I’ve been making DIY face cream for my mother for a while now, but my “experiments” are never moisturizing enough for her skin. She gets dry patches on her cheeks and getting a cream that addresses that issue has not been easy. I have made over 10 different formulations trying to get something that works for her! I finally did it-I finally formulated this DIY shea butter face cream that is nourishing and thick but not greasy!
With winter coming, we all get a little drier. With heaters in our homes and cars, skin is bound to get dehydrated! In order to keep your skin from premature aging we must always thoroughly moisturize our skin. One quick and easy way to do this is by drinking A LOT of water!
Of course, the other way is to have a simple, pure, nourishing face cream!
**For those of you in need of skin replenishment but don’t have the time or interest in making a cream, a face oil is a fantastic alternative. They are simple to make and contain no water which is incredibly effective when healing dry skin.
DIYs for Replenishing Dry Skin:
- coQ10 Sea Buckthorn Face Oil
- Dry Skin Stick
- Rose Hydrating Spritzer
- Dry Skin Mask
- Anti Wrinkle Eye Roll On Serum
DIY Face Cream Ingredients:
I used Jojoba oil which has a high amount of ceramides. Ceramides cover skin cells and are responsible for regulating their hydration. Jojoba oil quickly gets absorbed into the skin and does not leave behind any oil residue and creates a powerful barrier against moisture loss. It softens dry and pesky patches and restores the skin to a healthy condition. Jojoba oil is also very beneficial to those suffering from eczema. It has anti-inflammatory properties which help in reducing redness caused by dryness and other skin condition like rosacea.
Shea butter reduces fine lines, contains antioxidants, is anti-inflammatory, helps cell turn over, and stimulates collagen production.
Frankincense essential oil has amazing skin regenerating properties. It helps to improve skin tone and condition. It is an astringent which means it balances the skins pH.
Lavender essential oil is soothing to the skin. It reduces inflammation and redness. It is anti fungal, antimicrobial and antibacterial.
Vitamin E oil is excellent for nourishing the skin as well as prolonging the life of your cream. It can be found in any health food store and even grocery stores. You can even get the capsules and break them open to put in your cream!
Distilled water must be used in order to keep your cream fresh longer.
Neodefend is considered a certified organic, non-GMO preservative. It is antioxidant and very gentle to the skin. Those of you weary of using a preservative must remember that it only makes up .75-1% of your product. You can read more about NeoDefend HERE.
Your cream should always be stored in glass bottles preferably dark glass. This will also keep your cream bacteria free longer. Any container that allows you to pump out your lotion is a good idea-this keeps you from depositing bacteria from your hands into your lotion.
This DIY face cream is easy to make and you will not find anything this pure and nourishing for your skin that you won’t pay an arm and a leg for. I have linked all my products to the exact products I use and love. As always, using quality ingredients makes a big difference in the results and when working with essential oils you must always use PURE high quality oils.
So, let’s get ready for colder weather and make a super nourishing and luxurious face cream!
DIY Shea Butter Face Cream
- 1/4 cup jojoba oil (find it HERE)
- 2 TBSP shea butter (find it HERE)
- 1 TBSP. emulsifying wax (find it HERE)
- 1 tsp. vitamin E oil (find it HERE)
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1/2 tsp. NeoDefend (find it HERE)
- 15 drops Frankincense Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 15 drops Lavender Essential Oil (find it HERE)
How to Make Shea Butter Face Cream:
- Fill a medium pot half way full with water.
- Place a glass pyrex measuring cup in the pot.
- Heat wax and oils.
- Heat water and neodefend in another double boiler.
- Once the emulsifying wax is melted and once neodefend has dissolved you must get the two mixtures temps around 160 before mixing them together. This takes a lot of attention!
- Once both mixtures are the same temp-pour the water into the oil.
- Take a hand blender and mix your water/oil mixture for about 40 seconds to 1 minute. Let stand for 15 minutes then mix for about 30 seconds again. Once you notice that the water isn’t separating at the bottom of your bowl after not mixing for a few minutes, you are done mixing.
