So, here’s the thing. I really like my Dermalogica PreCleanse Oil, but I am enjoying this DIY stuff so much, I felt I had to give creating my own a go.

I like to use this in the evenings to take off my makeup and sunscreen and all the grime from the day. It smells lovely, with some lavender notes. You massage it onto dry skin, for about 3-5 minutes, then wet your hands, and continue to massage. The product “milks” up, and then I use a face cloth to remove the oils and makeup off my skin before moving onto my other steps in the routine. I suspected that there was an emulsifier in the mix due to the milkyness, and the product does rinse off beautifully.

I decided to take a look at the ingredients to find out what combination of oils were there. The ingredients list (thank you, Dermalogica, for including this. It’s great for those with skin seneitivities or known allergies. Boo hiss to those who don’t include these details!) is as follows, and I’ve translated it to normal speak:

Dermalogica PreCleanse Ingredients:

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – otherwise known as fractionated coconut oil

Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil – apricot kernel oil

PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate – emulsifier and surfectant

Tocopheryl Acetate – vitamin E acetate, awesome antioxidant

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil – borage oil. The richest known source (24%) of an essential fatty acid called gamma- linolenic acid (GLA) which is good for dry skin.

Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil – candlenut oil.

Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil – Rice bran oil. Yup, the stuff you get at the supermarket.

Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Extract – lycopene is an awesome antioxidant.

Tocopherol – vitamin E

Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate – likley used as a thickening agent here

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate – reduces the greasy feeling from oils, solubises oils.

Decyl Olive Esters – more non greasy oil stuff.

Dicaprylyl Carbonate – also called Cetiol(TM)CC and it’s an emolient and provides a lovely, dry oil slippy feel.

Citral – smells. Lemon smell specifically.

Limonene – smells. Mainly orangy.

Linalool – this stuff is in everything and it’s mainly for smell.

Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil – smells.

Lavandula Hybrida Oil – lavender oil. Although lavender oil can have anitbacterial properties, it’s more likely here for the smells.

Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil – camel grass oil. I have never heard of this stuff. Then I discovered it’s called lemongrass. That’s more like it! Most likely for smells.

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil – orange oil. Most likely for smells.

Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil – More lavender oil. Most likely for smells.

Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil – mandarin peel oil. Most likely for smells.

Isopropylparaben – preservative

Isobutylparaben – preservative

Butylparaben – preservative

There’s a lot of lemony-laverdery stuff happening here. So, with all this in mind, and knowing I’m unlikely to use the citrus scents as blergness, I’ve decided on the following mix:

DIY Oil Cleanser with Lavender and Tea Tree

50 mL Fractionated Coconut Oil (50%)

30mL Apricot Kernel oil (30%)

8 mL Jojoba oil (8%)

10 drops Lavender oil (0.75%)

5 drops Tea Tree oil (0.25%)

1mL Vitamin E oil (1%)

10mL Polysorbate 80 (10%)

4 drops Optifen

Combine the oils together and store in a light-proof bottle – I used my old Dermalogica bottle and relabelled it. To use, pour an amount of oil into your hand (1inch diameter circle size) and rub together with palms, then apply to your face (dry skin, don’t wet beforehand). Massage gently for a few minutes to dissolve your makeup, then wet your hands and massage again. The oils will emulsify with the water and “milk” up. Then you can remove with a flannel or splash it away. Sometimes I’ll leave the oil on my face for a few minutes before I massage, especially if I’ve worn a lot of makeup that day.

I’ve added in the tea tree oil because it has antibacterial qualities and it works well on my skin. The smell is overwhelmingly lavender, which I love, especially before I go to sleep at night.

So there we go, inspiration from a product I love, super easy to DIY, and smells amazing. I could really get hooked on this!