face scrub recipes please?

[Dahila]

facial scrubs should not be used more than twice a week, dixie is right

 

[DeeAnna]

Do you add any extra preservative if you use an animal fat? ...

I use the recommended amount of preservative per the manufacturer's instructions. I'm puzzled -- why would a product with animal fat need more preservative?

 

[BattleGnome]

I use the recommended amount of preservative per the manufacturer's instructions. I'm puzzled -- why would a product with animal fat need more preservative?

It feels like animal products would need some sort of extra.... something to make it (for lack of a better term) stable at room temperature? It just seems like it would get smelly or I'd have the cats after me for a taste. Maybe I'm just assuming rancidity because I consider animal food products to not be shelf stable.

 

[DeeAnna]

I don't know that I agree with you. Any fat can become rancid with time. It is true that some fats become rancid faster than others, but there are many factors that contribute to the differences in shelf life, not just whether the fat is from an animal or a plant.

Look at grapeseed oil that has a shelf life of perhaps 6 months vs. coconut oil that has a shelf life of perhaps 2 years. THe difference in these two fats is the high % of fatty acids with double carbon bonds in the grapeseed versus very low % of these fatty acids in coconut.

But other factors can contribute to shelf life, including how the fat is manufactured and stored. It wasn't all that many decades ago that coconut oil was considered to be the LEAST stable of the soaping fats, because of how it used to be harvested, handled, and processed. This was such a problem that soap makers used the minimum possible amount of coconut to boost lather, because the coconut oil of the day smelled so bad.

I think you're mixing apples and oranges, however. Rancidity isn't prevented by preservatives such as Liquid Germall Plus. It is inhibited by antioxidants (examples: Rosemary Oleoresin, BHT) and by chelators (EDTA, sodium citrate).

 

[emi]

Aww shoot. You're all saying what my mom's been telling me for years! Not to use scrubs! Or very weary of them anyway. She's used nothing but cetaphil on her skin since I think she was a teenager herself. She's 76 now and her skin looks amazing. She always tells me just to use a soft warm washcloth and gently rub circles with my fingers using just cetaphil instead of scrubs. Maybe it's because I'm used to it now, but if I go a week without using a scrub I can literally feel the dead skin layer forming on my face. the washcloth method works particularly well if i wet my face with warm water, apply cetaphil, wait a few minutes then rub with wet towel. Im just so lazy to go through that. But I'll try to work it into my shower routine. I still want to make a scrub. But I'll keep it to oatmeal.

 

[dixiedragon]

LOL. Listen to your mom! Also, if your face is over producing oil and skin cells to make up for the fact that you're basically rubbing sandpaper on your face daily, it's going to take a little time for it to calm down and go back to normal.

 

[toxikon]

Yeah, walnut shell is no-bueno for your skin. The sharp little edges can cause microtears. The St Ives apricot scrub is pretty well-known around the Reddit skincare community as being a bad choice for skin.

Most folks recommend sticking to chemical exfoliation - it's much gentler than physical exfoliation. BHAs and AHAs are good.

I usually use chemical exfoliants once or twice a week, then a physical scrub once a month to get rid of any dead skin build-up that the chemicals might miss. But my physical scrub is just a washcloth.

 

[emi]

Yeah, walnut shell is no-bueno for your skin. The sharp little edges can cause microtears. The St Ives apricot scrub is pretty well-known around the Reddit skincare community as being a bad choice for skin.

Most folks recommend sticking to chemical exfoliation - it's much gentler than physical exfoliation. BHAs and AHAs are good.

I usually use chemical exfoliants once or twice a week, then a physical scrub once a month to get rid of any dead skin build-up that the chemicals might miss. But my physical scrub is just a washcloth.

ah geez. I guess I'll bring down my use of only oatmeal scrubs to just a couple times a month then, or maybe just a wash cloth like my mom said all this time. I'm 38 and I still hate it when she's right!! I do appreciate the informed advise from all of you.... as well as my mother. I'll try chemical exfoliants then for more regular use. BHA and AHA. I don't know anything about them so I looked it up. Do you think the information here is accurate?