- Once your mixture is no longer hot, add your essential oils then pour into containers.
- Let containers set for 24 hours. Your cream will thicken in this time.
This recipe makes about 10 ounces.
I like to keep my lotions in a pump bottle so that I don’t contaminate it by dipping my fingers into a jar. I recommend getting 3 4 ounce pump bottles. You can give away the others or store them in your fridge until you are ready to use them. You could even do 6 2 ounce pump bottles but those types of bottles typically come with treatment pumps and I can not guarantee that this lotion will pump through a treatment pump.
Make sure you pour into containers while your cream is still a bit watery or else it will be next to impossible to get them in pump bottles.
For a picture tutorial and more in-depth instructions, read my guide to making lotion.
DIY Shea Butter Face Cream
Learn how to make a thick, creamy face lotion with shea butter. This recipe will relieve the driest of skin and it contains only natural ingredients that you can feel good about! Making a cream can be challenging but I find it oh so rewarding!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup jojoba oil
- 2 TBSP shea butter
- 1 TBSP. emulsifying wax
- 1 tsp. vitamin E oil
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1/2 tsp. NeoDefend
- 15 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
- 15 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Instructions
- Fill a medium pot half way full with water.
- Place a glass pyrex measuring cup in the pot.
- Heat wax and oils.
- Heat water and neodefend in another double boiler.
- Once the emulsifying wax is melted and once neodefend has dissolved you must get the two mixtures temps around 160 before mixing them together. This takes a lot of attention!
- Once both mixtures are the same temp-pour the water into the oil.
- Take a hand blender and mix your water/oil mixture for about 40 seconds to 1 minute. Let stand for 15 minutes then mix for about 30 seconds again. Once you notice that the water isn't separating at the bottom of your bowl after not mixing for a few minutes, you are done mixing.
- Once your mixture is no longer hot, add your essential oils then pour into containers.
- Let containers set for 24 hours. Your cream will thicken in this time.
Notes
This recipe makes about 10 ounces.
I like to keep my lotions in a pump bottle so that I don't contaminate it by dipping my fingers into a jar. I recommend getting 3 4 ounce pump bottles. You can give away the others or store them in your fridge until you are ready to use them. You could even do 6 2 ounce pump bottles but those types of bottles typically come with treatment pumps and I can not guarantee that this lotion will pump through a treatment pump.
Make sure you pour into containers while your cream is still a bit watery or else it will be next to impossible to get them in pump bottles.
If you find you are having trouble with your homemade face cream, you might read my post on “troubleshooting lotion making“.
DIY shea butter face cream is one of my favorite DIYs of all times. It’s a tried and true recipe that is a favorite amongst many that have tried it. There’s just something rewarding about making a light, fluffy cream from oil and water. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! I think you’ll agree!
xx, Jenni
PIN IT!!
Can you use beeswax instead?
Not really , this post is the first one of many I see with correct emulsifying agent. Beeswax will cause separation. It is good for salves or lotion bars but not moisturizer when water is used. Awesome post Jennifer:)) Thank you
Thanks Danuta!
Hi! I wish….. I am still experimenting with omitting emulsifying wax but my final product with beeswax is crap. I’m still working and my goal is to not use e.w. If I figure out a recipe it will be posted for sure! Thanks for visiting!
Hi Jenni – please – please make the Allergy Relief Salve. I’m very impressed with your products.
Thanks in advance for considering to make it.
It is quite an investment to purchase all the products, what is the shelf life on all the products? Do you store the products in the fridge? I would hate to buy all these things to use for only one batch of the face cream, Im very new to all this so I have 10,000 questions.
