olive oil

If your facial cleanser is leaving your skin feeling dry, it’s removing too much of its natural moisturizer, known as sebum.

On the other hand, if your cleanser leaves your skin feeling greasy or sticky, either it isn’t removing enough oil or it contains heavy emollient and film-forming ingredients that clog pores.

Squeaky, Cheeky Clean!

A great facial cleanser removes grime from your skin – without stripping it of healthy lipids which you need to protect from the environment.

That’s where a great DIY green cleanser comes in.  Olive and sunflower oils are suitable for almost every skin. Try the following recipe, which green cosmetics author and advocate Julie Gabriel considers “a green replica of conventional cleansing” products.

Just Olive Cleansing Oil

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ampoule of vitamin E (a blend of tocopherols and tocotrienols)
• 1 drop essential oil of chamomile

note: an ampoule is a small sealed vial

How to:

1. Pour the oil into a stainless steel shaker; add the vitamin E and essential oil. (if you have acne outbreaks, replace the chamomile oil with one drop of tea tree or geranium oil).

2. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

3. Pour the contents into a pump bottle. Thanks to the antioxidant action of vitamin E and chamomile, this blend has a long shelf life in dry, cool conditions.

The following DIY recipe can be used as a mask if you’re experiencing pimples, dullness, or overall uneven complexion. Just leave it on for 5 minutes to let it do its magic.

Day in Provence Cleansing Powder

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon loose organic green tea
• 1 teaspoon dried rose petals
• 1 teaspoon dried calendula (marigold petals)
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender florets
• 1 uncoated aspirin tablet
• 1 ounce white clay (bentonite)
• 1 ounce rice bran
• 3 capsules of vitamin C

1. Crush the green tea, rose and calendula petals, and lavender florets in a mortar.  Add the aspirin tablet, crush it, and blend with plant particles. Add the clay and blend thoroughly. Add rice bran. Twist open capsules of vitamin C and add them to the mix.

2. Transfer to a wide-neck glass bottle and shake vigorously so the ingredients form a homogeneous mix.

3. Use daily by pouring a teaspoonful (size of two quarters) into a dry hand. Add a few drops of water, form a dense paste, and rub into face, avoiding the eye area.

note: this concoction can be stored up to three months in an airtight twist-cap bottle.

Let us know how you like the results, right here: we’d love to hear from you!

recipes via The Green Beauty Guide, by Julie Gabriel

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