With the help of our Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products online course, one person’s already full life became more fulfilled, when her interest in making natural skincare products led to her bathroom cabinet being filled with her own homemade creations.

Finding the School of Natural Skincare 

The road to your end goal can be somewhat rocky in the beginning. Google was the go-to for Kristal’s research and it threw back a whole concoction of confusing information.

“There was so much information out there, and everything that I was finding contradicted each other. I was going crazy to the point where I almost just gave up.”

With three young children Kristal didn’t “have the time to sit for two hours every morning getting misleading information.”

Some YouTube videos failed to incorporate preservatives in their recipes, and there was no mention of appropriate packaging or where to buy them.

All the ways in which YouTube failed are ways that the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products have excelled in; addressing and explaining them thoroughly in each module of the course.

At almost the point of giving up, Kristal found the School of Natural Skincare. When she started reading about the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products her first thought was, “I need to do this.” Her second thought was, “This is going to be outrageously expensive.”

But, 

“When I saw how affordable it was, I just did a little happy dance. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can actually do this. I can take this class!… I signed up right away.”

Once she had found the Certificate course Kristal was “beyond excited”. An accredited online course existed that would teach her to make her own natural and organic cleansers, toners, moisturizers, creams, lotions, balms, body butters, serums, masks, scrubs and more!

The nature of the Certificate was very appealing to Kristal, who wanted a full end-to-end course that would cover everything from start to finish.

“It wasn’t something where you were going to start and then you’re going to have to do a different course. You were going to start and you were going to learn how to make a cleanser or a toner or a mask, that it was going to take you from the very beginning, all the way up until you successfully have accomplished the knowledge of how to create your own skincare line. And that’s what I wanted, and that’s what it gave me.”

The personal touch

Directors Gail and Gareth Després’ knowledge and understanding of natural and organic ingredients and skincare, creating them safely and professionally, showed Kristal this was an exceptional course.

“The way they spoke about the course, I knew immediately that they knew what they were talking about, that they were very knowledgeable.”

The personable touch also meant a lot to Kristal and showed her that Gail and Gareth knew what it meant to be a student, and the experience involved.

From “the littlest detail, up until the most profound information”, the Certificate course provided it all. It was “very clear and professional” and it gave her the education that she needed to give her “such peace of mind and such confidence.”

Gaining confidence

Information about natural ingredients included in the Certificate course even excelled that provided by Kristal’s training; “I didn’t really know much about ingredients even after going to aesthetic school.”

But after graduating from the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products, Kristal felt the knowledge gained gave her the confidence to create her own skincare products. 

“I feel confident making and creating each and every product the correct way, knowing that when I’m making a cleanser, I know exactly what I need to do… the exact measurements of every ingredient and how to properly formulate each product…” 

This was “a big deal” to Kristal, after starting out not knowing “that there needed to be different phases of the process”, or “that things needed to be heated and to what degree”.

Why are natural and organic ingredients so important?

The root of Kristal’s values are her children.

“I just want to be as healthy as I possibly can so that I can be around as long as I can for my children and enjoy their lives as much as I enjoy my own. And any little thing that I can do to prolong my life and my health, and the health of my family, I’m going to do whatever I can that’s in my control to accomplish that.”

With three young children, it seemed finding the time to study wasn’t even an issue for Kristal. The fact that she could start and stop her studies at any time meant she had the flexibility she needed.

“I was so excited every morning to wake up before my children got up to learn more each and every day. It made me so happy that I found something that was giving me such wonderful, accurate knowledge and information that I really felt so confident and so eager to learn more.”

 Kristal has used her knowledge, confidence and skills to create her own four-piece skincare system; a cleanser, toner, serum and moisturizer. And they are in her home, and she uses them every day. And what is more, she knows exactly what ingredients are in them.

“Being able to use something and have my own label staring back at me on my bathroom shelf is an indescribable feeling. I tell my children now, who are very small, ‘I created this skincare line and someday maybe you’ll be able to help me’.”

How to make your own products to sell

If you are inspired by Kristal’s story – who wouldn’t be?! – and are interested in launching your own brand and selling your own natural and organic skincare products, you’ll want to study our online Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. 

This is the only course you need to launch your brand as it takes you through every aspect of creating skincare products from scratch, like the professionals! From defining your values and creating your brand, to formulating high-quality, professional skincare products, having them tested and complying with cosmetic regulations. 

It is true that some students of the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products, like Kristal, have launched their own brand, but there is much that isn’t covered in this course that you need to know about when making products to sell.

The focus of our online Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products is not to teach students how to create professional formulations or products from scratch without following recipes, but instead to teach students to develop exceptional, practical, product-making skills. Students follow over 120 recipes created by our professional team and use them to perfect their practical skills and make a complete range of their own natural and organic products.

So, which course is right for you?

If you want to make products for yourself, friends and family using tried and tested recipes, and at the same time develop your practical product-making skills and learn about natural skincare ingredients, the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products is for you.

If you want to be able to create your own products from scratch like the professionals without following recipes either for yourself or to launch your own skincare brand, then the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is the right course for you.

And if you have any questions at all or want to learn more about our courses and programs, please do get in touch with us by email using hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com. Our customer service team will be happy to help.

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Behind every good idea is a person with a dream. Making that dream a reality is the difference between an idea thriving and seeing it disappear.

One member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club has found that her dreams of becoming a brand founder are being nourished by the Club’s information, support and values.