Hi Becky, I bought my container of shea butter, emulsifying wax, and citric acid over 6 months ago. The only thing that goes bad is shea butter but so far I’m going to run out of mine way before it goes. You can buy small amounts of jojoba oil. You will get tons of batches out of a 1 lb. bag of emulsifying wax and citric acid. Plus you can use both of these products to make other creams like hand creams and body creams! Vitamin E is used in almost everything I make and it comes in tiny bottles anyway. Citric Acid and Vitamin E help prolong the shelf life of your cream. If you make this recipe you could store in 2 2ounce jars and keep one in the fridge and 1 in your bathroom. The shelf life is about 3 months outside of the fridge. When you mix oils and waters, the cream is more vulnerable to bacteria therefore causing it to have a shorter shelf life. Hope this helps. My answer is kind of all over the place!
Hello Jenni: I tried your face cream. I did omit the e.w. For beeswax before I read any of the comments and it actually worked awesome for me. I did use a tiny bit less water, I wonder if this helped? I’ve been giving some away as well and everyone seems to really like them as body and face lotion.
I wish there was a place I could show you a picture of it
Carrye-WOW!! That’s awesome! Send a pic to my email if you get a chance: jennifermodisette@yahoo.com Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jennifer. I have made your shower gel, lotion, and eyestick from your recipes and absolutely luuuuvvvvv everything! I am now getting ready to make your moisturizing face cream but wanted to know if I can substitute the 1/4 c. of Joboba for a combination of Sweet Almond, Avocado, Meadowfoam Seed and Joboba oils to make up the 1/4 cup oil mixture. Or have you had your BEST success by just using the Joboba oil. Thanks for your help. Absolutely love your Blog…
Sharon! I’m so glad you’ve made so much and love it!!! You can absolutely substitute a different oils for the jojoba. They will all work together and blend fine! Let me know how it comes out! Thanks for vistiting!!
Hello Jenni! I’ve been really enjoying your blog, as I have been making (with many failed attempts) my own skin and hair stuff too. You provide a lot of valuable info to us readers, and I’ve been really appreciative of it. 🙂 I’ve had a really hard time trying to figure out the right skin (mostly face, ugh, the face) regimen for me, and your blog has been the first one that’s really made sense and provided excellent info. I’ve noticed in some of the comments that you are trying to get away from emulsifying wax….I think that’s awesome. I’ve used beeswax for a lot of things, but it seems to be too heavy for face stuff. I did a little reading on emulsifying wax, and thought I’d ask/share something that came to mind. So, could a person just apply a tiny bit of a body butter or something like body butter (no waters in it) to a wet face or body, and have that be the same thing as using lotion, just in an old school kind of way? I know water helps the skin absorb things, and with trying to not use the emulsifying wax, (which, again, I think is great) would this work? Could it really be that simple? That would be awesome if it was. 🙂
Hi Jennifer-Thanks so much! Yes, you for sure could use a body butter in small amounts on your face. I do sometimes. My only issue with that is that it just doesn’t absorb as easily and I have to pull my hair totally away from my face so I don’t get greasy hair! I use a little emulsifying wax as I can and still get a bit of a runny texture, but the less the better in my opinion! Thanks for your comment!
Hi Jenni- Just made this a couple of days ago and LOVE it!! Was worried about how fast it would “go bad” and have been using it as a body lotion also it’s so amazing! A little goes a LONG way. I see here that it lasts for about 3 months. I gave some to a friend and also some to my mom. They want me to make it by the gallon LOL! I’ve also made your laundry detergent and fabric softener, awesome! I have the stuff to make your Vitamin C Serum, just need to whip it up. Have also made a homemade deodorant recipe that I got from Primally Inspired (works great!). Am trying to rid my home of as many harmful chemicals as I can since battling breast cancer this past year. I beat it so It’s All Good 🙂 Just wanted to thank you for all of these wonderful recipes! Can’t wait to make more!!!
Shannon, First-Congratulations on beating breast cancer! I’m so glad you like the moisturizer! I have a few friends and family members who love me to make this moisturizer for them too-a little trick I do is store it in the fridge-it will make it last double the time! I store it there until I’m ready to give it out-I’ve had it last much longer than 6 mos., leaving it in the fridge. You might already know this but Frankincense essential oil has been proven to dissolve cancer-I put this in my homemade deodorant-I’m not sure if Primally Insprired’s recipe calls for it, but it’s a great addition!! Thanks for such a lovely comment and keep me posted!
