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How to make your own face wash

1. Mix oatmeal and sugar with water to create a natural, cleansing facial scrub.[1]
2. Steam your face for a deep cleanse. Lean over a bowl of boiling water and drape a towel over your head. Add essential oils or herbs like lavender and rosemary to the water if desired.[2]
3. Mash bananas with honey or avocados with olive oil and smooth on face for 15-20 minutes for clean, smooth skin.[3]
4. Milk is a popular natural cleanser due to the beta-hydroxyl and lactic acids that exfoliate and smooth skin. Leave milk on the skin for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off thoroughly.[4] Because milk is an animal by-product, buy local or organic milk to support cruelty-free dairy products if you are concerned.

Making your own face wash helps you go green because…

• You have total control over the ingredients in your face wash, eliminating harmful chemicals that serve as preservatives, synthetic detergents and artificial fragrances in conventional face washes.
• There is no energy wasted on shipping or packaging.

Unlike conventional face washes that contain many artificial ingredients, homemade face washes substitute synthetic materials with natural ingredients. Ingredients in commercial face washes include phenoxyethanol, parabens, and triclosan, among many others, all of which are classified as toxic substances.[5]

Because face wash ends up down the drain, any toxic chemical ingredients risk contaminating waterways, where they harm wildlife and seep into the soil. And since skin care ingredients are not strictly regulated by the government, the amount of damage these chemicals can cause is uncertain.[6] Face washes that include the ingredient triclosan are anti-bacterial. This trend in personal care products increases the number of harmful bacteria that are resistant to drugs, fueling potential epidemics. Triclosan also contaminates waterways and causes harmful toxic buildup in the tissue of fish and other aquatic organisms.[7]

Even after face washes are used up, they often continue creating waste that negatively impacts the environment, since many containers are not made of recyclable plastics or other recyclable materials.[8]

Homemade face washes can be stored in reusable containers, eliminating wasteful packaging, as well as the need for fuel to ship products. Controlling exactly what goes into your face wash also ensures it won't contain harmful synthetics, preservatives, and fragrances and allows you to customize it with organic and cruelty-free ingredients.

Glossary

• parabens: This family of preservatives (which includes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl-parabens) can affect the endocrine system, which produces the body's hormones.
• phenoxyethanol: A toxic chemical that poses potential risks to pregnancy, fertility and early human development.[9]
• triclosan: An antibacterial agent that can cause everything from skin and eye irritation to the formation of dioxin and chloroform under the right circumstances. Both are probable carcinogens.

External links

• Recipe Goldmine
• From-Nature-With-Love