Natural Homemade Skin Care: 60 Cleansers, Toners, Moisturizers and More Made from Whole Food Ingredients

“Militza’s book is filled with practical recipes that will fill your home and your heart with the rich healing power of plants. Her time-tested formulas lean on the traditions of our ancestors, bringing beauty and balance to our modern day routine.”
―Emily Ruff, Director of the Florida School of Holistic Living

“An accessible and affordable resource for those interested in creating natural skin-care products but are unsure of where to start.”
―Meagan Storey, Library Journal

“You know how you get all excited and squeak out a little “eep!” and jump up and down when you see something so adorable or amazing that it totally makes your day? That’s how I felt about Militza’s book, Natural Homemade Skin Care, the first time I opened its pages. This book is filled sixty amazing, natural skin care recipes that you’re going to love to make!”
―Rebecca D. Dillon, Soap Deli News

‘With more time to get creative and focus on self-care over the past year, Natural Homemade Skin Care by Militza Maury takes it one step further with ideas to make your own toners, moisturizers, and more safe at home.”
—Morgan Ashley Parker, POPSUGAR

I was a new mom when I discovered that the exact brand of babycare I’d been using on my daughter contained potentially toxic ingredients. I ran to the nearest health food store looking for an organic alternative but, looking at the price tags, realized this was never going to be an affordable option for me. I remember how frustrated I felt. I was being forced to compromise between the health of my family or breaking the bank.

But as I looked at the packaging of baby bath wash in my hand, it hit me. “Made with real oats, lavender, chamomile & cocoa butter.” This is basically a recipe! I can make this! I put the bath wash down and left the health food store with an armful of ingredients instead.

Later in my kitchen, I had no idea what I was doing. I just did what came naturally and made my daughter’s skincare the same way I prepared her food: from scratch. But that night, the moment my homemade bath tea (page 134) slipped into my baby’s bath water, I could smell the aroma of  chamomile and cocoa butter on my baby’s skin—so delicate and pure—and I was hooked!

My first experiences formed my philosophy on skincare. That making skincare should be simple and practical, so it can become a part of your lifestyle. That the ingredients should be readily available, found in the grocery store or health food store. And that it should be affordable, so that everyone can access safe and natural skincare.

This book is your complete guide to creating exquisite natural skincare that rivals anything you’ll find in the stores. To help make natural skincare an everyday habit for you, I’ll show you how to create a simple routine you’ll love (see Crafting a Routine on page 13). Over time, you’ll make recipes to replace nearly all of your store-bought skincare: cleansers, toners, moisturizers and more.

Every recipe is designed to be practical and effective. Most of the recipes in this book are self-preserving, so you won’t need to store (and forget!) your products in the refrigerator. Instead, your Sunrise Body Oil (page 76) will be ready to go, so that when you start the day you can wake up all of your senses. Your Creamy Cleansing Balm (page 26) will be right on your bathroom counter, so that you will apply it every day and see the results.

The ingredients in this book – whole foods, plant oils, herbs and butters – are carefully chosen so they can be found in your local supermarket or health food store. You’ll be amazed at the variety of skincare you can make from the same, simple ingredients. And you won’t break the bank on exotic specialty items that end up at the back of a forgotten cupboard. If the ingredients aren’t easily found in your part of the world, I’ve provided online resources at the back of the book (see Information about Ingredients on pages 147-148) and I’ve sprinked alternatives throughout the recipes so you can adjust as you like.

My natural skin-care journey has taken me all over the world, from Singapore, to Bali, and now back home to the USA. But it started with making that first recipe in my kitchen, which gave me such a sense of empowerment and joy! I hope this book inspires your to make your first recipe, or to continue your own skin-care journey. I know that the positive changes that come from using something that you made yourself will lead you somewhere special.

—Militza Maury