I looked through the aftershave section, looked into getting a few, and had a little sticker shock.
So I thought it might be fun and a little more economical to make my own - get a decent base setup, try different combinations of essential oils, add some menthol...
However, most of the homemade threads I have seen do not explain much about the ingredients, so I hope to start a discussion that does.
While mostly geared toward lotions, this site has a a wealth of info - http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/ - and is the source for most of what follows.
Moisturizing Components - Humectants, Emollients, Occlusives
HUMECTANTS
Attract water from the dermis into the epidermis,increasing the water content in the epidermis. When humidity is higher than 70 percent, humectants can also attract water from the atmosphere into the epidermis.
Glycerin - the most common humectant, inexpensive, accelerates the recovery of barrier function following damage to skin, can be sticky.
2-3% heated water phase
Honeyquat - humectant, moisturizer, emollient, and film former all in one.
2-3% cool down phase.
Panthenol - Reduces redness and inflammation, increases wound healing, improves skin barrier mechanism repair, mitigates itching and soothes irritation.
Use in the cool down phase (liquid) or heated water phase (powder)
1% to 5% cool down phase
EMOLLIENTS
Help maintain the soft, smooth, and pliable appearance of the skin.
Oils, butter, and esters
Jojoba oil - The tannins offer anti-.oxidant and astringent properties. Jojoba penetrates skin through the hair follicles and doesnt block them, and forms a non-.occlusive layer on our skin and hair strands. Softens skin by penetrating it. Contains octacosanol (C28), a fatty alcohol that can soothe very dry skin.
OCCLUSIVES
Occlusives increase the water content of the skin by slowing the evaporation of water from the surface of the skin.
dimethicone
cocoa butter
allantoin- approved by the FDA to temporarily prevent and protect chafed, chapped, cracked, or windburned skin by speeding up the natural processes of the skin and increasing the water content. Heated water phase (probly better) or cool down phase.
0.5% heated water phase
HYDROSOLS
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=Hydrosol
Contain the water soluble molecules from the plant material, and generally have a pH of 5 to 6, which is perfect for skin care products!
Witch Hazel - It is a great astringent, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant that is reported to have good circulation, wound healing, and and bruise healing effects...
Lavender - Gentle, balancing for all skin types, cooling in summer heat, soothing sunburns, healing irritation. Gently tones oily, dry, and mature skin. Good for easing sunburn or windburn.
Honeysuckle - great anti-inflammatory ingredient, great free radical scavenging, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. Good for acne prone skin, or those with reddened or irritated skin.
OTHER
Aloe Vera liquid - moisturizing and anti-inflammatory
White willow bark - Astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-reddening, anti-septic qualities, helps prevent ingrown hairs.
0.1 to 1% powdered white willow bark extract or
2.5% to 5% liquid white willow bark extract .
cool down phase.
Menthol - cooling effect, has anesthetic properties. ?%, ? phase
Essential Oils - contain a variety of active constituents and are responsible for each plant's unique fragrance. ?%, cool down phase.
Hydrolyzed Proteins - form a film on your skin and moisturize.
2%, Add to heated water phase.
Cromoist (oak protein) - won't penetrate your skin, but will form a film.
Phytokeratin - blend of various proteins will form a film and will penetrate your skin.
Silk Amino Acids - penetrate skin and offer moisturizing from within.
Preservatives
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/Inspections/InspectionGuides/ucm074952.htm
Some cosmetics, i.e., those containing more than about 10% ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerol, etc., and cosmetics in self-pressurized containers, are self-preserving and are not likely to become contaminated with microorganisms.
Alcohol - antiseptic and preservative.
190 proof ethanol (Everclear). I have not found a good reason to get any specially denatured alcohol. Please let me know if I am missing something.
***If not using alcohol, a preservative should be used.***
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/10/preservatives.html
More info
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/p/preservatives.html
Vitamin E - powerful anti-oxidant that helps protect oils from going rancid
?%, cool down phase
**
Solubilizers - allow you to create a water based solution by making something that wouldn't normally dissolve in water - like an oil - dissolve into water and create a mixture.
Emulsifiers - allow you to create a product that is water-in-oil or oil-in-water where it's a whole different product entirely. Adding oil and water together isn't something where you have a toner with globs of oil in it, but a product called a lotion.
Solubilizers mix in a small amount of oil, whereas emulsifiers can mix in a lot of oil.
RECIPES
Lotion recipe
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2009/06/after-shave-lotion.html
I was thinking of something like this
Recipe 1
Water Phase
35% Ethanol
35% Hydrosol
20% Aloe Vera Juice
2% Phytokeratin
1% Allantoin
Cool Down Phase
3% Honeyquat (or glycerin, but I like saying honeyquat)
2% Panthenol
1% Essential Oils
0.5% White Willow Bark powder
?% Menthol
Recipe 2
Water Phase
35% Ethanol
35% Hydrosol
25% Aloe Vera Juice
Cool Down Phase
3% Honeyquat
1% Essential Oils
?% Menthol
QUESTIONS
If I do not use alcohol, what can be used for antiseptic?
Will alcohol solubilize essential oils?
If so, what is the minimum % required if not using a solubilizer.
I know witch hazel is popular but the honeysuckle hydrosol sounds interesting. Has anyone used it? Whatsayou?
Any comments or recommendations for the recipes.
