If you’re venturing into the world of skincare for the first time, it is easy to be daunted by the sheer volume of options you have. It can seem like for each serum, tincture, scrub, and cleanser you understand, suddenly there are a thousand more to choose from and understand the benefits of. In the din of corporate beauty and the commodification of skin health, however, there is an opportunity to return to the basis of modern-day skincare: the pantry.
Demystifying Skincare
Nowadays, skincare products are marketed to appeal to the perpetuation of youth, which has recentered aesthetic focus back to skincare and skin health. This emphasis, paired with the resurgence of natural makeup, has led to an increased interest in finding what’s best for every individual’s skin. Although the ingredient lists of top products like Burt’s Bees are often lengthy and characterized by chemical formulae that are unintelligible to the average consumer, they can often be simplified to a few basic skincare components that get the job done without any additional payment for a brand name.
- Oils. Oils like coconut oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, marula oil, olive oil, and avocado oil are staples for the base of most skincare oils. Depending on your skin type, the lipid profiles of different oils will suit your skin in different ways. Fast-absorbing oils like marula and avocado are often recommended for those with dry skin, while squalane and argan oil, due to their smaller molecular size and therefore reduced absorption, are often recommended for those with oily skin.
- Bases and Emulsification. In addition to the oils, a butter ingredient is used to thicken the base of the lotion and provide another hydrating component. Shea butter, cocoa butter, and petroleum jelly are cheap and common bases in the skincare world, and a lot of them are found in the aisles of your local drugstore. In addition to your butter of choice, there is also the necessity for an emulsifying ingredient (think beeswax) that will stop the oil and the water in the butter from separating.
- Water/fragrance. Distilled water or aromatic compounds can be added to your skincare, such as hydrosols with essential oils in them. Distilled water is as good a selection as any, however. The purpose of the distilled water in the recipe would be to support the addition of other ingredients, such as aloe vera gel (good for inflammation!) and essential oils such as lavender or rosemary.
Any combination of these items, when heated slowly and mixed thoroughly, will provide you with a skincare product that will beat most of the market because it will be tailored to your skin, which you know best.
Skincare Scrubs: An Exercise in Moderation.
Skincare scrubs are primarily used for exfoliation purposes; most scrubs are formulated with a physical and chemical component that serves the purpose of “detoxing” the top layer of your skin. The issue with this is that most scrubs on the market contain plastic or other components that could be harmful to the skin, as well as harsh chemicals that are not suitable for daily use. Some natural exfoliators you could look into in addition to making your skincare cream, to be used occasionally, include:
- Brown sugar has sugar grains that make it a good exfoliant as well as hydrating due to the presence of glycolic acid within it. The glycolic acid, in turn, serves as an anti-bacterial agent and moisturizer. Mix a little bit of brown sugar with your oil of choice to create a scrub that will both exfoliate and moisturize the skin on your face safely.
- Ground oatmeal. Oatmeal has antioxidant properties and, when ground, provides a grain that will physically exfoliate your skin. When mixed with an oil of your choice and a scoop of yogurt for its lactic acid (a natural chemical exfoliator), it makes for a great scrub that can be used multiple times a week.
- Coffee. Add ground coffee to the brown sugar scrub for an added antioxidant boost. Coffee is also an anti-inflammatory agent and works well with brown sugar to exfoliate skin and improve circulation.
Final Thoughts
In essence, skincare is not as complicated as the leagues of well-known brands make it seem. Once you have a handle on which ingredients work best for your skin, the rest is intuition, a stove, and some elbow grease. So treat yourself with knowledge and kindness, splurge on some sweet-smelling essential oils, and get comfortable in your own skin.
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