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I have a nut allergy in my house and am wondering if exchanging the Shea for Coconut oil would work. Are the properties similar enough? Thanks in advance.
Laura, Hi! Unfortunately coconut oil is very different from shea. Shea butter is ultra thick and moisturizing where as coconut oil is really not. It can be substituted if you don’t need the extra moisture. Coconut oil is super healing so it’s great for dry skin, just not as rich. Cocoa Butter is much more similar if you’d like to try it.
Hi Jenni,
I made this moisturizer last night…my first attempt at a skin care product. I used a hand-held electric beater to blend after mixing. The product kept separating; I had better luck once I poured it into a jar and periodically shook it. After 24 hours, I would prefer it to have a firmer, less oily consistency. Could I add an additional 1 T of melted Shea butter OR wax and remix?
I couldn’t believe your easy-to-follow recipe for laundry detergent yielded a product that smelled good AND actually worked! Thanks so much.
Hi Mary Lou! My moisturizer recipes for the face are thin in consistency. Emulsifying wax serves no purpose for the skin-in fact, it can block pores. It is 100% necessary to bind oil and water though. I use as little as possible to make the best possible cream for skin. I have never gone back and added anything to a cream once it has set. It’s a risk, but it could work.
I’m not sure why your cream kept separating. Sometimes it just takes a while to set-sometimes it seems to take longer than other times-I have no idea why this is! Continue to shake it up and I’m sure it will be fine!
I’m glad you liked the laundry detergent! I love it too!
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Hi, I made this yesterday and it’s a really nice, thin moisturizer. My facial skin likes light-weight creams so this feels great! not heavy at all. I was wondering: After combining the oils/wax with water and citric acid the moisturizer was very watery. What happens to the mixture during the first 24 hours that makes it thicken? it’s still a tiny bit too thin for me, i think i would like it to be just slightly more firm, so that it holds a shape when it comes out of the pump … would I cut the water down to maybe 3/4 cup to do that? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!!! I’ve made several and am so excited to use them and give them as gifts.
Alison-Hi! Your cream sounds way too watery. I’m not sure why, but my recipe is intended to be somewhat thin but it should hold a shape. Next time you can add more emulsifying wax to get it thicker. If you add less water, it might work, but I’m not 100% sure. Hope this helps! Thanks!!
When did you add the EOs? After it cooled?
Martha-Yes, essential oils are effected by heat. Always try to add them after your recipe has cooled-sometimes, like with a balm or salve you really can’t avoid the heat, but with a cream you should. Heat will hurt their effectiveness.
Seeing as summer is coming…could you send out a good summer moisturizer recipe OR do you use this one year round?
Corrine-Absolutely! It’s needed for sure! Stay tuned!
Can L-ascorbic acid be added to this (in smaller batches I’m assuming) to make it a sort of dark spot corrector? Or any other added ingredients to even skin tone/acne scars especially? Thank you! Also, in general, can you add vitamin c, essential oils, etc to any store-bought lotion like adding something to body lotion to even skin tone on the body?
Raya-I have not added it to my moisturizer so I’m not sure how the consistency would be. Of course it would have to be in small doses since it loses it’s potency so fast. It’s worth a try!
How many ounces of cream does this make? Also can the jojoba be substituted with different oils like Rosehip seed or macadamia nut oil, and the essential oils either left out or switched? I might be going on Accutane in a month and need a heavy moisturizer, but I’m not sure if essential oils will irritate my skin once I’m on it. Thanks!
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I remember reading on one of your posts that you prefer a certain carrier oil, because others clog your pores. But, I can’t remember the post. I have very reactive skin. Which oil do you recommend?
Diane-Jojoba oil is as close to your skin’s natural sebum as possible so this is probably the one you are thinking of. No oil is totally safe, sometimes it just comes down to experimenting to see how your skin responds.
I know I must have missed this, but how much Citric Acid is used in the recipe? Thanks so much for all of your information – I am a newbie and your posts are so helpful!
