I wrote about what serums are and why you might want to use them below (or instead) of your moisturiser. So the biggest complaint about them is that they are expensive. This is mainly a marketing tactic because most serums don't contain really expensive ingredients anyway. So here is a guide on making your own serum:
Mix everything together and pour into a bottle. If you are skipping an ingredient, replace it with extra water (otherwise the concentration of the other stuff will be off).
This serum is meant for all skin types, and can be used for the day as well as for the night. Hyaluronan, aloe vera, panthenol and sodium lactate are all great moisturisers, and the oils help to seal the moisture in; so this serum will be very moisturising but at the same time quite light. Remember that its properties will change according to the oils that you add. Here is a nice guide to oils, and if you tend to get blocked pores you might want to read this. Since you will be adding a very small quantity of oil, you might want to get a fancier one that would be too good for oil-cleansing (for example rose hip oil or argan oil).
You can also add extracts and other fancy ingredients. Most websites that sell such ingredients will mention how much you can use. For example you will see that you can use between 1% - 3% of this Algae Extract (this refers to the volume, not weight); the above serum is almost 20ml so 1% will be 0.2ml and3% would be 0.6ml. A medicine dropper is the best thing to measure such small quantities. For those of you who are itching to blend something that's perfect for your skin, a detailed post on customising your serum is coming up!
Here is a list of places that sell DIY cosmetic ingredients.
Have you ever tried to make your own serum? Know of any nice recipes? Or have you found a great inexpensive product that you love?
Simple moisturising serum
recipe from Italiana5 ml water (distilled or boiled is best)
4 ml hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid)
1 ml aloe vera
1ml panthenol
1ml sodium lactate
6 ml oils -- choose them according to the needs of your skin
conservant -- around 3 drops
emulgator (optional, if you don't use it then shake the serum before use)
Mix everything together and pour into a bottle. If you are skipping an ingredient, replace it with extra water (otherwise the concentration of the other stuff will be off).
This serum is meant for all skin types, and can be used for the day as well as for the night. Hyaluronan, aloe vera, panthenol and sodium lactate are all great moisturisers, and the oils help to seal the moisture in; so this serum will be very moisturising but at the same time quite light. Remember that its properties will change according to the oils that you add. Here is a nice guide to oils, and if you tend to get blocked pores you might want to read this. Since you will be adding a very small quantity of oil, you might want to get a fancier one that would be too good for oil-cleansing (for example rose hip oil or argan oil).
You can also add extracts and other fancy ingredients. Most websites that sell such ingredients will mention how much you can use. For example you will see that you can use between 1% - 3% of this Algae Extract (this refers to the volume, not weight); the above serum is almost 20ml so 1% will be 0.2ml and3% would be 0.6ml. A medicine dropper is the best thing to measure such small quantities. For those of you who are itching to blend something that's perfect for your skin, a detailed post on customising your serum is coming up!
Here is a list of places that sell DIY cosmetic ingredients.
Have you ever tried to make your own serum? Know of any nice recipes? Or have you found a great inexpensive product that you love?
