Natural Skin Care Products That You Make at Home

Cleanser

• Many people use the Oil Cleansing Method, or OCM, to clean their skin, based on the premise that like attracts like. Many premium skin care lines such as Shu Uemura, Dermalogica and DHC include an oil cleanser as part of their regime. One of the best recipes includes a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil or other non-pore-clogging oil, such as grapeseed or sweet almond oil, and castor oil. Castor oil can dry the skin if you use too much, so you can simply adjust the ratio of castor oil to olive oil to suit your skin. The standard mixture is 50/50.

Toner

• Apple cider vinegar and green tea are full of antioxidants and have antiseptic qualities. This makes them perfect toners for acne-prone and inflamed skin. The vinegar acts as an astringent and kills bacteria, while the green tea soothes and helps repair damage from inflammation. Mix these ingredients along with some honey and lavender essential oil, and dilute it with water to create your own all-natural toner.

Mask

• Cosmetic companies add avocado oil and extract to many skin products as antioxidants as well as to seal in moisture. You can make a soothing moisturizing mask by taking ripe avocado on its own or adding a few ingredients such as almond oil or apple cider vinegar, egg whites and olive oil. Simply apply and let the mask sit for 20 minutes or so for soft skin anywhere on the body.

Moisturizer

• One of nature's best moisturizers is sitting on your kitchen shelf: olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil contains a wealth of antioxidants, including polyphenols and vitamins A and C. Its moisturizing qualities last for a long time, but you must apply only a small amount, since too much can be greasy. It is best to use olive oil on a damp face to seal in moisture and to help it spread. Olive oil does not clog pores, so it's great for any skin that can use a little extra moisture. Mixed with some salt or sugar to form a paste, olive oil makes a great scrub base for body or hand exfoliation.