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-aha-and-bha/

I do know what salysilic acid is, which according to this article, is the only type of BHA. I remember it being very harsh on my skin and drying it out too much. But that was back when i was a teenager with more oilyness and monthly breakouts that lead me to try those "acne" products which I found to be way to harsh and unnecessary. I just had some clogged pores, not infections and inflammation of bad acne. So i never touched anything with salycilic acid in it again. I guess I have pretty normal "combination" skin with a little oilyness in the "T" zone, a few dry patches in front of my ears. But maybe if I use the salycilic acid in smaller amounts it can serve the purpose of a general exfoliation? Those "acne" face washes and products are so incredibly harsh. Or should I choose AHAs? The article suggests that it doesn't matter... after it tells you all these big differences between them and how they work.

 

[BattleGnome]

To derail things (for a bit)...

I found the dry patches by my ears disappeared when I changed my shampooing habits. I wash my hair 1-2x a week and the patches have disappeared. It was enough of a change that I don't often need a moisturizer anymore. It's only been a few months but the change has been significant.

 

[toxikon]

ah geez. I guess I'll bring down my use of only oatmeal scrubs to just a couple times a month then, or maybe just a wash cloth like my mom said all this time. I'm 38 and I still hate it when she's right!! I do appreciate the informed advise from all of you.... as well as my mother. I'll try chemical exfoliants then for more regular use. BHA and AHA. I don't know anything about them so I looked it up. Do you think the information here is accurate?

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-aha-and-bha/

I do know what salysilic acid is, which according to this article, is the only type of BHA. I remember it being very harsh on my skin and drying it out too much. But that was back when i was a teenager with more oilyness and monthly breakouts that lead me to try those "acne" products which I found to be way to harsh and unnecessary. I just had some clogged pores, not infections and inflammation of bad acne. So i never touched anything with salycilic acid in it again. I guess I have pretty normal "combination" skin with a little oilyness in the "T" zone, a few dry patches in front of my ears. But maybe if I use the salycilic acid in smaller amounts it can serve the purpose of a general exfoliation? Those "acne" face washes and products are so incredibly harsh. Or should I choose AHAs? The article suggests that it doesn't matter... after it tells you all these big differences between them and how they work.

Yup, that article has a good overview. While they're both effective chemical exfoliants, it usually seems like people generally use BHA for clogged pores/acne while AHA is used for reversing sun damage and anti-aging properties.

Here's another good read:
http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-...s/_/difference-between-AHA-and-BHA-exfoliants

I wouldn't recommend the acne face washes or anything harsh, I just use BHA pads to gently wipe down my face after cleansing before bed, then follow up with my moisturizer.

As with any product, you should always introduce them slowly. Try using them once a week, then a few weeks later, try twice a week, etc.

Here's the BHA I use (it's alcohol-free which means it's less drying): http://a.co/4PYRHM7

Sadly, my favourite St Ives AHA pads have been discontinued, so their price on Amazon is crazy expensive: http://a.co/i0kCnHm

But there are tons of alternatives, especially in the Asian skincare market. They actually have some great products that are much gentler - but shipping can be a pain.

CosRX is one of my favourite cosmetic companies and it looks like they have a AHA/BHA toner: http://jolse.com/product/cosrx-ahab...-toner-150ml/3396/?cate_no=25&display_group=1

Anyway... I could talk skincare for hours and hours, so I don't want to derail your post too much. But my PM box is always open!

 

[Flutter]

I have not read through all 3 pages of this thread, but wanted to share the face scrub I make. Mine is really simple; I use green tea (just cut open a bag), white sugar and rice bran oil (I never use coconut oil on my face) and a little lavender eo. I have sensitive skin, so I only use it like once every couple of weeks.

