*~~~~~~~DIY skincare recipe & discussion thread~~~~~~~~*
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

free skin care · Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:45 am

Sonu wrote:

I have tried yogurt+aspirin+lime juice+honey as a mask and it has given me great results.

Cool! Your version is another example of how to successfully combine AHAs and BHAs into one mask to obtain awesome results! The only difference is that instead of using the sugar (glycolic acid), your lime juice provides citric acid which is known to help adjust the PH level of products to prevent them from being too alkaline or acidic. It is also a mild preservative and sequestering agent.

BTW, the acronym you coined above for my new mask could actually stand for the string of swear words I uttered this morning when I was running late for work and stuck my foot in my brand new pair of boots only to discover that my cat had yarked up a hairball inside of one shoe when my toes started squishing around in it!

Okay, I know this is posted in another thread buried somewhere on the forum, but I thought it would also be a good idea to include the data here so all of the info is in one place....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introduction to AHAs/BHAs, 101:

Glycolic Acid
----------------------
Glycolic acid is the most popular alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). It can exfoliate skin cells by breaking down the “glue” that holds skin cells together. Along with lactic acid, glycolic acid is an effective and well-researched AHA.

For your own quick, cheap and effective glycolic acid mask, mix a tablespoon of white (granulated) sugar or brown sugar with a bit of honey or your favorite oil (i.e.: grapeseed, jojoba, Vitamin-E, avocado, etc.) and apply to your face. Leave on 7-10 minutes, then wet fingertips and massage mask onto face, rewetting your fingertips frequently, then rinse face with lukewarm water.

Lactic Acid
---------------------
Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates cells on the surface of skin by breaking down the substance that holds skin cells together. It may irritate mucous membranes and/or cause irritation if used in concentrations that are too strong. It is also used to hydrate and smooth dry, flaking skin.

For your own quick, cheap and effective lactic acid mask, here is a recipe posted by “IndianT” on the Essential Day Spa forum:

• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ tablespoon yogurt (or 5 drops of lemon juice)
• 2-3 drops of olive or almond oil
• ½ tablespoon of orange peel powder (or cornmeal)

Mix ingredients together and apply to freshly cleansed face. Leave mask on for no longer than five minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.

Salicylic Acid
---------------------

Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid derived from the bark of the willow tree. Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are a larger molecule than their cousin, alpha hydroxy acids. The larger molecule size keeps the beta hydroxy acid on the surface of the skin allowing it to more effectively penetrate and exfoliate within the pore.

This action within the pores makes this BHA an ideal exfoliant for use on acne and acne-prone skin. The larger molecule size of salicylic acid produces less irritation than AHAs, making it a welcome alternative for those with sensitive skin.

Salicylic acid is best used on acne-prone and/or sensitive skin and the pore-cleansing properties of it make it a more effective comedone (i.e.: pore-clogging) fighter. Those with sensitive skin who cannot tolerate AHAs may find that they are able to use salicylic acid with good results.

However, alpha hydroxy acid’s penetration into the deeper layers of the skin produce better anti-wrinkle and anti-aging benefits. BHA acids have the ability to penetrate into the pore (AHAs do not), and thus can exfoliate inside the pore as well as on the surface of the skin which makes it especially effective for reducing blemishes, including blackheads and milia (aka: whiteheads).

As an exfoliant, salicylic acid can actually increase the benefits of other therapies used in conjunction with it, however care should be taken to watch skin for signs of excessive irritation. If irritation occurs, then it would be a good idea to either decrease the frequency of use or else refrain from combining it with other therapies.

For your own cheap and quick salicylic acid mask, dissolve 2-3 uncoated aspirin in water and apply to your face. Leave on 10-15 minutes, then wet fingertips and massage mask onto face, re-wetting your fingertips frequently, then rinse with lukewarm water. If desired, a dollop of honey, aloe vera gel or your fave oil can be mixed with the dissolved aspirin mixture to “bind” it so that aspirin flakes do not shower down as the mask begins to dry.

Citric Acid
---------------------
Citric Acid is derived from citrus and used primarily to adjust the PH level of products to prevent them from being too alkaline or acidic. It is also a mild preservative and sequestering agent.

