My Homemade Face Moisturizing Oil

So, this was actually one of the first homemade beauty items that I decided to make and the reason is kind of odd. Back in the fall, Brett informed me after reading some random blog, that Zooey Deschanel uses some uber-expensive face oil. This information took awhile to absorb because I first had to wonder what blogs he is reading? Also, why would he care about some female celebrity's beauty rituals? Then, it hit me: he thinks she is hot. Duh! And, whatever makes her hot will also make me hot, right? I assume this is how his mind works, at least.

Therefore, I decided to do some research. I no longer remember the exact article that he had read and shared with me, but Googling "Zooey Deschanel's face oil" immediately pulls up one that gives me the name of this product. I believe that it's what we looked at back in November when he first brought up this interesting topic of discussion. Upon initially seeing this in November, the first thing I realized was that cost was a huge deterrent. $30 for 2 ounces! That is a bit steep for me (perhaps not for Zooey Deschanel?), but I assume it is also a bit on the high end for my readers, as well. That's when it dawned on me that I could surely just mix up my own face oil and save tons of money.

That meant more research! I found this blog, which described tons of oils and their respective helpful properties. Then, I jotted down a few oils that I was interested in possibly using, depending upon availability and price. The oils I selected came from a natural foods store. For my base oil, I chose sweet almond oil, which comes in a 16 ounce bottle for $10.99. (I was considering jojoba originally but it was more expensive, so I went with the almond oil. Also, I rationalized that if for some reason, I didn't like my face oil, the almond oil could serve as an all-over moisturizer until it was used up.) For the extra nourishing oil, I decided on evening primrose oil for two reasons: the blogger said it was great for all skin types, and it is supposed to be beneficial to folks with breast pain, which I touched on in my previous post. This came in a 4 ounce bottle for $19.99, so it was the brunt of my cost. Lastly, I chose my essential oil from myriad possibilities. Lemongrass, according to the blogger, is good for all skin types, plus it is supposed to brighten and tone skin. Honestly, I am not sure if I have noticed the last couple of things, but it smells nice, which was the deciding factor for me. It came in a 1 ounce bottle for $5.99, which is not bad, really, because essential oils are used so sparingly. (Again, I rationalized this expense by telling myself that if this didn't work out, I would just add a few drops each time I mix up my all-purpose cleaner.) All told, I spent just under $40, which was an initial investment, but I look at it that way: as an investment. I can now make a bajillion batches of my homemade face oil for a little more than Zooey Deschanel apparently paid for 2 ounces of her fancy-pants face oil.

{3-Ingredient DIY Face Oil}

Ingredients:

• base oil (I use almond oil)
• nourishing oil (I use evening primrose oil)
• essential oil (I use lemongrass)

Directions: 

1. Fill your container (I used a small plastic bottle intended for travel-size portions of toiletries, but I assume glass is the preferred material here. My container holds about 2 ounces, I belive.) about 2/3 of the way with your base oil. I use almond oil. Jojoba and argan are considered to be really good stuff, if you don't mind the extra cost. Tip: I have found that a small silicone funnel is especially handy for transferring oil from the large bottle to the smaller bottle.
2. Next, add the extra nourishing oil until the container is nearly full. Again, I used evening primrose oil, but there are many, many others to choose from. Tip: The eye dropper is optional. I really like my flexible funnel.
3. Lastly, add a few drops of the essential oil. I used 5 or 6 drops of lemongrass.
4. Shake well and apply to face using a cotton ball. You really only need a couple of drops to cover the whole face, although sometimes I add an extra drop if I am planning to moisturize my neck. To apply, sweep upwards in gentle, circular motions. Tip: I have also used this oil as a hand moisturizer, specifically as a cuticle treatment, which has worked nicely. Tip: Because you will use such small amounts of oil, I like to tear my cotton balls in half to prevent waste.

Note: This oil should keep for 8-12 months (according to Crunchy Betty) if kept in a tightly closed container and stored in a dark place. I found that mine only lasts me about 2-3 months, so I don't have to worry about it going bad.

I first made this face oil back in December and I have made it once more since then. (There was an unfortunate accident resulting in spillage. Good thing it wasn't the uber-expensive $30/2 ounce kind!) I use this oil once a day now, in the mornings. (At night, I wash my face using the oil cleansing method, which I promise I will share soon!) I feel that it does an awesome job of moisturizing my face, even during the winter months. The only issue is that I was struggling with was more acne, at least until the weather recently got warmer. I don't think the oil is to blame, (in fact, I am sure it is not, I am saying the blame is my own for buying crumby Clean & Clear face wash because it was a good deal), but down the road I would like to experiment with my blend of oil and possibly consider tea tree oil to help with the acne. There are tons of possibilities out there, and I really only have tried one version so far. The beauty of homemade face oil, is that you can tweak it to fit your skin type and current needs, so I am betting that I will be making this for a long, long time (and not just because I have oodles and oodles of ingredients left)!

Note: If you liked this post, you might also be interested in how I clean my makeup brushes and how to make your own eye makeup remover.