Looking for the best natural DIY skincare recipes for clear skin? Change up your face routine with these tips and easy homemade skincare recipes. Say goodbye to the toxins found in most commercial skincare products and hello to healthier skin. Get your FREE printable recipes for natural cleanser, toner, and makeup remover at the bottom of the post.

I’m excited to bring you a guest post by my daughter Tricia. She has become an expert at making her own natural skincare and she is sharing all of her secrets with us. Plus she created 3 FREE printable recipes that you can download so you can create your own DIY cleanser, toner, and makeup remover.

Hi there!

I’m Tricia, Tammy’s daughter. I’m a wife, mama, writer, and digital marketing specialist, and I’ve been on my own health journey for the last 8 years. Interestingly enough, it didn’t start with food. 

(If you want to skip the back story and just go straight to the free natural DIY skincare recipes, I feel you. Scroll to the bottom of this post for printable versions of all three recipes. Just enter your email to download!)

When I was a junior in college, I had horrible acne. It’s something I’d struggled with on and off since puberty, but at 20-years-old, it was the worst it had ever been.

I had cystic acne all along my jawline, and my skin was always red and inflamed. I had perfected putting on my makeup in the dark because it was painful for me to look at my face. I never left the house without makeup on. I avoided mirrors. I hid behind the camera as a photographer so I wouldn’t have to appear in pictures myself.

Over the summer before school started, I went to a dermatologist who put me on an antibiotic. The antibiotic messed up my monthly cycle, made me queasy, and I was uncomfortable staying on it indefinitely. And it really wasn’t working all that well anyway.

I went back and asked for an alternative to the antibiotic. The doctor came in, made me turn my head to each side, barked three things at the nurse, and walked out. He prescribed me a stronger antibiotic and two topical treatments that would come in around $300 a month – with insurance.

NOPE.

What college kid can afford that?? 

The Truth About Commercial Skincare

I went home and researched. I wanted to understand the science behind skincare, and what I found is that the reason I had been on so many different medications over the course of several years is that most prescriptions change your skin’s natural chemistry.

This works for a while. But then your body starts to overcompensate, creating more oil to make up for what you’re stripping away, or becoming dry and flaky because the chemicals are too harsh, or the bacteria causing the breakouts become resistant to the treatment.

I spent hours learning about the best natural solutions for skincare that would work with my body’s natural chemistry to heal my acne from the inside out.

The biggest plot twist? For YEARS marketing campaigns used “oil-free” as a selling point. Wouldn’t you know that the research I did told me that oil draws out the oil. It doesn’t clog your pores, it draws out the impurities from your pores. Using oil on oily skin WILL NOT cause your skin to become more oily. It balances your skin out.

This was a mic drop, and I could not wait to test that theory out. 

I headed to Sprouts with a list:

• Glycerin soap
• Apple cider vinegar
• Raw honey
• Virgin coconut oil
• Virgin olive oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Lemon Essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil
• Tea Tree essential oil

$50 later I got home to turn my kitchen into a science lab, and in about an hour, I had three brand new DIY skincare products.

Within days my redness was reduced. Within 5 months my skin was completely clear. 

 

My Natural Approach To Skincare That Really Works

That was almost 8 years ago, and since then I have paid more and more attention to what I put in and on my body. Our skin is our largest organ, so if I’m avoiding toxic chemicals in my food, I have to be aware of putting toxic chemicals on my body too.

And not only is it natural and non-toxic, it actually works! I’m working with my body instead of trying to fight against it. I’ve tried other skin products over the years, and these three homemade ones, combined with a witch hazel toner and some Maui Miracle oils I discovered a couple of years ago on a trip to Hawaii, (both linked below) are still the most effective and the most budget-friendly, and they last for months!

I do not take credit for these natural DIY skincare recipes. I did not create them from scratch. They came from other bloggers who did their own research and recipe testing, but unfortunately, those blog posts don’t exist anymore. Otherwise, I would be giving them credit!! I’ve since added Frankincense essential oil to all three and switched to Young Living oils. I also occasionally add Geranium essential oil if I have it on hand. 

All of the ingredients are things you can find easily at a local health food store. You may even have quite a few of them in your home already! I use the exact same olive oil and coconut oil we cook with. 

