current facial care routine + my nourishing face lotion recipe

so i posted about the unfortunate history of my face and the skincare routine that cleared up my heartbreaking acne here. go back and read the post if that resonates with you. i still do a lot of those things that i outlined, but i have changed up a few steps over this last year. i got pregnant and dealt with crazy postpartum hormones so my skin had different needs and i adapted my routine to fit those changes.

as i get older, i'm realizing that it's important to pay attention to my skin every day. a one-size-fits-all type routine doesn't cut it for me these days.

one habit that i developed in my mid-twenties is removing my makeup every single night. i used to never ever do that. now, i can't go to bed without a quick run-through of my nighttime routine.

so, below i'm listing some ways that i change up my routine to meet the needs of my skin. my super awesome nourishing face lotion recipe is at the end of the post.

cleanse & makeup removal /// sometimes, i feel like my skin needs a deeper cleanse and the water and washcloth method just isn't cutting it. i still want to use something very mild and nourishing, so i opt for a simple homemade honey cleanser. you can find the recipe here.

another cleansing slash moisturizing slash exfoliating method i use is to simply apply the above homemade cleanser or an oil like evoo or almond oil to my face and (gently) go to town with my olay proX facial brush (there are many similar brushes out there that work just fine). this was a life saver the first couple of months after having my son as my face was so, so dry and flaky. on the days my skin was at it's driest, i would use the brush morning and night. now i just use it a few times a week.

toner /// i still follow my cleansing/makeup removal step with the thayer's rose petal witch hazel toner.

spot treatment /// i keep a bit of frankincense essential oil in a little roller bottle to apply to my under eye circles and any blemishes.

moisturize (night) /// my favorite oil right now is cacay oil. it is a wonderful, all-around oil. it contains lots of vitamin e and retinol. it's great for breakouts and dry skin and wrinkles. i'm on my second bottle. this oil is great by itself, but i sometimes like to add drops of essential oils to give it's healing powers a boost. i will have to do a separate post on my favorite essential oils for the skin as there is a lot to talk about there. i typically only use cacay oil at night as it takes a bit longer to absorb into my skin.

moisturize (morning) /// i have recently made a little diy recipe for my morning moisturizer and it has been quite the labor of love to come up with it. let me just say it's divine! it is natural and fast-absorbing - meaning that i can apply my makeup within a few minutes after moisturizing. i don't use coconut oil in any of my homemade recipes - especially in anything that is going on my face. coconut oil is not fast-absorbing enough for me and it's quite comedogenic (pore-clogging).

when i'm creating a new recipe, i consider two aspects that make up the recipe: the base (hard oils, vegetable oils, waxes, gels, etc) and the essential oils that are needed based on the purpose of the recipe. i'll try to explain why i chose the oils and essential oils that i did, and possible substitutions as your skin has different needs or you might not have everything on hand.

this recipe makes a heaping 8 ounce jar of lotion. that's a lot of face lotion, so either cut the recipe down, gift some away, or of course it makes a lovely body lotion as well.

i would say that this recipe is great for all skin types. my skin is normal to dry, so i chose oils that help drier skin, but i'll provide some substitutions if your skin is more oily. just a warning before you dive into whipping up a batch. this isn't the easiest diy lotion around. it's not crazy difficult, but it might be a little challenging if this is your first time using oils and melting butters.



NOURISHING FACE LOTION RECIPE

what you will need:
double boiler (or a makeshift one - glass bowl resting in a pot sitting just above simmering water)
blender 
2/3 cup distilled water
1/3 cup aloe gel
3/4 cup liquid oils (i used a combination of jojoba, avocado, vitamin e, almond, and cacay oil)*
1/3 cup shea butter (cocoa butter or coconut oil are adequate substitutes but they both tend to clog pores - so keep that in mind)
2 tablespoons beeswax pellets
100 drops of essential oils - i chose frankincense, rose, myrrh, jasmine, ylang ylang, lavender, geranium, and copaiba oils.**

directions: 
combine the aloe vera, distilled water, and essential oils into a little glass container. it helps if it has a pour spout. 

get your liquid oils measured out and ready to go (you'll be adding them to the melted hard oils in a bit)

measure out your hard oils (shea or cocoa butter) and beeswax and melt over low heat in your double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler). once melted, remove from heat and add in the liquid oils. pour mixture into blender and let cool. i usually set it in the fridge. you don't want it to get too cold as you want the oil mixture to be about the same temperature as the water mixture (room temperature). 

once the oil has cooled a bit (you will see that the oil will begin to harden around the edges of the blender), turn the blender on high and begin to s l o w l y add in the water mixture. i should make a side note here that it is important that you add the water to the oil and not the oil to the water. you will probably need to stop the blender occasionally to scrape the oil off the sides with a spatula to ensure that everything is being incorporated well. watch and listen as you pour the water mixture in. the oil should be turning into a lovely emulsified creamy goodness. once the water is mixed in and the oil has turned creamy, then you are done! scrape every last bit out and put into little glass containers. 

* other oils that can be substituted are grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil 

**if you struggle with more oily skin or with breakouts, i would consider using lemon and/or tea tree essential oils. some of the essential oils i mentioned above are pricey, so if you don't have them, consider at least using lavender and geranium as they are wonderful, all-around oils for the skin - whether it's dry or oily. i like to add copaiba essential oil to most of my recipes as it is not only a wonderful, gentle oil, but it also enhances the effectiveness of all the other oils in the recipe. cool, huh?

***because this recipe contains water and does not contain preservatives, it will eventually expire. i am not certain of how long it will last, but if you add vitamin e oil as one of your liquid oils, it will help preserve it longer. i keep a small container in my bathroom and the rest of the batch in the fridge to prolong the life of the lotion. 



let me know if you have any questions regarding the recipe or otherwise!