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One way to cleanse your skin is to make use of cleansing balms. It is the balms that combine the effectiveness of oils, which help remove even waterproof makeup, with the degreasing and cleansing effects of clays. The fact that a cleansing clay balm does not contain water makes it really easy to make, plus it doesn't require a preservative as long as you take care not to get water in the product, for example when scooping the balm with wet hands.
To make a cleansing clay balm, you basically need a mixture of oils and clay, supplemented with fatty alcohol to help firm the product and thus make it easier to apply to the skin. Massage the balm gently onto skin dampened with water and then rinse thoroughly. Excess oil can be removed, for example, with micellar water or other water-based cleansers (foam or powder cleansers).
On the following lines, we bring you some tips and tricks to make it easier for you to make a cleaning clay balm.Since making a cleansing clay balm is really simple, you just need to heat the mixture long enough to ensure that all the ingredients are well combined, while being careful not to let the water from the water bath enter the mixture. Any water in the product can cause it to quickly go bad microbially, so avoid applying this product with wet hands. Since Phase A will begin to solidify after it is removed from the water bath, Phase B ingredients must be added before the temperature drops completely below 40°C. If you wait until the temperature has dropped completely, the mixture will solidify and you will not be able to mix in the other raw materials. Also for this reason tocopheryl acetate was chosen, which has a higher heat resistance than tocopherol. Therefore, do not confuse tocopheryl acetate with tocopherol.
Below we will introduce the different raw materials used to produce the Purifying Clay Balm. You will not only learn more about the meaning of the individual ingredients in the recipe, but also about their possible substitutions or variations, so that you can prepare a tailor-made product.
A popular neutral oil for almost all cosmetics is MCT caprylis. This oil has high stability and resistance to oxidation, so products containing it will stay fresh longer. At the same time, it is colourless and odourless, so it allows the other ingredients of the product to stand out. MCT caprylis can be replaced with vegetable oils of your choice. Feel free to choose an oil that is your favourite, or even one with a stronger colour or smell, if you don't mind that these characteristics may affect the final colour and smell of the product.
Another popular facial and cooking oil is avocado oil. This oil is rich in vitamins and minerals and so provides excellent nourishment and care for the skin. However, avocado oil is not the only one you can use to make a cleansing clay balm. Feel free to substitute this oil with another vegetable oil, similar to MCT caprylis. If you want to make a larger amount of cleansing clay balm and price is a factor, you can also reach for cheaper oils, including refined oils - because the product is washable and won't stay on your skin for long, so it doesn't need to include the most luxurious oils.
Cetearyl alcohol has been chosen for the cleansing clay balm to thicken and firm the final product. This fatty alcohol is very similar in appearance and behaviour to waxes, but it weighs down the skin much less and does not create as strong a greasy film on the skin as waxes do. Cetearyl alcohol combines well with oil-soluble ingredients. By changing the amount of cetearyl alcohol, you can vary the resulting strength of the balm - if you want a stiffer balm, increase the cetearyl alcohol content by 1-2% and vice versa. Substitute cetearyl alcohol with cetyl alcohol.
The emulsifier and the second firming ingredient of the cleansing clay balm is Olivem 1000. Although the product does not contain water, you will appreciate Olivem 1000 as an ingredient that adds stiffness to the product. This is also why this is the second ingredient whose representation you can slightly increase if you want a firmer balm and vice versa.At the same time, Olivem 1000, when massaged into the cleansing clay balm on damp skin, allows the oils to emulsify with water, thus cleaning the skin more effectively. Alternatives to Olivem 1000 are other emulsifiers, such as Beautyderm K10, but when substituting Olivem 1000 you must allow for a slight change in the viscosity/stiffness of the final product.
You will also love the effective cleansing and degreasing effects of clays thanks to our cleansing skin balm containing green-blue French clay. Clays are great for helping to degrease the skin and get rid of impurities, as they are able to bind substances and grease to themselves. In addition, clays are rich in minerals and thus help nourish the skin. Be sure not to leave the clay out of the product, the resulting product would not have as strong cleansing abilities as without it. However, you can replace the green-blue clay with another clay of your choice. For example, try pink French clay or reach for yellow illite. Beware of bentonite though, it can behave a little differently than other clays when combined with water and applied to the skin, as it readily binds water. Thus, when bentonite is applied to wet skin, it may form clumps and the product will be harder to apply.
To prolong the freshness of the oils, an antioxidant, specifically vitamin E, tocopheryl acetate, has been added to the product. Tocopheryl acetate, unlike tocopherol, is more heat resistant, so don't confuse the two, as we have to add vitamin E to a still fairly hot product.On the other hand, it is also possible to omit tocopheryl acetate. This can be done especially if you plan to consume the product quickly (in the order of weeks). If you want to use the product for a longer period of time, it is advisable to consider adding tocopherol acetate, which will help delay the significant oxidation of the oils used. Alternatively, substitute avocado oil with MCT caprylis, which has a significantly higher resistance to oxidation than conventional vegetable oils.
Who doesn't like cosmetics with a pleasant scent? That's why we've added rosemary essential oil, which has a pleasantly herbal scent and combines antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great addition to a cleansing clay balm.If you have another favourite essential oil, feel free to choose it instead of rosemary essential oil. However, follow the dosage for the type of product, which is listed in IFRA standards, for example. As an alternative to essential oils, fragrance oils offer an even wider range of scents than essential oils. Alternatively, you can omit the fragrance altogether and replace the essential oil with a vegetable oil.
As mentioned, you can experiment with homemade recipes to achieve the desired properties. However, many factors such as humidity, temperature, quality of ingredients and storage can affect the final result. Before using any raw material to make a cosmetic product, familiarize yourself with its properties, recommended dosage, storage conditions or safe handling. Any raw material may have the potential to cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, so before using a product, we recommend that you find out if you suffer from an allergy to any of the raw materials or the overall product, e.g. by a skin test. If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or other skin and health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to your skin, whether it is a homemade cosmetic product, a pure raw material or a commercially available product.
Do you use cleansing cosmetics on your skin on a daily basis, or are you going to create a cleansing clay balm following this guide? Let us know how your cosmetic creation went. If you have any questions or would like to add to this tutorial, we would be happy if you could email us at marketing@handymade.skThank you to the wonderful Ivana Jačalová for preparing this blog post. We look forward to seeing you in the next blog post.
Goodbye, my friends.