Finding those all important values

Barbara Chwalko began her natural skincare journey when she read an article describing the benefits of not only natural ingredients in your diet but also in your skincare products.

“That was really an eye opener for me. The skin is our largest organ; why would I put any nasties, any chemicals on it?”

Looking through her family’s shop-bought skincare products, Barbara made the “quick decision” to empty the cabinet and start afresh. She began to look “for solutions, new products.”

Barbara wanted to use products that were transparent about what ingredients they contained. She wanted to be in control and choose what went into them.

She wanted to help the environment, by choosing products that had environmentally friendly packaging.

She wanted to spread the word about natural skincare and its holistic benefits.

And so began Barbara’s journey to the School of Natural Skincare and the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club.

Barbara felt the longing, the need, to create her own skincare brand that represented her values; using natural or organic ingredients, helping the planet and conscious consumerism. But she needed the knowledge to go with it.

A platform to create amazing natural cosmetic products

Barbara’s journey with the School of natural Skincare started when she enrolled in the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. Having tried out some homemade recipes, not so successfully, the Diploma made a real difference.

“I really enjoyed the course; learning, studying, applying the knowledge.”

When the invitation to join the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club dropped into her inbox, Barbara was compelled to become a member. 

“It really was very attractive for me to join. I thought it would be a really good idea to connect with people who have the same passion that I have; maybe learning from each other, exchanging experiences, as well as all the resources that the Club offers.”

It wasn’t long before Barbara felt the excitement of what new things she could discover in the Club.

“Before, I was making creams and lotions, but I was always dreaming about making soaps, as well. And that’s where it was really one of these extra things that I loved about the Club, that I could actually have access to this course… Making soaps!”

And it wasn’t just the Cold Process Soapmaking course that sparked an interest. Formulating Mineral Makeup also proved to be a course Barbara enjoyed.

Creating makeup was something that Barbara had never even considered in the past. But when she saw the class, she thought, “What a brilliant idea! I can actually make my own makeup, as well!”

The ease at which information can be found in the Club works to everyone’s advantage. If a member is looking for a new ingredient or not sure about certain equipment for a new idea, the answers are all in the Club. And by a click of a button they can just log in and find what they are looking for. 

With more and more classes, formulations, courses and resources being uploaded it’s not difficult to see where the excitement for formulating natural skincare products comes from.

“I know there will always be surprises for me to explore and find in the Club. I love it!”

And Barbara knows that what she creates with the help of the Club will have her values at the heart of it.

“I think it’s just giving me freedom of being the way I want to be. And I think creating something through my values is giving the space for them to be expressed through the products.”

The community that is developed and encouraged within the Club allows members to share knowledge, their journey and experiences, encourage each other and feel part of a worldwide group of like-minded people.

For Barbara, it is important to feel there are people to interact with at the touch of a button; “That was really something that drew me into the Club – just being part of the group.” 

For a great deal of members, the Club can help supply the power to create natural skincare products, and the freedom to believe that goals can be met, and even exceeded.

“It’s a really great experience. It’s a great adventure. There’s a lot of space to give your creativity a go and it is a really nice thing to experience. I feel like I’m quite a creative person, so my creativity and my imagination can grow, while having the knowledge.”

Would Barbara recommend the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club to someone who was still unsure whether to join? The answer’s pretty clear; 

“Don’t hesitate! It’s a beautiful way of spending time allowing your creativity to be put in something that you will enjoy. It’s pure enjoyment. Just don’t wait, because it’s really good fun!”

If you’d like to know more about the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, click here, and join people all over the world in a natural skincare formulation journey.

How one student’s membership to the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club has given her the confidence to launch her own brand

Having always strived to use products that were good for her skin and hair, Stacey Brown, from the USA, became aware that products with 100% natural ingredients were hard to find.

Aiming to use brands that were holistically beneficial and true to her values of containing effective, natural ingredients, Stacey realized she needed to create her own products.

Once Stacey enrolled onto the School of Natural Skincare’s Natural Haircare and Skincare Formulator Program, her love for natural cosmetics grew. 

But it wasn’t long before Stacey’s passion for natural cosmetics ignited further as the brand new Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club began to launch.

“Something new and exciting was coming! I got really excited about it. I couldn’t wait for the Club to open up so I could get in there!”

An exciting new career

As a retired registered nurse, Stacey Brown found that having time on her hands was a great incentive to start a new hobby; formulating natural skincare products that really work. 

Her 31-year career had led her through a journey of understanding the importance of having safe and effective products that people can support and embrace.

“I understand, it’s not just important what you put in your body, good nutrition, but also what you put on your body. Doing a lot of research has led me to be able to make more informed choices.”

When Stacey retired in 2020, she started thinking about what she wanted her new career path to be.

She wanted to make sure that it was something that aligned with what she already knew, what her skills already were, and what she was passionate about.

Not only did she discover her skin and hair were changing as she grew older, she also found that some of the products that were claiming to embrace these changes with natural, gentle ingredients, weren’t always true.

“I started researching. How can I formulate my own natural cosmetics? I didn’t know anything about it. Can I do this? Is my degree enough? Do I have to go back to school and become a scientist of some sort? I had no clue. In doing some research, I came across some links about the School of Natural Skincare.”

It wasn’t long before Stacey’s research into the School revealed that she could formulate her own natural skincare and haircare products. And she didn’t need any scientific education in order to enroll.

