DIY Face Wash | Green Tea & Honey

This natural DIY Face Wash recipe uses green tea and honey to support healthy skin. Customize the recipe to create the perfect face cleanser for your skin type.

 

When I was in high school, my mom started dyeing her hair. I asked why she didn’t just let her hair go gray naturally, to which she replied, “Why do you wear makeup? That’s not natural either.” I kid you not, I quit wearing makeup that day just to prove my point (stubborn child); and outside of mascara, I still don’t wear makeup to this day.

Because I never wore makeup, I honestly didn’t think much about washing my face… and surprisingly, I never dealt with acne. I figured the water trickling down from my daily shower was enough. Now that I’m getting older, I feel like I should really think about adopting a skincare routine. And you better believe I’m going to figure out how to make the products that go into it.

Face wash seemed like the best place to start, and when I read about the skin benefits found in green tea and honey, I knew I was going to incorporate them into the recipe.

What You Need to Make DIY Face Wash

 

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Ingredients For Homemade Face Wash

• Castile Soap– I use unscented castile soap to allow the essential oils to add the scent, but there are a variety of scented castile soaps as well: lavender, citrus and peppermint
• Essential Oil– Essential oils serve two purposes in this face wash recipe: 1.) They add scent and 2.) they support healthier skin (listed below, you will find the best essential oils by skin type).
• Green Tea– Green tea has so many benefits for your skin. Check out this article from Healthline for some of the amazing ways green tea can improve your skin.
• Honey– Honey is another great ingredient for your skin. Medical News Today lists a variety of benefits you can get from honey, including anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
• Carrier Oil– Below I have listed the best carrier oils by skin type, so you can choose the one that works best based on your needs.

Supplies Needed to Make Your Own Face Wash

• Foaming Soap Dispenser– I have reused JR Watkins foaming hand soap dispensers over and over again and I’m telling you, they last for years. I have some that are still pumping out rich, foamy soap 8 years after I bought them. So, use the soap and then reuse the soap dispenser. If you prefer something that looks a little nicer, these are highly rated on Amazon (and they’re a great price).
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Microwave Safe Mug– For brewing & steeping the green tea
• Funnel (Optional)- This just helps to avoid spills when pouring the face wash into the dispenser.

How to Make Natural Face Wash

The following recipe makes 8 1/2 oz. Feel free adjustment the ingredients to fit your foaming soap dispenser.

This DIY face wash recipe starts with brewing up some green tea. Heat 6 oz of water to a temperature of 175-180°. Add 2 green tea bags and allow them to steep for approximately two minutes (just long enough to mix up the other ingredients 🙂 )

 

While the tea is steeping, add 1/2 tsp carrier oil to a liquid measuring cup. Jojoba is a very versatile carrier oil, so that’s what I chose to use.

See below for best carrier oil by skin type.

 

Best Carriers Oils by Skin Type

DRY: Argan | Avocado | *Coconut | Evening Primrose | Jojoba | Olive | Rosehip | Sweet Almond
OILY: Grapeseed | Hemp Seed | Jojoba
SENSITIVE: Apricot Kernal | Avocado | Rosehip
ACNE PRONE: Grapeseed | Jojoba
AGING: Argan | Olive | Rosehip

*If you choose to use coconut oil, make sure to get fractionated coconut oil so it remains a liquid at room temperature.

Sources: Be Green Bath + Body | Healthline | Willow and Sage

To the carrier oil, add up to 15 drops of essential oil and stir to combine. Feel free to mix essential oils if you’d like, just keep the total to 15 drops or less to ensure proper dilution. Since I’m getting older, I chose a few essential oils from the “Aging” category: 8 drops lavender, 5 drops clary sage, and 2 drops patchouli

See below for best essential oils by skin type.

 

Best Essential Oils by Skin Type

If you are not sure where to buy essential oils, I created a guide to help you find the best essential oil brand for you. I do not sell essential oils, so the information is not biased towards a particular brand.

DRY: Chamomile | Geranium | Lavender | Sandalwood | Ylang Ylang
OILY: Clary Sage | Frankincense | Geranium | Neroli | Rosemary | Tea Tree
SENSITIVE: Frankincense | Lavender | Sandalwood
ACNE PRONE: Palmarosa | Tea tree
AGING: Clary Sage | Frankincense | Geranium | Lavender | Neroli | Myrrh | Patchouli | Rose

Sources: Healthline | Cliganic

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IMPORTANT: There are some essential oils (known as “hot oils”) that should not be used in this recipe due to their higher risk of skin irritation. Cinnamon, Clove, Cassia, Oregano, Thyme, Peppermint, Wintergreen, Black Pepper and Lemongrass are among the most popular hot oils. Another consideration: Citrus oils are photosensitive, so if you are planning a day in the sun, you may want to avoid using them in this recipe.

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With the carrier oil and essential oils mixed, add 1/4 cup Castile Soap and stir to combine.

 

Grab the green tea that’s been steeping for the past couple minutes and remove the tea bags from the water, squeezing them to remove the excess water. To the tea, add 1 Tablespoon of honey and stir until the honey has dissolved.

 

Pour the green tea and honey mixture into your oil and soap mixture. Give everything a gentle stir to combine.

 

Using a funnel (optional), pour the mixture into a foaming hand soap dispenser.

 

How to Use Homemade Face Wash

Prior to trying any skin care product, it is strongly recommended that you test the product on a small patch of skin to make sure there is no reaction. Please see our disclaimer statement for more details.

 

Wet face with warm water. Apply 1 pump of foaming face wash to a washcloth (I recommend black washcloths if you use makeup) or the palm of your hand. Wash your face making sure to avoid your eyes. Rinse off the face wash with a cool washcloth and dry with a clean towel.

Repeat daily.

Common Questions About DIY Face Wash

Does Homemade Face Wash Expire?

Because this is a water based face wash, it will expire if not used within a couple weeks. You can always make a smaller batch if you don’t get through it that fast. Another option is to use distilled water to prolong the shelf-life by another week or two. I typically recommend using distilled water for homemade personal care recipes as it doesn’t contain the impurities found in tap water; however, because this recipe calls for heating the water prior to use, I didn’t specify that you needed to use distilled water.

Can I Omit the Green Tea from This Face Wash Recipe?

If you’d rather not brew up a batch of green tea for this recipe, you can certainly omit it. While green tea has quite a few benefits for your skin, it isn’t necessary in this recipe. Simply replace the green tea with 6 oz. of distilled water instead.

 

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