The above recipe from IndianT also contains citric acid in the form of lemon juice and/or orange peel.

free skin care · Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:36 pm

carekate wrote:

Recipe for Homemade Decleor Ylang Ylang Aromessence Oil (holy grail product for controlling sebum production for those with super-oily skin):

• 1 Oz. Kukui Nut Oil
• 6 Drops Ylang Ylang Oil
• 3 Drops Lavendar or Geranium Oil
• 2 Drops Bay Leaf Oil
• 1 Drop Rosemary Oil

Mix it up in an Amber Glass Bottle and Make Sure to Shake it up Before Each Use!

For those of you who have had luck with Decleor Ylang Ylang Aromessence, I have found this to be a great cheap replacement. You can substitute the Kukui Nut Oil with Hazelnut Oil If you like, but it must be refrigerated and made in very small batches as the shelf life is not very long. I chose Kukui Nut Oil to replace it for preservative purposes, and find it works just as well. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, do not use the Rosemary Oil...it can be toxic to babies. I replace Geranium Oil with Lavendar Oil in this recipe when I make it simply because I have it on hand, but geranium oil may be used in place of the lavendar for a product more similar to Decleor.

Hello carekate, your recipes are great Smile

I have a question about the carrier oil. Do I have to use Kukui or Hazelnut oil? What about Grapeseed,almond,and Jojoba oils? Embarassed

free skin care · Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:45 am

Wild Cat wrote:

...What about Grapeseed,almond,and Jojoba oils?

It should be okay to use *one* of those oils in lieu of the kukui or hazelnut oil.

free skin care · Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:44 am

Hi everyone,

One day while doing some internet research, I found a site that was explaining the antioxident properties of Green Tea ... and an interesting point made in there was that Green Tea doesn't lose its antioxident properties even when made with boiling water. The article indicated that there was something in the Green Tea that protects the strength of the antioxidents from being destroyed by the boiling water.

Of course, I can't find that particular page at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that this included Vitamin C.

I got to thinking that if this is true ... then perhaps those same properties that protect the inherent antioxidents, might also protect l-ascorbic acid.

So I brewed some strong green tea ... [one bag and very little boiling water] ... let it steep for a few minutes [the tea now being just "warm" rather than "hot"] and then added 5 ml of it to 1/4 tsp of l-ascorbic acid.

The l-ascorbic acid dissolved in record time ... after which I added 5 ml of PG, [thanks to Carrie for sending me some to try!].

This made a really nice serum ... nicer actually than made with plain water [although this could just be my imagination!] Laughing

Now ... does anyone know if there's a litmus paper sort of "test" to see how strong the vitamin C content is? In other words, how would I test to find out if, say, the green tea did preserve the integrity of the l-ascorbic acid better than water? Any ideas?

Up until now, I've been making a new batch of vitamin C serum every week ... based upon the research that said that it would only last that long ... but it would be nice to be able to actually "test" to see when the mixture became "useless" as well.

Any ideas?

And ... come to that ... with the multitude of commercial Vitamin C creams/serums on the market ... all of which indicate that the vitamin C is "stabilized" ... and many of which come in clear glass ... it would be interesting to test to see if they, in fact, provide the advertised amount of active Vitamin C as well ... no?

Mary

free skin care · Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:13 pm

Hi Mary

I've read that its tricky to add plant extracts (like green tea) to C serums. This is because the extracts contain trace amounts of metal ions which would interact with the Vit C and reverse its effects so that you end up with a pro-oxidant serum. Chelators which sequester the metal ions might help prevent this. HTH

Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:44 pm

^^ do you think the same effect is possible if you use a vit c serum overtop a green tea toner? even if you let the toner dry?

free skin care · Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:31 pm

I'm not sure Azalea, sorry. If I were set on using green tea and Vit C I would play it safe by doing it your way, i.e., letting the toner completely absorb then blotting any leftover film if any. Between the two actives Vit C has a more solid scientific backing so when I use my Vit C in the morning I try to make sure nothing gets in the way of its effectivity. I use a homemade green tea toner too, but only at night.

If you want to pursue this issue I recommend the biochemistryofbeauty.com forum. The sun protection/antioxidants section is open to all.

free skin care · Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:40 am

So this probably means that we should not put Vit C powder/crystals in our ACV toner, right?

free skin care · Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:08 am

phew...looooong thread girls. But simply fantastic!...special thanx to you CareKate for taking the time and wanting to share your exciting findings and recipees - you must have tremendous patience! And thanx to everyone else as well, of course Exclamation

Found a recipe somewhere in here...