“The School made me believe, wow, I can do this, little old me, I can formulate. That’s what drew me to the School, and that’s what I signed up for. I’ve been totally happy ever since!”

Club Members can share with the School what they’d like to learn about so that the School can feature it inside the Club; something that greatly appealed to Stacey.

“The club makes us feel like we, as members, are stakeholders, that we’re contributing towards the success of the Club.” 

Having never experienced this type of Club before, where “they cared about what we think, and what we want to see, what’s valuable for us”, Stacey knows that it is a plus for other members too;

“It really is a very positive experience, not just for myself, but also for the other members, as I’m hearing things from them, as well. I think it really drives engagement.”

A Club, a family, a team

It is this engagement that runs further inside the Club, with members having the opportunity to meet virtually every month in the Formulators’ Forums, to come together and have a chat about all things formulating!

“I love people and the thought of the monthly Zoom calls; being able to connect and network with the other members, learning from them, sharing and learning about trends and barriers. And what I could also contribute to that with the things that I had learned.”

Members are able to share their creations and ideas with their peers;

“It’s very encouraging, it’s very inspiring. Especially when you see that people have wonderful things that they’ve made, or have had successful launches of a hair or skincare line.”

And failed formulations can be shared, too, in a safe environment, free of judgment, with help and ideas offered by other members of the Club, aiding confidence and nurturing reassurance.

“Being a new formulator was a little intimidating. Everybody’s so quick to jump in and really help and it makes you feel safe, and not afraid to try new things. I would say my confidence level is a lot higher since joining the Club.”

There is something for everyone who is looking to extend their knowledge.

“I am looking forward to the business classes because I’m looking to launch my own skincare and haircare line soon and I know those classes will be very beneficial, and help me be able to leverage that knowledge towards my endeavor.”

So what does the future hold for Stacey?

Launching a new natural cosmetics brand

With the help of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, Stacey plans to use her knowledge to launch her own natural skincare and haircare line.

“I’m leveraging everything, optimizing my experience, my participation in the Club. I want to be fully immersed in it so that I can just really just maximize what I want to do in this new career path of mine.”

Creating a range of skincare and haircare products that are natural, beneficial to the wellbeing of the user, and are safe and effective are part of Stacey’s core values. 

Having her products in households around the world is not only exciting, it is also a call for prudence.

“I want to make sure that the products are really going to be good. I’d rather take the time and launch a successful product that has a really good reputable brand, versus rushing through my excitement. I’m going to take my time and do it all right.”

Stacey’s found a great deal of the Club’s resources reflected her targeted audience;

“A lot of the curriculum was very valuable for me and talked about natural formulation for the customers that I wanted to target; African American women.”

And that the Club was ultimately the driving force behind her decision to launch her brand; 

“If it wasn’t for me being a part of the Club, I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to be able to believe that I can do this, that I can solve problems for other people. I believe it now, and I know I’m going to get there.”

A natural formulation club you can trust

Continually building on and improving formulation skills is a great way to stay on top of the growing market of natural cosmetics, and members are reassured by our professional scientists. 

“We have trust with the School, we have trust with the tutors. We know that they have extensive skills and knowledge, and so we know that they’re only going to give us information that they know is valuable for us, and that’s good for us. The fruition, when we have successful formulations, is due to the School and the Club.”

So, would Stacey recommend the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club to others?

“Everything you need to be a natural cosmetic formulator is right there in that Club. Everything you need. It’s a wonderful investment of your time, and financially it’ll give you everything you need.”

The Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club

This is a global community of like-minded passionate and confident natural cosmetic formulators who study alongside each other, choosing the classes, courses and learning materials that excite and interest them the most. 

Club Members get to collaborate with each other in the Private Online Support Community, Live Monthly Formulator Forums hosted on zoom and directly through the Member Directory.

To find out more about the Club just click here and do get in touch with us on hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com with any questions you may have.

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During the early stages of the Covid pandemic, a feeling grew among the masses. The desire to ‘go back to nature’ became prevalent.

Many people wanted the products they used on their skin and hair to include natural ingredients, and be effective and safe.

For Althea Branton, natural products could only be efficacious and safe if they were based on scientific knowledge. But she would often feel disappointed by the range of products on the market.

Keeping those essential values in mind, Althea made the leap from amateur maker to Cosmetic Formulator.

With the help of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club and a desire to formulate natural products based on scientific knowledge, Althea created her own brand.

The science behind the Club

For Althea, who began her journey making some basic products, it wasn’t enough to simply copy natural skincare recipes, anymore. She wanted to evolve and to create her own skincare products.

Scientific knowledge is the difference between copying a skincare recipe from a YouTube video, and formulating a personally crafted, unique, natural skincare product that is safe and effective.

“There came a point where I really wanted to learn actual formulation. I mean, it’s really easy just to follow a recipe online, but I wanted to learn the science behind it. I wanted to know the why.”

Althea knew her curiosity into creating natural skincare and haircare products, rooted in science, would lead to her looking into further education.

“We are taught that once we’ve gone to university or college, that’s where the learning ends. But it doesn’t matter at what age or what stage you are in. I needed to learn the hows, the ins and outs and the whys of cosmetic science.”

Althea found the School of Natural Skincare online and, from her home in Canada, enrolled in the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and the Diploma in Natural Haircare Formulation. 

Soon after Althea completed the courses, the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club launched. Now Althea is a member of a global club that extends knowledge to hundreds of members.