Another natural/homemade face thing I like is what I call "spicy mask"; it is turmeric, greek yogurt and honey (teaspoon of each makes one mask). I do this once or twice a month and it feels great. You do have to scrub your face a bit after so you don't end up looking like an Umpa Loompa

 

[emi]

I don't have any strong recommendations for the fats because everyone is different. I have used shea, lard, or tallow for the solid fat and jojoba, meadowfoam, rice bran oil, high oleic sunflower, or coconut oil for the liquid fat. But the animal fats are a turn-off for many people. The jojoba and meadowfoam are on the exotic side. But most of these fats (excluding jojoba and meadowfoam) are ones I keep on hand for soaping. I like "multi-taskers!"

Try rubbing a dab into your skin of the various fats you have on hand. See which ones feel best to you -- silky, dry, greasy, light, heavy, etc. -- and choose accordingly. I like fats that tend to be light and dry on my skin. You might like fats that create a heavier skin feel or something else. Hard to say!

I made my scrub and it was way too greasy. I couldn't wash it off with water. It was as if I just rubbed coconut oil on my skin and was trying to wash it off. Did i do something horribly wrong? Here's my exact recipe and procedure.

Avocado oil 15.5% 23.25g
HO Sunflower oil 30% 40g
Cocoa butter 15% 22.5g
Shea butter 15% 22.5g
Cetyl alcohol 8% 12g
Ewax 15% 22.5g
Germaben II 0.5% 0.75g
Lavender EO 1% 1.5g

total 150g

I sterilized all my equipment with rubbing alcohol. I melted over a double boiler everything except the EO. I melted everything and got it up to about 170F then held it at 70C (158F) for 20 mins. Then I put the mixture in the fridge and cooled it down to about 45C (113F) and added the EO. I put it back in the fridge until it started to solidify with a thin film over the top and the sides were hardening. I took it out and used a stick blender with a whisk attachment and whisked it for about 5-10 minutes until it reached the consistency of pudding. I then added about a tsp of pulverized oatmeal for exfoliant. Put it into a sterilized jar and let it cool to room temperature.

I basically used your recipe for ingredient proportions and got the procedure from a scrub recipe I found on swiftcraftymonkey's blog that had similar proportions as yours, but hers had only 10% ewax instead of 15%, and 10% cetyl alcohol instead of 8%.

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/09/experiments-in-workshop-black-cocoa.html

Can you tell me if I did something wrong? Or is it supposed to be this greasy?

 

[WeaversPort]

I made my scrub and it was way too greasy. I couldn't wash it off with water. It was as if I just rubbed coconut oil on my skin and was trying to wash it off.

Out of curiosity, did you do a skin test with these oils individually before you combined them? I find Shea butter is amazing in solid lotion bars, especially after a shower. It can, however, leave a heavier skin feeling. That makes it perfect for preventing transepidermal water loss; but if you're not prepared for that, it might feel like leaving chapstick all over your face.

You might be better off with a "lighter" butter like mango butter. Avocado butter could also be a good option (though you already have avocado oil in the recipe), or you might try one of the more exotic butters if you wanted. Olive butter might be another way to go. The squalene is a nice addition to a facial product, but you'd again want to test it first to see if you like it on your skin. Chances are it might feel a little heavy at first, but should quickly absorb.

 

[Dahila]

Ewax is is greasy, oils are too heavy for my liking. I use BMTS-50 or Emulsimulse ; inci Glyceryl Stearate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, much cheaper and gives the feel similar to BMTS 50

 

[DeeAnna]

"...I made my scrub and it was way too greasy. I couldn't wash it off with water. It was as if I just rubbed coconut oil on my skin and was trying to wash it off. Did i do something horribly wrong?..."

You are expecting to use someone else's recipe with your own tweaks and expecting perfection in the first try. My recipe as written works for me, and it took me about 6 trials to get it right. You'll need to do your own tweaking to get your recipe right for you.

If the product doesn't wash off, then the simple answer is that you need to tweak the emulsifier amount.

My recipe in this thread -- http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=58468 -- calls for e-wax e-wax at 17.3%. I also say in the recipe that you can vary that amount up or down 1-2% depending on the skin feel you want. I also explain why you want to tweak this percentage, starting in Post 24 of this thread.

