This DIY has been a LONG TIME COMING. I’ve had so many requests for a DIY hyaluronic acid anti aging cream that I couldn’t refuse. This DIY, while is made in 2 parts-turned out to be less complicated then I thought it would be. This cream turned out light, fluffy and absorbs into the skin quickly.
Why would you want to make an HA cream, you ask?
Well, Hyaluronic acid is a substance that gives the skin hydration. It plumps the skin leaving it looking youthful and smooth.
Because I use a high molecular HA, it does not penetrate to deeper levels so the HA results are more immediate then long lasting. By adding anti aging oils like rosehip seed, avocado and shea butter, we’re encouraging deeper repair and hydration which makes this cream the best of both worlds!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 medium sized pots
- 2 glass pyrex measuring cups
- 1-2 food thermometers
- 1 stick blender
- 1-2 condiment bottles
- 1 jar or pump bottle
- 1 cup hyaluronic acid in rose water (see below)
- 1/2 tsp. neodefend
- 3 tbsp. rosehip seed oil
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 tbsp. shea butter
- 1 tsp. Vitamin E
- 1 tbsp. emulsifying wax
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
Part 1: Making Hyaluronic Acid Serum
You need to make an HA serum before you start the cream. This is very easy to do, but it needs to sit in the fridge overnight to fully dissolve. Go HERE for the full post on how to make an HA serum but I will briefly explain here.
- Using a condiment bottle, fill it with 1 cup of rose water hydrosol.
- Add 1/2 tsp. leucidal liquid (preservative).
- Add 1/2 tsp. hyaluronic acid powder.
- Shake and leave in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
Part 2: Making a Cream
- Add your HA mixture to a glass pyrex cup.
- Fill a medium sized pot 1/2 way full with water and place the glass cup in the water.
- Place your “double boiler” on the stove top and turn stove to medium heat.
- Add 1/2 tsp. of NeoDefend to HA mixture.
- In another medium sized pot, fill 1/2 way full with water and place another glass pyrex cup in the water.
- Add rosehip seed oil, avocado oil, shea butter and emulsifying wax.
- Turn stove top to medium heat.
- Monitor your 2 pots with a food thermometer like THIS.
- Both mixtures need to reach around 160F.
- Once both mixtures are around 160F at the same time, remove from heat.
- Add your HA mixture into your Oil mixture.
- Using a stick blender, blend for about a minute.
- Periodically blend mixture for the next 30 minutes-1 hour to ensure they emulsify.
- Once your cream has cooled, add essential oils and vitamin E oil.
- Transfer to a jar or using a condiment bottle, transfer to a pump bottle.
Your cream will thicken over the next day. If you prefer a thicker consistency then a thin cream, you can do this by adding more then 1 tbsp. of emulsifying wax. Adding 2 tbsp. will make your cream thicker, but remember, emulsifying wax has no benefit to the skin and will make your cream less effective.
This recipe makes about 12 ounces of cream. You could easily divide it and share with friends and family. I suggest bottling 4 oz. at a time and storing the rest in the fridge until needed. Find 4 oz. jars HERE and pumps HERE.
If you are confused on the process of making a cream see THIS post where I explain it in more detail and provide lots of pictures.
This seems like a lot of equipment and directions but if you’re somewhat familiar with making a cream, this is really no different except that instead of water, you’re using hyaluronic acid. The main difference in outcome when it comes to using HA in a cream is that your cream will be thinner then if you were using water. Strange but that’s what happened in my case.
I have been using my cream on and off in the morning. It smells so good and makes my skin look smooth and ready for makeup. In my opinion, this DIY is worth making. It takes about an hour from start to finish but the results are so rewarding. There’s something so exciting about creating a lotion!
Any other DIYs you all would like to see?
xx, Jenni
P.S. I created a label in case you’re interested! You can save this image and have Sticker You make waterproof/restickable labels or just print them yourself by using THESE labels and uploading the below picture to the Avery website! Learn more about Sticker You plus get loads more label designs HERE.
Will it be okay to use the Helichrysum Hydrosol? Not smell as nice I am sure but I only have that at the moment and excited to try! Also I am going to make a smaller bath and skip preservatives and keep in fridge. Any timeline on that you can guess for me. SO EXCITED!!!
