How to ensure the

skincare products you

make are safe and stable

www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com
THE DANGERS OF FOLLOWING SKINCARE
RECIPES YOU FIND ONLINE
You want to make your own natural products, right? Products that are clean,
natural and free from harmful chemicals. Products that care for yourself and
your family. Products that are safe.

Of course you do. That’s why most people start making their own products in the
first place!

So it seems crazy that by making your own skincare products you could actually be
making and using UNSAFE and potentially HARMFUL products.

How? Let us explain.

If you rely on books, blogs, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest for your knowledge
and recipes, there are a few problems.

Books can quickly go out of date.

For example there are some classic aromatherapy books which contain wonderful
descriptions of essential oils and their uses. BUT usage guidelines since they were
published have been drastically altered, meaning if you follow their guidance you’ll
be using potentially harmful levels of oils.

Blogs, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube are often inaccurate.

They are created by well-meaning and passionate people but often they are
unqualified and pass on inaccurate information. This means you might be making
things aren’t right, or worse, unsafe!

We want to help put this right.

Instead, make products the right way

Here at the School of Natural Skincare we work with a team of professionals
including Cosmetic Chemists, Cosmetic Formulators, Aromatherapists, and Safety
Assessors to ensure you are learning accurate information from the best in the
industry.

With so much contradictory information online and in books we created this

guide as handy checklist to help you create safe and stable products.
Read it. Keep it with you when looking at or creating skincare recipes. Check every
recipe against each of these points.

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 To learn more about making safe and effective natural skincare products
and to create your own range, check out our online Certificate in Making
Natural Skincare Products (our shorter beginners’ course) and our online
Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation (our longer and more in-depth
formulation course).

Our online classroom and student community enable you to study from home
from wherever you are in the world. Our courses include professional (and
fun!) multimedia training materials and support from experienced tutors. We’ll
help you take your products to the next level, have complete confidence in the
products you make and perhaps even create your own skincare line!

HOW TO ENSURE THE SKINCARE PRODUCTS

YOU MAKE ARE SAFE AND STABLE: A
CHECKLIST
Here is an overview of the checklist. Each point is explained in detail below.

Before following a recipe, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What percentage of essential oil is being used?

2. Do the essential oils carry any contraindications?

3. If the product contains water, does it also contain a broad spectrum

preservative?
4. Are antioxidants being confused with preservatives?

5. Are you storing and using the product correctly?

6. Are oil and water being combined without an emulsifier or solubilizer?

7. Is beeswax being used as an emulsifier?

8. Is purified water being used?

9. Is the recipe claiming to be a sunscreen?

10. Are you using Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)?

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#1
CHECK:
What percentage of essential oil is being used?
The problem: many books and recipes use levels of essential oils that are way
too high and could cause severe reactions. Essential oils are highly concentrated
substances and should only be used in low dilutions of usually 1-2% combined
TOTAL in a product, although this could be lower for certain essential oils, eg
rose, some product types, eg lip balms, or some people, eg babies/children. If you
are making products to sell, your safety assessor can help you calculate the exact
permitted percentages. The International Fragrance Association can also provide
guidelines for specific oils and sensitizers.

Two further problems:

• Essential oil measurements are often given in drops. Drops are not an
accurate way to measure essential oils. The viscosity of oils vary and
bottle dropper sizes vary. As a rough estimate for products you use at
home, 20-25 drops = 1 gram (which would be 1% in a 100g product).
• A further problem is that when a recipe uses mixed measurements
(eg cups, ounces and drops or milliliters, grams and drops) it is very
difficult to see or work out what percentage of essential oil is being
used.
Quick rule: be wary of recipes given in mixed measurements. Recalculate
essential oil amounts using 1-2% TOTAL as a general rule (0.5% for lip balms). Be
aware that some oils, product types and people should use even lower amounts.
Quality suppliers of essential oils should be able to provide an IFRA (International
Fragrance Association) certificate on request, which should tell you the maximum
use levels of the oil in different product categories.

