10 DIY Natural Facial Moisturizers For Beautiful Skin

Conventional facial moisturizers can contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that add to the toxic load in your body. These hormone-disrupting chemicals can impact your health and lead to chronic diseases and cancers. The best way to avoid the chemical contaminants that come with facial moisturizers is to make them yourself using safe ingredients. And it’s surprisingly easy and very inexpensive. So we’ve included ten natural homemade facial moisturizer recipes for DIYers who would like to try making their own at-home personal care product recipes at home to save money and skip out on dangerous ingredients. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover 10 homemade shampoo recipes for DIYers, 10 homemade lotion recipes for DIYers, and which popular deodorant brands are toxic and safe, now join us as we explore shampoo, how to make it, and ingredients that are safe for your family.

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Chemicals in Facial Moisturizers That Are Problematic

There are so many products on the shelves promising to make wrinkles and fine lines disappear. However, lots of times these daily moisturizing products are doing so with toxic chemicals. Whether you have dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, or sensitive skin, there are better natural products you can find on the shelves. But if you want better natural face moisturizers, avoid these chemicals.

Preservatives: Ever noticed the expiration date on your facial moisturizer? Nope, neither have we. That’s because facial creams are full of preservatives to keep them shelf-stable. They’ll last for a really long time without separating out or going “off”. These preservatives prevent the growth of yeast, mold, bacteria etc. But because they’re literally designed to kill things, preservatives are tricky and can have a range of toxicity problems for both humans and the environment.

Fragrance: This is definitely something to look out for. The term “fragrance” can act as a backdoor for all kinds of chemicals to sneak into your products. It’s often used as an umbrella term for up to 100 ingredients. Unfortunately, many of these ingredients can be toxic to human health, like phthalates (linked to reproductive and developmental harm), and synthetic musks (linked to hormone disruption and build up in our bodies).

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) aka Teflon: No one wants Teflon chemicals linked to thyroid conditions in their makeup, so why allow this in your facial moisturizer? Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is perhaps the most widely used fluorinated compound in cosmetics. It creates a smooth, sleek finish, so it’s used primarily in anti-aging products and other cosmetics. Trading younger looking skin for thyroid conditions, early puberty, inflammation, lowered immune response and cancer isn’t what you had in mind, right?

Nanoparticles: The problem with nanoparticles is they are so unpredictable and very little is known about them. But that doesn’t stop companies from coming up with “new and improved” products saturated with nanomaterials that could be impacting the health of your family. This is such a problem that European countries are creating their own register so they can track these chemicals in commerce and study them closer. Did you know that asbestos is a nanoparticle? Enough said. Just avoid them.

Basic Ingredients in Facial Moisturizers That are Safe

Raw Honey: Raw honey has been used for thousands of years as a medicine. The Egyptians used raw honey quite frequently. Honey has high levels of monosaccharides, fructose and glucose and also includes minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphate, sodium chloride, potassium, magnesium. Honey also possesses antiseptic and antibacterial properties, which make it very useful as a medicine in wound care & as a cough suppressant. Honey is slightly acidic with a pH level between 3.2 and 4.5. This is what helps prevent the growth of bacteria, while its antioxidant constituents cleans up free radicals. The physical properties of honey vary based on what flora the bees were around, as well as the water content.

Our recommendation for honey:

Heavenly Organics is organic and “glyphosate-residue free” certified. Organic honey can still be contaminated with glyphosate because the farmer can’t control where the bees go, which is problmematic and not discussed as much as it should be. This brand allows a third party to lab test and certify that there is no glyphosate residue in the honey. We like that!

Avocado Oil: Avocado oil has amazing health benefits for your skin. It has a high quantity of monounsaturated fats and lubricates the skin, thus making it softer and stronger. Avocado oil is also rich in Vitamin E and B, allowing it to work deep into the epidermis and strengthen your skin. Vitamin B also supports skin growth, while the Vitamin E works on repairing skin damage.

Our recommendation for avocado oil:

Renewalize special organic avocado oil made for moisturizing the face & body

Aloe Vera: Aloe vera and aloe vera gel is a powerhouse for skincare. It has close to 20 amino acids, minerals like calcium, magnesium and sodium, enzymes, & polysaccharides keeping your skin looking more beautiful than before. And it penetrates the skin very quickly and moisturizes deep down allowing your skin to heal, recharge and refresh. Aloe very is also very helpful when you are creating anti-aging products.

Our recommendation for aloe vera:

Now Aloe Vera Concentrate

Coconut Oil: Coconut is the best source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a special type of fatty acid with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It’s also very high in lauric acid, which is also naturally occurring in breastmilk. Coconut oil can penetrate the hair in ways that other oils can not with amazing results provided it’s used correctly. When used on the right type of hair, it improves scalp health, fights infections and fungus and supports hair growth. People with fine to medium shiny hair see the best results, but those with coarse and dry hair may not have the best results.

Our recommendation for coconut oil:

Nutiva organic, cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil

Almond Oil: Sweet almond oil contains a variety of healthy ingredients for hair, including Omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids, vitamin E and magnesium. Using a few drops of pure almond oil in your hair routine nourishes and strengthens your hair, and is optimal for treating hair loss and damaged hair. Be sure to use pure almond oil, and avoid brands that contain fillers.

Our recommendation for almond oil:

Now Solutions almond oil

Essential Oils: Essential oils do more than just make your homemade shampoo smell amazing. They also have great benefits for hair including promoting growth, inhibiting dandruff, reducing hair loss, soothing the scalp, improving sebum production, and more. Some of the most beneficial essential oils include Lavender, Peppermint, Clary Sage, Tea Tree, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Rosemary, Lemon, and Juniper. A little research will help you find the best oils for your hair needs.

Our recommendation for essential oils is:

Plant Therapy Organic Essential Oils

Shea Butter: Shea butter comes from the seeds of the fruit of the Shea (Karite) tree. It’s rich in Vitamins A, E, and F and offers UV protection from the sun. It also provides the skin with essential fatty acids and nutrients necessary for collagen production. It contains oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids that protect and nourish the skin to prevent drying. Shea butter has been used in Africa for thousands of years as a moisturizer.

Our recommendation for shea butter:

Better Shea Butter unrefined shea butter

Beeswax: Beeswax is the natural skin protectant that hydrates, softens and soothes your skin. Bees produce natural wax that is secreted from glands on the sides of their bodies. They scrape off the wax, chew it up and secrete it inside the honeycomb where it hardens into a protective lining that houses the baby bees and stores the honey. When it comes to your facial moisturizer, its a good source of vitamin a and creates a protective barrier on your skin that is protective of environmental assaults. It also holds in moisturize and reduces drying. And while it’s doing all that it doesn’t clog your pores or suffocate your skin. Your skin can still breathe, so to speak.

Our recommendation for beeswax:

Better Shea Butter Organic Beeswax Pellets

Additional ingredients that are safe are carrot seed oil, rosehip seed, tea tree oil, cocoa butter, helichrysum, geranium, mango butter, argan oil, lavender essential oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin e oil.