The press about personal care products is pretty bad, and with good reason: many products are loaded with endocrine disrupting chemicals. Even The New York Times jumped on the bandwagon with an expert recommending we cut back to two or three personal care products. What to use? Here are some simple, safe skin cleansers that are easy to make!

Here are five tried and true natural cleaners for your skin that use healing ingredients. These simple, homemade formulas cost pennies compared to commercial equivalents, except for making your own soap, or buying homemade soap, which is expensive yet worth it because the soap lasts a very long time and it is so emollient.

* Homemade soap is incredibly creamy and not drying at all because it holds all the glycerin, which soap manufacturers remove. You can make your own (search for a good recipe on the internet), or buy it at natural food stores.

Basic Cleansing Oil Formula
The shelf life of this formula is as long the oil doesn’t smell rancid, which could be a couple of months, or longer if you use olive oil.

1 ounce coconut oil
1/4 ounce vegetable oil of choice
6 drops antibacterial essential oil, such as rosemary or lavender

Combine in a jar, and stir to blend. Dab a bit onto your fingertips and massage onto your face. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Fruit AHA Cleanser
Just make enough of this formula for one washing, or refrigerate up to one week.

1/4 cup juice or fruit pulp of strawberries, blackberries, grapes, citrus (such as lemon juice), or tomatoes

Dab juice on your fingers and massage onto your face. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Basic Cleansing Water
Much easier on your face than soap, yet with the ability to cut grease, the shelf life of this formula is indefinite.

1/2 ounce grated soap or a liquid castile soap
1 cup water

Blend ingredients in a jar. Soak overnight if needed to dissolve the soap. Shake to blend. Dab some of the mixture on your fingers and massage onto your face. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Witch Hazel Cleanser
I actually have a witch hazel tree on my land! The sap is quite a cleanser and astringent.

2 teaspoons witch hazel extract

Dab onto your face with a cotton ball or washcloth. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. The shelf life of witch hazel is indefinite.

RESOURCE
Find out about the products that you do use, and how healthy or not they are, at Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep

The New York Times article referenced above: The Cosmetics Restriction Diet. NY Times. (4 Jan 07)