Jeanne-Yes, totally OK. I love helichrysum hydrosol in an HA serum for sure! Without the preservative you have about 2 weeks in the fridge. Good luck!!
Hey, amazing product! Can I add the blessed black seed oil to the recipe?
Caroline! You sure can-I would add it in place of the shea butter!
hi, could I add frankincense powder to this cream? if so how much would you recommend? also, would you make any changes to this if i wanted to use it as a body lotion?
thanks
Melissa-Hi! I have no experience with Frankincense powder and not even sure what it is or how to use it. So sorry! I might increase the emulsifying wax just a bit to thicken it up for the body but you wouldn’t have to. Adding more could just mean that you do a heaping tbsp. instead of a perfect one. Or you could add a teaspoon-just don’t add more then an extra tablespoon. Hope this helps!
This looks like a great cream! I have many sensitivities so I have resolved to making most of my skin care. One of my sensitivities is avocado oil. Can I substitute it with another oil? Olive oil also doesn’t work for me but anything besides these two is good to go (now you see why I make my own skin care). Thanks so much!
Nadezhda-For sure! Substitute any oil you like in place of avocado. I add avocado to recipes when I need extra moisture but it’s not necessary in this particular recipe.
Jenni,
Great post! I personally will not be making this…I’m only into the super simple DIYs. But love how well you explain everything. And HA is some crazy amazing stuff! I love your HA serum…such a great base for makeup and skin looks instantly plumped. I have made it myself several times but most recently purchased from your Etsy store. There are not too many products that give instant gratification like that.
Elizabeth! This is a more time consuming DIY for sure! I’m so glad you like your serum! It’s such a great tool for anti aging!
Are you willing or able to sell this? I’d love to try it before I spend the time and money trying to make it. This seems like an overwhelming process to me.
Maureen-I don’t sale creams in my Etsy shop due to time and bacteria risk. I do have a Hyaluronic Acid Serum for sale though. I understand-If you feel overwhelmed-I’d skip creams-they are time consuming. Honesty-I feel that facial oils are much more effective then creams and they are so much easier and more straightforward to make. As you can see, creams are mostly water based which can dilute the efficiency of the product. In an oil, you only a need 3-5 drops to cover the whole face. I hope this helps. Go HERE to check out the serum.
Jenni, this looks like a great cream and I am anxious to make it. Regarding the preservatives, leucidal liquid and Neodefend… can I use Phenonip in the place of both of them? I don’t make a lot of products at this time that require preservatives, so I hate to have too many different ones, and I already have Phenonip. Thank you!
Karen-you can. This preservative does contain parabens so it’s not something I suggest buying again. Good luck on your cream-I love it!!!
Hi Jenni,
I’ve been following you for awhile now and have made many lotions based off of your recipes. In the course of my experimentation I’ve come up with a face cream that works beautifully for me and I’d like to try and incorporate HA into it. My lotion uses 4oz of oils and it looks as though your using approximately 3oz. Do you think I’ll be ok using my recipe substituting the HA serum for the water?
Thank you for so many great ideas!
Mia-I think you will be ok. I would 100% go for it! Thank you so much!!!
I just want this information.I will definitely try this. Thanks for sharing this.
Just out of curiosity do you experiment to find these recipes? or do you get them from somewhere else? I have been reading your posts for a while and I have been considering purchasing a mask-makers books from Amazon.
Will this mask stain your skin temporarily?
Hi Jessica-I experiment and come up with my own recipes. This isn’t a mask, it’s a face cream and it doesn’t stain the skin. Thanks!
Can I use Optiphen as a preservative instead. And can I substitute the Emulsifying was with Pure Bees Wax?
Yes on the optiphen and no on the beeswax.
Hi, Jenni!! I saw somewhere that I could purchase your products on Etsy. Is that correct, and if so, how do I go about making a purchase??
Thank you in advance!!!
Jennifer-I have a limited selection of products available and this recipe isn’t one of them-so sorry! My shop is HERE.
Hi Jenni!
This cream looks amazing! Kindly consider selling it on your Etsy shop 🙂
I’ve been using Hyaluronic Acid for a while. So far I am very pleased with the Lady Soma Renewal Serum (which contains hyaluronic acid) with it. No funky smell or stickiness. I have a combination skin type: dry and oily in t-zone area. My trick is to apply when my face is still wet when it feels really dry cause of the dry weather in California or apply right before.