Any recommendations on places to buy the ingredients?
So I thought it might be fun and a little more economical to make my own - get a decent base setup, try different combinations of essential oils, add some menthol...
However, most of the homemade threads I have seen do not explain much about the ingredients, so I hope to start a discussion that does.
While mostly geared toward lotions, this site has a a wealth of info - http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/ - and is the source for most of what follows.
Moisturizing Components - Humectants, Emollients, Occlusives
HUMECTANTS
Attract water from the dermis into the epidermis,increasing the water content in the epidermis. When humidity is higher than 70 percent, humectants can also attract water from the atmosphere into the epidermis.
Glycerin - the most common humectant, inexpensive, accelerates the recovery of barrier function following damage to skin, can be sticky.
2-3% heated water phase
Honeyquat - humectant, moisturizer, emollient, and film former all in one.
2-3% cool down phase.
Panthenol - Reduces redness and inflammation, increases wound healing, improves skin barrier mechanism repair, mitigates itching and soothes irritation.
Use in the cool down phase (liquid) or heated water phase (powder)
1% to 5% cool down phase
EMOLLIENTS
Help maintain the soft, smooth, and pliable appearance of the skin.
Oils, butter, and esters
Jojoba oil - The tannins offer anti-.oxidant and astringent properties. Jojoba penetrates skin through the hair follicles and doesnt block them, and forms a non-.occlusive layer on our skin and hair strands. Softens skin by penetrating it. Contains octacosanol (C28), a fatty alcohol that can soothe very dry skin.
OCCLUSIVES
Occlusives increase the water content of the skin by slowing the evaporation of water from the surface of the skin.
dimethicone
cocoa butter
allantoin- approved by the FDA to temporarily prevent and protect chafed, chapped, cracked, or windburned skin by speeding up the natural processes of the skin and increasing the water content. Heated water phase (probly better) or cool down phase.
0.5% heated water phase
HYDROSOLS
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=Hydrosol
Contain the water soluble molecules from the plant material, and generally have a pH of 5 to 6, which is perfect for skin care products!
Witch Hazel - It is a great astringent, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant that is reported to have good circulation, wound healing, and and bruise healing effects...
Lavender - Gentle, balancing for all skin types, cooling in summer heat, soothing sunburns, healing irritation. Gently tones oily, dry, and mature skin. Good for easing sunburn or windburn.
Honeysuckle - great anti-inflammatory ingredient, great free radical scavenging, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. Good for acne prone skin, or those with reddened or irritated skin.
OTHER
Aloe Vera liquid - moisturizing and anti-inflammatory
White willow bark - Astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-reddening, anti-septic qualities, helps prevent ingrown hairs.
0.1 to 1% powdered white willow bark extract or
2.5% to 5% liquid white willow bark extract .
cool down phase.
Menthol - cooling effect, has anesthetic properties. ?%, ? phase
Essential Oils - contain a variety of active constituents and are responsible for each plant's unique fragrance. ?%, cool down phase.
Hydrolyzed Proteins - form a film on your skin and moisturize.
2%, Add to heated water phase.
Cromoist (oak protein) - won't penetrate your skin, but will form a film.
Phytokeratin - blend of various proteins will form a film and will penetrate your skin.
Silk Amino Acids - penetrate skin and offer moisturizing from within.
Preservatives
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/Inspections/InspectionGuides/ucm074952.htm
Some cosmetics, i.e., those containing more than about 10% ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerol, etc., and cosmetics in self-pressurized containers, are self-preserving and are not likely to become contaminated with microorganisms.
Alcohol - antiseptic and preservative.
190 proof ethanol (Everclear). I have not found a good reason to get any specially denatured alcohol. Please let me know if I am missing something.
***If not using alcohol, a preservative should be used.***
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/10/preservatives.html
More info
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/p/preservatives.html
Vitamin E - powerful anti-oxidant that helps protect oils from going rancid
?%, cool down phase
**
Solubilizers - allow you to create a water based solution by making something that wouldn't normally dissolve in water - like an oil - dissolve into water and create a mixture.
Emulsifiers - allow you to create a product that is water-in-oil or oil-in-water where it's a whole different product entirely. Adding oil and water together isn't something where you have a toner with globs of oil in it, but a product called a lotion.
Solubilizers mix in a small amount of oil, whereas emulsifiers can mix in a lot of oil.
RECIPES
Lotion recipe
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2009/06/after-shave-lotion.html
I was thinking of something like this
Recipe 1
Water Phase
35% Ethanol
35% Hydrosol
20% Aloe Vera Juice
2% Phytokeratin
1% Allantoin
Cool Down Phase
3% Honeyquat (or glycerin, but I like saying honeyquat)
2% Panthenol
1% Essential Oils
0.5% White Willow Bark powder
?% Menthol
Recipe 2
Water Phase
35% Ethanol
35% Hydrosol
25% Aloe Vera Juice
Cool Down Phase
3% Honeyquat
1% Essential Oils
?% Menthol
QUESTIONS
If I do not use alcohol, what can be used for antiseptic?
Will alcohol solubilize essential oils?
If so, what is the minimum % required if not using a solubilizer.
I know witch hazel is popular but the honeysuckle hydrosol sounds interesting. Has anyone used it? Whatsayou?
Any comments or recommendations for the recipes.
Any recommendations on places to buy the ingredients?