I’m not that old, but I’d still like to get a head start on fighting aging, especially when it comes to my face. What you eat plays a big role in skin health, but you can also use healthy skincare products to help (like Scratch Mommy Founder Jess’s Pronounce Skincare line products). Fight wrinkles and promote youthful, smooth skin at any age with this anti-aging night cream recipe.
There are so many choices when it comes to lotion ingredients (like various butter choices and carrier oil choices). I use a light floral hydrosol and essential oil in my favorite rose lotion, but I wanted to create a DIY lotion recipe that was customized to be used as a night cream. This anti-aging night cream recipe uses ingredients that have been shown to reduce and prevent the appearance of wrinkles and aging skin.
Rosehip Seed Carrier Oil
Rosehip seed carrier oil is one that’s been sitting in my fridge for a bit, but I haven’t had a reason to break open the bottle yet. This oil is recommended for dry or mature skin, even though it’s also considered a “dry” or very fast absorbing oil. It’s also gentle enough to use undiluted on skin. If you’re dealing with really greasy, acne prone skin though, then rosehip seed oil isn’t the best choice for that.
The Best Essential Oils
I’ve also included a few essential oils in this blend since many of them are simply amazing for skincare. I use them in almost everything, including my honey face wash, where I detail how to customize the blend of essential oils based on your exact skin type. Scratch Mommy Founder Jess uses several different organic essential oils in her Pronounce Skincare line and you can find plenty of recipes with them here on Scratch Mommy. We’re all a little bit oily over here. 😉
Organic geranium
essential oil is my first choice for this lotion, since it does such a
great job at balancing the oil/dryness of skin. It also helps regenerate
damaged cells. Since our faces are constantly exposed to sunlight and
the elements, it’s cells need some extra love and attention from our
skincare. Carrot seed essential oil is also good for aging skin, as it’s
believed to remove wrinkles and rejuvenate the skin.
If you are
looking for something not in lotion form for your face that utilizes
carrot seed carrier oil, check out Jess’s rejuvenating Pronounce
Skincare Face Serum for a very healthy dose of carrot seed carrier oil
that comes in a handy roll-on bottle.
I’ve also used organic lemon essential oil for its ability to help even skin tone and reduce the appearance of dark spots. There is a caveat here though. Since we’re using lemon in this anti-aging cream recipe, which is phototoxic, I like to apply it at night to be extra safe. The lemon is diluted to a 1% concentration, which is half of what’s considered by experts to put you at risk for skin damage, so there’s a very wide safety net here. This ensures maximum effectiveness with minimal chance of irritation. You can read more about using phototoxic essential oils safely here.
Fight Those Free Radicals
Vitamin E oil is the other key player in the mix. It’s an essential nutrient for the body, but we often don’t get enough of it. This is an antioxidant that fights free radical damage that can lead to cancer, making it perfect for an anti-aging night cream. It’s also worth noting, that there’s a benefit to applying it at night.
“Much of a topically applied dose of vitamin E alone will be destroyed in the skin following exposure to UV light.”
Getting A Feel For It
This lotion feels slightly thick going on because of the cocoa butter and sweet almond oil, but it sinks into skin very nicely after a few minutes, leaving your skin super soft! The rosehip seed oil is a “dry’ oil, so it really helps the product to absorb quickly. You can also use evening primrose oil if you’d like, as it’s also very good for promoting youthful looking skin.
You’ll Need:
- 41 grams or 3 T Sweet Almond Oil (organic, unrefined sweet almond oil)
- 13 grams or 1 T Rosehip Seed Oil or Evening Primrose Oil (organic cold-pressed rosehip seed oil &/or organic cold-pressed evening primrose oil)
- 5 grams or 2 ½ Cocoa Butter Wafers (organic, unrefined cocoa butter wafers)
- 5 grams or ½ T Beeswax Pellets (naturally and sustainably-sourced beeswax pellets)
- ¼ tsp Vitamin E Oil (non-GMO Vitamin E)
- 25 drops Lemon Essential Oil (organic lemon essential oil)
- 12 drops Geranium Essential Oil (organic geranium essential oil)
- 5 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil (different than carrot seed carrier oil used in Scratch Mommy founder Jess's Pronounce Skincare Face Serum, use organic carrot seed essential oil in this recipe)
- ¼ cup Water or Floral Hydrosol (I often use rose water, but lavender or calendula infused water would also work well; check out Founder Jess's Pronounce Skincare Rose Water, too)
Instructions:
- Add the cocoa butter, beeswax, rosehip seed or evening primrose oil, and sweet almond oil to a medium sized glass bowl. Place the glass bowl on top of a saucepan half full of water on the stove to make a double boiler.
- Turn the stove on to medium high and stir the oil mixture occasionally until everything is melted and combined.
- Remove the glass bowl from the heat and add the vitamin E and essential oils, stirring gently to combine.
- Pour the liquid oil and butter mixture into your blender or stand mixer bowl. I find that using a blender helps keep the oil from separating much better than a mixer.
- Place the oil in the fridge for about 10 minutes, or until creamy looking, but not solid.
- Start your blender, or use the stand mixer with the whisk attachment and slooowly drizzle the water or hydrosol in while it's running on high. Continue mixing/blending until it's a thick lotion.
- Store in a super clean glass jar and apply to the face, preferably at night.
NOTES:
Always source organic &/or wild harvested essential oils that come from sustainably sourced &/or fair trade plants. Among a few other companies, we do really love Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils.