Let's talk about DIY face cream.
And the fact that Georgia's bottom is on my face.
Let me rephrase that:
A baby's bottom is on my face.
Let me try again:
The skin of a baby's bottom is on my face.
And once again:
The skin of my face is like that of a baby's bottom.
Lastly:
My skin is as soft and supple as a baby's bottom.
Phew. That took me a few tries to get right, but have no fear! My writing skills never cease to amaze me! And you, I am sure.
Today is another of my make-at-home favorites. After dabbling with a few different recipes, I have landed on my favorite DIY face cream recipe. So, I decided to share it with you! So that Georgia's bottom can be on your face as well. Dangit, there I go again.
DIY Face Cream Recipe
– 1 tablespoon coconut oil
– 3 tablespoons shea butter
– 2-3 drops tea tree oil
And there ya have it. The perfect DIY face cream recipe.
1. Simply mix the coconut oil:
With the shea butter:
With the tea tree oil:
2. Squish with the back of a spoon to get a nice, frosting-like consistency.
And there you have it. I store my face cream in a recycled baby food jar and just keep it in the bathroom cupboard. Then, after my shower at night, I smear it on my face and neck like it's goin' out of style.
Miraculously, each morning, I wake up with uber-soft skin. The more I use it, the better it gets! I only use it once a day, usually at night, and then just splash my face with water in the morning. It seems to still last on there after that.
In the last year, I've gone from using crazy expensive and toxic facial cleaners (that I had to special order!) – to washing my face with natural, organic castile soap – to then also using this wonderful DIY face cream recipe! Can't beat the price (I didn't do the math, but it can't be more than .75 cents per batch) and the ingredients are easy, cheap, and all natural. That's a win, win, win (just in case you're keeping track).
I purchase my coconut oil in bulk HERE. And my shea butter from HERE, which is very inexpensive. I use my favorite brand of essential oils for this recipe as well. You can read about purchasing these super high-quality oils for this DIY face cream recipe HERE.
Please try it. I beg you. I plead with you. Let me know what you think.
And don't be surprised if I enthusiastically start rubbing your face when we run into each other. I can't help it – I do the same thing to Georgia's lil' toosh when she gets out of the tub at night.
I need help.
Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!
Can’t wait to try it!
Can’t wait to try it!
I believe I have those ingredients. Here goes nothin’!
Dang it! Stop posting all of these cool do-it-yourself recipes. I’ve got so much catching up to do still!!! And no money to place orders for the ingredients! Stop it Shaye, stop it I tell you.
Dang it! Stop posting all of these cool do-it-yourself recipes. I’ve got so much catching up to do still!!! And no money to place orders for the ingredients! Stop it Shaye, stop it I tell you.
AGREED!
Is the tea tree oil just for fragrance?
No it is not. It’s a multi use oil for alot of different products.
Hey Shaye… I have tea tree oil, but I also have some lavendar e. oil… wonder if it could also be a good ingredient??
Ok, I’m giving this a try. I’m currently spending a small fortune on Arbonne products so 0.75 cents per batch sounds amazing!
Hi Jessilee,
I just was referred to this site, and I happen to use and love Arbonne myself. But yet, the price of this is much more appropriate for our budget at the moment! 🙂 Have you tried this yet, and how does it compare? Thanks!
I’ve been using oils for a few yrs now. Started experimenting making my own body lotion, face toner, relaxing fragrance oils to sleep better & sprays for my car. I get all my recipes from Pinteret…fyi.
Ok, I’m giving this a try. I’m currently spending a small fortune on Arbonne products so 0.75 cents per batch sounds amazing!
Katrina, I totally have acne prone/oily skin. But what I’ve found is that adding the right type of moisturizer really helps. That being said, I also noticed that foods I was eating had a huge affect on my acne prone skin and when I switched to a whole-foods diet, my acne greatly improved. I wash with Castile soap, twice daily and use this cream at night. Hope this helps!
