Liquid Lotion


I developed this product recently for a lovely lady in her late 70's with very sensitive skin. When I say sensitive, I mean very very sensitive.

She cannot wear any make-up, and her face is frequently 'dotted' with dry patches that are flakey, itchy, irritated, and red.


Her brief:
'it comes out of nowhere. I can't pinpoint what causes it. Anything can kick it off  – a change in weather, food? (I'm never sure), exposure to sun, you name it.
I've tried every product for sensitive skin on the market – nothing works for me. I use plain water to wash my face and  – sometimes – plain oil for moisturizer. And the oil sometimes irritates me too, but plain water is what irritates my skin the least, but my skin feels so dry.' 
Finding anything she would be able to tolerate and use was – to put it mildly – a bit of a challenge.

One Thing at a Time

After our initial briefing, I decided to approach this 'one ingredient at a time' and started by giving her some pure aloe vera in a small spray bottle. She was instructed to lightly mist the aloe vera over her face after washing, then let the skin air dry.

After a few days she reported back with a thumbs up – no adverse reactions.

Another ingredient was added, and we proceeded from there until her Liquid Lotion was ready.

Less is More

When making a product for skin this sensitive, less really is more. This formula ended up with a fairly short list of ingredients, but included effective 'goodies' like panthenol, glycerine-based herbal extracts, and hydrosol – all working in synergy to help moisturize and protect.

The best part? Her satisfaction! I'm pretty sure I was just as thrilled as she was at discovering how well this worked for her.

Her second order is being filled as we speak.

Do Tell

Do you know anyone with super sensitive skin? What do they do to wash and moisturize their skin?

Are you interested in ordering a custom product? You can read about it right here.

Comments

Gwen said…
So glad you were able to help her! I can't imagine dealing with that for so long. The bonus, I guess, is that she hasn't been putting questionable products/ingredients on her skin all this time.

Many of my face sensitivities line right up with my inside sensitivities, like many preservatives and soy-based ingredients of any kind. Many of those ingredients are also hidden in medications and supplements, so deep label reading has been key for years.

I also have to stay away from anything with Salicylic Acid, using that is like putting my face right into a campfire and leaves me with red patches for days. I'd rather have one small breakout than much bigger patches of visibly inflamed skin, thank you very much.

Love your approach with her and I'm sure she's thrilled.

LisaLise said…
Thank you kindly Gwen! She was indeed very happy with the product and has already reordered. :D
María said…
It's really amazing, less is really more! And in this modern life we're living, we tend to forget it
LisaLise said…
Thank you Maria - I agree !
Liz said…
I am intrigued by this lotion-spray and your approach gives me inspiration to create something for my own mother. She is in her mid eighties and can't tolerate any parfum and barely any commercial brand skincare brands suit her. As we know, even those that say 'fragrance free' have various additives to mask the perhaps less than pleasant scent of the base. I completely agree that less is more and if we use fewer ingredients we can easily eliminate them - or as in your spray's case, add them - one by one to see what suits best. Thanks for this simple reminder of that sensible approach to developing skincare, whether we've sensitive skin or not.
LisaLise said…
HI Liz- Thanks for your feedback! I hope you find the perfect ingredients for your mothers needs.
ena said…
Hi Lise! I love reading your blog (so informative for a newbie like me) and looking at your pictures (very inspiring). I have never heard of glycerites before and am eager to try making them following your instructions.

But one thing I am confused about is the use of floral waters/hydrolats (the by-product of distilling essential oils). For example, I love using rose hydrosol...but some people say that I have to add in some sort of preservative if I am mixing it with other things and want it to last longer. Is this true?

Appreciate your thoughts on this.
LisaLise said…
HI Ena - Thanks for your kind words! You ask a very big question here as a quality rose hydrosol CAN be self preserving to some degree but it is really all down to how the product is made, handled and packaged. I have rose hydrosol from a distiller who promises a 5 year shelf life with no preservative added (at this point in time I am on year 3 and it's still good). I have had rose hydrosols that went wonky after 4 months (this, I will admit has only happened ONCE in all the years I have worked with rose hydrosol). Long story short: if you have the right supplier and store and handle the product correctly, you do not need to add preservative. You will need to do your own testing and research on finding the right supplier.

That said: as soon as you add a rose hydrosol to other ingredients in a formula, you will need to preserve accordingly. I hope this was of some help. :)