Green Tea Toner (recipe courtesy of "Tom" atwww.acne.org): ***

What you need...

• 1 Cup normal tap water or some bottled water
• 4 tsp of fresh green tea leaves or 1 - 2 tea bags
• 1 Vitamin C tablet, i use 500mg - 1000mg (optional)

so what I'm wondering...can I use Vit C tablet to make a Vit C serum? or is that way out there in the ladidaaaas... Rolling Eyes

Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:13 pm

help ? cures for hairloss?

free skin care · Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:33 pm

Hi Faith

I'm not sure about ACV and Vit C. I was making a comment only on the Vit C + green tea combination. Sorry I can't be of help. If I find any relevant info I will let you know.

free skin care · Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:50 am

crazyskin wrote:

Hi Faith

I'm not sure about ACV and Vit C. I was making a comment only on the Vit C + green tea combination. Sorry I can't be of help. If I find any relevant info I will let you know.

I just though, because many of use make the ACV toner with green tea... Confused

free skin care · Fri Oct 21, 2005 4:38 am

faith wrote:

crazyskin wrote:

Hi Faith

I'm not sure about ACV and Vit C. I was making a comment only on the Vit C + green tea combination. Sorry I can't be of help. If I find any relevant info I will let you know.

I guess I should edit the recipe to exclude the Vit-C crystals because I haven’t added them to my own toner when I make it since the very first batch!

I just though, because many of use make the ACV toner with green tea... Confused

free skin care · Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:13 pm

Quote:

because many of use make the ACV toner with green tea...

Oh sorry, I didn't realize that! When I made the ACV toner I did *not* include Vit C, but at that time it was because I did not have the crystals. In that case, its probably safer to choose one - green tea OR Vit C. You probably have a separate C product, so maybe stick with the green tea? HTH

free skin care · Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:14 am

ACV is great with green tea AND vit C. Just because the presence of species could cause reaction does not mean conditions (temperature, reactant concentrations, pH etc.) are correct for this to occur. While it has been proposed that vit C can be a pro-oxidant in the presence of metals it was disproven long ago. The info below is fromwww.pdrhealth.com (in the section discussing vitamin C as a supplement who compile info from medical studies for doctors.
"In order for this reaction to proceed in the body you need a low ratio of Vitamin C to redox active metal ions" This is not ever true in your body or in your ACV toner. Another article they cite says "It has been shown that Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant towards lipids even in the presence of free redox-active metal iron".

Tuning reaction chemistry is my field and the above info is sound.

P.S. Green tea contains vit C like chemicals and it has been shown over and over to be a potent anti-oxidant.

free skin care · Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:36 am

Thanks for that clarification Crazyskin!

You know ... logic told me that because green tea contained vitamin C ... it should be okay to combine the two.

Since I didn't, however, know the chemistry behind it, I wasn't sufficiently confident to query why there would be a difference.

I couldn't, however, understand why incorporating Vitamin C with a plant extract would prove problematic. Laughing

Sure am glad that someone [ie ... you] actually does understand such things.

Mary

free skin care · Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:38 am

I am particularly alert to the interaction effects of Vit C and metals because I made the mistake of using a copper serum with a Vit C product. Sad

Here is a relevant study in PubMed -

Prooxidant property of green tea polyphenols epicatechin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate: implications for anticancer properties.

Azam S, Hadi N, Khan NU, Hadi SM.

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, U.P., India.

It is believed that anticancer and apoptosis inducing properties of green tea are mediated by it's polyphenolic constituents particularly catechins. A number of reports have shown that green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is among the most effective chemopreventive and apoptosis-inducing agents present in the beverage. Plant polyphenols are naturally occurring antioxidants but they also exhibit prooxidant properties. Over the last several years we have shown that various classes of plant polyphenols including flavonoids, curcuminoids and tannins are capable of catalyzing oxidative DNA cleavage particularly in the presence of transition metal ions such as copper and iron. With a view to understand the chemical basis of various pharmacological properties of green tea, in this paper we have compared the prooxidant properties of green tea polyphenols--EGCG and EC ((-)-epicatechin). The rate of oxidative DNA degradation as well as hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion formation was found to be greater in the case of EGCG as compared with EC. It was also shown that copper mediated oxidation of EC and EGCG possibly leads to the formation of polymerized polyphenols. Further, it was indicated that copper oxidized catechins were more efficient prooxidants as compared with their unoxidized forms. These results correlate with the observation by others that EGCG is the most effective apoptosis inducing polyphenol present in green tea. They are also in support of our hypothesis that prooxidant action of plant polyphenols may be an important mechanism of their anticancer properties. A model for binding of Cu(II) to EC has been presented where the formation of quinone and a quinone methide has been proposed.

