9 Fun Fall Ingredients to Try (And One Great Free Recipe!)

Fall is such a wonderful time of year. Summer’s intensity gives way to winter’s cool and quiet time of rest and renewal. The changing of the seasons often means changing the way you think about your skin’s needs and what products are in your skincare items!

And, on top of the seasonal changes, which can vary depending on where on the globe you live, you’ve probably got some holiday gatherings coming up, too. Holiday parties are wonderful for sharing a festive time with your friends and loved ones, but sometimes a contributor to stress as well.

With all of this coming up, a little pampering is definitely in order. We can nurture ourselves by embracing the ingredients of the season, staying in tune with the natural rhythms and cycles of life, and giving ourselves new and fun ingredients to try in our formulations!

It can be challenging to do this in today’s busy world. It can be even harder to make time for yourself—but it can be done, and moreover, it’s fun to do! Here are a few examples of formulations to try for the coming colder weather, and ingredients you might not have tried to work with.

Prioritize Your Fall and Winter Skincare Needs

Before you get started, it’s always a good idea to think about what kind of result you want with the product you’re making. 

For example, does your already dry skin take a beating with winter wind? 

Do you need deep hydration in your skincare routine, or do you need a once-weekly treatment just to keep your skin feeling soft, healthy, and supple? 

Nature provides so many wonderful ingredients! Here are some of our favorites for seasonal product creation: 

Cranberry seed oil

INCI: Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil

Cranberry Seed Oil is a light oil that is absorbed quickly and doesn’t leave an oily residue on the skin. It can be used for all skin types due to its fast absorption rate and light texture, making it suitable for all types of products from serums, butters, balms, creams and lotions. 

It has a nice balance of omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and is rich in vitamins E and vitamin A. It can be useful for wide ranging skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, as well as irritated or inflamed skin.

Pumpkin seed oil

INCI: Cucurbita Pepo (pumpkin) seed oil

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, along with vitamin E and antioxidants. It is somewhat similar to sesame seed oil, but it is richer in nourishing phytosterols. 

Suitable for all skin types, ideal for dry, sensitive and mature skin. 

The unrefined version has a strong (overpowering) nutty scent and dark green-to-red colour, while the refined version comes in lighter colour and is odor-free.

Hazelnut oil

INCI: Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil

A light oil that is nourishing, softening and soothing for the skin and good for preventing dehydration. Slightly astringent so good for oily skin types, & acne. Easily and quickly absorbed by the skin and does not leave it feeling greasy. 

It is suitable for all types especially oily, acne, dry, and mature.

Cocoa Butter

INCI: Theobroma cacao (seed butter)

Emollient, soothing and softening. A very good occlusive forming a protective layer on the skin. Enhances skin elasticity. Cold pressed cocoa butter contains antioxidants which help fight free radicals thereby keeping the skin looking younger. 

Useful for dry skin and for treating stretch marks, scars, chapped skin and lips. A hard butter.

Shea Butter

INCI: Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter) Oil

A wonderful moisturizer, emollient and very soothing. Suitable for all skin types. Helps to heal dry, cracked, aged and damaged skin. Useful for stretch marks. From the Karite tree which is known as women’s gold. A fairly soft butter.

Cinnamon essential oil

INCI: Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil 

A lovely, warm, sweet and spicy aroma that is both uplifting and energising.

Benzoin 

INCI: styrax benzoin

Benzoin has a sweet, vanilla-like aroma. It’s a great alternative to vanilla essential oil which is really expensive! 

By use Benzoin, you’ll take advantage of all the other properties beyond its scent, including its antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and calming properties. 

Benzoin is excellent for dry, chapped, inflamed and irritated skin. And it’s particularly useful for hand and foot creams. It’s a diuretic that helps with water retention issues so can be helpful for treating cellulite. 

It is Cooling and calming for the nerves, warming for the heart, promotes rest and relaxation. Alleviates stress and tension.

Do not use with young children.

Orange (sweet) essential oil

INCI: citrus sinensis

Sweet orange essential oil has a succulent, soft, sweet and fruity aroma. 

It has antiseptic, cicatrisant, cheering, sedating, and gently uplifting properties, and is good for acne prone, congested, oily and mature skin. Helps with lymphatic drainage to remove toxins. Promotes collagen formation to help skin become firmer. 

A wonderful sweet and soft fruity aroma that gently uplifts the spirits warms the body and mind and alleviates stress and tension. Can replace lavender very well because of its softening and relaxing qualities.

Not phototoxic.

Horse Chestnut oil

INCI: Helianthus annuus Seed Oil, Aesculus hippocastanum Seed Extract

Horse chestnut oil is made by macerating the nuts from the horse chestnut tree with another oil. This is most commonly done with sunflower oil which gives a combination of properties from both, sunflower oil, and the chestnut. It has astringent qualities and is therefore useful for oily skin.

Free Recipe: Holiday Spirit Body Scrub

This festive smelling body scrub made with nourishing oils and brown sugar is easy to make at home and makes a wonderful (last minute) present for your loved ones. Scents of cinnamon, orange and vanilla-like benzoin will joyful spirit to your pampering time.

Instructions to make the scrub:

1. Combine phase A ingredients and melt in a water bath over medium heat.
2. Once the solid ingredients are melted, add phase B ingredients, stir well.
3. Put the mixture into the refrigerator to cool and solidify. 
4. When it starts to solidify, whip it with an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy and lighter in colour..
5. Using a spoon or a spatula, fold in phase C ingredients.
6. Pack into a jar.

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