“What stood out for me to be a part of this club was just continuing the positive experience that I had with the School of Natural Skincare. So I knew that the courses were put together in a very mindful and intentional manner. I knew that the Club would have the same impact.”

Following on from the “amazingly accredited courses” the School of Natural Skincare has to offer, the Club’s team of professional cosmetic scientists and formulators have spent hours refining and testing formulations to share with members.

Bite-sized classes, extensive courses, lab reports and results, formulating resources, skills and equipment… the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club gives members the chance to build on their knowledge with advanced materials. Althea says;

“The Club, so far; it’s challenged me to create new and different products. The formulation examples in the Club, they’re way more advanced and require a bit more thought.”

And Althea knows that the science behind the products is essential for her brand. At the core of everything that she is creating at the moment for her own brand is functionality, efficacy. Her products have to work.

The School of Natural Skincare provides information deeply rooted in cosmetic science with quality of knowledge at the forefront of its training. 

And as the amount of content in the Club increases, month by month, so too will members’ confidence in their knowledge of formulating. Althea testifies;

“Now I’m in a club, my confidence has skyrocketed. My confidence is absolutely infinite.”

As the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club expands and evolves, members can grow and develop alongside it.

Developing intellectually, emotionally and mentally is something the Club encourages and supports.

A sense of community

By becoming a member of The Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, Althea soon found herself at the core of a richly diverse community of global members.

“The one thing that this Club offers me that I can’t find anywhere else is community; people who believe in cosmetic formulation, believe in cosmetic chemistry and cosmetic science, but also have a strong affinity towards using natural products.”

This “invaluable” feeling of comradery, gave Althea a sense that she was not alone in her journey towards building a natural skincare brand. Hundreds  of people from all backgrounds, around the planet had the same interest and were members of the Club.

“When you’re studying, it could be lonesome. But once you’re in the Club you have that opportunity to ask questions and connect with other people. I think community and having that connection has been the X factor for me.”

Since joining the Club, Althea has developed a better idea of what is possible, of what she can actually achieve. She had gained a new wealth of knowledge of cosmetic formulation and a “beautiful introduction into cosmetic science and cosmetic chemistry”.

Getting a chance to meet, virtually, with other people on a similar journey, sharing ideas, getting ideas from the example formulations and the courses within the club, have given Althea the freedom to go beyond what she ever thought possible.

The Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club has taken the core knowledge from both the haircare and skincare diplomas to a level beyond;

“When you have formulating knowledge, you can create anything you’d like. But the source of the knowledge is key. Having that knowledge and ability to create products is beyond anything I can imagine.” 

So, as Althea continues to expand her knowledge and her natural skincare and haircare brand continues to grow, her core values remain the same; science, nature and community.

“One of the super exciting things about my products is that space between nature and cosmetic science. It’s taking all of the amazing things that this planet has to offer and putting them into super efficacious formulations that work. 

I can see a vision for a product and with the knowledge within the Club I can make that product come to life. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”

The Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club 

This is a global community of like-minded passionate and confident natural cosmetic formulators who study alongside each other, choosing the classes, courses and learning materials that excite and interest them the most. 

Club Members get to collaborate with each other in the Private Online Support Community, Live Monthly Formulator Forums hosted on zoom and directly through the Member Directory.

To find out more about the Club just click here and do get in touch with us on hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com with any questions you may have.

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Surfactants are an important category of ingredient in cosmetics because they function as detergents which help to remove dirt. They are therefore the basis of many types of cleansing products such as face and body washes, hand wash, bubble bath and shampoo.

What is a surfactant?

The word surfactant is a shorter term for surface active agent, which actually describes how it functions – it lowers the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid or between a liquid and a solid.

To understand what interface surface tension means, imagine water and oil mixed together. They will not form a homogenous mixture and where the two liquids touch each other (interface) there will be certain tension, keeping the two liquids separate. 

If surfactants are added to this mixture, they will lower the tension and allow water and oil to mix.

7 core functions of surfactants

Surfactants have lots of different functions but the main ones we will be focusing on are: wetting, foaming, dispersion, emulsification, detergency, solubilization and viscosity regulation.

1. WETTING

This refers to how a liquid deposits onto a solid or liquid surface and how it spreads out. An example of this is how shampoo and conditioner spreads out onto the hair in order to carry out its function.

2. FOAMING

Surfactants are used to create foam in products such as shampoo, and body, face and hand washes. Foam forms when gas is trapped inside so-called ‘cells’ with liquid film walls.

3. DISPERSION

This is normally a powder (solid) dispersed in a liquid. A surfactant reduces interfacial tension and helps effective dispersion.

4. EMULSIFICATION

Emulsification is the formation of a dispersed system made of two immiscible liquids (eg oil and water), where one is dispersed within the other in the form of small droplets.

The surfactant is positioned at the oil and water interface, lowering interfacial tension and preventing separation. This is how an emulsifier normally works to allow both oil and water phases to mix.

5. DETERGENCY

Surfactants have the ability to remove dirt and grime from a surface. The hydrophilic (water-loving) head is attracted to the water and the lipophilic (oil-loving) tail is attracted to the oil in the dirt and grime. 

These opposing forces loosen the dirt and grime on the surface, eventually suspending it in the water that washes it away.

This mechanism is used when we wash our clothes with detergent and when we use shampoo on our hair. Detergency is the function of surfactants that plays a key role in the cleansing action of face and body washes.