Usually you would weigh all your ingredients and ensure you are using 1-2 grams
of essential oil total in a product that weighs 100 grams. If you are making very
small amounts of a product for use at home, you can use standard aromatherapy
guidelines: 1% = 1 drop in 5ml carrier oil and 2% = 2 drops in 5ml carrier oil. Seek
professional advice if in doubt.

Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation includes more information on

choosing and using essential oils including how to calculate allergen
levels and permissible quantities in different product types.

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#2
CHECK:
Do the essential oils carry any contraindications?
The problem: many recipes you find online will not mention contraindications. A
contraindication is an important safety consideration that states an essential oil
should not be used under certain circumstances.

For example:
• Some essential oils should not be used where certain health
conditions exist, eg pregnancy, high blood pressure, headaches or
migraines.
• Some essential oils should not be used in situations where treatment
for certain medical conditions is taking place or where certain
medication has been prescribed.
• There are essential oils that should not be used on very young
children, the very weak, elderly or frail.
Quick rule: check if an essential oil has any contraindications prior to use. A good
quality and up-to-date aromatherapy textbook is a good place to start. There
are many good authors from which to choose and some examples are up-to-date
books written by Robert Tisserand, Salvatore Battaglia, Penny Price and Jan
Kusmirek. If in doubt, an aromatherapy association might also be able to help.

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#3
CHECK:
If the product contains water, does it also
contain a broad spectrum preservative?
The problem: many people are misinformed or uninformed about the need
for preservatives and there are misconceptions that natural products don’t
need them.

Preservatives play a very important function in products containing water: they

kill microorganisms and waterborne bacteria and prevent the growth of bacteria,
mold and yeast. These products need preservation to prevent microbial growth,
spoiling of the cosmetic product and potential skin infections.

If a product is anhydrous (it doesn’t contain water) and it won’t come into contact
with water during use, then it can be made without a broad spectrum preservative.
Examples are lip balms or anhydrous body butters made purely with butters, oils
and waxes.

There are so many recipes both in books and shared online that don’t follow this
basic safety principle. If you only remember one thing from this checklist make it
this one. We share three natural, broad spectrum preservatives here.

Quick rule: if a product contains water (including hydrosols, floral water and aloe
vera juice, which all contain water), or will come into contact with water (eg a scrub
used with wet fingers), a broad spectrum preservative is essential to help prevent
microbes growing. Broad spectrum means it is effective against bacteria, mold and
yeast.

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#4
CHECK:
Are antioxidants being confused with
preservatives?
The problem: many people confuse antioxidants and preservatives. They say that
antioxidants such as Vitamin E, rosemary extract or grapefruit seed extract will
preserve the product. This isn’t right. An antioxidant is useful to extend the shelf
life of oils and butters by preventing them oxidizing and going rancid as quickly.
BUT they will not act as broad spectrum preservatives to stop the growth of
bacteria, yeast and mold.

Quick rule: oil- and butter-based products that don’t contain water (anhydrous
products) and that won’t come into contact with water don’t need preservatives
and can include antioxidants to extend their shelf life. Products containing water
need broad spectrum preservative and can include antioxidants in addition to, but
not instead of, preservatives.

#5
CHECK:
Are you storing and using the product correctly?
The problem: yes, an anhydrous (waterless) product generally doesn’t need a
preservative. BUT this is only true if it won’t come into contact with water. Recipes
for anhydrous products that could come into contact with water (such as scrubs
and cleansers) should advise to store away from water or use a preservative.

Quick rule: keep anhydrous products away from water when storing and using
them to avoid contamination. Use clean dry fingers to apply them or use a spatula.

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#6
CHECK:
Are oil and water being combined without an
emulsifier or solubilizer?
The problem: water and oil do not mix together. Pour oil and water into the same
container and the oil will float on the top. You will find recipes online and in books
that will try to mix oil soluble and water-soluble ingredients together and without
an emulsifier or solubilizer. This won’t work: the two ingredients will separate.

