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Home » Wellness Tips » DIY Skincare » The Do's & Don'ts Of Natural Skincare Products

The Do's & Don'ts Of Natural Skincare Products

01/04/2017 by fitasamamabear

Pin image with text: Two images of homemade body butter in mason jars and ingredients around them
Homemade body butter in a small jar with text on the image: pinterest image
Pin image with text: two images of DIY lotions in mason jars with linens and ingredients around them
Feautred image with text: multiple images of homemade body butters in mason jars

Making your own natural skincare products can be fun, rewarding, and great for your skin (here's EVERYTHING you need to know to get started with DIY). And in the last five years, I've made countless lotions, lip balms, face creams, and more.

I have an advertisement relationship with the ads in this post. Check out my disclaimer here

And thus, I have failed. A lot. So to help you create the perfect DIY skincare routine with items like homemade body butters with beeswax, and DIY lip balms, I wanted to prevent some of your stumbles by giving a list on everything you should do as well as what's best to avoid.

Pin image with text: mason jar with homemade whipped body butter and grated orange on top with sliced oranges behind it this …

Making your own natural skincare products is awesome and trust me, your skin will thank you! Some of the benefits you'll notice are:

  • DIY lotions and homemade lip balm recipes are far more cost-effective than purchasing natural skincare products
  • There's less chance of internal issues because YOU control the ingredients
  • DIY natural skincare products are easy to customize to exactly what you need
  • It's fun to experiment with homemade body butters (style, oil, textures)
  • Making your own natural skincare products is better for the environment 
  • By avoiding some of these ingredients (and using the others) your skin becomes softer, smoother and less irritated

Not only are you using real, pure ingredients (you can grab the ingredients and brands I use here) so there are less chemicals on your skin and more chances to customize, but homemade natural skincare is fun too!

However, if you want your homemade body butters and DIY lip balms to work, there are some practices you should put into place *said from years of experience, kitchen explosions, and epic fails*.

 

What You SHOULD Do When Making Natural Skincare Products

Do make sure you use the same equipment (jar, whisk, spoons etc) for melting and mixing your homemade lotion and DIY lip chaps every single time. I promise you, the oils and butters never really come off. So using your good measuring cup will kind of ruin it.

Do be careful not to always add essential oils in your melting/mixing jar. Your scents will eventually permeate the jar and become mixed. Instead, try and pour the mixture into it's holding container and then add your oils.

The exception to this is with DIY lip chap recipes as you need to move quickly. I have a separate jar I use for DIY lip balm. The other option is to use real ingredients instead of essential oils like in this chocolate cinnamon DIY lip chap.

Homemade body lotion recipe

Do make sure you have your holding containers (be they jars, bottles or lip chap containers) ready the second you remove from heat. The mixtures solidify very quickly and you won't have time to run around and get everything ready. Especially true with DIY lip chap and homemade lotion bars.

Do make sure you always label your products! I always think I'll remember what it is but two months later I forget. Always throw a label on it.

Do use a heat-proof jar and not just one you find. Many natural skincare recipes have been wasted because the jar I used cracked from the heat in the water. 

 

What You SHOULDN'T Do When Making Natural Skincare Products

Do not use a small jar and a large pot as your double boiler. You want to make sure NO water gets into your mixture as it causes it to mold. Instead, use a smaller pot so there's less chance of water "splashing" from the sides.

Small pot with a glass jar of melted oils

Do not wash out the jar you used to heat the ingredients in. The water will stick to the oil and you will have the same issue as above (mold). Instead, just wipe it out as best as possible with paper towel. Try to do this while it's warm as again, it solidifies quickly.

Do not place your DIY lip chap containers on the counter to pour. Naturally, you spill everywhere and it takes forever to get the oil off the counter. Instead, line a cutting board with parchment paper.

Do not "guestimate" the ingredients in your natural skincare products (I do this far too often!) it causes your creations to turn out funny. Either they don't solidify or they're gritty or something else but it's much better to actually measure.

Do not buy blocks of beeswax. This is an epic story but the summary is that you'll never cut it into pieces (you have to freeze it, use a hammer, strain it. Jeesh what a fail!). Instead, always buy it in cubes or pellets.

Do not put tight clothes on or lay on the bed immediately after applying a DIY lotion. Because natural skincare products are butter and oil-based they're naturally greasy. When the DIY body butter is still fresh on your skin it stains your clothes/bedding. Instead, give the oils a few minutes to absorb into your skin. This was especially true with my homemade belly butter for stretch marks. I ended up having to use a specific shirt for bedtime and throw it out post-pregnancy because it was so badly stained!

What To Do If DIY Isn't For You

I get it: making your own natural skincare products sounds amazing in theory. But busy days, no time and LIFE get in the way. If you don't think DIY body butters are for you- simply buy a natural one! You still reap the benefits but with less the effort.

My favorite body butter is the Almond Vanilla one from Primally Pure. Smells AMAZING and only contains natural ingredients I can pronounce and purchase. They're a killer, natural skincare brand that I've totally fallen in love with. Plus, save 10% off your entire first order using code mamabear10

Don't forget to pin these natural skincare tips!

Pin image with text: Two images of homemade body butter in mason jars and ingredients around them

Well, there you go! A few lessons that I have learned along the way of trial and error. Hopefully, this list saves you some stumbles and frustration.

Making your own natural skincare products like homemade body butter with beeswwax and DIY lip balm is both rewarding and amazing but it's even better when the process goes smoothly!

Shelby aka Mama Bear

fitasamamabear

Meet Shelby – a Certified Strength Coach who has spent the last 10 years teaching women how to show up for their goals.

Her website, Fitasamamabear.com is a crucial resource for busy moms who need help making fitness and healthy living practical.

Learn how an everyday smoker and fast food junkie turned into a super fit mom of 3. If you want to send Shelby a message, visit her contact page.

See author's posts

More Diy Skin Care Products For Busy Moms

  • DIY Face Mist For Glowing Skin (3 Ingredients, Essential Oils Optional)
  • Homemade Nipple Cream For Breastfeeding (DIY Nipple Balm)
  • Homemade Lotion Bars For Dry Skin (4 ingredients, Easy DIY)
  • Herbal Bath Bombs For Postpartum Care (Sitz Bath)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Priya

    January 10, 2017 at 5:49 am

    These are some very good tips! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • fitasamamabear

      January 11, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      Thanks! There has definitely been much trial and error involved!

      Reply
  2. Connie

    March 10, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    Great tips. Just about everything in my house is homemade too and I've more fails than I can count lol.

    Reply
    • fitasamamabear

      March 10, 2017 at 6:44 pm

      Thanks! I love that you make your own products also!It is definitely a lot of trial and error.. with an emphasis on error haha but I think that also makes it fun (except when your homemade cleaner strips the toilet seat :P)

      Reply

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About Me

Blond haired woman in a black sweater outside smiling at the camera

Hey- I’m Shelby!

A Certified Strength & Nutrition Coach who has spent the last 10 years teaching women how to show up for their goals.

I’m a lover of all things chocolate and peanut butter, a feeder of stray cats, and a total introvert in real life. But I’m also super passionate about helping make fitness & healthy living PRACTICAL for busy moms.

Go here to read how an everyday smoker and fast food junkie turned into a super fit mom of 3.

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