Notice how foam and detergency are two separate functions of surfactants? 

High foam does not necessarily mean high detergency, and vice versa. It is only our perception that a product must foam in order to clean well. There are surfactants that do a very good job of cleaning, yet do not produce much foam; these are mainly natural surfactants. 

In order to satisfy customers’ expectations of foaming body washes, surfactants that create good foam can be incorporated into a formula. On the other hand, a less foaming formula is usually perceived as more gentle and nourishing, which can also be used to your advantage.

6. SOLUBILIZATION

Solubilization is the process by which insoluble materials are made water soluble by their encapsulation within micelles.

Solubilization is required when you want a clear formula but still want to blend oil in a mostly water formula. There are surfactants, fortunately, that can create particles so small that light can pass through them. This allows the solutions to remain clear. 

Use of solubilizing surfactants is required when adding essential oils or fragrance oils to a water-based product. For solubilization to occur, oil and surfactant ratios must be at the optimum level.

7. VISCOSITY REGULATION

Surfactants also have the possibility to change the viscosity of the formulation. Oils have quite a low viscosity, as does water. But when the two are mixed with the addition of a surfactant to create an emulsion, the viscosity is greatly increased.

3. Surfactants are versatile – With a small selection of surfactants you can formulate a wide range of products.

4. Cost effective – Many surfactants are relatively inexpensive to buy; therefore by making your own surfactant-based products you can save a lot of money compared to buying natural and organic products.

5. Formulate gentle products – Many commercial surfactant-based products are harsh and drying on the skin. Learn how to make yours gentle and non-drying.

6.Suitable for natural/organic certification – Formulate to natural and organic standards.

7. Expand your skincare range – Take all five modules of Formulating with Natural Surfactants and you’ll have the knowledge to add a variety of cleansing products to your skincare range.

Can you formulate surfactant-based cosmetic products at home?

In short, yes you can!

As you will probably notice from this article, there is a bit of science involved, but don’t let that put you off. 

Surfactants are a wonderful category of cosmetic ingredient to discover. 

They add cleansing and foaming properties to a formula and are therefore used to create a wide range of products including face washes, body washes, shower gel, hand wash, bubble bath, shower foam and foaming cleansers.

Once you’ve grasped the fundamentals of surfactants – what they are, how they work, and how to formulate with them – making your own foaming cleansing products is a truly fun thing to be able to do.

Take our Formulating with Natural Surfactants course to learn the science of surfactants, discover a selection of gentle, natural surfactant choices (so you can avoid harsh surfactants such as SLS) and formulate a wide range of cleansing and foaming skincare products that are natural, mild and effective.

You can access this online course by being a Member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. To find out more about the Club, click here

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For beauty enthusiasts keen on making their own products, many have a real desire to make their own mineral makeup. It is a lot of fun and can be done easily from home.

However, making your own mineral makeup is different to other cosmetic products like skincare or haircare and knowing how to do it, as well as what’s different about it, is an important place to start.

You might like to read our article, How to Make Your Own Natural Mineral Makeup, to help get you started.

In this article, we are going to look at the essential ingredients used in mineral makeup products.

We will classify powdered ingredients into two main groups: base powders and pigment.

Base powders are colorless powders that give structure, volume and a pleasant skin feel to powdered makeup products such as mineral foundation. They do not offer much coverage and they also do not impart any colour to the product.

Pigments, on the other hand, are very concentrated powders that come in several different colors. They provide coverage and color to the product. They need to be blended or dispersed (‘diluted’) in base powders in order to get even distribution and suitable coverage.

You can imagine pigments as essential oils, and base powders as carrier oils in cosmetics. Using pure, undiluted essential oils on the skin would be dangerous. That is why we always dilute them in carrier oils. 

While using pure pigments on the skin would not be dangerous or irritating, it would be rather unappealing – it would create excessively strong coverage, resulting in a non-natural looking appearance.

To avoid this from happening, we use base powders to mix with our pigments.

The term ‘base powders’ is not a scientific term, but it describes the main function of these powders – they provide a base, or a foundation, for our mineral makeup product.

Let’s take a look at each in turn.

The Top 3 Pigments Used in Mineral Makeup

Mineral pigments are a vast group of inorganic pigments. They can be naturally derived (mined from different ores), but are often contaminated with dangerous heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead.

Pigments used for cosmetic applications are made synthetically and are nature identical. This means that instead of being derived from nature they are replicated in a lab setting. Despite not being naturally derived, they are permitted in many natural/organic certifications. 

Mineral pigments are very stable (they do not fade or change color) and they produce intense hues.

Here are the 3 most widely used pigments in mineral makeup, and again we cover them in our online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup.

1. Titanium Dioxide (INCI: Titanium Dioxide), CI 77891
2. Zinc Oxide (INCI: Zinc Oxide), CI 77947
3. Colored Micas

How to make your own mineral makeup

Making your own mineral makeup can be tricky, especially if you’ve not done it before or haven’t had any proper tuition. 

Formulating these products is different to other cosmetic products and it can be hard to get them right, especially because the quantities (weights and measures) we’re working with are so small. It can be quite fiddly – especially when you don’t know what you are doing.

In addition to that, it is important you know about usage rates and percentages for each ingredient and that’s before we get into the intricacies of color cosmetics and understanding the theory around getting that right.