Some examples are a toner or spritzer (water-based products) that included a

carrier oil or essential oil (oil soluble). Or an oil-based serum that includes a water
soluble extract/vitamin such as Provitamin B5. In some instances vigorous shaking
before each use to mix the ingredients is possible, but ultimately the product will
separate each time.

Quick rule: oil and water do not mix without the use of an emulsifier or solubilizer.

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#7
CHECK:
Is beeswax being used as an emulsifier?
The problem: an emulsifier is used to mix oils and water together to create
emulsions (creams and lotions are classic examples of emulsions). There is a big
misconception that beeswax is an emulsifier. It is not. You will find TONS of recipes
for creams and lotions that will list beeswax as an emulsifier. These recipes will
ultimately fail and the ingredients will separate, leaving you with a yucky mess.
Beeswax is oil soluble and used as an occlusive and to thicken products (such as lip
balms).

Why do people think beeswax is an emulsifier? In certain products, for example

traditional ‘cold creams’, beeswax is used to help to hold water and oil together.
But it only functions as physically stabilizing the emulsion, not actually chemically
emulsifying the oil and water. This means that if the product is exposed to non-
optimal storage conditions (like elevated temperature), it will likely fail and
separate.

Discover three natural, reliable emulsifiers here. These are proper emulsifiers
that emulsify on a physical and chemical level and will create long-lasting, stable
emulsions.

Quick rule: beeswax is not a reliable emulsifier.

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#8
CHECK:
Is purified water being used?
The problem: tap water, whether boiled first or not, should be avoided in
cosmetics. Deionized or distilled water is much purer and will help to increase the
shelf life of your products.

Quick rule: use deionized or distilled water.

#9
CHECK:
Is the recipe claiming to be a sunscreen?
The problem: be very very wary of recipes claiming to be sunscreens. Products
sold as sunscreens undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they adequately
protect the skin from UVA and UVB and the level of protection they offer. Yes,
some natural ingredients may offer UV screening qualities, BUT they are highly
unlikely to offer sufficient protection.

Quick rule: unless a product has undergone testing, it should not claim to be a
sunscreen. Read more here DIY sunscreen: why you should NOT make your own
sunscreen.

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#10
CHECK:
Are you using Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP)?
GMP ensures consistency in production and minimizes risks such as the
contamination of products during their manufacture. Even if you only make
products for yourself at home you should be aware of the basics. The basics
include: clean working area, clean and sanitized equipment, good personal hygiene,
protective clothing, clearly labeled raw materials, accurate measuring, following
documented manufacturing processes and keeping accurate records.

Quick rule: GMP is essential if you are selling products, and even if you only make
at home for yourself then basic GMP practices should be followed. You can find
FDA guidelines for GMP here.

Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation covers Good Manufacturing

Practice, including lessons on how to effectively sanitize your equipment/
workspace, and record keeping templates to make your record keeping easy.

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ULTIMATELY: HAS THE RELEVANT PRODUCT
TESTING BEEN CARRIED OUT?
This is really important, especially if you are selling your products. If your products
contain water then a microbiological test (also known as a preservative efficacy
test or challenge test) will test the efficacy of your preservative system to check
that your product is not going to grow bacteria. If you are making at home for
yourself you can buy home testing kits from Aromantic (UK) or Lotioncrafter
(USA), which will help you to determine how well your preservative is working.
Ultimately though a test carried out in a lab will give you the most accurate results.
You can read more about cosmetic product testing here: A guide to cosmetic
product testing and safety assessments.

If you are selling products you also need to make sure you comply with the
relevant cosmetic regulations (this varies by country), which may require you to
have other tests carried out such as a stability test and/or a cosmetic product
safety report. Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and Diploma in
Natural Haircare Formulation both include a Module that covers all the business
essentials including cosmetic regulations in the USA, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, UK, EU, South Africa, and India. If you are selling in the UK or EU, our
Selling your skincare products in Europe and the UK eKit explains in much greater
detail what you will need to do.

