7 All Natural, Skin Care DIYs

It’s hard to find skin care products these days without the dubious use of conflict palm oil listed in the ingredients. This problem can be easily solved by trying your hand at some DIY skin care products. This is a fun, creative, environmentally friendly and cheaper alternative as most of the ingredients you need are likely to be a staple item in your pantry already!

Here are some tried and tested recipes and helpful tips to getting a healthy glow, without the guilt of consuming unsustainable palm oil.

Helpful hint for healthy skin #1. 

Load up on fresh fruit and veggies!

The key to healthy skin is more than just what you put on your face, it’s also about what you consume. Increasing your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains and steering away from sugary, processed foods gives your skin the beneficial vitamins and nutrients it needs for you to look and feel healthy. The beauty in this is, when you consume foods in their organic states you are also guaranteed to be cutting back on your consumption of palm oil.

Helpful hint for healthy skin #2.

Exfoliating once a week is beneficial in order to remove dead skin cells and brighten your complexion. However, exfoliation scrubs can be a trap for containing palm oil derivatives. You should also consider the harmful effects of plastic microbeads found in some face washes that create massive environmental pollution once those tiny specs of plastics go down the drain – it’s no wonder places like California have voted to ban the beads. Luckily, you can make your own conflict free scrubs with the aid of a few simple ingredients. Check out these awesome DIY facial scrub recipes below:

Green Tea Exfoliator – From Kristin Marr at Live Simply

Image: Kristin Marr | Live Simply

What you need:

• 1 tbs dried green tea leaves (2­4 tea bags, depending on size of tea bag)
• 1 cup white or brown sugar (the sugar should be soft, not large granules)
• ½ cup olive oil (100% olive oil, not an oil “blend”)
• 2 tbs raw honey (optional)
• A few drops of skin friendly essential oil (such as lavender oil)

To make: In a medium­ size bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store the exfoliator in an air­tight container in a cool, dark place.

To use: Apply a tablespoon of exfoliator at a time to your hands. Gently massage the skin (face and/or body) with the exfoliator for 30 seconds. Rinse the exfoliator from the skin with water and a washcloth.

Image: Magdalena Antuña | Selva Beat

If you’re feeling inspired by these DIY scrubs, try something a little more fancy:

Make Your Own Cleansing Grains – From Magdalena Antuña at Selva Beat 

Exfoliating Coffee Coconut Bars – from Julie at Free People

Another simple, yet effective option is to exfoliate with warm water and a clean washcloth.

Helpful hint for healthy skin #3.

I can’t say it enough – ALWAYS remove your makeup (emphasis on the always) before getting your beauty sleep to avoid clogging pores. Conflict palm oil free cleansers are hard to come by – unless you use those DIY skills. 

This 3 ingredient makeup remover from Jana at Free People uses Witch Hazel, Coconut Oil and Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby Castile Soap. I’m a big fan of Dr. Bronner’s after watching their animated and informative Fair Trade Palm Oil video.

Image: Jana | Free People

What you need:

• 1 medium sized jar
• Organic cotton rounds
• ½ tsp Witch Hazel
• Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby Castile Soap
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• Hot water

To make: Fill up a medium sized jar with a cup of hot water, then add in a tablespoon of coconut oil. Mix together, then add in a tablespoon of the unscented baby soap. Next, add in a 1/2 teaspoon of witch hazel. Give the mixture a few stirs.Grab a stack of cotton rounds, about 2/3 the height of the jar. Push the stack of rounds into the jar so they are standing upright. The mixture will start to saturate the wipes, and voila! Homemade makeup remover wipes in a jar. To use, wet your face with water, then use one of the rounds to begin washing off your face. Keep your eyes closed if you are taking off eye makeup! Once done, wash off the excess remover with water.

A quick and simple alternative is to remove makeup with 100% olive oil, works like a charm and leaves skin feeling silky smooth.

Helpful hint for healthy skin #4.

Give your skin some TLC with these DIY skin treatments:

Tea Tree Oil Spot Treatment

What you need:

• A few drops of tea tree oil
• Aloe vera or pure honey
• (seriously, that’s it)

To make: Mix a couple of drops of tea tree oil with the aloe vera or honey and voila! You have a natural, antibacterial spot treatment.

Source: WikiHow

DIY Skin Clearing Face Mist – From Brigette at Free People

Image: Brigette | Free People

What you need:

• 2 tsp himalayan sea salt
• 1 cup peppermint tea
• ½ tsp tea tree oil
• 2-3 drops lavender essential oil
• 2-3 drops lemongrass essential oil

To make: first brew a cup of peppermint tea. While it’s still hot, add in your sea salt and mix well to dissolve. Then, mix in your tea tree oil and essential oils, and allow to cool. Funnel your mixture into an atomizer bottle (glass is best), and you’re good to go!

Helpful hint for healthy skin #5.

Pamper yourself with a DIY mask.The best, most convenient mask I have ever tried is a simple oats and honey mask. Great for cleansing and bringing moisture to your skin and if you’re a porridge enthusiast like me, chances are you’ll already have these ingredients as staple breakfast items!

Image: Jana | Free People

What you need:

• 3 tbs oats
• 3 tbs honey
• warm water

To make: Smash the oats up with a knife or spoon and mix in a bowl with honey and water to form a paste. Apply to face and relax for 15 mins (don’t forget the rounds of cucumber to put on your eyes for that extra bit of extravagance).

Healthy skin really does give you a healthy mindset. Give some of these a try and you might be impressed at how well they work for you, plus you won’t have to rely on products that contain conflict palm oil derivatives!

If you have any DIY skin care products, please share your secrets by commenting below!

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A New Leaf Project is optimistic that making simple changes in our everyday can go a long way to helping put a stop to the dependency on unsustainable palm oil. Follow A New Leaf Project for inspiration on how you can make conscious consuming and sustainable living a project in your life. Don’t forget to support #PalmOilFreeFriday by filling out the weekly form to help you reflect on your conscious consumer habits.

By Chelsea W | A New Leaf Project