Don’t let any of this put you off, because it is absolutely possible to make some amazing mineral makeup products from home. 

If you are a beginner, you’ll be able make:

1. Mineral foundation
2. Mineral eye shadow
3. Mineral blushers, bronzers and highlighters and
4. Pressed powders

We cover all of this and much more in our brand new online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup – which you can access by being a member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club.

And once you’ve grasped the basics, you can move onto the more advanced products, which we’re going to be covering in our upcoming online course, Formulating Advanced Mineral Makeup, such as:

1. Mascara
2. Cream blush
3. Lip and eye crayons
4. Lipsticks
5. Concealers
6. And one or two other exciting products too 🙂

Inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, not only will you receive expert tuition from qualified Cosmetic Scientists, you’ll also join a vibrant online community of natural beauty lovers from all around the world. 

And you’ll be able to access a whole range of other natural beauty classes, courses and learning materials covering the whole natural cosmetics spectrum!

To find out more about the Club, click here.

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A big part of making our own natural cosmetics is mineral makeup, but finding reliable and accurate information about it is hard to come by.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered at the School of Natural Skincare! It is such an exciting topic to delve into and an amazing skill to develop. You’ll have lots of fun creating your own at home, either for yourself or…who knows…maybe even to sell!?

In this article we’re going to help you get started by looking at

1. What is mineral makeup
2. The different types of mineral makeup you can make
3. How to formulate mineral makeup 101
4. The equipment you need to make your own mineral makeup
5. And an introduction to formulating color cosmetics

On the other hand, many types of mineral makeup, for example mineral foundations, come in the form of pure powders (that can be loose or pressed), and as such require little to no additives, making them especially suitable for sensitive skin. 

Since they are very concentrated, a much smaller amount of the foundation is needed for good coverage – 8g of mineral foundation can easily last up to three months.

The Different Types of Mineral Makeup

Many mineral makeup products consist of loose or pressed powders. These are the kinds of products we focus on inside our online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup.

Once you understand the essential theory of formulating natural mineral makeup, color cosmetics and have the correct equipment to hand, you’ll be all set to go and create your own range of natural mineral makeup products such as:

1. Mineral foundation
2. Mineral eye shadow
3. Mineral blushers, bronzers and highlighters
4. Pressed powders

If you are making small quantities of mineral makeup for personal use, you will be operating with very small amounts of ingredients (especially when it comes to adjusting the shade). It will be easier to measure these small quantities of ingredients using teaspoons and other, even smaller, measuring spoons/scoops.

In fact, when starting out we recommend you begin by making only small batch sizes. This enables you to develop your knowledge and skill, and to experiment without worrying about wasting precious ingredients. So it will be worthwhile investing in some simple measuring spoons and scoops.

As you begin to develop larger batch sizes, you will then want to switch to using more accurate measuring devices, such as precision scales. This will enable you to calculate correctly and ensures you create something that conforms to industry standards and regulations. 

Our online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup, is aimed at getting you started with learning how to make mineral makeup. So, the recipes are written using teaspoons (and fractions thereof) as the measuring unit. They also contain an approximate weight percentage, in case you want to create bigger batches using a precision scale.

If you decide to formulate these products for sale, you will need to be precise with your measurements to conform with cosmetic standards and regulations. 

Even if it is not a requirement to have your products safety tested, you still need to make sure that your products are safe for use and accurate measurements are then essential.

The Equipment You Need to Make Your Own Mineral Makeup

You’ll need a selection of equipment that is a little different to other types of cosmetic products to help you to make your own natural mineral makeup. 

Here is a good list to get you started:

1. Grinder/mortar and pestle – or coffee grinder for larger batches
2. Precision scale (0.01g precision)
3. Measuring spoons (the following sizes are useful: 1⁄8 teaspoon, 1⁄4 teaspoon, 1⁄2 teaspoon, 3⁄4 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon – where 1 teaspoon equals 5ml).
4. Mini-scoop (0.05ml)
5. Protective gloves and a dust mask.
6. Small jars (to store powders and pigment mixes in).
7. Makeup packaging for finished products.
8. Pressing tools. A pressing clamp, small woodworking clamps or small tamper tool (if you wish to press your powders) are good examples.

You’ll need to refer to a color wheel and develop and understand of

1. Primary, secondary and tertiary colors
2. Colour harmony
3. Complementary colors
4. Color terminology (hue, tint, tone and shade), and 
5. Undertones

Fortunately, we cover all of this and so much more in our online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup which you’ll be able to access by being a Member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club.

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Making cold process soap is a great thing to do at home or in your cosmetics lab. There are so many benefits to making your own soaps and you can read more about that in our article, 6 benefits of making cold process soaps.

However, before you get your oils, water and lye out (the core ingredients of cold process soaps), you need to be aware of some important safety considerations, most especially because of the ingredient used to make soap, lye, and the chemical reaction involved when dissolving lye in water.

In addition to that, formulating cold process soap is very different to formulating other cosmetic products, but you should not let any of this put you off from making your own cold process soaps at home, for yourself or to sell.

If this is something you might be interested in doing, you’ll want to make sure you have access to the right help, guidance and support and that’s exactly what our online course, Cold Process Soap Making, is designed to do – help you to safely make your own cold process soaps :-).

You’ll be able to access this course by being a member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club.

Let’s take a look at the 9 Safety Tips You Need to Know to Make Cold Process Soaps.