Natural DIY Skincare Recipes

 

 

Why These Are The Best Natural Skincare Treatments For Acne-Prone Skin

Glycerin soap has zero dyes, chemicals, fragrance, nothing. Which means there is nothing harmful that can irritate your skin. Plus all the fatty compounds are intact. It’s a 100% natural product that is great for cleansing your skin without drying it out.

Peppermint is known for reducing redness and irritation. It also helps to combat oily skin. Lemon is antimicrobial and an astringent. It also reduces redness, and can help reduce dark spots and signs of aging! Tea tree is a miracle oil for your skin. It’s another antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory oil and can reduce scarring, leaving you with clear, smooth skin. 

Speaking of miracle oils, if you only get one essential oil in your entire life – you shouldn’t, oils are amazing – but IF you did, Frankincense is the one you want. This is the oil that is going to leave you with that beautiful, glowy complexion. Lavender essential oil is another workhorse oil. It has so many benefits for all kinds of things, but when it comes to skin, it reduces redness, soothes irritation, and is a gentle moisturizer. 

Honey helps to balance out bacteria. It can also speed up your skin cells’ healing process in addition to reducing inflammation, acting as an exfoliant, and activating your body’s natural immune response. 

Many commercial acne solutions contain some sort of acid, and acid can be very effective in treating acne and fine lines. Apple cider vinegar contains natural fruit acids that can cleanse your face of bacteria and other impurities that build up throughout the day. It’s a potent antibacterial and can heal under-the-skin breakouts before they fully form. 

Coconut oil contains fatty acids that also fight harmful microorganisms, specifically Propionibacterium, which plays a big role in the development of inflammatory acne. Not only that, but coconut oil also neutralizes reactive atoms that contribute to inflammation. It promotes healing and can actually make painful cystic acne feel better within a few days of use. 

Olive oil is packed with antioxidants and vitamins – specifically Vitamin A, D, E, and K. It can help prevent premature signs of aging and along with coconut oil, moisturizes your skin without clogging your pores. 

Tricia’s Natural Skincare Tips

I store all of these recipes in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. A bathroom cabinet is perfect. I’ve stored the glycerin soap recipe for over a year, but I try and use the toner and makeup remover up in three months. If you notice anything about the smell, texture, or color change, throw it out and whip up a new batch.

Just like with food, minimally processed is better. When shopping for your ingredients, you want to find items that are as pure as possible. I use organic, virgin, cold-pressed oils; raw, unfiltered honey and support local beekeepers as much as possible; I love me some Bragg’s Apple Cider vinegar, and I use Young Living essential oils.

Your skin might get worse before it gets better. I know that’s not what you want to hear (believe me, I really know how desperate you are for solutions), but you’re detoxing your skin and pulling all those impurities out to the surface. This phase will not last long, I promise. 

I got results with grocery store essential oils. I will shout from the rooftops how amazing Young Living is, and I truly believe that their products are life-changing, and I did get better results from YL oils. But my oil journey started with grocery store oils, and I did get results. You won’t regret investing in the seed-to-seal promise, but I also don’t want you to not try these recipes because you don’t want to order through an MLM. 

I have also added a witch hazel toner and Maui Miracle oils to my skin routine. I add a few drops of lavender and frankincense essential oil to the toner and use it immediately after the honey and apple cider vinegar toner. I use Maui Miracle oils as a moisturizer at the end of my routine. I discovered these when we were in Hawaii, and after I went through the first bottle, I ordered a pack of three and use them all interchangeably on my entire body. Not saying they are the reason I don’t have stretch marks…but I did use them for my entire pregnancy and don’t have a single stretch mark now. 

This was also the beginning of a new journey with food that parallels the journey my parents have taken. I found this information on natural skincare just a few months before my dad had a heart attack at 45. Part of healing your skin is eating minimally processed foods, drinking lots of water, and supporting your body’s systems. Ya know. All the stuff this blog is about! 

Tammy Small is not a dietician, nutritionist, chef, or medical professional, nor is her daughter Tricia Tiedemann.  The information on this blog is based on facts, research, and personal experiences. This blog provides general information and discussions about health, nutrition, and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. You can check out our full disclaimer here.

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