One of my favorite natural facial cleansers to use is the Aqua Marina Calming Calamine Wash from Lush Cosmetics, but it can be a bit pricey and I do not anyways have room in my budget to splurge on a container of it when I am out. However, I have learned how to make a very basic version of it using natural ingredients from my local whole food grocery store and it does not cost as much. Best of all I think it is a bit more soothing and nourishing to my sensitive combination skin that becomes irritated easily.
Natural Ingredients I Find Useful
The ingredients I use to make my calamine facial wash are calamine powder, organic aloe vera gel, lavender essential oil, chamomile essential oil, peppermint essential oil and nori seaweed powder. You can find all these ingredients right at a whole food organic grocery store, or even local herbal shop. Again, I purchase mine at my local whole food grocery store. You will want to make sure the ingredients you do pick up are all organic because you do not want any unnatural ingredients in your natural facial cleanser.
Creating the Homemade Calming Calamine Facial Wash
The way I make my homemade calming calamine facial wash is by placing two cups of calamine powder, a half cup of aloe gel, five drops of each essential oil and a forth cup of nori seaweed powder into a large mixing bowl. Then, I combine the ingredients together until I get a thick creamy pink facial cleanser with little black seaweed specks throughout.
If you find the facial cleanser comes out too runny for some reason just add in a tiny bit of calamine powder at a time and stir it in until the cleanser thickens up. If you find the cleanser is too thick for your liking just add some more aloe juice until it is the desired texture you wish. I prefer mine a bit thicker and creamier like a creamy facial cleanser tends to be, but again you adjust the texture of this facial wash to please you and your skin.
Now, I know the Aqua Marina Calming Calamine Wash from Lush comes wrapped in seaweed, but I skip this step. However, if you do want to wrap your facial cleanser in seaweed to make it more luxurious appearing simply scoop the cleanser you just made, if it is thick enough onto a wet nori seaweed wrap sheet and roll it up and stick it in a glass mason jar or plastic container.
If you want to skip the wrapping your facial cleanser up in seaweed, just scoop it into a jar or container as I do and place it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. I also like to keep it in the refrigerator because I find it is more soothing when it is cold. In addition, I find the coldness of the cleanser helps bring down eye puffiness and any redness in the skin that I might have, but you can take it out before using it and allow it to come down to room temperature if you wish.
Using the Calamine Cleanser
The way I use the calamine cleanser is by first rinsing my face down with warm water to help open up the pores and loosen up any dirt and old makeup from my skin. Then, I scoop a tablespoon of the cleanser out of the jar with my hands and I massage the cleanser into my skin well using gentle circular motions. The cleanser will not lather up into bubbles at all. It will just be creamy and a bit gritty cause of the seaweed powder. Once my face is lathered up well, I rinse my face off with more warm water and pat my skin dry. After, my skin is left soft, less red and a bit brighter.
Benefits of Using the Cleanser
The benefits you can receive from making and using this cleanser are endless. For example, just making the cleanser yourself helps calm the mind and body while relieving stress because you are making a homemade facial cleanser with love and soothing essential oils that contain a calming aroma. Using the cleanser alone has many benefits as well. It also helps relieve physical and mental stresses from the face so you look more awake and vibrant. In addition, the cleanser helps rid dark circles under the eyes because the essential oils promote circulation. The aloe and calamine in the cleanser are good for soothing redness away and gently cleansing the dirt, oils, bacteria and old makeup from your skin along with any loose dead skin cells. The seaweed in the cleanser helps nourish, soften and provide you skin with antioxidants that fight signs of aging naturally. Most importantly, this calamine cleanser helps bring balance to sensitive combination like skin types.
Bottom Line
Now, I do love the Aqua Marina Calamine Facial Cleanser, but again, it is expensive and I do not always have the money to treat myself to a jar. However, I do love to make my own version of this cleanser and I find it works just as well, if not a bit better at soothing and nourishing the skin. I hope those of you who make and try my homemade calming calamine facial cleanser will like it too.
