Making natural skincare products free from chemicals

It’s something we hear all the time – “I want to learn how to make products free from chemicals.” 

Perhaps that’s something that resonates with you? 

It’s a sentiment that really means a lot to us – but there’s something we should explain first.  

You can’t make a product without any chemicals. That’s because everything – even plain old H2O water – is a chemical!

So when we say “natural skincare free from chemicals”, what do we really mean?

Most natural beauty lovers who search for truly natural and organic products, or who want to learn how to make their own skincare, want to avoid the kind of chemicals that they find harsh, or just plain undesirable.

We’re talking about chemicals that can irritate or even harm your skin, chemicals that are known to be toxic, or chemicals that can damage the environment.

Eight types of ingredients to avoid:

If you want to avoid harmful chemicals in your skincare products, here are eight of the most common chemical ingredients to look out for:

• Parabens
• Sodium laureth sulphate (SLeS) and Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)
• Polyethylene glycols (PEGs)
• Mineral oil
• Animal derived ingredients 
• Synthetic fragrances
• Formaldehyde releasers
• Silicones

People want to avoid these ingredients for many a good reason, and you can find out much more about them here

If you want natural cosmetics that are free from harmful chemicals like these, then we’ve got some good news for you.

You can make them yourself. And we can show you how!

You can choose your own natural ingredients

When you make your own products, you get to choose exactly what goes into them. You can easily avoid any ingredient that’s not suitable for you and your skin. If it’s harmful, irritating or toxic, or doesn’t fit your values, you can simply leave it out.

And it’s not just the chemicals on that watchlist you can cut out … you can also avoid any ingredients from nature that simply don’t work for you.

It’s up to you. That’s the beauty of making your own skincare products.

And when you learn to make your own products, you find out so much more as well. You learn about natural ingredients from all over the world, their botanical names and where they come from, and discover how they work and what they’re best for.  

You also learn about the structure and function of your skin. You find out about the different types of skin and the best way to treat and nourish each skin type as well as the science of skincare formulation.

You develop the practical skills you need so you can rely on yourself to make your own products whenever you want, and wherever you are.

And as a member of a well-trained community, you can reach out to like-minded people across the world who can offer support and give you the answers whenever you need.

Finally, through this process, you become a more conscious consumer, because you’re armed with the power to make informed decisions, and better choices.

It’s easier to tell right from wrong, so if you want to continue buying products made by other people, you can make sure your purchasing decisions are good ones.

What’s more… our students will tell you how much they love doing it!

There’s no denying it. Making your own skincare product is a huge amount of fun. It’s a unique creative expression that gives you the opportunity to live your values.

If you’re a natural and organic enthusiast, who likes to make sure your purchasing choices reflect your values – well now you can do more. You can spend your time designing, creating, and enjoying your own handmade beauties!

Live your values and save money doing it!

You might be surprised to find out just how much you can save by doing it yourself. 

Genuine natural and organic cosmetics can come at a price, and for good reason. They are quality products, using the very best ingredients, and they’ve been carefully formulated. The brand owner puts in a huge amount of time and effort, and that’s reflected in the price.

On top of that, they have business expenses. From manufacturing to marketing, research and development to lab and administrative overheads. These business costs can add a lot to the bottom line.

When you choose to make your own products for yourself, you don’t have to pay these business expenses. All you pay for are the ingredients and equipment you use and the packaging you choose to put your own product in.

This means that making your own products is much more cost effective.

That high-quality face cream that retails for $30 or $40? You can easily make it yourself for $5-$10. Most creams are made of two thirds water – another reason they can cost you less to make yourself!

And you don’t have to take our word for it. Have a look at our article here where we show you a serum on the market for $140 and how you could reformulate it for under $5!

By creating your own skincare products from scratch, you know precisely what is in them, and exactly what they are made of. Could you say the same for any product you pick up off a shelf in a store?

