Cleansing with Herbs: Natural Herbal Face Wash Tips, Tricks and Ingredients
- Teagan Cloete
- Aug 19, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 5, 2023
Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. An added ingredient to your daily face wash water, for example.
In this post, I’ll be diving into the different herbs that can be added to your daily routine, as well as give a few tips on how to add these herbs to your toner for optimal results.
Where do you want to go?
Common Herbal Ingredients to add to Your Face Wash
Chamomile - As stated by Healthline, The ancient Egyptians used crushed chamomile on their skin to relieve weather-related dryness and redness. A few centuries later, and we see through science that chamomile contains a plethora of benefits for the skin. Its soothing properties help calm redness and irritation, making it suitable for sensitive skin. Chamomile also possesses natural antioxidants that can aid in combating environmental stressors, which promotes a more youthful appearance.
Lavender - Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help combat acne and reduce irritation. The soothing aroma of lavender can also have a calming effect on the mind, promoting relaxation.
Witch hazel - Its astringent properties help to tighten pores, control excess oil, and reduce the appearance of acne. This herb can also reduce redness and soothe irritated skin.
Rosemary - Its antibacterial properties can assist in preventing acne and breakouts, as well as reduces the effect of environmental stressors (such as smoking, air pollution, etc.). Additionally, rosemary's potential to improve circulation might enhance the skin's overall health and radiance, though this is still under investigation by dermatologists and scientists.
Lemon balm - Lemon balm has been noted to calm and soothe the skin, reduce the amount of sebum the skin produces, heals minor wounds, and has a positive effect on sunburned skin.
Mint - Besides the antibacterial properties of mint, it also locks moisture into the skin by tightening the pores. It is also a cooling herb that soothes irritated skin, while also effectively clearing the skin of any dead cells.
How to make your own cleanser
Making a herbal skin cleanser is not at all complicated. The baseline ingredients are water and your chosen mix of herbs. If you want to experiment, you can try adding coconut or olive oil, honey, powdered seeds, essential oils, and even a few drops of lemon juice.
All you need to do is let the herbs simmer in water for about three minutes. Leave the mixture to settle and cool for another ten minutes. Then strain the herbs out and pour into a glass bottle. Preferably keep the cleanser in the fridge - unless you use oils. Then just keep the cleanser in a cool-ish, dry place.
If you want to add powdered seeds, add them with the herbs while simmering. By simmering the seeds, one draws out the beneficial nutrients.
When adding honey, do this in the cooling stage, as the high heat reduces the beneficial properties of the honey. Add essential oils in the cooling stage as well.
Tips
I’ve never thought of having a skin health journal. But recently I started documenting what works for my skin, and what doesn’t. And this face-wash recipe is what got me started.
I started using a different blend of herbs every month and documented the differences. I found that mint and rosemary is the best for my skin. This requires patience and consistency, though.
This is a very experimental topic that differs from person to person. However, avoid very strong herbs (such as turmeric - though it has been observed to help brighten some people’s complexion). Always patch test before using any herb on your skin - allergies are a thing.
So; which combination are you going to try?
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