Homemade Makeup Remover That's Actually Good For Your Skin

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Unlike most brands, this easy homemade makeup remover is both cleansing and nourishing to your skin.

The reasons for making homemade beauty products are different for everyone.

For some, it’s because we want to control the ingredients and make a super simple non-toxic beauty product that isn’t available in stores.

Often it has to do with affordability – like making luxurious skin cream for very little money.

Sometimes – like with my homemade toothpaste project – it was mostly out of curiosity.

Some people just love DIY and will make anything they can think of!

In the case of makeup remover, I had been using a fairly clean product, but it was no longer available. I couldn’t find a good replacement, so I decided to make my own homemade makeup remover! I’ve been super happy with the result – so I want to share it with you!

Why It Matters

What’s wrong with the stuff you can buy at the drug store?

Conventional makeup remover formulas, while seemingly simple, usually contain some combination of chemicals and petroleum based ingredients including mineral oil, artificial colors and fragrances, as well as paraben preservatives. These ingredients are linked to endocrine disruption and allergic reactions, and may be causing more harm than good to your skin.

Let’s just steer clear of those ingredients, shall we?

Simple Homemade Makeup Remover

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When my old makeup remover ran out, one of the things I tried was straight coconut oil. It seems like a simple solution, and maybe it works for you, but I was not a fan.

I prefer a liquid makeup remover because it’s easier to handle near my eyes. Sometimes I run a Q-tip under my eyes to remove eye liner and I find that’s a lot easier to do with a liquid.

Yet, I still want some oil in the formula to help dissolve makeup and remove mascara on the days that I use it.

After some experimentation I landed on a very simple formula that includes an alcohol-free witch hazel blend and a nourishing plant-based oil. You don’t have to use these exact brands but I really love this witch hazel blend from Thayers – I use it straight up as a facial toner too!

The end result is cleansing and moisturizing at the same time. Unlike some formulas that strip skin of moisture, this homemade makeup remover is actually good for your skin!

Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Toner

Certified organic witch hazel (from the witch hazel shrub – Hamamelis Virginiana) is a natural astringent
Also contains soothing aloe vera and moisturizing vegetable glycerin
I use the Rose Petal version which uses rose flower water and natural rose fragrance
Also available in Lavender, Cucumber, Lemon or Unscented varieties

Aura Cacia Sweet Almond Oil

Moisturizes skin with nourishing fatty acids and Vitamin E
Can substitute other natural oils such as jojoba, apricot kernel, grapeseed, avocado or olive oil

Of course this is super easy to make! Just mix the two ingredients in equal parts.

If you want to start small to see if you like it, try mixing 1 tablespoon of each ingredient together in a small dish. Then, depending on your bottle size, mix equal parts together and give it a quick shake. The oil will rise to the top over time, so always shake before using.

This gorgeous dropper bottle you see here is repurposed from a bottle of Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum but you can use any bottle you have around – it doesn’t need to have a dropper.

To use the makeup remover, I saturate one of my favorite reusable makeup pads and wipe lightly over my skin. I also dip in a Q-tip to get under my eyes – carefully! The skin under your eyes is fragile, so you never want to rub very hard over that area.

So what do you think? Is homemade makeup remover in your future? If you’re still using up your old brand, be sure to Pin this post for later so you’ll have it when you need it!