It helps my skin hydrated better this way without breaking-outs.
Hello Jenny I made it and it separated, feeling so sad😯 I used optiphen instead of the Neodefend.
Hello Jenny i didnt if you see my last comment about my cream been separated, i did every step except that I used optiphen instead of the Neodefend. Can you please reply? I want to make it again. Thanks
Elizabeth-If your cream separated I would think you could still blend it and hopefully it will emulsify. Did you use the emulsifying wax from Mountain Rose Herbs? So sorry it’s not working!!
This looks fantastic – thank you! I want to make a lotion bar using coconut oil and shea butter. Do you think I can incorporate HA?
Oksana-Unfortunately, unless you add a teeny tiny amount of HA, you won’t have a bar consistency. It will be more like a cream. Sorry!
Can i use beeswax instead of emulisfying wax?
March-You can’t-it won’t mix properly at all!
New to your blog! This is good stuff. I have SLMW HA – I’m thinking of using half that and half HMW to get both immediate and long-term hydration. Is there anything I’d have to adjust in the recipe or would the serum have to be made differently? Thanks!
Dori-No-just keep the proportions the same and you should have a very well rounded serum!
Hi Jenni- really been enjoying your blog and trying your recipes. Question on this cream- since we are putting the Neodefend in the cream, is it necessary to put a preservative in the HA serum? I understand using a preservative in the serum if you plan on keeping some a serum to use by itself but if you are only making the serum for the purpose of creating the cream, would it be necessary to use a preservative there too?
Cassonda-Thank you so much! I’m actually not sure if it’s necessary but I lean on the side of thinking it is. I wouldn’t skip it unless you are going to use your cream up quickly.
Hi, I’m really wanting to make this cream but don’t have rose water hydrosol. Can I use aloe vera gel juice instead?
Sandra-Sure!! I think that’s a great idea!
Hi can you give substitute names for neodefend and leucidal liquid … have all the rest … these 2 not available in India
Saloney-I have no idea. I would google “natural preservatives”. That’s how I found the ones I use! Good luck!
Hi!
I would love to try making this. However, Does heating up the HA cause it to breakdown as HA is reported to be not very stable at high temperatures.
Thanks so much!
Trin-It is possible but not for sure. I’m working on whether I can avoid the majority of the heat yet still add it to a cream. It’s tricky!
Hi Jenni,
I love your site and your wonderful recipes. You are so thorough and educational. Besides the beautiful colorful, artistic photos! In this cream, in the HA serum you have made to add to the cream recipe, you add leucidal liquid. In the cream part of the recipe, you add Neodefend. I only have Neodefend. Can you add Neodefend to the HA serum portion, and Neodefend in the cream portion of the recipe? If so, how much Neodefend would you put in the HA serum to substitute for the Leucidal liquid? (I made my own HA serum using HA powder and Aloe Vera plus a bit of Vit E oil. I refrigerate this serum. Didn’t put any preservative in it.)
Elizabeth-Thank you so much!!!!! Ok, I’m not sure. Per the people at Lotioncrafter, Neodefend is better for creamy recipes and leucidal liquid is best for water based recipes. I think if you skipped the leucidal liquid and only used the neodefend you would be safe. I’m being extra cautious in this recipe but personally, I think it’s overkill. Hope this helps!
Hi, thanks for shearing your idea with us. I have a question for you, is there any problem or benefit if i use HYALURONIC ACID serum before using this cream?
Sanjida-Thank you!! I don’t think it would hurt! Not sure if it’s necessary though!
Great ideas here…only 1 thing that keeps your post perfect (so sorry im a teacher)…
Please review your grammatical us of “then” vs. “than”😙
Marianne!! LOL-I welcome teachers correcting my grammar-I certainly don’t claim to be too thorough when it comes to checking my errors! Thanks, I’ll get it fixed!!
Hi Jenni, I am new to this diy beauty, but am trying to make a difference to myself and also trying to eliminate plastics and most cosmetics come in plastic. Anyway, I am wanting to make this hyaluronic acid anti-aging cream and have a couple questions: is rosehip oil the same as roeship seed oil? What can leucidal liquid and neodefender be substituted with? I am having a very difficult time trying to locate a supplier for hyaluronic acid in Canada, I can purchase on line at amazon or ebay but that same jar you buy for $16.95 will cost me $45-50. Any info you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Donna-Hi! Rosehip Oil is the same as Rosehip Seed Oil. I would google “natural preservative” and see what you come up with. Parabens should be avoided when looking for a natural one. Surely there are sources for HA acid in Canada-Have you checked out the blog, Humble Bee & Me? She’s Canadian and links her Canadian sources. I think she might be really helpful-I’m sure she has an HA serum. Good luck!