A store-bought product might say it contains natural ingredients, but the label doesn’t always tell you the whole story.

Packaging can use words like “organic” and “pure” when in fact the product might only contain a drop or two of essential oil – and could still be loaded with all the chemicals you want to avoid.

If you want to know more about how to see past the packaging, there’s more information in this article from the Soil Association:  5 Tips To Avoid Greenwashing

 Where do I start?

There are so many amazing products you can make – from balms, butters, oils and serums, to lotions, creams, spritzes and toners – not to mention the cleansers, scrubs, soaps, masks and so many others tailored to your skin type and condition, and to your needs, desires and preferences.

And then there is the vast selection of amazing natural ingredients to choose from.

So where do you even begin?

To start with … just keep it simple.

Skincare and cosmetic products can fall into one of two types. It all depends if the ingredients they’re made from dissolve in oil or water.

Start by working with anhydrous, or oil-based products. These are products that don’t contain water and only contain ingredients that are oil soluble. Oil-based products are a lot easier to work with than water soluble products.

Starting with oil-based products means you can make a safe and stable product without needing to get into the complications and the science of emulsification and preservation.

When you make oil-based cosmetics you don’t need to use a preservative, and that means you can make something that is 100% natural. It can also be 100% organic or vegan.

Balms, butters and oils are the best place to start. And there are so many products you can make, from massage oils, to serums, body butter and much more.  

Try this very simple but highly effective Wild Rose Anti-aging Facial Serum recipe here (if you can’t get hold of Sea Buckthorn CO2, don’t worry it will work just fine without!) 

And check out this brilliant article – 5 ways to use nourishing cocoa butter (plus an amazing recipe here

Ingredients

As you start out, it’s all too tempting to go and buy all manner of luxurious and delicious sounding ingredients. But you could end up wasting a lot of money … and a lot of those wonderful ingredients. 

Believe it or not, you can make lovely products with just a handful of amazing natural ingredients. 1 wax, 2 butters, 3 carrier oils, 3 essential oils and an antioxidant – vitamin e.

Equipment

You don’t have to buy the latest professional kit or refit your kitchen to get started. It’s easy to start small and keep it simple … then you can build your confidence, knowledge and abilities. After that, the sky’s the limit!

If you’re looking to kit out your kitchen, check out this article:

The equipment you need for making natural skincare products at home!

How can we help?

If the prospect of making your own natural skincare products is something that excites you, we’ve got everything you need right here. 

There’s plenty of recipes and information on our website – but, to be honest, they will only teach you so much and get you so far.

The fast track to success is to invest in your passion by enrolling on one of our fabulous multi-media online classes. 

You can study whenever you want, wherever you are in the world. Learn how to make your own natural skincare from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace and in your own time. You are in control of your studies and you can be with passionate, like-minded natural and organic beauty lovers from all around the world in our private student and graduate community. 

If you want to develop essential practical skills and learn how to make your own products, try our Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products. With more than 120 amazing recipes and detailed instructions about how you can tailor your skincare products to suit your unique needs and preferences, it’s the perfect place to start. 

This 9 module course will teach you the essential theory you need to know, show you the equipment you’ll need to get you started, and introduce you to the suppliers we trust and recommend. 

You’ll get beautifully designed workbooks, guides and easy to follow instructions, plus video demonstrations showing you how to make your own natural products step by step. You’ll learn how to make a range of natural & organic skincare.

If you want to go one step further you can learn to create your own products entirely from scratch. Rather than following someone else’s recipes, we’ll teach you how to master the practice, art and science of formulation in our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. 

Here you will learn the secrets of how to formulate like a professional while keeping the handcrafted essence of creating your own skincare. You’ll come out with a complete range of your own unique and personally designed products. And if you want to set up your own brand, we’ll show you exactly how to do it! 

Either of these courses will be your fast track to skincare success, but if you just want to dip your toe, why not help yourself to our Free Natural Beauty Recipe Book?