DIY Rejuvenating Face Cream

So I have been at it again. I just can’t seem to help myself. My mind keeps ticking over ideas for creams, lotions and potions and today I just had to shift one idea from my head – a face cream containing juices and vitamin C to rejuvenate my ageing skin which I have to admit is rather prone to looking dull these days no matter how healthily I eat or how much water I drink.

This cream will glide onto skin like one big refreshing dream! It’s very light and not very greasy at all, you’ll just need to leave it for 5 minutes before applying your make-up to allow the oils to soak in. It is great for daytime use as the Aloe Vera and raw honey act as a primer to help your make-up to cling on to your skin for longer!

The great thing about this cream is that it is so versatile; you can pop a very generous amount onto your face as a mask, leave for 10 minutes and remove gently with warm water, it will slough away any dullness and lock in moisture! You can also use this as a body lotion but if you are needing something more intensive then check out my Sweet Orange & Coconut Body Butter.

N.B. You may experience some ‘water separation’ when using this lotion. This can happen for two reasons; because you didn’t get your oil/wax mixture and water mix to the same temperature before combining and simply because it doesn’t contain chemicals to bind them together. You can easily remedy this by placing you bottle/container into a cup/bowl of freshly boiled water. Within a minute it should have warmed and after a good shake it will emulsify together again. If you don’t like the faff you could look into adding in some stearic acid or lecithin as a secondary emulsifier to the beeswax. If I were going to pick one it would probably be lecithin but I am still researching into the safety of these two emulsifiers. Another option would be to add another 1/2 tbsp of beeswax but personally I think this would make the texture unsuitable for use on your face.

You don’t need to be following a Paleo diet to be using these DIY beauty recipes of mine but you can embrace my love for primal beauty and see if you want to go back to those awful chemical concoctions!

To make this you’ll need a small blender like a Nutribullet, a heatproof bowl, an electric handwhisk, a funnel and some lotion bottles. Oh and ummm some ingredients of course!

Reaping the benefits…

• Aloe Vera – Aloe Vera contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin E; all of which are great for moisturising, skin firming and anti-ageing purposes. It’s also great for treating acne and eczema.
• Pineapple, orange, & lemon juice – Pineapples are high in alpha-hydroxy acid which helps to brighten the complexion. It also contains bromelain which helps to slough dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, reduce dullness and dryness and also helps to heal acne scars. The vitamin C content in the pineapple, orange and lemon juice also aids in acting as a great anti-ageing booster too!
• Raw honey – Raw honey is amazing in so many ways! It is antimicrobial and anti-fungal, contains several skin supporting vitamins and minerals, and it also contains gluconic acid which helps to fight dullness and even out your skin tone. Raw honey is also a humectant which helps to draw moisture to the surface of the skin thus fighting dryness. If you’re Vegan you can omit this don’t worry!
• Vitamin C – Again I added a little extra vitamin C as it helps to fight the ageing process.
• Shea Butter – Shea butter is a super healing, vitamin A packed oil! Shea butter contains something called cinnamic acid, which yes is pretty close to your beloved spice cinnamon. This cinnamic acid is antimicrobial and packed full of antioxidants, couple this with the high vitamin A content in shea butter and you can treat a whole host of skin ailments from dermatitis, sunburn, insect bites, blemishes, eczema and to yes – even wrinkles!
• Virgin Coconut Oil – I didn’t want to use refined coconut oil as it can block your pores – especially when used on your face! Again coconut oil is as we all know amazing for our bodies when ingested but it is also great for our skin as it is antifungal, antibacterial and as well as being a great moisturiser it smells super amazing too!
• Cacao Butter – Not only does cacao butter smell amazing it’s also great for anti ageing purposes as it is packed full of antioxidants.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Olive oil is high in vitamin E and antioxidants and is incredibly anti-inflammatory. It packs in the moisture like you won’t believe!
• Beeswax – Beeswax is great as acting as an emolient in creams by keeping all of the ingredients from separating and binding the oils and water together. Not only that but it is in fact incredibly moisturising itself and helps to create a waterproof barrier helping  to lock in moisture. If you’re Vegan you can sub this for candelilla wax.
• Vitamin E oil – helps to combat rancidity of the ingredients and acts as a preservative due to it’s high antioxidant content.
• Coconut & Sweet Orange Essential Oils – I simply added in the coconut essential oil because I love coconut sooooo much! The sweet orange essential oil is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, an aphrodisiac, great for acne and dermatitis and to top it all off it is a great anti-depressant and mood booster! I didn’t want to over fragrance my face cream and make it overbearable to wear so I kept these oils minimal.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Yields: Roughly 250ml

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Aloe Vera gel
3″ chunk fresh pineapple
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tbsp raw honey (omit if Vegan)
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp vitamin C powder
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp freshly boiled water (or even warmed rose/orange blossom water)
2 tbsp unrefined Shea butter
2 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp cacao butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp beeswax pearls (or candelilla wax for Vegan option)
1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional preservative)
10-20 drops coconut essential oil
10-20 drops sweet orange essential oil

Method:

1. Boil your kettle and transfer your freshly boiled water into a cup. Leave to one side until needed later.
2. In a small blender like a Nutribullet, add your Aloe Vera gel, your fresh pineapple, orange juice, raw honey, lemon juice and vitamin C powder. Blend until the pineapple has completely broken down and you are left with something that looks good enough to drink (and it probably is). Set to one side.
3. Place your Shea butter, coconut oil, cacao butter, olive oil and beeswax (or candelilla wax) into a medium sized heatproof bowl and place over a bain-marie, on a low heat, until everything has completely melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a minute or so.
4. Combine your water with your pineapple mix and blend again until fully combined. Your mix should be a little warmer than lukewarm. Pass the liquid through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pineapple pulp. The idea is to get the oil mix and water mix to the same temperature to prevent water separation or even lumps from forming.
5. Crack out your electric hand whisk and begin to slowly trickle in a small amount at a time being sure to continuously whisk on a low speed. Repeat the process until all of the liquid has been combined and your lotion has formed.
6. Add in your essential oils, stir and begin to whisk again on a slightly higher speed until your lotion is at a lukewarm to cold temperature. Transfer to clean and empty lotion bottles using a funnel or place into small jars. Store the bottles you won’t be using for a while in the fridge to keep the lotion fresh and use within 1-2 weeks. In the event of separation submerge your lotion container in freshly boiled hot water for 1-2 minutes then shake and/or stir.