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Natural Skincare: What I Learned from Formulating My Own Products

As a graduate of the School of Natural Skincare, I want to share what I've learned about making safe, effective, and truly natural skincare products at home — and why proper training makes all the difference.

Why Natural Skincare Formulation Is a Skill

Many DIY skincare recipes floating around the internet look simple — mix a few oils, add some essential oils, done. But during my training I discovered that truly safe natural skincare is much more than that. Water-containing products (creams, lotions, mists) can grow harmful bacteria and mold within days if they aren't properly preserved and tested. Professional formulators think about:

• pH — how acidic or alkaline a product needs to be for safety and effectiveness

• Preservative Efficacy Testing (PET) — lab testing that proves a product won't grow harmful microbes

• Ingredient percentages — using the right amount of each ingredient, not just guessing

• INCI names — the standardized international ingredient names used in professional formulation

Types of Products You Can Make

Natural skincare formulation covers a broad range of product categories:

Body Care

• Whipped body butters using shea and cocoa butter

• Exfoliating shower scrub bars with sea salt and essential oils

Facial Care

• Nourishing facial oils blended with carrier oils like rosehip, jojoba, and argan

• Anti-aging serums with active ingredients like Coenzyme Q10 and sea buckthorn

• Hydrating facial mists using hydrosols and humectants like glycerin

Creams & Lotions

• Hand and foot creams

• Facial moisturizers using natural emulsifiers to blend water and oil phases

Key Natural Ingredients to Know

Through my training, I became familiar with a wide range of professional-grade natural ingredients:

Carrier Oils: Jojoba, rosehip, argan, avocado, camellia, macadamia nut, sunflower, meadowfoam

Butters: Shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter

Essential Oils: Lavender, geranium, frankincense, bergamot, ylang ylang, sweet orange, lemongrass

Hydrosols: Lavender, chamomile, rose — used instead of plain water for added skin benefits

Emulsifiers: Natural options like Olivem 1000 (olive-derived) and Xyliance (wheat straw-derived) bind water and oil in creams

Preservatives: Natural, Ecocert-approved options like Geogard Ultra and Preservative Eco keep products microbiologically safe

Active Ingredients: Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin E (tocopherol), sea buckthorn CO2 extract

The Philosophy: Safe, Science-Based, and Natural

What sets professional natural skincare formulation apart is the combination of a love for natural ingredients with a respect for the science behind them. Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's automatically safe or effective — and just because a product is commercial doesn't mean it has to be full of harmful synthetics.

The goal is to create products that are:

• Genuinely natural — using certified organic and naturally derived ingredients

• Microbiologically safe — properly preserved and tested

• Skin-effective — formulated with the right ingredient ratios and pH

• Customizable — understanding the "why" behind each ingredient so you can adapt recipes for different skin types

Want to Learn More?

I completed my training through the School of Natural Skincare, one of the world's leading online natural skincare schools. They offer beginner to advanced certificate and diploma courses covering everything from simple anhydrous formulations to complex emulsions.

👉 Explore courses at the School of Natural Skincare

Whether you're interested in making products for yourself, your family, or eventually starting your own skincare brand — their courses give you the science, safety knowledge, and practical skills to do it properly.

This summary reflects my personal learnings from my training at the School of Natural Skincare. All course content and original recipes are the intellectual property of the School of Natural Skincare / Goodness & Wonder Ltd.