Simple Face Cream Recipe + Video Instructions (2024)

Hi Danny, yes you can use lavender as a replacement. However, please know that rose geranium is not the same scent as “rose.” It’s a completely different plant and a beautiful scent!

One to two teaspoons of water should do. You can reserve this amount from the water called for in the recipe.

The color of the cream depends on the color of the oils used. This is quite a white cream, though, to begin with :)

Hi Vera, as mentioned in the other comment, the color of the cream depends on the ingredients used. If the oils are more yellow, they can create a more creamy color. As for a thinner consistency, you can use less emulsifying wax and more distilled water, if you wish. Face creams are typically around 90% water and 5% emulsifying wax.

Hi Natasha, this is probably a sign that the cream didn’t come to a stable emulsion. There’s no real way of saving it now (that I’m aware of) but the next time you make cream, keep stirring, and keep coming back every five minutes at least to carry on stirring. Hope this helps!

Hi Barb, I recommend sticking to the exact ingredients in skincare recipes since issues like this can arise. Olivem 1000 has a different usage rate (2-6%) and can be tricky to work with. Many formulators use it as a co-emulsifier, along with a second type of emulsifier. As for using separated skin creams — no, I don’t advise it. The preservative will probably fail and it likely won’t be an enjoyable experience anyway. If you’d like to make a recipe with your Olivem 1000, I have this aloe skin cream recipe that you’re welcome to try :)

I think the biggest question would be why are you trying to add almond flour to skin moisturizer?

You’re very welcome :)

How much olivem did you use? I’ve been playing around with ratios and I can’t find the sweet spot. So far I’ve either had too much water or too much oil. I’d love a thicker emulsion, with a good skin feel.

You’re so welcome, Ryan :)

You could use a little more ewax or you could thicken it using an ingredient such as xanthan gum.

Hi Rosemarie, on its own, beeswax is not a stable emulsifier. If you used it, the lotion would hold for a bit, but would separate over time — meaning the water would separate out. To use beeswax as an emulsifier, it needs to be used in conjunction with borax. However, borax is no longer recommended for skin use as it’s been shown to be carcinogenic (cancer-causing). It is far better to use safe cosmetic-ready emulsifying waxes such as the type I list for this recipe.

Hi Shamim, for a small-batch recipe such as this you will only need the tiniest amount. 1/32 of a tsp of either dissolved in a teaspoon of warmed distilled water. Generally, when I’m adjusting, I begin with a 1/4 tsp of the solution, pouring it through a sieve into the lotion and stirring it in well. Then I take the pH again and adjust again if necessary.

Hi Shelley, if you use a preservative, you can keep it at room temperature for around 18 months (time depends on the particular preservative). Without a preservative, the lotion is only good for a few days to a week refrigerated.

Hi Connie and thanks! The volume measurements (if applicable) are listed in the ingredients area. In the case of geogard ultra, it’s 1/2 tsp.

Heating and holding is seen by some skincare makers as unnecessary, especially if you’re using a broad-spectrum preservative. The point of it is to kill bacteria, but the preservative does that anyway. My advice would be to get both of your water and oil phase to the right temperature (no matter how long it takes) and mix :)

Hi Kris, vitamin C is unstable in lotion recipes, and above a pH of 3.5. That means that most forms of vitamin c (such as ascorbic acid) degrade quickly and don’t add any skin benefit. If you want to give your skin the benefits of vitamin c in a recipe like this, use ascorbyl palmitate. It’s oil-dispersable, stable at a neutral pH, and you can use it at up to 1% of a formulation.

Experiment with it and find out if you like the recipe using a full replacement. Do keep an eye on the pH of your final product though and ensure that it meets the range for your preservative :)

Hi Gillian, potassium sorbate can be used as a cosmetic preservative, but not on its own since it’s not good at killing bacteria. It needs another preservative in order to be able to offer broad-spectrum protection and special formulation with that other substance and within the lotion itself. As a hobby lotion maker, I’d recommend that you stick with a simpler ready-mixed broad spectrum such as the one in this recipe.

Hi Sue, you could use less emulsifying wax — reducing the amount down to about 7 grams. If the consistency is too thin after emulsifying, you could add a tiny amount of natural thickener such as xanthan gum. Hope this helps :)

If you want to make anything from scratch, you begin with ingredients and a detailed process. If it seems like too much work, there are plenty of all-natural lotions that you can buy ready-made :)

Your lotion did not emulsify properly — the emulsifier didn’t bond with the water and oil to make lotion. This happens if the lotion isn’t mixed enough, that there wasn’t enough emulsifier, or if there was a big temperature difference between the oil and the water phases. Try making it again, making sure to double-check amounts, that you’re using the right ingredients, and temperature. Good luck :)

Hi Adrian, the usage rate for Optiphen is 0.75%- 1.5% of your formulation, and is added after the lotion has cooled to just below 140F (60C).

Hi Natalie, the measurements in both grams and in oz are provided :)

A couple of hours should be fine but it needs to be done quickly. Preservatives lose their effectiveness if out of the pH range so your lotion could spoil if left too long before adjusting.

Yes, feel free to use the same amount of another liquid oil and I’d recommend that you only use a teaspoon of the e-wax. It will create a lighter lotion that may be better for your skin.

Hi Timi, it could be one of the exact ingredients you’re using. Always be careful with where the ingredients come from, and the best place is from a reputable skin care ingredient manufacturer. The other thing it might be is too much preservative? Which one did you use? Did you use the manufacturer’s recommended amount? Lastly, measurements are everything with making skincare. Double-check ingredient amounts and then check them again.

You’d cut down on the wax, and the oil. More water = runnier lotion

Hi Jessi, if you’re planning on making beauty products you should definitely invest in an inexpensive scale. Using volume measurements doesn’t cut it because they’re so inaccurate. Amazon is a great place to pick one up — there should be a link above :)

Hi Jacky and thanks for the feedback — glad you like the lotion! As for the preservative, there will be instructions with every individual brand and type that will tell you how much you should use. Phenoxyethe EHG has a usage rate of 0.5-1.1% for both rinse off and leave on products. That would mean that you need less than the Geogard Ultra that I use.

Is there any easy option for lotion or cream wax except Bees wax or emulsifyng wax?or without wax?

Beeswax isn’t the same as emulsifying wax. It can create a temporary emulsion (lotion) but it’s unstable and may separate. Traditionally beeswax was mixed with Borax to create stable emulsions but it’s no longer the recommended thing to do. Borax can unfortunately cause skin irritation.

It’s a nice non-greasy face lotion and yes, can be used under make-up.

Thanks for your feedback Mary Jo!

Hi Amy, Geogard Ultra is known as MicroGuard in the USA.

I avoid coconut oil in face lotions — it causes acne in a lot of people including myself. On the body it’s fine though. For face lotions stick with oils that feel light when you rub your fingers together — sweet almond oil, apricot kernal oil, and cold-pressed sunflower oil to name a few.