Aloe Vera Skin Cream Recipe
This is a natural skin cream recipe that includes plant-based ingredients that can soothe, tone, and hydrate your skin. It's good for all skin types but especially so for mature and irritated skin. This is a true skin cream recipe made up of an oil phase, water phase, and a cool-down phase, and it makes approximately 4.05 oz (120 ml).
Servings 120 ml
Cost $5
Equipment
- 2 ramekins or other small glass/ceramic container
- 1 airless pump cosmetic dispenser (120 ml / 4 oz) * or a dark cosmetic glass jar
- stainless steel spoons
- cloth or pot holder
- milk frother optional
- pH testing strips optional
- digital kitchen scale optional
Ingredients
Oil Phase
- 2.5 tsp sweet almond oil 10 grams (10%) / or jojoba oil
- 1.5 tsp emulsifying wax NF (or BP) 3 grams (3%)
- 1/8 tsp shea butter 0.5 grams (0.5%)
Water Phase
- 1/4 cup distilled water 71.3 grams (70.3%)
- 1/32 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) 0.2 g (0.2%)
Cool Down Phase A
- 2 tsp aloe vera gel 7 grams (7%)
- 1/2 tsp rosehip seed oil 3 grams (3%)
- 1/2 tsp honey 2.5 grams (2.5%) - must be runny honey
- 1/4 tsp rose geranium essential oil 1 grams (1%) or lavender essential oil
- 1/8 tsp vitamin e oil 0.5 g (0.5%)
Cool Down Phase B
- 1 tsp distilled water 4 g (4%)
- 1/2 tsp Geogard Ultra* 2 grams (2%) - you may also use another broad-spectrum preservative such as Leucidal SF Complete*
Instructions
Preparation
- Measure the water phase ingredients into a heat-proof glass jar.
- Place the oil phase ingredients into a second jar.
- Measure the distilled water and preservative into a small dish and mix with a spoon.
- Measure the rest of the cool-down phase ingredients into a small dish/ramekin. Mix it well to help dissolve the honey.
Heating the Ingredients
- Heat the oil and water phases on indirect heat on the stove top. The simplest way to do this is to make a double boiler by first placing a folded cloth or pot holder at the bottom of a saucepan. Set the two jars on top and then fill the pan with warm water up to the level of the ingredients in the jars.
- Bring the pan to a simmer and stir the phases as they heat and melt.
- When the oil phase is completely melted and both phases are about 158–167°F (70-75°C), remove the jars from the water.
Making the Aloe Skin Cream
- Stir and then pour the water phase ingredients into the oil phase ingredients. Use the spatula to scrape out as much as possible.
- Now it's time to blend the mixture together. You can use a spoon or spatula, but a milk frother helps speed up the process. To use one, submerge the head and turn it on. Move it around to stir, but keep it under the surface. The ingredients will emulsify and begin to thicken as they cool. You can also continuously stir the ingredients manually until they emulsify and thicken. It may take several minutes.
- Once mixed, allow the aloe skin cream to cool until it's under 104°F (40°C). Then stir in the cool-down phase ingredients. Pour them into the cream and stir well.
- Pour/scrape the cream into the clean airtight container and allow it to come to room temperature before sealing it with a lid. It's best to let the cream sit for a day for the ingredients to settle before using it. Shelf-life is dependent on whether you used the Geogard Ultra or another preservative*.
- Massage a small amount of it at a time into your skin and enjoy the aloe goodness!
Notes
Though I strongly encourage you to use the ingredient weights to make this recipe, I've used volume measurements as the main unit for those who don't have a kitchen scale.
*Airless pump dispensers are the best type of cosmetic container for fluid skin cream. They reduce the chances of the product coming into contact with microbes or air, prolonging its shelf life.
*Geogard Ultra is a brand of gentle, broad-spectrum preservative that's suitable for organic skincare recipes. It comes as a powder and is also known as Neodefend or 'Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate'. If you cannot source it, please use another broad-spectrum skincare preservative to stop microbes from colonizing your recipe and making it unsafe for skin. Please refer to the manufacturer's guidelines on usage rate and how to mix it in.
*Geogard Ultra provides eighteen months of protection against bacteria and other microbes as long as the pH is not altered in any way, it's kept at room temperature, and isn't used. Once open, you must use it within six months.