1. Wear Gloves

Wear thick and long gloves to protect your hands. Medical-type latex gloves are short and will leave your wrists unprotected; they are also very thin and can tear, thus exposing your skin.

Cleaning-type rubber gloves are longer and thicker. Tuck your sleeves into the gloves so no skin is exposed.

Gloves need to be worn throughout the soaping process and during clean-up, since soap traces on the equipment can still contain unreacted lye.

2. Wear Goggles

Wear eye protection to prevent any damage to the eye (which can result in injury or blindness) in the case of lye and/or soap splashing, especially during the mixing process.

4. Wear Protective Clothing

Wear protective clothing during soapmaking. Lye and unsaponified soap can damage textiles so it is a good idea to use protective work clothing, not regular clothes. 

Protective clothing needs to include long sleeves, long pants and closed-toe shoes, so no skin is exposed.

5. Use a Hairband for longer hair

If you have long hair, wear it tied back.

7. Use lye-resistant worktops

Hardwood worktops can get damaged if in contact with water. Regular kitchen countertops and stainless steel worktops are lye-resistant. 

It is still best to protect the area using paper (a couple of layers of old newspaper, or cardboard) and/or a plastic sheet.

8. No children or pets should be allowed in the work area

Make sure there are no children or pets in the soapmaking area throughout the duration of soapmaking.

9. Only use lye-resistant and heat-resistant mixing materials and bowls

Suitable materials for soapmaking and mixing lye solution include: polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), stainless steel and glass. Do not use aluminum containers or spoons.

If you don’t follow the safety advice and follow correct tuition, you not only run the risk of your batch of soap not working, but you also run the risk of damaging your equipment and work surfaces as well injuring yourself.

The trick to making your own soaps is to learn how to do it correctly, but fortunately this can easily be achieved.

Cold process soap needs to be made in a very specific way, and by following the correct methods and using accurate information, it is a straightforward process.

You just need to know how!

We’re delighted to say that all of this, plus the essential guidance for Lye First Aid and much more, can be found inside our Cold Process Soap Making online course!

In our online, multimedia course on Cold Process Soap Making, you’ll:

• Get an introduction to soapmaking
• Learn the theory of saponification
• Discover the mandatory safety information
• Receive accurate and up-to-date tuition on how to make cold process soaps
• Learn all about the ingredient used to make cold process soaps, how to select them to give you the results you seek
• Access a collection of basic soap recipes and advanced soap recipes
• Get troubleshooting tips

In the advanced modules you’ll:

• Learn how to use mineral and plant-derived colorants to create beautiful effects in your soap bars. 
• Discover how to add more advanced ingredients such as milk, sugar, salt or even alcohol to your soaps.
• Be able to pipe your soap: this technique can be used to create soaps that look like cupcakes!
• Learn about a variety of different soap swirling techniques in detail – what recipes to use when swirling, which soap molds and tools are suitable for different swirls, and how to cut finished soap to reveal the swirl. 
• Follow our step-by-step video demonstrations so you have the confidence to carry out these techniques yourself.

This 5 module, multimedia, online course can be accessed by being a member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club.

Click here to find out about the Club now

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Soaps are created by a reaction called saponification, which is a chemical reaction between lye and oil, or better yet between lye and the fatty acids within the oil. The base ingredients that make up natural soap are oils, lye and water. 

Depending on the oils in the recipe, the resulting soap can have different properties – different degrees of hardness, cleansing ability, conditioning and foaming capabilities. 

Soapmaking recipes are not like cosmetic formulations…

They are not presented in the form of percentages – only the oils are expressed as percentages, and the rest of the ingredients are in grams according to your preferred batch size.

The 3 core ingredients used in cold process soapmaking 

1. Lye

As we previously learned, lye is one of the key ingredients when making soap. Lye, or sodium hydroxide (if making solid soap), is what reacts with the triglycerides in oil to form soap. 

Sodium hydroxide (also known as caustic soda) is usually available as white flakes or pellets. It is important to always be very careful when working with lye – it is extremely dangerous.

You’ll learn all about this in Lesson 1.3 Mandatory Safety Information of the Cold Process Soap Making course, found inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

Sodium hydroxide can usually be bought in soapmaking shops and other chemical supply stores.

It is best to prepare your lye solution in a well-ventilated area, since the solution heats up very quickly (to about 90°C) and releases harmful fumes. Work outdoors or near an open window, and wear a respirator mask.

The amount of lye we use depends on the types of oil in the recipe and their quantities. Each oil has a different saponification value (often referred to as SAP). 

To learn all about saponification values, you’ll want to check out Lesson 1.2 Theory of Saponification of the Cold Process Soap Making course, found inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

The amount of water used to create the lye solution will mainly depend on the amount of lye. Many soapmakers will express the amount of water relative to the total oil weight, ie

the amount of water as a percentage of the oils. 

We cover lye to water ratios in Lesson 1.2 Theory of Saponification in the Cold Process Soap Making course, found inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

3. Oils

The ‘heart’ of the soap are the oils (and butters) – the choice of fats will affect the quality of the soap, its cleansing and nourishing abilities and the speed of saponification. 

Different oils/butters have different fatty acid compositions; each fatty acid will impart certain qualities to the finished soap.

An interesting aspect in the creation of a soap is the research of the compositions of the potential oils. This needs to be undertaken in order to make the best choice to obtain the

desired consistency or hardness, the foam produced, the cleansing properties, the after-use emolliency, the benefits for the skin and so on. 

