Help a newbie - can I make a moisturizer with these ingredients?

[~Shanna~]

I've had good luck making body products from this book, but I need to trouble-shoot a bit. I'd like to make a moisturizer for normal skin with almond seed oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, olive oil and/or some essential oils I already have. Is it possible to do, especially without using lanolin or beeswax? I've made lotions before with these plus lanolin and beeswax and it's causing problems because I use the lotion as a cleanser at night and wash the wipe-off cloth with our dipes, which is causing build-up on the dipes. (Complicated, I know, but it's frugality I am attached to). So anyway, can I make a moisturizer with what I have?

I've thought about using just one of the plain oils as a moisturizer, but it's so heavy and greasy, besides leaving stains if I'm not careful. Any advice is appreciated!

[sunnysandiegan]

First of all, how are you defining moisturizer? What are expecting from your homemade mix of oils (plus cocoa butter)? Is it for your face or body or both? There are many ways to cleanse your face that won't leave a residue on your dipes nor break the bank.

Meanwhile, I have experimented with several oils for my face and body. I wash with commercially prepared face wash (less ingredient ones) and then spritz with rosewater before applying a minimal amount of oil to hold that moisture in. I was using about a third of a dropper of coconut oil for my entire face and neck and upper chest. I had no stains or greasy feel. It soaks right into my skin and feels luscious and makes my skin super soft. I am currently using up the commercial moisturizers I already own. At night, I only had a few "oil-free" for oily skin type lotions so I added coconut oil to the lowest bottle to up the moisturizing capacity. It is working beautifully.

I don't like to mix a bunch of ingredients usually because they can get all icky from not being super compatible. Oils go rancid at different rates, too. However, I did recently mix up a tiny vial of oils for the eye area. Rose hip seed oil with vitamin E oil and some sweet almond oil. The first two were too thick to get out of the vial, so I added the almond to thin it out a bit. LOVE IT!!! I've had great results, too, without heaviness or staining. The key is to use just a drop or two and let it soak in. It isn't supposed to sit on top of your skin for long.

You can do a search in this forum for ideas and the frugal forum, too.

[~Shanna~]

Thanks for the response, I just realized I had forgotten to subscribe the thread.

I'm wondering if I should just do an oil cleansing method with the oils I have, especially when I get so dry in the winter. That will work for face, and for body......I can use the coconut oil for body, but I'm a little worried about staining clothes. But still, these oils shouldn't be a problem if the wipe cloths are washed with my dipes, right? I think it's the lanolin and/or beeswax that causes problems, which makes sense.

I need to look more into rosewater, it keeps showing up in threads on this forum