It was a dark and stormy night, and the ships were out to sea (stay with me). And sailor Jim reached for a popular store-bought facial cleanser to wash his face before he tucked in for the evening: PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Benzalkonium Chloride, Red 40, Disodium EDTA, blah, blah, harmful blah. The ingredients that Halloween tales are made of. Doesn’t exactly sound like something you want smothered all over your face? Right? Anyone??
Enter this fabulous homemade facial cleanser I’ve recently discovered. Life changing, my friends. This fine visage of mine (ha!) has never looked better au naturale. It’s made of some powerhouse ingredients that also happen to be extra gentle for sensitive skin. I love knowing exactly what I’m putting on my body.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Ingredients for Homemade Lemon & Honey Facial Cleanser
½ cup vegetable glycerin
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
3-5 drops lemon essential oil (order from my absolute fav brand here)
Directions for Making Homemade Facial Cleanser
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl and pour into container of choice. Apply to face and neck and massage into skin for at least 30 seconds, allowing the cleanser to loosen dirt and debris. Rinse face with warm water. This will store on a counter just fine for a long time. That’s it! Simple, honest directions for some simply honest facial cleanser.
So what exactly are we putting on our face? Why these ingredients? Let’s talk about it.
Vegetable Glycerin: While being incredibly moisturizing, glycerin also has anti-aging properties, drawing oxygen into the cells, which lends a hand in helping one appear more youthful.
Honey: What can’t honey do? It’s a natural antioxidant and moisturizer while also being a big bacteria fighter. Adios, acne. I also love that it’s especially clarifying – opening up those pores to get all of that hidden dirt out.
Castile Soap: Natural gentle acne fighter and a great cleanser on its own for people with sensitive skin.
Lemon Essential Oil:Lemon oil acts as a natural toner and brightener, evening out skin tones while removing dead skin cells.
Let’s chat about cost savings.
Cost of Ingredients for Homemade Lemon & Honey Facial Cleanser
Glycerin $4
Honey: $0.31
Castile Soap: $0.50
Lemon Essential Oil: $0.21
Total Cost: $5.02
The popular store bought brand costs about $5.50, so our homemade version is only about 9% cheaper, thanks to the price of glycerin. Because it’s so important to me to keep toxic chemicals off of my skin, it’s worth the small effort to throw this mix together even though I’m not saving much. Also, I only need to use a tiny amount for this homemade facial cleanser to work effectively. I found when I used the store bought stuff, I would use at least a dime sized amount, so this recipe should last much longer than the store bought version.
I buy my glycerin from my local pharmacy for about $9 per 6 oz bottle. I’ve heard that Joann’s is also a great place to find it also – so use a coupon and save even more! If there was a Joann’s closer by, I’d totally check it out.
What about you? Any homemade facial cleanser recipes you’ve found work extra well? I’ve heard plain jane castile soap works well, but I love using at least the glycerin in addition for its moisturizing benefits. I’d love to hear all about it!
Homemade Lemon & Honey Facial Cleanser
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable glycerin
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp liquid castile soap
- 3-5 drops lemon essential oil
Instructions
- Mix ingredients together in a small bowl and pour into container of choice. Apply to face and neck and massage into skin for at least 30 seconds, allowing the cleanser to loosen dirt and debris. Rinse face with warm water. This will store on a counter just fine for a long time. That’s it!
Gretchen says
September 8, 2017 at 10:27 amI don’t have Lemon EO but I do have Lemongrass EO. Could I substitute or do I need to use lemon?
Theraisa K says
February 3, 2017 at 10:28 amCould you use fresh lemons, like the actual fruit, and squeeze out the juice and/or use the rind grated instead of the essential oil or would it not have the same effect?
Cindy Matson says
October 9, 2016 at 1:36 pmWill this remove makeup or is this just for the days without makeup?
Karrie says
October 12, 2016 at 10:28 amIt should remove makeup too!