Thanks for sharing.. This homemade cream suit to all type of skin?
Yep!
I LOVE this face cream, too! For facial wash, I use Castile Soap OR straight coconut oil. Every two or three days, I’ll do a good scrub with some baking soda.
I thought tea tree oil could be dangerous around the eyes?
If you were to put pure tea tree oil near your eyes, it would sting! But I think since this recipe has only a few drops it should be fine.
Would this work for extra dry hands? I wonder.
The link to the shea butter doesn’t work! Just wanted you to know.
Thank you! I fixed it 🙂
is this like a moisturizer or a cleanser?
I love this recipe, however there are little gritty things in it. Is this the Shea Butter that didn’t blend? It almost feels like salt. I still use it though, because it makes my face soft. Thanks!
Since there are no preservatives in this recipe how long would this size batch be good for?
Hi, I love this blog. We are about to move into a 3.5 acre plot with a large house, a cottage and a studio to rent out, and a barn too. I’m toying with the idea of having my own cow and milk-sharing. Or we might have a goat instead. Anyway, just thankful for the info here and I wanted to make a contribution of my own – regarding the many questions about the cream. As follows – and I hope this is useful! –
I’ve been making my own facial serums, oils and creams for a while now. You can use a max of 2% essential oil in any batch. More than that will burn. You need around 10% Vitamin E oil in the mix to enable it to keep up to 2 years, or you can add rosemary oil (1.-2% dilution) but this will change the smell. You can make any quantity with these ingredients, as long as the percentages I’ve mentioned are right. if in any doubt of you have skin sensitivities, make a small amount and test on your jawline overnight to see if you get an allergic reaction. Note that oils can be sensitising – just because they are natural, does not mean they are without issues. Also, always mention any that you are using when viisting the doctor as some will cancel out the effects of medicines. I’m thinking St John’s Wort, which is lovely on the skin but contra-indicated with quite a few things.
If the mixture is too grainy, put the oils into a heat-proof dish, placed ontop of a pot of hot water (away from the stove, not on any direct heat) and allow the oils to melt, then take away from the hot water, allow to cool down a bit, and add the essential oils. Stir and put into a jar.
Remember not to put oils on direct heat; some have very low flash points and will catch fire. Easy does it. I have created a facial serum that is nothing short of miraculous: mix together 24ml each of sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, comfrey oil and coconut oil, to make 100ml. Add 10ml of ‘rose de mai’ oil (I buy a 5% dilution in other oil and so there is no danger of burning your skin).
If you can bear your pillow cases being stained, and havig to bleach them after sleeping, you can add 1ml of seabuckthorn berrry oil to this. It is super orange, and will give you a tan like no tanning booth could ever do, but clears up wrinkles and lines in no time. I wish I could post a picture of my skin here, I am 60 and have been youthing for some years now. Even I am amazed!
Good luck ya’ll.
Yes, I’ve started making my own whipped body cream with Shea butter, cocoa butter and sweet almond butter, it’s divine!
Hi Reyna! I’d love to get your exact recipe for your divine body cream. It sounds amazing. Can you share? 🙂
Looking forward to your recipe for your Divine Body Butter. Have been making soap for a yr now, so I have a good verity of oils on hand along with Bees wax.
Thanks in advance. Diane.
This is a great receipe! I did it and I’m using it. The first time however I didn’t mix it well with my teaspoon 🙂 and I had some pieces of shea butter inside. but it was the same great! Thank you for the best blog ever!
Aww! Thanks Alicja!
I have bookmarked your website and have been using your recipes for both my daughters. Their skin is so sensitive, and we love your lotions, chapsticks….
On this particular one the first time I mixed the ingredients I also got that gritty feel, so this last batch I made, I decided to use my mixer and the consistency is soooooo much softer…love it!!!
Thank you for this recipe! I use it on my dry curly hair and it has never been the same. I’ll be making batches to give away with your site address on the tag!
