not good till i nurse but 7 months more i would love to make smthing good for my skin. so can u suggest which one i shd try now and which one shd i try then.... thanku so much for the help:)

Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:18 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

sherryf13500 wrote:

what would you recommend disolving the vit. c in? Can you do a mixture of dist. water and glycerine?

Yes. Here's a nice one, but keep in the fridge.

Simple C Serum – 10%

1/4 teaspoon vit C
1/4 teaspoon glycerin
1 + 1/2 teaspoons distilled water

Dissolve the C in the water, then add the glycerin.

Kassy: My first post on this forum. I got inspired and tried to make this simple vitamin C serum. I got the l-ascorbic from natural food store. I have tried many times but my issue is that L-ascorbic doesn't dissolve fully to give me clear liquid. I have tried stirring for long times and also letting it sit for hours with stirring occasionally. Could you please answer what I could be doing wrong here?

free skin care · Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:07 pm

mannu.gill wrote:

Kassy_A wrote:

sherryf13500 wrote:

what would you recommend disolving the vit. c in? Can you do a mixture of dist. water and glycerine?

Yes. Here's a nice one, but keep in the fridge.

Simple C Serum – 10%

1/4 teaspoon vit C
1/4 teaspoon glycerin
1 + 1/2 teaspoons distilled water

Dissolve the C in the water, then add the glycerin.

Kassy: My first post on this forum. I got inspired and tried to make this simple vitamin C serum. I got the l-ascorbic from natural food store. I have tried many times but my issue is that L-ascorbic doesn't dissolve fully to give me clear liquid. I have tried stirring for long times and also letting it sit for hours with stirring occasionally. Could you please answer what I could be doing wrong here?

First off is it 100% pure LAA? Fillers will not dissolve!

Many sold in health food stores are larger crystals and the best way to use that up is to grind it down to a fine powder.

You can use very warm not hot water to help dissolve the powder.

free skin care · Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:48 pm

mannu.gill wrote:

Kassy_A wrote:

sherryf13500 wrote:

what would you recommend disolving the vit. c in? Can you do a mixture of dist. water and glycerine?

Yes. Here's a nice one, but keep in the fridge.

Simple C Serum – 10%

1/4 teaspoon vit C
1/4 teaspoon glycerin
1 + 1/2 teaspoons distilled water

Dissolve the C in the water, then add the glycerin.

Kassy: My first post on this forum. I got inspired and tried to make this simple vitamin C serum. I got the l-ascorbic from natural food store. I have tried many times but my issue is that L-ascorbic doesn't dissolve fully to give me clear liquid. I have tried stirring for long times and also letting it sit for hours with stirring occasionally. Could you please answer what I could be doing wrong here?

Wow, that recipe is from 4 years ago and specific to a member who just wanted to use only those ingredients.. I really don't recommend it..

I wouldn't recommend using supplements (that are meant for the digestive tract) in a serum used on the skin.. Even putting aside the exipients and anti caking ingredients, you would also have to figure out how much to use to arrive at the optimal 15% concentration for the skin... Many strengths are available for vit C supplements.. Who needs that headache..

free skin care · Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:44 am

Oh,this is so great! I already think to make some thing just for myself! LOve love!

Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:58 pm

As for carekate's vit c serum and acv toner recipe, Can I use GNC Vitamin Crystals (ascorbic acid) with rose hips powder? Or does it have to be pure vitamin c?

free skin care · Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:04 pm

daygolove wrote:

As for carekate's vit c serum and acv toner recipe, Can I use GNC Vitamin Crystals (ascorbic acid) with rose hips powder? Or does it have to be pure vitamin c?

It is best to use pure LAA ultrafine powder for skin care recipes, dayglove. Smile

You will find a listing of DIY suppliers at the bottom of the recipe index here:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=11902

Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:15 pm

DarkMoon wrote:

daygolove wrote:

As for carekate's vit c serum and acv toner recipe, Can I use GNC Vitamin Crystals (ascorbic acid) with rose hips powder? Or does it have to be pure vitamin c?