Liz C says
April 29, 2016 at 11:57 amCurious what you keep it in? I make my own face wash now and I have it in a foaming pump bottle so I do add water to mine to make the best consistency to foam and come out of the pump. I love the thought of this one but don’t think it will work in my containers. Do you just grab a finger full each time you wash? tia 🙂
Roda says
April 7, 2016 at 1:44 pmHi,
I would love to know where to buy all the ingredients?
Thanks, Roda
Brianna says
February 22, 2016 at 5:23 pmHow long do these ingredients last mixed together?
Kristin says
August 6, 2015 at 6:06 amwould it be okay to double or even triple the recipe to make a bigger batch?
Karrie says
August 8, 2015 at 10:24 pmYes, you can totally double or triple this. 🙂
Lissette says
April 30, 2015 at 6:40 amHello! I just recently started making my own body butter and face wash. I’ve tried a few face wash recipes that I found online, but didn’t like any of them. I made this recipe with Lavender Castile soap, but used all of the other ingredients. Since raw honey is very thick and doesn’t really mix well, I used a hand blender to whip the ingredients together. It made a very frothy, creamy mix. It still separates when it sits, but all you have to do is shake it up really good. The consistency is wonderful and my skin is looking radiant. Thank you!
Happy.MoneySaver says
May 1, 2015 at 7:28 amSo glad you liked it. I will have to try beating it with a hand blender one of these days.
Heather says
April 9, 2015 at 8:03 pmI made this with exactly the ingredients you posted (bought them on amazon), and followed the instructions carefully, and it really smells bad. Is it supposed to? Is it still ok to use if it stinks or should I toss it? Thanks!
Happy.MoneySaver says
April 12, 2015 at 8:11 pmOh I am so sorry! I have no idea what went wrong. Try it out and see if you can identify what is smelling so bad. I hope you can figure it out because I love this lemony cleanser!
Ruru says
April 9, 2015 at 7:37 pmCan I use other brand of castile liquid soap? like dr woods pure tea tree castile soap or NewLife™ Castile Liquid Cleanser? Cause Dr Bronner’s liquid soap not available in my country, only the soap bars. And can I mix with other essential oils like tea tree or rosehip oil? or should I change it one at a time?
Thanks.
Happy.MoneySaver says
April 12, 2015 at 8:13 pmYes you can use any brand. I would try it one oil at a time and add as needed so you an achieve a yummy smell.
Lotte says
April 1, 2015 at 5:18 amHey, I found your recipe and really had to try it. But there must be something off, because my mix smells awful. Can you think of anything, that might react in the wrong way? (like wrong kind of glycerin or something?) I would really appreciate your input. 🙂
Kind regards,
Lotte
Happy.MoneySaver says
April 1, 2015 at 12:04 pmI am so sorry. The only thing I can think of is maybe the glycerin. Was it vegetable glycerin? I added in links to the one I used for the recipe. Hopefully that will help.
Lotte says
April 1, 2015 at 11:24 pmThank you! Since I’m from Germany, I had to look for “other” glycerin. It’s vegetable, but I think, that’s the ‘stinking component’. Would that cleanser work without the glycerin as well?
Happy.MoneySaver says
April 2, 2015 at 12:07 pmI haven’t tried it without the glycerin but I think it would be worth it to try it out and see what you think! 🙂
Ellè says
May 4, 2015 at 3:11 pmI’ve used raw honey to wash my face for sometime now (and when I need a little extra exfoliation I add a bit of baking soda). I would just try it without the glycerin. I’m looking forward to trying this, but you have to find what works for you with the products you have available!
Molly says
February 20, 2015 at 9:18 amWe get our vegetable glycerin from Glory Bee. It’s $10/quart, so that’s only about $1.25 per batch instead of $4! Can’t wait to try this!
Happy.MoneySaver says
February 20, 2015 at 5:20 pmGreat find!
