Crafting Cosmetics at Home: Essential Ingredients Shopping List
Embarking on the journey of making cosmetics at home is an exciting endeavor that offers a sense of creativity, customization, and control over the products you use on your skin. Whether you’re interested in whipping up luxurious creams, soothing balms, or vibrant lipsticks, having the right ingredients on hand is essential for successful formulations. Here’s a comprehensive shopping list of essential ingredients to kickstart your DIY cosmetic crafting journey:
Don’t get overwhelmed with this list, this is only an example of FEW ingredients that I like the most. You can buy lots more and lots less too. I began my making cosmetic journey with ONLY 10 ingredients in total and used equipment from my kitchen I used to store all of them in a big tupperware. Still could make lots of beautiful products. By choosing one per category is enough to start
- Carrier Oils: You don’t need all of them. Just start with 2
- Jojoba Oil
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Fractionated Coconut Oil ( coconut oil is comedogenic)
- Argan Oil
- Organic Rosehip Seed Oil (my hero oil) you will know why if you have read my story about my accident
- Avocado oil (on the photo from M&S)
- Grapeseed oil
- Macadamia oil (on the photo from M&S)
- Butters:
- Shea Butter
- Cocoa Butter
- Mango Butter
- Kokum Butter
- Cupuacu butter
- Murumuru butter
- Waxes:
- VEGAN waxes
- Candelilla Wax
- Jojoba wax
- Hemp wax
- Olive wax
- Berry wax
- Myrica wax
- Emulsifiers
- Montanov 68
- Olivem 1000
- Phytocream 2000
- Protelan ENS
- Humectants and Moisturizers:
- Glycerin
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Aloe Vera
- Pentylene Glycol
- Sodium PCA
- Xylitol
- Honey
- Active Ingredients:
- Tocopherol
- Vitamin C Powder
- Retinol (Vitamin A)
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
- Green Tea Extract
- CICA (Centella Asiatica extract)
- Caffeine
- Essential Oils:
- Lavender
- Tea Tree
- Bergamot
- Geranium
- Frankincense
- Natural Exfoliants:
- Sugar (White or Brown)
- Sea Salt
- Ground Coffee
- Oatmeal
- Ground Olive stones
- Cranberry seeds
- Preservatives: (check solubility )
- Geogard 221
- Leucidal Liquid SF
- Geogard Ultra
- Rokonsal
- Cosgard
- Dermorganics 1388
- Natural Colorants:
- Beetroot Powder (for pink/red hues)
- Spirulina Powder (for green hues)
- Turmeric Powder (for yellow hues)
- Cocoa Powder (for brown hues)
- Alkanet Root Powder (for purple hues)
- Clays and Texturizers
- Arrowroot Powder (nice texturizer)
- Bentonite Clay
- Silk Amino Acids
- pH Adjusters:
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
- Containers and Packaging:
- Glass Jars and Bottles
- Plastic Squeeze Tubes
- Lip Balm Tubes
- Aluminum Tins
- Dropper Bottles
- Tools and Equipment:
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
- Hand Blender or Mixer
- PYREX Heatproof Jugs
- pH Testing Strips
- Educational Resources:
Before diving into DIY cosmetic formulation, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the properties and safety guidelines of each ingredient, as well as basic formulation techniques. Additionally, always perform patch tests and follow good manufacturing practices to ensure the safety and efficacy of your homemade cosmetics. With this comprehensive shopping list and a passion for skincare crafting, you’re well-equipped to embark on a journey of creativity and self-care through DIY cosmetics.
If you are thinking in creating your own skincare range to sell to the public in Ireland and/or Europe , have a look to my complete manual on how to sell your skincare products and comply EU cosmetic regulations . Believe me if you start googling the answer to this, you will not find it. It is real mess and complicated, this is the reason I wrote this manual step-by-step guide to help many skincare entrepreneurs .
