I’ve always wondered what makes facial skin so much different than the skin on the rest of the body, I mean, you can get pimples on your face but not your arm, clogged pores can happen on the cheeks but not the legs, etc…have you ever wondered the same? Or have you wondered what the difference between face cream and body cream is and why the heck it’s more expensive? If you have then I found some answers for you! Facial skin is different from body skin because:
- The skin cells of the face are smaller than the rest of the body. You know how skin acts as a barrier on your body keeping germs & microbes out? Well smaller skin cells means that that barrier protection is less so chemicals from skin products, water and icky germs can easily get lodged in the pores, causing weird rashes, blackheads, pimples, acne, clogged pores, etc. That’s the reason your facial skin is so sensitive.
- Your facial skin is thinner than the skin on your body. Skin on the face easily gets wrinkles and becomes saggy fast because it has a thinner layer of fat underneath. While the thickness of the rest of your body skin varies, it’s still thicker than your face skin.
- You have a lot more oil glands on your face than your body. Well, that explains why you end up with breakouts on your face not your foot.
- The number of hair follicles on your face is greater than that of the same size area of skin on your body. Since this small area of skin has more hair follicles so close together, it’s easy to get clogged pores from sweating or not cleansing your face well. And when you over cleanse, your oil glands will go into overdrive to make up for the loss of oils you washed off, making your skin even oily and causing even more breakouts.
So that’s why you have to treat facial skin with more care and love! And how do you do that? By making your own homemade face cream with shea butter of course! Ditch the chemicals in big brand commercial face creams and lovingly make your own with Nature’s own fresh products.
Can this Face Cream be Used for Oily/Acne-Prone Skin Types?
Yes it can! My skin is a combination skin type so it’s prone to breakouts and gets dry at the same time so I’ve formulated this face cream keeping all that in mind. The original recipe is from BeautyMunsta – I slightly changed it, omitting the cocoa butter because it’s a bit heavy for combination skin.
What Ingredients are in this Homemade Face Cream?
→ Shea Butter: The champion in this face cream, shea butter is non-comedogenic, meaning it has a pore-clogging ability of zero so it doesn’t cause breakouts, clogged pores or pimples. It also has an intense moisturizing ability without any greasiness for well-hydrated skin.
→ Jojoba Oil: Having a molecular structure similar to that of our own skin’s natural oils, jojoba is a plant oil anyone who wants to keep their skin beautiful has got to invest in! It was first used by the Native Americans as an excellent skin moisturizer and its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it especially good for sensitive facial skin.
→ Peppermint Essential Oil: I love the idea of using peppermint essential oil in a face cream – it’s so refreshing and invigorating, which will leave your face feeling fresh and tingly! Peppermint essential oil also has a nice scent that actually has therapeutic properties of energizing the mind and quelling anxiety, etc. For skin, peppermint is a natural astringent which prevents excess oiliness and tightens facial pores, making skin youthful. According to the original recipe post of this homemade shea butter face cream, peppermint oil has the ability to penetrate into the skin and heal it, due to its lipophylic properties, which makes it good for soothing sunburn and irritated skin.
→ Aloe Vera Gel: I added this ingredient mainly because it seals in moisture without any greasiness at all and it also helps cut down the oiliness of this face cream. Make sure you use aloe vera gel and not juice and also, don’t use it straight from the plant because it’ll spoil faster that way.
→ Raw Honey: So nutritious when consumed, raw honey is also an amazing skin food! It heals skin from the outside, helping blemishes heal faster and scars fade quicker. It also soothes acne, skin irritation, rashes & painful pimples as well as keeps skin moisturized. Ensure that you use pure raw honey and avoid the usual squeeze bottle honeys because those not only contain additives but also are very sticky which will leave your face cream feeling icky (hey that rhymed! Lol) The raw honey is totally optional but it has awesome skin benefits and it’s so healing for facial skin of all types that it simply cannot be left out.
Homemade Face Cream with Shea Butter
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp raw shea butter (get it here)
- 1 tsp jojoba oil (get it here)
- 1 tsp aloe vera gel (get it here)
- ½ tsp raw honey *optional (get it here)
- 2 to 5 drops of peppermint essential oil (get it here)
Method
- Gently melt your shea butter, as usual using a double boiler or create your own makeshift double boiler by using a small pot over a larger one. Place the shea in the small pot and ¼ cup of water in the bigger one (the water shouldn’t touch the smaller pot). That’s your double boiler! Now place the larger pot with the smaller pot on top on the stove and heat it over a medium low flame till the shea butter gently melts. This step can completely be omitted if your shea butter is soft enough to be mixed with a hand mixer.
- Now add the jojoba oil, aloe vera gel and raw honey to the melted shea butter. Stir very well until everything gets well-combined.
- Place the combined mixture in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until it turns opaque (partially solidifies).
- Get your hand mixer and whip it, when the time is up, for about 5 minutes until you get a beautiful white cream.
- Transfer it into a clean container and either leave it to set in the refrigerator or store it in a cool, dry and dark place like your bathroom cabinet or vanity table. Keep it away from water and dirty fingers! Now the next time you cleanse your face, get ready to apply this oh-so-nourishing homemade face cream! Enjoy ~
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