Mine also came out gritty. Is this normal? Once I put it on and rub it in, the grittiness goes away but initially its gritty. Is this the shea butter? I do like the way it makes my skin feel.
It may be the brand of shea butter you are using!
Thanks, I bought 100% pure unrefined shea butter on Amazon.com that claimed to not be gritty so they misrepresented it. The grit does go away once I rub it in. I’ll purchase the same brand you used and try that next time. By the way … I love this recipe. My skin is so soft!
i cant get over the damn tea tree oil scent.
i made a small batch to test it, and added lavender oil until the tea tree scent was toned down.
hope it world ok with a good amount of lavender in it.
going to have to make another small batch with just TTO and bear the smell and compare the two a week at a time.
Thanks, I’m going to try this!
Hey, was just wondering how long a small jar of this will last for before it turns? Getting ready to make a batch up!!
This is now my second time making this. The first jar lasted a few months before I used it all and I loved it. Now the second jar I’ve made was MOLDY when I opened it the other day!! I did nothing different this time than last time. I made it probably 1-2 months ago and it’s now moldy. My last jar never got moldy and lasted longer. I’m now VERY hesitant to make this again. & I now have no moisturizer! Dear author, could you possibly explain how this recipe would get moldy? Thank you.
Sounds like it was contaminated with something else.
I have found coconut oil can go bad and get moldy. A few drops os gse or vitamin E will preserve it
Hi – you must sterilise the jar and don’t ever use a jar with a rubber ring in the lid, from a previous pot of cream as this may contain masses of bacteria. I use a baby’s bottle sterilising liquid (1 capful goes a long way) and soak the jar and lid in it, then dry it with an alcoholic anti-bacterial wipe inside and out, and then put the cream in it. Also be careful to have the jar in a clean room – not a steamy bathroom with things balancing on the edge of your sink or basin. Sterilise ALL of it. Avoid being afriad – you can get ontop of this, you just need to organise it. 🙂
Yes, you can!
Hi, can coca butter be used as an alternative for shea butter?
What would you suggest for an alternative to the shea butter since my daughter can’t use that?
I love this recipe! Question. Since coconut oil can clog pores, would Fractionated Coconut oil be a better substitute for this? Or would it have the same issue?
I make small quantity that can last a week, then do another one once the mixture is used up. It’s easy enough to make, and Yes, I use this all over my body except for the face. And, my skin has gotten super soft.
I tried to make something similar here’s my recepie:
1 teaspoon cocnut oil
3 teaspoons shea butter
2 teaspoons aloa vera gel
1 drop of lavander oil
Then I mixed all ingridients with mixer 🙂
Looks like a great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Could you recommend a larger batch for a smallish mason jar?
Is aloe Vera gel the same as the drink?
No, it is thicker. 🙂
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The first time I made this was 2 yrs ago and I put it into an recycled, glass active yeast jar. It lasted me 1.5yrs and stayed fresh. A little goes a long way! I use tea tree oil, lavender, and rose hip oil. I just made it again, but used unrefined shea butter and saw I was going to have the gritty problem others complained about. I put 2 glass nesting bowls together with hot water between like a double boiler and melted the butter and coconut oil. I was able to whip it and it fixed the consistency issue.
Hope that helps anyone having similar issues!
I’ve been using oils for a few yrs now. Started experimenting making my own body lotion, face toner, relaxing fragrance oils to sleep better & sprays for my car. I get all my recipes from Pinteret…fyi.
I just made a batch and tried it for the first time. It seems really greasy when you put it on but it soaks in beautifully. So excited to feel my skin in the morning.
Love this and can’t wait to try!! I have a question concerning what container to use. Can I use a ball jar? Can I use plastic containers for making homemade balms and creams? If they turn out nicely, I would love to give for Christmas presents. Also, thanks so much for all the tips! I have extremely dry skin from thyroid and very thankful for a natural solution! My experience with true Shea butter has been an unpleasant smell, and texture but it did help, So I am excited to try the added oils!