HOW TO ENSURE THE

Skincare Products
YOU MAKE ARE SAFE
AND STABLE
 2

THE DANGERS OF FOLLOWING

skincare recipes
YOU FIND ONLINE

You want to make your own natural products, Blogs, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube
right? Products that are clean, natural and are often inaccurate.
free from harmful chemicals. Products that
care for yourself and your family. Products They are created by well-meaning and
that are safe. passionate people but often they are
unqualified and pass on inaccurate
Oh course you do. That’s why most people information. This means you might be
start making their own products in the making things that aren’t right, or worse,
first place! are unsafe!
So it seems crazy that by making your own We want to help put this right.
skincare products you could actually be
making and using UNSAFE and potentially Instead, make products the
HARMFUL products. right way
How? Let us explain. Here at the School of Natural Skincare we
work with a team of professionals including
If you rely on books, blogs, Facebook, Cosmetic Chemists, Cosmetic Formulators,
YouTube and Pinterest for your knowledge and Aromatherapists, and Safety Assessors to
recipes, there are a few problems. ensure you are learning accurate information
from the best in the industry.
Books can quickly go out of date.
With so much contradictory information
For example there are some classic
online and in books we created this guide
aromatherapy books which contain wonderful
as handy checklist to help you create safe
descriptions of essential oils and their
and stable products.
uses. BUT usage guidelines since they were
published have been drastically altered, Read it. Keep it with you when looking at or
meaning if you follow their guidance you’ll be creating skincare recipes. Check every recipe
using potentially harmful levels of oils. against each of these points.
 3

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 beginner’s 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:

CHECK #1 What percentage of essential oil is being used?

CHECK #2 Do the essential oils carry any contraindications?

CHECK #3 If the product contains water, does it also contain a broad-

spectrum preservative?

CHECK #4 Are antioxidants being confused with preservatives?

CHECK #5 Are you storing and using the product correctly?

CHECK #6 Are oil and water being combined without an emulsif ier or solubilizer?

CHECK #7 Is beeswax being used as an emulsif ier?

CHECK #8 Is purif ied water being used?

CHECK #9 Is the recipe claiming to be a sunscreen?

CHECK #10 Are you using Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)?

 4

CHECK #1
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.
 5

CHECK #2
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 and 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.
 6

CHECK #3
If the product contains water, does it also contain
a broad-spectrum preservative?

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.
 7

CHECK #4
Are antioxidants being confused with preservatives?

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.

CHECK #5
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.
 8

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

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 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.
 9

CHECK #7
Is beeswax being used as an emulsifier?

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 is 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.
 10

CHECK #8
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.

CHECK #9
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.
 11

CHECK #10
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.
 12

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, mold and yeast. 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. 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.
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 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!
Best wishes

Gail and Gareth xox

Directors, School of Natural Skincare International
www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com
 14

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.

W hich sounds...

MOST LIKE YOU?

OPTION 1 OPTION 2

I’d like to make a I’d like to learn to formulate

wide range of skincare my own products from
products by following scratch and/or start my own
ready-to-use recipes. beauty brand.

THEN MAYBE...

Our Our

CERTIFICATE DIPLOMA
IN MAKING IN

Natural Skincare Natural Skincare

Products Formulation
is perfect for you is perfect for you

CLICK FOR MORE CLICK FOR MORE

INFORMATION INFORMATION
 15

CERTIFICATE IN MAKING

Natural Skincare Products

Certif icate 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.
 16

DIPLOMA IN

Natural Skincare Formulation

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, 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.

Ready to design & launch

your own skincare brand?
 17

ABOUT THE

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 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.
© Goodness & Wonder Ltd. All rights reserved.
www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com