It is best to use pure LAA ultrafine powder for skin care recipes, dayglove. Smile

You will find a listing of DIY suppliers at the bottom of the recipe index here:

Thank you for the quick response, guess i'll go back to GNC and return it. Lol

free skin care · Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:25 pm

daygolove wrote:

DarkMoon wrote:

daygolove wrote:

As for carekate's vit c serum and acv toner recipe, Can I use GNC Vitamin Crystals (ascorbic acid) with rose hips powder? Or does it have to be pure vitamin c?

It is best to use pure LAA ultrafine powder for skin care recipes, dayglove. Smile

You will find a listing of DIY suppliers at the bottom of the recipe index here:

Thank you for the quick response, guess i'll go back to GNC and return it. Lol

If there are no fillers you might use it for the toner only, but for a serum I would buy from one of the DIY suppliers and save a lot of headaches!

A few good ones I have purchased mine from (there are others):

http://www.lotioncrafter.com/ascorbic-acid-ultrafine.html

http://www.bulkactives.com/ascorbicacid.htm

HTH Smile

free skin care · Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:28 pm

Argh!

I'm so done with trying to understand why people want to use *stuff* made for the digestive tract, on their skin.

I certainly don't use my DIY antioxidant and botanical products as an oral supplement...

Anyhoo, to each their own... Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:39 am

havana8 wrote:

ran across this today....

Basic Cold Cream

Cold cream is a woman's best friend… What follows is a basic recipe and yields about six ounces.

½ cup olive oil
½ cup water or hydrosol
2 tsp beeswax
1/8 sodium borate (cosmetic grade)

• Combine the beeswax and olive oil in double boiler and warm until mixture is completely melted
• While the wax mixture is heating, warm the water in another pot. When water is warm NOT BOILING slowly add the 1/8 tsp of borax into the water and stir until dissolved. Add this slowly because if the water is too hot, the mixture will erupt
• Once the wax mixture is melted, pour into the mixing bowl.
• Stir mixture on low to medium speed and gradually add the water/borax
• Blend until smooth and creamy. As the mixture thickens, you will see a trace on the top (like whipping up frosting.)
• Once the mixture has thickened and cooled, store in containers

You can add up to six drops of eucalyptus essential oil, tea tree oil and/or melted menthol crystals.

http://theorganicbeautyexpert.typepad.com/the_organic_beauty_expert/2008/06/recession-pro-1.html

I have been using this for a cleanser since last week. No break outs, skin is very happy with it! I added some chamomile essential oil and lemon essential oil, and gave it to my daughter to try out. No break outs either, lovely soft skin. Next time I make this I will try lecithine for emulsification, or e-wax though - even if there's only very little borax in the recipe. The amounts given yielded 3 full 50 ml jars - the one not used sits in the fridge.

free skin care · Wed Nov 06, 2013 7:52 pm

Bluerain wrote:

I found this here...http://www.recipegoldmine.com/beautyskin/skin1.html

Natural Skin Care Aids and What They Do

Bicarbonate of Soda Water softener

I am very curious about baking soda to soften skin..........do you mean as in using it as a scrub?
I know Co2 is really good for the skin; maybe just washing with soda water would be good?

free skin care · Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:34 am

Kassy_A wrote:

Simple C Serum – 10%

1/4 teaspoon vit C
1/4 teaspoon glycerin
1 + 1/2 teaspoons distilled water

Dissolve the C in the water, then add the glycerin.

First time using DIY serum - I made this one a week ago for the first time and cannot believe how my skin has responded! I've been using red light on my face but my hands are the biggest difference and I haven't been using the light there, so I know the majority of the benefit is from this simple serum. And it literally costs pennies!

I am a MAJOR Kassy A fan now!!! Thank you!

Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:07 am

Does anyone know of a good Vit C serum recipe without a moisturizer and without L-AA?

(I'm in my late twenties and don't want to overmoisturize/overexfoliate.)

Been picking over the wisdom here for hours now! You guys are pretty amazing.

free skin care · Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:50 am

Without L-AA? That's the vitamin C, so it wouldn't be a C serum, would it? Did you mean without glycerin?

There's an oil soluble vitamin C I believe, but you said you did not want moisture?

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