I've only been making my own skincare products for less than three years but I'm so hooked on it now! I recently looked online at the ingredients of a lovely-sounding organic skin cream but realised (from their positions) that all the wonderful oils and plant-based extracts were in the small percentage area at the end, though they comprised nearly all the ingredients. The first few, the bulk of the product, were relatively inexpensive oils like sunflower and olive. There were so many fancy extracts that I would find it hard to believe that any of them reached their minimum useage amount - so combined they would be pretty useless I'm imagining. I agree, I prefer to stick to a few lovely oils and extracts, all used at at least their minimum useage amounts so that they all give something to the party.
So far I'm loving calendula, rice bran, evening primrose, grapeseed and borage oils and green tea, chamomile, hibiscus and marshmallow extracts plus others but I'm tending to go back to my favourites time and time again. I do love experimenting with new products though which is all part of the fun!
Hello Heather! And the same to you! It sounds like you have some fabulous ingredients to work with. Evening Primrose is a staple in my stockroom, as well as borage. I know what you mean about becoming addicted to developing your own. I'm still crazy in love with it!
As I only formulate for myself (and a few friends), I tend to have my formulas quite simple. I find that having an oil mix base already prepared is really handy, as it avoids micro-doses, and the addition of more than 2-3 actives is not really worth it, as the skin can absorb up to a point. To me, if the oils are good, birthday the cream is good as well :) I need to stay away of the suppliers webs because they can be addictive...
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I've only been making my own skincare products for less than three years but I'm so hooked on it now! I recently looked online at the ingredients of a lovely-sounding organic skin cream but realised (from their positions) that all the wonderful oils and plant-based extracts were in the small percentage area at the end, though they comprised nearly all the ingredients. The first few, the bulk of the product, were relatively inexpensive oils like sunflower and olive. There were so many fancy extracts that I would find it hard to believe that any of them reached their minimum useage amount - so combined they would be pretty useless I'm imagining. I agree, I prefer to stick to a few lovely oils and extracts, all used at at least their minimum useage amounts so that they all give something to the party.
So far I'm loving calendula, rice bran, evening primrose, grapeseed and borage oils and green tea, chamomile, hibiscus and marshmallow extracts plus others but I'm tending to go back to my favourites time and time again. I do love experimenting with new products though which is all part of the fun!
Heather
I find that having an oil mix base already prepared is really handy, as it avoids micro-doses, and the addition of more than 2-3 actives is not really worth it, as the skin can absorb up to a point.
To me, if the oils are good, birthday the cream is good as well :)
I need to stay away of the suppliers webs because they can be addictive...