PMID: 15251172 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

The study you cite is on Vit C as a supplement, are there any categorical and scientific conclusions re Vit C + metals when used as a topical? I'd be most relieved if that has been established as safe because I love Vit C AND green tea. TIA

free skin care · Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:52 am

Hi Mary, what's new at the lab? Very Happy

Thanks for your kind words. I'm *trying* to understand is more accurate I think Laughing

free skin care · Sat Oct 22, 2005 12:52 pm

Again when you put things together that CAN react it doesn't mean that they do under the conditions you are using them. In vivo experiments are in a different environment for example, higher T, many other components present and lower C concentrations in general.

Cu peptides and Vit C may be a problem because of the higher metal concentrations. The low pH of the vit C serums might harm the peptides what I've read on that is conflicting. Some say yes some no.

With green tea the metal content is very low, in topical applications the temperature is lower and the vit C to metal ratio is much, much higher. Therefore I do not believe that the reaction could be important. There are many, many studies on the antioxidant components in green tea and the possibility of reactions with redox active metal ions. The real question, however, is whether the conditions of the experiment correspond to in-vivo or topical conditions. The metal has to be in the right state and concentration for anything of import to happen.

free skin care · Sat Oct 22, 2005 2:57 pm

Hi sharky, thanks for your response. I am not a scientist by profession, but I do have a good grounding in the sciences from my education. So I understand the complexity of it, that certain conditions have to be met in order for a particular reaction to occur. I understand also that experimental findings cannot automatically be presumed to be applicable in-vivo.

Quote:

Cu peptides and Vit C may be a problem because of the higher metal concentrations. The low pH of the vit C serums might harm the peptides what I've read on that is conflicting. Some say yes some no.

Quote:

The real question, however, is whether the conditions of the experiment correspond to in-vivo or topical conditions

So bottom line, based on the scientific evidence you believe the probability of a negative interaction occurring with Vit C and metals happening is low. Can it be ruled out entirely specifically when it comes to topical use? TIA

free skin care · Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:22 am

Here's a timely new recipe from forum newbie, Elaine, who gives us a fantastic way to recycle our Halloween and/or Thanksgiving pumpkins that will leave our skin radiant and glowing!

Lanie44 wrote:

This is a wonderful recipe for a facial mask. Leaves your skin feeling healthy and radiant!

4 oz. cooked pumpkin (fresh or use right out
of the can)
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Place ingredients in food processor or blender to puree. Apply to freshly cleansed face and leave on 20 minutes. Then rinse off with lukewarm water. You'll love it! The remainder can be stored in the frig for future use. Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:04 am

Maybe a dumb question...what does egg do for your skin?? Smile

free skin care · Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:49 am

I'm pretty sure egg yolk is moisturizing.....the whites tighten temporarily and help with breakouts.

free skin care · Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:07 pm

It's that time of the year -- and I'm thinking about gift giving!

Any ideas for gift-worthy DIY beauty aids? I love all of my DIY stuff, but some of them are *functional* but not necessarily FUN (or luxurious).

I'd esp. love to hear about good scent combos and packaging ideas.

ka
PS If anyone has ideas on what to give my *very* pregnant sister-in-law, please share!

free skin care · Mon Nov 07, 2005 11:44 pm

Rose & Lavender Face Cream
A rose and lavender facial cream can be made using the following recipe:
Melt ½ ounce of beeswax in 4 ounces of jojoba using a double boiler. Add 3 ounces of distilled water in a thin stream while stirring vigorously with a wire whisk. Remove from heat and continue stirring while adding 20 drops of rose oil (absolute or otto) and 15 drops of lavender. Allow to cool, then enjoy this wonderful homemade cream.

I found a great site and I'm going to try this one!

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