Beauty Pins

Different types of cleansers are available to suit all needs and preferences. While some people prefer to wash their face with a soapy cleanser and water, those with more sensitive skin might choose a soap-free formula. Milky cleansers are always a favorite of people with dry skin, because their creaminess counteracts the drying effects of soap. Oily cleansers are highly appreciated when waterproof makeup needs removal; just make sure to follow with a toner to wash away oily residue. A cleanser can be a scrub, as well. Just add some beads to the formulation to get a two-in-one cleanser and scrub. The beads could be ground oats, almond meal, semolina, clay, or other slightly coarse components. Multiple formulas are offered in this chapter; choose your favorites according to your preferences and your skin type.

Facial masks are the perfect place to start for beginners, because they are simple, and all you need to achieve is a pleasant texture you can work with. A good texture is usually smooth, with no visible lumps, and of an adequate thickness that will allow spreading with minimal dripping. Thickeners of choice will come right out of your pantry, for example, ground oats, almond meal, rice powder, cornstarch, cornmeal, and other such ingredients. Because facial masks are often extemporaneous preparations, meaning they are to be used right away, you do not need to worry about preservation. Just mix the ingredients, apply the mix, and let your skin soak in the nutrients at the peak of their concentration. It is usually okay to refrigerate the leftovers if you plan to treat yourself to another mask during the same week before the mixture starts to lose moisture and antioxidants. If your preparation is a little runny, you might either use more thickener or simply spread it between double

Whether it is just for the fun of it, to save money, or to have full control and knowledge of what goes in and what stays out, making your own skincare products remains a skillful art that translates an uncompromised passion for beauty. No matter the motive, the methodology is the same. This hobby-like science will answer multiple beauty needs with customized formulas that are effective, safe, and enjoyable. While beginners might want to follow formulas exactly as they are presented, growing talent and practice can fuel creativity. It is important, however, to respect proportions and the whole structure of the formula. A few basic things are essential before starting to make your own skincare products, and they are explained in the following sections of this chapter.

Essential oils are highly fragrant, super concentrated, and extremely volatile; and their effects on humans are proven and documented. Even though a growing number of synthetic fragrances are available at much cheaper prices, manufacturers still rely on essential oils when making more natural products that are less sensitizing and have better skin tolerability. EXTRACTION Steam distillation is often the method of choice for extracting essential oils. It takes a lot of flowers to yield a little essential oil. Even though some highly fragrant flowers contain more essential oil, very large amounts are needed for extraction for example, two pounds of petals produce only one ounce of essential oil.

Numerous herbs and flowers carry multiple skin benefits. Whether used as hydrosols, powders, extracts, teas, or essential oils, they remain a strong pillar in cosmetics. Some of the recipes included in this book call for specific flower waters, also known as hydrosols, herbal teas, or herbal extracts, most of which are available at local grocery stores, specialty shops, or online. But for the enthusiasts who would like to start their product from as close to scratch as possible, and possibly grow their own organic herbs and flowers, the methodology of making your own hydrosols and herbal extracts follows, beginning with a few points about harvesting: Make sure you identify and collect the right part of the plant, for example, petals versus buds. Pick your flowers and herbs on sunny days after the morning dew has evaporated, to keep humidity at its lowest and help preserve your plants. If you are after essential oils, pick your flowers early in the morning when the concentration is

Beauty oils are oils obtained from specific parts of oil-bearing plants such as seeds, fruits, or roots. Beauty oils are known as fixed oils, because, unlike essential oils, they are non-volatile, meaning they do not evaporate. They may also be referred to as carrier oils because they often serve as vehicles and diluting agents for essential oils. Although most Beauty oils could be applied undiluted, they are often part of a blend or are incorporated into a formula in which they make up most of the oil phase alongside butters and waxes. Beauty oils are extremely beneficial for skin and offer multiple benefits, such as improving skin texture, preserving moisture, preventing wrinkles, and protecting skin from environmental stressors. Even though many Beauty oils are known for their broad cosmetic use, a lot of them are also culinary or gourmet oils; examples are olive oil, hazelnut oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil. Also, because of their packed benefits, some of them are taken inter

Although lotions and creams are the most prevalent forms of skincare products, there are many other less ubiquitous formulations such as solutions, suspensions, gels, oils, ointments, balms, and even powders. Lotions and Creams Lotions and creams are emulsions formed by dispersion of an oil phase into an aqueous phase or an aqueous phase into an oil phase. The emulsion is then called an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion, respectively. Generally speaking, most lotions are oil-in-water because they are more pleasant to the touch and do not leave a greasy residue. Because of the immiscibility of the two phases, oil droplets are dispersed and stabilized within the continuous aqueous phase with the aid of an emulsifier, which can also act as a surfactant as in, for example, lecithin and Cetearyl alcohol. Sometimes a thickener, such as gum or starch, is also used to bring more stability to the emulsion by increasing the viscosity of the continuous phase and reducing the risk of sepa

Proteins are an important component of skin cells, with the two most prevalent ones being collagen and keratin. While collagen alone accounts for 75 percent of skin, keratin is mostly present in the epidermis and is the main component of hair and nails. Collagen and elastin, another protein, are mainly part of the dermis, where both proteins are in charge of maintaining adequate skin elasticity and support. It is within the dermis that wrinkles form. Adequate supplementation of proteins, whether sourced from animals or vegetables, is essential for maintaining healthy skin and for allowing wounds to heal. Quality proteins and amino acids such as lysine, proline, arginine, and glycine are important for skin maintenance and collagen health and can be found in a variety of dietary sources, including peanuts, walnuts, flaxseeds, chickpeas, quinoa, dairy, egg whites, fish, and poultry. It is also important to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin C, since it is a co-player involved in i

Skin is the exterior organ that covers the human body, as well as the body of other vertebrates. It is the first layer that comes in contact with exterior factors, helping to protect us from external dangers. Because of its dense network of sensitive nerve endings, skin acts as a sensory organ as well. It also helps regulate our body temperature and is capable of activating vitamin D after UV exposure. Skin thickness varies greatly across the human body; it is thinnest around the eyes, where wrinkles tend to first appear, while the heels and palms are covered with notably denser skin. It was long believed that skin was an impermeable barrier. Although it is true that skin does not allow bigger compounds to penetrate it, such belief was revised after the skin was found to be permeable to many substances, including most skincare products. This permeability can allow the introduction of chemicals (such as coal tar and phthalates) into the human body. The skin can also be a targeted p