Whitening Olive Moisturizer

My skin is light beige with yellow undertone, but like most Asian women, I'm always looking for a way to have lighter skin. Whitening Olive Moisturizer is basically a variation of the Olive Moisturizer, licorice extract (I've used my homemade licorice extract) has been added to provide a skin lightening effect.

This cream is not my latest creation, but I've used a few batches last summer (yea, I'm lazy and I didn't blog about it until now....). I actually like this cream very much!!! Like the Olive Moisturizer, it's perfect to be used in hot summer days. The texture is light, very easy to be absorbed and provides a weightless base for my makeup. The scent of the licorice extract is quite strong although it doesn't bother me at all (Strangely, I like the smell of Chinese herbs), some people might not like that. And for the whitening part, don't expect drastic result in a short period of time, but it does help to even out my skin tone a bit.

Ingredients: Distilled water, EVOO, Licorice Extract, Glycerin, Creagel, Preservative

Honey Moisturizing Toner

Honey has been used in skin care since ancient Egypt. It is a natural humectant which has the ability to attract and retain moisture. I found a recipe for a honey moisturizing toner in Niuer's book and decided to give it a try.

This honey toner is surprisingly hydrating. I have been using it alone without applying any moisturizer after on my lazy stay-at-home summer days. I thought it'd be sticky but it's not. It smells wonderful, easy to absorb and it does a good job softening my skin.

Glycerin is not a must for this toner, you can simply use honey and water (ratio 1 : 20). Make a small batch and keep it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

If you would like to learn more about honey and its benefits, check out http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/food/honey_cure.html

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Organic Honey, Glycerin, Preservative.

Grapefruit Foaming Face Wash

I like keeping a bottle of foaming face wash near my sink in the bathroom. Call me lazy but I enjoy having foam straight from the bottle.

I used a recipe from Niuer's book for reference, lowered the total quantity of cocamide betaine and added glycerin (a humectant to attract moisture). I was in a hurry and got a white grapefruit instead of a pink one. It's still grapefruit, just without the nice pink color that I was looking for.

Grapefruit is a natural skin whitener. It has citric acid which can soften skin, loosen dead skin cells, cleanse and tighten pores. Grapefruit also contains an enzyme named bromelain, which helps cleanse the skin and reduce inflammation.

I sterilized an empty foaming hand wash bottle for this formula. The foam is not as dense as I normally like, probably caused by the reduction of cocamide betaine (a foaming agent). However, It does a good job cleansing my skin and the citric scent is very refreshing and uplifting. It's wonderful for summer time especially for combination and oily skin.

Grapefruit juice could be irritating and I don't recommend it for sensitive skin.

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Grapefruit Juice, Cocamide Betaine, Glycerin, Preservative

My 1st Homemade Herbal Extract

I have been thinking of purchasing licorice extract ever since I started making my own skin care. While I was researching for a supplier, I found a great article on mountainroseherbs.com about making your own herbal extract. Only 2 ingredients needed : fresh/dried herbs and alcohol, seems so easy that I couldn't resist to make my own.

Ingredients:

1. Dried Licorice ...... 15g (got it from a Chinese herbal store)

2. Vodka ........ 100ml

Directions:

1. Wet a paper towel with distilled water to wipe the dried licorice.

2. Put the ingredients into a glass jar and close the lid tightly.

3. Place it in a dark place and allow the herbs to soak for 4-6 weeks.

甘草萃取液 - 殺菌、消炎、增強肌膚免疫力, 舒緩敏感肌膚, 抗氧化、抑制酪胺酸脢作用，減少黑色素形成

Licorice Extract is effective for skin lightening. It also has properties including anti-inflammation and antioxidation.

More information:

http://sadatan.com/products/pdf/Depigmentation%20Complex.pdf

http://blog.pharmacymix.com/licorice-%E2%80%93-an-active-ingredient-that-can-lighten-skin

Green Cream

I'm learning and trying to go green with my skin care and I've started making my own a few months ago. My 1st creation was a Vit. C whitening serum, followed by two different moisturizers. All three recipes are from a book named For Natural Skincare II written by Niuer (牛爾老師). Niuer is a skin care expert and he is very famous in Taiwan. A great book to have if you're into DIY skin care.

Olive Moisturizer~*

The olive moisturizer was my first attempt on cream-making and I'm very happy with the outcome. The finishing product is light green in color. It's not creamy at all, very light in texture and easy to absorb into skin. Since I've used EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), I thought it'd be heavier/oilier. But it turned out to be a perfect light hydrating moisturizer for summer.

Ingredients: Distilled water, EVOO, Glycerin, Creagel, Lavender essential oil, Preservative

Green Tea Antioxidant Cream~*

After the success of my 1st cream, I've decided to make a batch of green tea antioxidant cream. Ingredients are basically the same as the olive moisturizer with an addition of japanese green tea powder (Matcha). The texture is similar to the olive one, dark green in color and also easy to absorb. I didn't add any essential oil since It has a nice green tea scent. However, I think it's a bit heavier on my skin compare to the olive one. It actually took a longer time to emulsify too. I used a different brand of EVOO, I wonder would that be the cause or it's just the green tea.

Ingredients: Distilled water, EVOO, Glycerin, Green tea powder, Creagel, Preservative

I'll be making red wine hydrating gel mask next~