Jennifer-I have stopped using citric acid and started using a legit preservative. Citric acid only lowers the pH of a product. The lower the pH, the less bacteria will grow. BUT-a lower pH isn’t as moisturizing. If you have bought citric acid and want to continue to use it, I would use a 1/2 tsp. mixed with the 8 ounces of water. Just know, your pH will be around 3. A normal cream should be around 5-6. If you have the neodefend, omit the citric acid. Neodefend lowers pH as well so both are not needed. Thanks!
I just wanted to say that I love that you link to websites where we can find the ingredients. Usually I am just left searching the internet for each ingredient and then I’m not even sure I’ve found the correct one. I’m new to making my own natural beauty products and I can’t wait to try some of yours! 🙂
From the looks of the comments, it seems as if this recipe is intended more for face. I am wanting to use it for body, can I do this and also is there another oil besides frank I can use?
do you have a water-based shea butter hair recipe?
Alexa-I don’t. I’m not big on hair! It would be tricky to make this type of recipe because mixing water and shea butter would require an emulsifier and a preservative. If you hair is really dry you could probably apply shea butter right to the ends for a treatment, then shampoo out.
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Am I missing something? I don’t see Citric Acid listed on the ingredients list but see you mention it in the instructions, also when I click on your emulsifying wax it takes me to bees wax which I see others mentioning in the comments as what not to use…could you clarify?
Tee-I formerly had citric acid in this recipe-I must have missed it in the instructions when I was editing-sorry about that! Mountain Rose Herb does not have specific pages for each product-they have all their waxes on one page. Scroll down a bit and you’ll find the e.wax. Thanks!!
Jenni,
The Neodefend is out of stock and the health food stores do not sell it. Is there anything that can substitute for it?
Martha-I’m just not too familiar with other preservatives-I still hate adding them!! Optiphen I’ve heard is a good one that is more natural. The big thing I look for is that they are formaldehyde free and propylene glycol free. Go to Lotion Crafter and read up for more info. I try to keep in mind that a preservative is only 1% of a product.
Hello,
I tried making this with beeswax and it was obviously much much too runny and did not emulsify at all. I’m a bit weary of emulsifying wax because I am nervous it will clog my pores. If I want to try this again with beeswax how much water would you reccomend I use so it doesn’t separate?
Thanks and btw I LOVE your blog!
Hi Leah! Unfortunately beeswax will not emulsify water. It will just be a runny mess without emulsifying wax. Any lotion has some sort of emulsifier-it’s the only way to combine water and oil. I don’t get any complaints about emulsifying wax clogging pores believe it or not! If you want, you could omit the water and shea butter and just use it as a facial oil.
Hmmm my face likes a lotion better than an oil. What about soy lecithin? Do you think that would work in place of the emulsifying wax?
Leah-I’ve never used soy lecithin so I’m not too sure if it is a good substitute. You’ll have to experiment!! Keep me posted if you try it! Have you heard soy lecithin is better for the skin?
I just made this and it came out realllllllllly liquidy and never firmed up. Any idea why? I followed the recipe except for the Neo Defend – I wouldn’t have thought that would’ve made a huge difference in the consistency.
Jessica-No neodefend would not have effected the consistency. Did you do a “heaping” tablespoon of emulsifying wax? There can be a big difference between heaping and just a tbsp. The good news is there is nothing wrong with your cream-it is actually better for your skin if it has less emulsifying wax but if you hate the liquid consistency, you can try to heat up your cream and add a bit more emulsifying wax. I’ve never done this, but I’ve heard it will thicken things up. Keep me posted!
Well I tried your moisturizer recipe – the revised one that uses emulsifying wax and ruined perfectly good, expensive ingredients b/c the mixture wouldn’t stay combined and never set up. I’m pretty disappointed that I wasted the jojoba oil. I followed the directions to a T and tried several times to remix the mixture and it would never combine.