Tessa says
February 12, 2015 at 8:59 amI love these. I used almond oil scented dr bronners and made the face wash smell wonderful! My first batch lasted about 2 1/2 months. Well worth it! Thanks again. I will make it again soon
Stephanie says
January 6, 2015 at 9:13 amCould I use lemon juice instead of essential oil. Maybe a silly question, but I do have any EO’s yet and have been waiting to introduce them at home due to scent sensitivities, hence haven’t done my research on them.
Happy.MoneySaver says
January 6, 2015 at 11:44 amYou could try that but the only concern would be sun sensitivities. Fresh Lemon juice reacts with the sun and on certain people it can cause sunburns or other reactions. Be mindful of that when you try it! 🙂
Stephanie says
January 6, 2015 at 1:45 pmThanks for your input Karrie!
Linda says
May 10, 2015 at 7:56 pmCoconut oil is a natural sunscreen. Couldn’t you put a thin layer on your face after if you use lemon juice? I can’t afford EO so I would like to use lemon juice
Happy.MoneySaver says
May 10, 2015 at 11:23 pmI am not sure about that. There have been some reports about lemon juice burning your skin and I am not sure that coconut oil would protect you well enough.
Andrea says
January 27, 2017 at 9:03 pmI made my own lemon essential oil the other day, super easy and nice. Worth a try if you don’t want to go buy an expensive set of oils. I looked at a lot of websites and watched two videos . Just lemon zest and olive oil, heat it a bit in double boiler and either let it sit overnight or strain the zest out with a cheesecloth or coffee filter.
Ck says
September 14, 2017 at 2:21 pmThats actually an infusion, NOT an essential oil. Essential oils are much higher in concentration.
Katie says
January 4, 2015 at 1:49 pmHow long does this cleanser last? I buy the Calm cleanser from Arbonne and it lasts me about a year… a little bit longer. With the Arbonne cleanser you don’t have to use a lot at ALL. It’s $26 a bottle, which isn’t at all bad considering it lasts a year. I have had a few people who are into making their own skin care products say not to use Arbonne either, what do you think? I would rather use Arbonne products instead of any North American ones due to the large number of ingredients Arbonne will NOT use (but North American companies will). I’ve been debating for a bit if I should just keep using Arbonne because I don’t have the time to make all of my own products or if I should just suck it up and start making my own. I know I’ll start making my own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash soon for sure.
This recipe does sound great though!
Happy.MoneySaver says
January 4, 2015 at 8:24 pmTry it out! I have been using it for almost two months and still have quite a bit left. Maybe you could make a sample batch to try for a couple days. It works great as birthday gifts for friends too! 🙂
Melissa says
December 20, 2014 at 8:50 amSo, what about lavender castile soap and a citrus blend essential oil? What do you think? Worth a try?
Happy.MoneySaver says
December 20, 2014 at 2:58 pmI think it’s worth a try!
Riann says
December 10, 2014 at 11:44 amI have orange oil already, what do you think about that in place of the lemon oil?
Happy.MoneySaver says
December 10, 2014 at 1:20 pmEach oil has its benefits. I like the lemon oil for my face because it brightens the skin and evens my skin tone. The orange essential oil promotes the production of collagen as well as increases the blood flow to the skin. It soothes dry, irritated skin as well as acne-prone skin. But I think you should give it a try and see what you think!
Patti Miller says
December 10, 2014 at 4:00 amWhere does a person buy liquid castle soap?
Happy.MoneySaver says
December 10, 2014 at 11:00 amI have found it in some stores by the pharmacy or sometimes baby aisles. You can also find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bronners-Organic-Castile-Liquid/dp/B000HK1OOY?tag=hmslove-20.
Jodi T. says
December 7, 2014 at 1:56 pmDoes the lemon oil make your face sensitive to the sun? I have read that it could cause light sensitivity.
Happy.MoneySaver says
December 8, 2014 at 10:24 amThere is such a small amount of the lemon oil that it should be fine! But remember always use sunscreen! 🙂
Lori Louras says
December 28, 2014 at 7:39 amI can’t wait to make this! It sounds like it is perfect for sensitive skin.