These properties are imparted by the chain length of the fatty acids present in the oils, their level of saturation and their ratios.

Therefore, an oil composed of more stearic acid (C18 and saturated) will bring more hardness than an oil composed with more oleic or linoleic acids (C18 and respectively mono- or polyunsaturated), or an oil composed with more lauric acid (C12 and saturated).

On the other hand, the mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids, although not effective in bringing hardness to the soaps, will bring softness and emolliency.

So, you have a wide choice of oils in many combinations that offer the properties you desire in soaps.

Inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club you’ll be able to take the Cold Process Soap Making course. And inside this course, you’ll find an Appendix 1 Fatty Acids in Soap Making where you can learn more about the fatty acid profiles of different oils.

4. Colorants

Soaps have a natural color depending on the oils in the recipe. Most vegetable oils have a yellowish color, so the soaps end up being a pale yellow color. We can deliberately color the soaps by using oils with strong colors – for example, unrefined avocado oil for a green color, or macerated carrot tissue oil for a yellow to orange color.

We can also add soap colorants to the soap batter.

Colorants can be tricky to use in soapmaking, as they can be pH sensitive and can change their color in the high pH ranges of soap.

This is why it is important to use colorants that are specifically designed to be used in soapmaking.

Very good options are mineral pigments, which are stable and are available in various colors such as blue, purple and pink (ultramarines), green (chromium oxide), red, yellow and black (iron oxides) and zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for white.

Since mineral pigments are prone to forming clumps, the colorant can be predispersed either in a small amount of oil, a small amount of water, or in a small quantity of the soap paste.

Mineral pigments are very concentrated so we add them slowly, drop by drop (of predispersed mixture) into the soap batter until the desired color is achieved. Typically, they would be used at up to 0.5% (of the oil weight).

5. Fragrance

It is possible to use ready-made fragrances or essential oils, although it is impossible to know in advance how the essential oils in particular will behave after their incorporation into the soap batter. 

In the case of essential oils, some are more sensitive to the reaction of saponification or more difficult to fix in the soap than others.

For instance, citrus essential oils are known to be difficult to use in soapmaking, since they will quickly evaporate from the finished soap. 

However, heavier molecules, usually used as base notes, generally work well; for example, lavender, vetiver, cedar or rosemary.

Important: Keep in mind that essential oils derived from spices such as clove and cinnamon will greatly accelerate the chemical reaction.

Fragrances or essential oils are usually used at concentrations of 1-4% of the total oil weight.

The chemical reaction involved has to be done carefully and correctly and you’ll need to know about the nuances around making cold process soap vs other cosmetic products, which is not the same process.

Unlike cosmetic formulations, when it comes to soapmaking, we usually do not work with formulas written in percentages. The main reason for this is the fact that the water amount can vary. 

So even if a certain quantity of water is stated in a recipe, you can still decide to use a different amount, for whatever reason (for example, you may wish to use more water so your soap batter is more fluid and easier to create swirls with). 

The only percentages that are given are the oil percentages: if we list oil percentages (so that all of the oils add up to 100%), we can easily see the ratios between soft and hard oils, between cleansing and nourishing oils, etc.

Soap calculators also follow this principle – the only ingredients expressed in percentages are the oils; the rest are given in grams for a certain batch size.

You’ll want to understand the essential soap making terminology (otherwise it won’t make much sense), the process of saponification, lye concentration and temperature control.

You’ll also want to make sure you follow up-to-date methods – it is extremely difficult to replicate traditional soaps correctly but using the right methods you can get close 🙂

And finally, you’ll want to carefully select the right scales of hardness, detergency, and foam as well as what nourishing properties you want to include.

Fortunately, we have created an online course called Cold Process Soap Making which is split into two sections – Beginner’s Cold Process Soap Making and Advanced Cold Process Soap Recipes.

How to make cold process soap? 

Making your own cold process soap is great fun and you can do it safely and effectively at home too. You might like to read our article, 6 Benefits of Cold Process Soaps too.

When it comes to making cold process soap at home, or in your lab, you’ll want to make sure you know what you are doing.

How do you access the Cold Process Soap Making Course?

Well, first of all you can only access the learning materials as a Member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club…and fortunately that is easy to do. Click here to find out more and to join.

Membership to the Club is $57 per month (plus sales tax where applicable – currently only UK and Australia). 

In return you’ll receive 50 credits from us that you will use to unlock the learning materials you’d like to access and study. You can also top up with more credits once inside the Club.

How many credits is the Cold Process Soap Making Course?

Module 1 of Cold Process Soapmaking is 100 credits, and each subsequent module is 50 credits, meaning the five-module course is 300 credits in total. 

Module 1 and 2 are prerequisites for all the other modules. Once you’ve completed Modules 1 and 2 you can complete all the other modules, or just the ones of interest to you…you can pick and choose the modules you wish to take!

Can I unlock multiple modules of a course in a month rather than waiting?

Absolutely! You are in control of your studies, the choices you make and the credits you have.

Take the 300 credits for the Cold Process Soap Making course and divide that by the 50 credits you get each month. This equals 6 months of study.

Essentially, you can exchange your 50 credits each month for 6 months and study the course over those 6 months and beyond…

Or…

If you are able to dedicate more time to your studies and have the funds available, you can top your credits up and unlock multiple modules in one go and power through the materials without having to wait until next month.

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