Ultimately, professional product testing is the way to know your products are safe
and stable. Please note: this checklist highlights some of the common issues found
with skincare recipes posted online. It is not a substitute for professional product
testing, which is what we recommend.

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We hope you have found this checklist
useful!
Thanks so much for downloading this checklist, which has been enjoyed by
thousands of DIY natural skincare enthusiasts worldwide!

It’s our mission to teach you the professional and correct way to make skincare
and haircare products and ensure you have fun and are supported along the way.

We have trained students around the world to create their own beautiful natural
skincare products, both for themselves and to start a successful natural beauty
business of their own.

We’re delighted that you are taking the first step to creating your own gorgeous
products the right way!

Gail and Gareth xxx

Directors, School of Natural Skincare

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Your next steps
If you have enjoyed this book we would LOVE to show you how to make a greater
variety of products and perhaps even formulate them from scratch too!

Our accredited online courses can take your skills to the next level.

Which sounds most like you?

Option 1 Option 2
I’d like to make a I’d like to learn to
wide range of formulate my own
skincare products products from
by following scratch and/or start
ready-to-use my own beauty
recipes. brand.

Our Certificate in Our Diploma in

Making Natural Natural Skincare
Skincare Formulation is
Products is perfect for you.
perfect for you.

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Certificate in Making Natural Skincare
Products
This accredited online course will teach you to make your own natural and
organic cleansers, toners, moisturizers, creams, lotions, balms, body butters,
serums, masks, scrubs and more!

The Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products is useful if you want to

create products for yourself, family and friends and primarily follow recipes
rather than creating your own. You will gain a good foundation of knowledge
of different types of products, when and why to use preservatives, emulsifiers and
antioxidants and you’ll get lots of recipes to try out. By the end you’ll be able to
make a complete range of skincare products by following our recipes.

Take a look at the full Certificate course curriculum.

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 Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation
Our accredited, online Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation teaches
you to create your own unique formulas and products rather than follow
recipes. It takes you step-by-step from a blank sheet of paper to developing your
own recipes, and into creating your own line of natural skincare products. For
people who are ready to learn how to formulate like a pro, the Diploma in Natural
Skincare Formulation is the best choice. We take you through the whole process,
step by step, so even if you’ve never made a product before, you’ll understand
what goes into them, and why.

Our professional and easy-to-use formulation templates and examples mean that
even if you are brand new to formulating you can use any of the templates inside
the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation to create an awesome new product
and get it near to perfect the first time.

Whether you want to start a business, take your business to the next level or
learn to formulate for your own enjoyment, The Diploma in Natural Skincare
Formulation is for you. It provides an amazing opportunity to develop formulation
skills, increase your understanding of skin health, function, and specific skin types,
and build the knowledge necessary to build a brand that is precisely what you wish
it to be.

Take a look at the full Diploma course curriculum.

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About the School of Natural Skincare
We are the world’s premier natural skincare formulation school, helping you
create high performance natural and organic beauty products, for yourself or to
launch a successful business.

Led by Cosmetic Formulator, Gail Francombe and Aromatherapist, Gareth

Despres, the school is dedicated to helping you ditch harmful chemicals and
synthetically laden products and instead have the knowledge and confidence to
make your own beautiful, effective natural skincare and haircare products.

The School’s team of expert tutors include Cosmetic Chemists, Cosmetic

Formulators, Aromatherapists, Safety Assessors, Beauty Business Professionals
and Niche Beauty Brand owners all passionate about helping you create beautiful
products and thriving businesses.

Through fun, multimedia online classes the School has trained thousands of
students across every continent.

The School’s fabulous recipes and enjoyable, creative classes have been featured
by the BBC and glossy magazines like Green Parent, Spirit & Destiny and Country
Homes and Interiors Magazine.

Join a training course with us here:

www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com

Disclaimer: This guide is provided to you “as is”: we make no representation as to its accuracy,
completeness, whether or not it is up-to-date, or that it will meet your requirements. Any recipes
and formulas provided to you are for demonstration purposes only. We accept no responsibility
or liability for your use of the guide, which is entirely at your own risk.

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