Easy DIY Cosmetic Hacks

Easy DIY Cosmetic Hacks

Juliette van der Meer

We get it, not everyone wants to make a moisturiser from scratch or wants to go full on into cosmetic formulating. But that doesn't mean you can't get the skin benefits of natural cosmetic ingredients. There are lots of very simple ways to incorporate gorgeous natural oils and actives into your skin care routine - without too much fuss or expense.

So you've got some skin and hair care products at home, but you've heard of the amazing carrier oils, actives and natural ingredients that make high end products stand out, and you're wishing you could experience them.

Well you can!

Our natural cosmetic ingredients are easy to use, and you can incorporate them straight into your existing routine to get the benefits.

How to add Hyaluronic Acid to your Skincare

One of our favourites tips that we'll share again because we know you guys love it, is to add hyaluronic acid into a hydrosol for the easiest hydrating toner. Add 5 pipette-fulls of hyaluronic acid into a 100ml bottle of any hydrosol and shake well. Spritz onto clean but damp skin.

You can also add hyaluronic acid to other products. Add a few drops of hyaluronic acid to your moisturiser, and apply to damp/wet skin. To do this, scoop out a small amount of your moisturiser into the palm of your hand, then drop 3 drops of hyauronic acid serum onto your palm and rub your palms together to combine the moisturiser and oil. Apply to damp skin.

Boosting your moisturiser

Add a few drops of rosehip / squalane / jojoba oil to your existing moisturiser for an extra moisturising boost. You can also try tamanu oil for problem skin. Scoop out a small amount of your moisturiser into the palm of your hand, then drop 3 drops of your oil of choice onto your palms and rub together to combine. Apply to your skin as normal.

In the same way, add 1 drop of Vitamin A palmitate or Vitamin E to your moisturiser to get the benefit of these skin actives.

Add cucumber oil to products to make them more gentle and moisturising, plus it adds an amazing fresh scent. I looove a little cucumber oil in a face wash: add a spoon of cucumber oil into your bottle of product and shake well to combine it.

Botanical Ice Cubes - perfect for our hot summers!

Another easy hack is to freeze botanical infusions into ice cubes, which you can then use to massage and depuff your face.

Green tea ice cubes are amazing to depuff and wake up your skin. You can use green tea bags but I find the unprocessed green tea leaves to be much more potent and effective. Make up your tea infusion as you would make any cup of tea, then decant into an ice tray and freeze. Use in the morning as a wake-me-up, or on hot summer afternoons to give your skin a little boost.

Aloe vera cubes soothe sunburn and irritation. Decant aloe vera liquid into an ice tray and freeze.

Witch hazel is great for inflamed acne and problem skin. Decant witch hazel distillate into an ice tray and freeze, or make your own witch hazel infusion/tea and freeze that.

If you want to zhoosh up your shampoo, conditioner or hair treatment with some additional protein, add a spoon of any hydrolyzed protein to the bottle and shake well.

You can also add a few drops of rosemary, peppermint or other essential oil.

Adding some fragrance to existing products that smell boring:

You can add just 1-3 drops of an essential oil into a plain moisturiser, body cream or even a shampoo to get a lovely fragrance. Make sure to mix it in well.

Try customer favourites such as rose blend, neroli, ylang ylang, orange or even a blend of a few different essential oils.

Working With Bases

Another easy hack is to use bases, and add in extra ingredients to make them customised for your needs. We stock a range of natural bases: cream, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and face wash. They are finished products as is, but are designed to have extra ingredients added to them so that they become customised products.

You can add in all kinds of interesting ingredients, from carrier oils, to skin butters, to actives, and essential oils for different fragrances.

Remember where we added cucumber oil to a face wash above? Well you can do it with a face wash base, and simply add in the cucumber oil to that, and even some additional aloe vera liquid if you like. A cucumber and aloe face wash sounds divine - sign me up!

You can also add the proteins to the shampoo and conditioner base, or even to the cream base and turn it into a nourishing hair cream.

Here is an idea of what can be added to the bases to customise them:

To read the full article on working with bases, please read here: A Quick Guide To Working With Bases

See how easy it is to work with natural cosmetic ingredients? Anyone can do it, including you!

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Note: We are in the process of updating our house brand labels. So while the product you receive may have a new look; please rest assured that its contents is still of the same high quality you’ve come to expect from Essentially Natural

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Essentially Natural Hyaluronic Serum 1% Solution (HMW)

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Juliette van der Meer

Fascinated with all things Nature, Science, Chemistry and Cosmetic Formulation; slave to four cats; my sweet tooth fuels my sweet nature.

I like to constantly learn new things. I also love crime series, which is totally not a red flag :)

I graduated from Rhodes University with a Degree in Geology but later switched to Cosmetic Science and haven't looked back - proof that flipping your life around can lead to much happiness.

BSc Hons, Adv. Dip. Cosmetic Science


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