You used 15% emulsifier. Compare that to my emulsifier percentage and think about it-- you used less emulsifier than the recipe calls for, and you say your face is too greasy after using the product. What tweak can you make to help solve this problem?

edit: And I also see you've included cetyl alcohol in your recipe. That will change the behavior of the scrub as well, so don't expect the emulsifier percentage that I used in my recipe to hold true for yours. Regardless, the method of thinking I'm trying to get you to figure out is still the right way to go to get your recipe to work better for you.

 

[dixiedragon]

I use a salt scrub that's just salt, fragrance and oils on my legs. I like it b/c it does precisely what you say - it leaves oil on my skin. In my inexpert opinion, that recipe looks like lotion + exfoliant.

 

[DeeAnna]

...In my inexpert opinion, that recipe looks like lotion + exfoliant.

That's more or less what the recipe is, although it doesn't become a lotion until you rinse the product off with water.

The OP said somewhere in the middle of this thread after some discussion of alternatives, "... I think my first step should be to attempt an emulsified sugar scrub...."

That's why we've been talking about scrubs with emulsifier rather than the more basic scrub that you described.

 

[emi]

"...I made my scrub and it was way too greasy. I couldn't wash it off with water. It was as if I just rubbed coconut oil on my skin and was trying to wash it off. Did i do something horribly wrong?..."

You are expecting to use someone else's recipe with your own tweaks and expecting perfection in the first try. My recipe as written works for me, and it took me about 6 trials to get it right. You'll need to do your own tweaking to get your recipe right for you.

If the product doesn't wash off, then the simple answer is that you need to tweak the emulsifier amount.

My recipe in this thread -- http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=58468 -- calls for e-wax e-wax at 17.3%. I also say in the recipe that you can vary that amount up or down 1-2% depending on the skin feel you want. I also explain why you want to tweak this percentage, starting in Post 24 of this thread.

You used 15% emulsifier. Compare that to my emulsifier percentage and think about it-- you used less emulsifier than the recipe calls for, and you say your face is too greasy after using the product. What tweak can you make to help solve this problem?

edit: And I also see you've included cetyl alcohol in your recipe. That will change the behavior of the scrub as well, so don't expect the emulsifier percentage that I used in my recipe to hold true for yours. Regardless, the method of thinking I'm trying to get you to figure out is still the right way to go to get your recipe to work better for you.

Thank you for your feedback! You're absolutely right. I shouldn't expect results of what I might like using someone elses recipe I didn't even follow exactly. So this shall be another jouney of tweaking and adjusting to get to my hopefully ideal face scrub. I might also try an alternative to Ewax like Dahlia suggested since she too mentioned the heaviness. But i'm going to first see if omitting the shea and increasing the ewax might lighten the feel. But you didn't mention anything about the process. Did those temperatures and hold time seem ok to you? I am curious what your process is. I'm also going to try coconut oil instead of shea. Shea, as Weaverport says, does feel really heavy on my skin. The only other solid oil I have on hand is soy wax, beeswax, and coconut. So I'm going to try coconut since I do like the feel of it on my skin. I'm going to try increasing ewax all the way to 20% and use proportions of about 40% hard oil and 60% liquid oil as your recipe has just as a starting point and tweak from there as you suggested. I got the cetyl alcohol from the swiftcrafty recipe. I read that it is a thickener and an emulsion stabilizer and noticed it in several other scrub recipes. Do you find that ingredient to be unnecessary? I'll try this recipe.

cocoa butter 14%
coconut oil 14%
RB oil 21.5%
Sunflower oil 21%
Ewax 20%
cetyl alcohol 8%
Germaben II 0.5%
Lavender EO 1%

I'll use the same process as before unless I hear I should do otherwise. And only do total 100g in case I have to throw out this batch too! Thanks again for yours as well as everyone else's feedback!

 

[artemis]

And only do total 100g in case I have to throw out this batch too! Thanks again for yours as well as everyone else's feedback!

If you haven't thrown out your first one, maybe you should try it on a different part of your body.

 

[Dahila]

If I was in your situation I would read carefully the instruction how to make them. http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=sugar+scrub