Lindsay-Not sure what you are meaning by “revised” recipe. I have always used emulsifying wax in all my cream recipes. I link all the exact ingredients I use. I always use Mountain Rose Herb emulsifying wax, so I can’t promise the same results if you aren’t using my suggested products. If you are, then it’s likely an issue of not enough mixing. Sometimes I mix for 1.5 hours on and off. It takes a high speed mixer (like what I have linked) to really get it combined. Sorry you had no luck. The only time I’ve had an issue of my ingredients not combining is due to not enough mixing. If you haven’t thrown away your mixture, it’s not too late. Just continue to mix.
Oh I assumed you updated this recipe when I saw that people were talking about using Citric Acid but it wasn’t on the ingredient list, thought you subbed out the acid for the emulsifying wax. At any rate, I followed your directions but it didn’t state to continue mixing any longer after this part:
“Let stand for 15 minutes then mix for about 30 seconds again. Once you notice that the water isn’t separating at the bottom of your bowl after not mixing for a few minutes, you are done mixing.”
I took that as after you mix for the 2nd time for 30 seconds then you are done if you don’t notice the water and oil separating so I didn’t mix it anymore.
So sorry for the miscommunication-You’re right-that isn’t clear. I will change it-Hope this doesn’t discourage you to try again!
Hi Jenni
Have you try adding zinc oxide to your formulas, if you do, in which stahe should be added. Before start the mixing of oil and water or after the lotion is completely set (a few hours later)
Denise-I never have added zinc oxide-would you be adding it for a sunblock effect? I believe it would be added with the oils/waxes/butters but I’m not for sure.
I was looking for a way to add SPF to the cream for daily protection. I actually did with a portion of the rosehip cypress firming cream and didn’t like it. I end up with a sunblock kind of texture that needs to be blend to make the white residue disappear. for daily use I stick with the carrot EO.
What are your thoughts about using this recipe for the face, I’m concerned about the shea butter effect on the face skin.
Denise-This is actually meant to be used as a facial moisturizer. I love shea butter on the face because it is so hydrating as well as collagen building! It really doesn’t clog like you would think. I’m sure it does certain people but I have had no complaints and it is one of my most popular recipes!
Hello,
I am enjoying reading all your info about skin care. Thank you for sharing.
Do you or would you sell any of your face creams? I would love to buy a bottle or 2 for myself.
Thank you,
Amy Shoemaker
Cleveland, TN
Amy-I used to sell my creams on Etsy. I stopped because the shop and blog got too busy and creams were more time consuming. I just recently decided I was going to start selling again. If you would like to place a custom order, go ahead and I will make this cream for you! HERE is my Etsy shop.
Hi Jenni,
I just made this recipe last night! I love everything about it because it’s very rich and soothing to the skin. One thing I noticed in mine is that because I substituted Shea for coco butter my turned out a bit “gritty” in texture. I was reading online about how I can smooth out my lotion and wanted to pass this by you.
The following website mentioned that Shea can also be gritty (see below). Does yours turn out “gritty?” If so they said to heat the butter up to 175 degrees and then cool it quickly after processing with the other ingredients. You have way more knowledge on the subject that I do, so I wanted to ask what your thoughts are about this process and if you think heating the butter will lower the vitamin A & E content. I am hoping to try this next time, but don’t want to compromise any health benefits for texture.
Source: https://www.naturalbeautyworkshop.com/my_weblog/2013/06/troubleshooting-grainy-balms-and-butters.html
Thanks in advanced for replying to my post!
Best,
Casey
Casey! Hi! I have not experienced my lotions being gritty but I have experienced my balms going gritty-For me, it’s usually my coconut oil. I haven’t had an issue with shea butter. I’m not sure about the solution since the temps are so important when it comes to combining water and oil. Not sure how you would cool down the oil mixture and still be able to emulsify it with the water. I do think heating oils and butters higher then 160F could possibly make them less effective. It’s very tricky, huh?! Do you have much of your shea butter left? The one I link is the one I have never had issues with. Thank you for sharing this link-I’m excited to read it!