Hi Jenni, can I replace one of the oils with CBD or just add it?
Elani-I would replace it with one of the oils!
Brilliant! Thank you so much <3
How long does this cream last with the preservatives?
Alexsey-It should last 2-4 mos.
Hi I am Looking to just make a hyluronic acid serum and a vit c serum to add each day to my routine . Is the serum just as good as the cream ? What’s the difference ? Can I use Rosehip oil over grape seed oil ?
Tammy-I prefer a serum mainly because it’s much easier to make and I like to use it with a facial oil since the water from the HA serum acts as a vehicle to drive the facial oils deeper. However, this might be a good option if you want a 2 in 1 product and then want to do a vitamin C serum to use before this cream. You can use rosehip over grapeseed. Best of luck!
The NeoDefend is SOLD OUT at Lotion Crafter’s. Can I use Leucidal Liquid? And does the amount change?
Linda-I just checked and they’ve re listed their 1 oz. neodefend. They typically don’t stay out of stock long. Leucidal Liquid is more for 100% water based products like toners and hyaluronic acid serums.
Do you know what concentration of HA this cream has? Is it 1%? 2%? I’m wanting to add HA powder to 2oz of cream to make a 1% concentration but my brain is exploding trying to figure how much I need to add. Thanks.
Michelle-I used a 1% solution within the cream so the total percentage is very very little. Looking back, I should’ve made the hyaluronic acid solution at a higher percentage in order for it to be more effective in the cream. The total recipe makes about 12 ounces. My brain is exploding too. I don’t know how we would figure out the total concentration when only a portion contains the HA. If I made this again, I would make maybe a 2% HA solution. According to Lotion Crafter-the percentage of HA should be only .01-1% of your product. I’ll keep thinking on this to see if I can’t figure it out.
Hi Jenny,
I found your Anti Aging Serum recipe and I ordered retinol palmitate and collagen peptides to make a retinol powder and it can be mixed with a serum. I would like to add it to the Anti Aging Serum recipe you provided. The powder is 2 grams of the retinol palmitate and 8 grams of collagen peptides. Do you know how much I can add to your serum?
Thank you, Lynn
Hi, Jenni. Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been trying to figure out how to add HA or GA to my own facial butters, and yours is the first I’ve found! Thank you! I have a question about the preservatives: Do you need both? How long does the lotion last with the preservatives vs. without?
My next question is about the 160 degree temps. Can you explain why that’s necessary? I worry about destroying any of the healing/moisturizing properties of the ingredients.
Thanks,
Jenny
Jenny-You’re so welcome!
I’m going to really show my ignorance in trying to answer your questions! In my opinion you do not need both preservatives. I would nix leucidal liquid and keep neodefend. However, I’m not 100% sure.
In my research and according to Lotion Crafter 160 is safest because it kills bacteria more thoroughly but you are right, it will kill some of the good properties of the ingredients as well. I have made a few lotions only getting my 2 pots up to 130 degrees and it still emulsifies and comes together just fine. Some people are very paranoid about bacteria so I think those are the people that say 160. Honestly, I’m not one of those people.
I’ve yet to find a lot of answers about the more complicated ins and outs of lotion making. Hopefully one day I’ll find a source we can all trust!
Jenni: I tried to purchase neodefend from Lotion Crafter, but found out in the ordering process, that they don’t ship to the state that I live in. Whaaaaat?? I found a powdered version of neodefend at Amazon. Can I substitute the powder for the liquid?
Hi jeni
Why 2 preservatives?
Can i use only 1? Pls guid for concentration
Abide-You can probably get away with omitting the Leucidal Liquid. However, I add it so that the two main parts of this recipe will be properly preserved just in case. Leucidal Liquid is natural and preserves products that are 100% water. Neodefend is specifically for combining oil and water. Both are natural and not as effective or strong as a preservative that contains parabens. Hope this sheds some light.