Fit as a Mama Bear

Helping make fitness, healthy food and natural living PRACTICAL for busy moms!

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Smoothies
    • Main Meals
    • Desserts
  • Motherhood
    • Healthy Pregnancy
  • DIY
  • Get Fit
    • Full Body Workouts At Home For Moms
    • Basic Weight Loss Calculator
  • Healthy Living
  • Podcast
  • Shop
    • Organic Beauty Products
    • Energizing Coffee
    • Diy Beauty Ingredients
    • Pantry Ingredients

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

You are here: Home / DIY Skin Care / The Do’s & Don’ts Of Natural Skincare Products

Last Updated on Jan 21st, 2021 fitasamamabear

Note: I am not a doctor, herbalist, aromatherapist or chemist. I am just an everyday mom trying to figure out how to live naturally. This recipe is one that works for myself and my family. Please consult your doctor before using any diy recipe or essential oils to confirm that they are safe for you. This holds especially important if you are currently pregnant.

The Do’s & Don’t Of Homemade Lotions

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. 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.

Pinterest image with text: natural skincare product in a mason jar with cacao butter and essential oil behind it

 

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 experiences, 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.

In process image for a homemade body butter. Ingredients in a mason jar

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.

In process image for a natural skincare product. Mason jar with homemade body butter ingredients in a pot of water on the stove

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 fitasamamabear

 

Don’t forget to pin these natural skincare tips!

Pinterest image with text: two images of homemade, natural skincare products with 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!

 

Related Posts:

  • The Best DIY Skin Care Recipes
    The Best DIY Skin Care Recipes
  • Hot Chocolate DIY Lotion Bar Recipe: Simple Homemade Lotion Bars
    Hot Chocolate DIY Lotion Bar Recipe: Simple Homemade…
  • Easy Homemade Vanilla Lotion For Dry Skin
    Easy Homemade Vanilla Lotion For Dry Skin
Last updated on 01/21/2021

Filed Under: DIY Skin Care Tagged With: diy, handmade, homemade, lotion, rules

Comments

  1. Priya says

    01/10/2017 at 5:49 am

    These are some very good tips! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • fitasamamabear says

      01/11/2017 at 6:25 pm

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

      Reply
  2. Connie says

    03/10/2017 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 says

      03/10/2017 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

Trackbacks

  1. Creamy & Calming Homemade Baby Butter - Fit as a Mama Bear says:
    01/21/2017 at 7:17 pm

    […] you haven’t already, check out the Do’s & Don’ts on making your own beauty products and the best ingredients to make […]

    Reply
  2. The Smoothest, Easiest, DIY Lip Chap - Fit as a Mama Bear says:
    01/21/2017 at 7:34 pm

    […] you’re a DIY’er don’t forget to check out the Do’s & Don’ts Of Homemade Beauty Products & How To Chose The Best […]

    Reply
  3. How To Be Natural & Normal At The Same Time - Fit as a Mama Bear says:
    01/23/2017 at 9:28 pm

    […] Looking for some holistic inspiration? Try this Chocolate Peppermint Lip Chap but don’t forget to read all about the Do’s & Don’ts Of Beauty Products first! […]

    Reply
  4. Whipped Peppermint DIY Lotion- For Feet! - Fit as a Mama Bear says:
    01/12/2020 at 12:46 am

    […] up a batch for yourself or gift it for a friend. But make sure to check out these classic Dos’ & Don’ts when it comes to making homemade body […]

    Reply
  5. Homemade Honey Whipped Body Butter With Beeswax says:
    01/21/2020 at 1:30 am

    […] don’t forget to check out this “do’s and don’ts” list when making homemade body butter […]

    Reply
  6. Homemade Citrus Sugar Scrubs - Fit as a Mama Bear + An epic Fail says:
    03/25/2020 at 5:15 pm

    […] your own DIY beauty products it’s that it’s not always an easy, mess-free process (this do’s and don’t list helps too!). I think my husband was just happy that it was soap this time and not beeswax I’d melted […]

    Reply
  7. How To Make Diy Beauty Products - Fit as a Mama Bear says:
    04/07/2020 at 11:32 pm

    […] also means that I’ve learned a ton of lessons! You can read more about the do’s and don’t of diy beauty products but here’s a few basic […]

    Reply
  8. All Natural, Healing DIY Face Cream For Eczema (with video) says:
    04/30/2020 at 5:01 am

    […] Take care not to get any water in the mixture when boiling as it will cause the lotion to spoil sooner. Check out the do's and don't of homemade lotion. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Primally Pure Natural Deodorant that works

About Me

About Me

Hey There! I’m Shelby, a Certified Strength Coach (CSCS) and certified nutrition coach (PN) in everyday life as well as mama to two beautiful girls! I’m a chronic foodie, workout junkie and feeder of stray cats. I love heavy lifting but am a firm believer that as a mama you’ve got to do whatever the hell that works FOR YOU and I’m here to give you a few ideas. I believe food is fuel but indulgences are a must because well, as you’ll see… I’m a chocolate fiend!

Categories

RSS Fit As A Mama Bear Podcast

  • How To Start Eating Real Food (and make it practical for busy moms!)

Don't Miss a Post!
Get the Weekly Newsletter Sent Right to Your Inbox!

Top Post:

  • Pinterest image with text: homemade raspberry mocktail in a mason jar with fruit behind it Five Tasty, Healthy Pregnancy Mocktails For Summertime
  • Homemade body butter photos in different jars and text. The Do’s & Don’ts Of Natural Skincare Products
  • Four images of homemade bath bombs, the first of the bath bombs complete and being held and the other three of in process images making the bath bombs. How To Make Bath Bombs- Tips & Tricks
  • 6 Hip Exercises You Should Do While Pregnant
  • Pinterest image with text: yogurt pancakes on plate with jam on top and maple syrup behind in ramekin High Protein Yogurt Pancakes
Use Code mamabearfit For Discount
Use Code mamabear15 For Discount

Get the Newsletter

Sign up and get weekly updates sent right to your inbox!

DISCLAIMERS As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The content on Fit as a Mama Bear is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented here. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

  • Contact
  • Podcast Guest
  • Work With Me
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Advertise
DISCLAIMERS As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.The content on Fit as a Mama Bear is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented here. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.