Hi Jenni, I had a question. What is the difference between buying essential oils from Young Living or Sparks Vs. Buying some from lotion and soap suppliers? Is the quality proven different?
Hi Nora-There are so many differences in essential oil quality. There is a lot of knowledge that goes into choosing where the oils are coming from to get the healthiest plants. How the oils are obtained from the plants is another difference. Also, many companies not committed to quality often dilute their oils to save money. It takes extra money and knowledge to provide high quality essential oils so that’s why I stick to companies that specialize in it. There are tests that are run on oils-I forget what they are called-they prove the purity of oils. Hope this helps!
Hi Jenni,
I have all the ingredients to try this cream but with cocoa butter instead and I’m leaving out the preservative. I’m just not sure from reading your instructions when to add the butter, is it one of the oils? And do I still need to add water if I’m not adding the neodefend?
I made your stretch make serum for my friend the other day and she loves it. Thanks!
Hi Jenn! Butters are added in the oil phase. If you don’t use water you can replace the emulsifying wax with beeswax. You will have a very natural balm that won’t need a preservative anyway! Because balms contain no water they are very concentrated so you will need to use way less. You won’t have a lotion like consistency without the water and emulsifying wax though.
Keep in mind that if you do make a lotion and are not going to use a preservative, you will need to make only enough for about a week, maybe 2 if you keep it in the fridge. Bacteria grows FAST.
Hi Jenni,
I made this lotion and I’m loving it. I was wondering if there any way to add sun protection into this lotion. If it doesn’t work for this lotion, what would you suggest for a reliable every day SPF for your face?
Thanks!
Bridget
Bridget! Good, I’m glad! I use it everyday and love it too! In order to add some SPF protection you could add titanium dioxide-like what’s in mineral makeup. I’m not sure how much and I’m not sure how much protection you actually get so this is why I haven’t done a post on it. Plus, I’m thinking it might thicken up the lotion. If I find out more I’ll definitely do a post!
Thanks Jenni 🙂 I will give that a try.
By the way, I’m just getting into making my own skincare, and it’s great how informative all of your tutorials are.
Hello I tried to make this last night, my shea butter came in a large block. Is that how yours is, how do you measure tablespoons? Do you ever use a scale instead? I couldn’t get my lotion to completely come together with the water and it’s super thick now, is there a way to fix it? Reheat it maybe? Thanks
Angie-I’m making a batch of this right now! My shea butter is somewhat scoop-able. I do have a block of cocoa butter that I’ve had to melt then put in smaller jars so that I can melt one each time I need it. I never use a scale and I probably should start-I have never had an issue with my lotions separating or having texture issues with the products I use (I link the exact ingredients I use). What emulsifier did you use? You could try to reheat but I’m not sure if it’s going the help with the thickness-that all depends on how much emulsifying wax you use. If I were you I would continue to mix it and see if it will come together. I mix for over an hour after I combine-not consistently but I just want to make sure they don’t separate. So sorry you had issues! I would really say your wax is the problem over you proportions.
hi Jennifer I live in Australia I’m going to have your moisturizer for aging skin I’m 65 i am already making my own it not moist enough I don’t know were to buy neoDefend here I don’t if you can help Thank you yours Theresa
Theresa-I would just google “natural preservative”. I’m working on a new recipe that will make a moisturizer more moisturizing-stay tuned!
Hi Jenni thank you for replying to my email it should have read I’m going to have a go making your moisturiser thank you again I will Google X
I just made this lotion yesterday and it LOOKS wonderful! However, it feels a bit waxy on the skin, like it has a slip issue. The wax remains and I need to wash my hands after putting it on my face. Hmm. I used the exact amount of EW listed on the recipe but subbed argan oil for jojoba oil. Jojoba makes me break out for some reason. Could this be affecting the consistency of the lotion? Do you know of any way to counteract the waxy feel? The only thing I didn’t use was a preservative & btw, all my ingredients are from Mountain Rose Herbs. Thanks for the recipe! Besides the strange feel I think it will do my dry face good 🙂
Lisa, I’m really unsure about the waxy feeling??!! I just assumed it was your emulsifying wax but then you stated you got yours from MRH. I’ve never had this problem-It’s got to be the Argan Oil-I have never worked with it but from brand to brand it could have a different consistency. That’s a bummer!
Hi jenni,
I am planning to make this, but would like to use a different preservative (Optiphen) instead of NeoGuard. Its effectiveness, however, has a pH limitation of 4-8.. do you happen to know the typical pH of this recipe, by any chance?
Thank you! I love your site and products!!
Hi Rilee-Oh yes, my cream should be around 4-5 so you’re good with Optiphen! Thank you!!!!
Hi there! I was wondering about this…. could you possibly add minerals to this in the oil phase? Such as oil soluble titanium, zinc, mica and iron oxides to make a tint or even foundation? Curious if you have ventured into this.
Ashlynn-You for sure could but I’ve never done it so I have no idea how much. It would be quite the experiment!!
Hello Jennifer! With regards to NeoDefend, about how long would my natural moisturizing cream last if I were to omit it?
(P.S I’m a big fan of your website and your recipes!)
Hi Seema! It would last about 2 weeks. Not long and you would need to keep it in the fridge. Thank you!!
Hi Jenni,
I love this moisturizer for my whole body and am getting ready to make my second batch. Can you add a fragrance oil with this moisturizer for use on the body? I was also curious if you could add Hyaluronic Acid & Vit. C for use on the face? If so, what measurement of each would you add?
Thanks so much for the great recipes and advise!
Cody Marie-Hi! You are welcome!! I love it too! You can add a fragrance oil. I have not quite figured out the proportions of HA in a cream but I’m working on it so stay tuned! Vitamin C, I’m not so sure-The kind I have, once it’s mixed with a liquid, it becomes ineffective within a few days. I do believe there is now a more stable form available but I haven’t tried it or found it. I will eventually find it and know more once I work with it.
Hi Jenni! Love this lotion! Can I use optiphen plus instead of neodefend as a preservative in this recipe? Thanks!
Rosie-Thank you!!! You sure can!
Hi Jenni,
I was wondering if you use refined or unrefined shea butter?
Thanks for your help!
Elle
Elle-I use unrefined shea butter! Thanks!
I just made this and it came out awesome – thank you! I did however put the Vit. E oil in the heat mixture instead of adding it at the end (on accident). Is that OK? Does Vit. E damage in heat?
Laura-You are welcome!! You can, but I put it in with the essential oils just to make sure I don’t damage it’s properties.
I made an anti aging face cream that is not greasy, not oily, and one only has to melt the oils, but it is not necessary to heat both the water and oil ingredients to 160 degrees before mixing them together with a stick blender. All you have to do is melt the oils, let them cool for a couple of minutes, then stick blend them with the neo defend and water. And the consistency is perfect. This way is time and money saving because there is no need to use stand and try to bring both mixtures to 160 degrees before mixing them, thus a thermometer is not necessary.
Lori=I’m very curious to know if it’s absolutely necessary to heat to a high temp and have both mixtures exactly the same in order to get the right texture. One argument is that heating to that high of a temp helps kill bacteria and prolong the life of the cream. In fact, some lotion makers do a heat and hold where they hold both mixtures at 160 for 20 minutes. How many times have you done this recipe? It seems risky to mix them without getting the temps closer together. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi I have a question so for the face moisturizer when do you add the shea butter?
Victoria-You should add it in with the oils and beeswax so it will melt and combine.
Hi Jenni, I live in Canada and i have a preservative called geogard ect or Germall Plus can i use that instead of neodefend preservative and the same amount.
Hi Diana! I personally don’t use Germall Plus because it contains quite a bit of propylene glycol. Can you find another preservative that is more natural? It is a very effective preservative though.
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You should state in your recipe that you repeat the mix 30 second & rest 15 min for 1 hour or more to reach point of no separation then add EOs & Vit. E oil. Just thought that it would be more clear to most people. I add raspberry seed oil for summer sun protection as it has a high SPF.