How to make After Sun Cream
As the popularity of homemade skincare and DIY formulations rises, we wanted to show you this easy to make After Sun Cream formulation!
Incorporating stabilisers, emulsifiers, and preservatives is key to achieving the ideal texture, stability, and shelf life for your creations. This easy to make cream takes you through a basic formulation you can trial at home and uses Aloe Vera Juice, Cucumber Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil to help soothe and nourish – perfect to slather on the skin after a day in the sun.
Ingredients
*This formulation makes 100g
Method
- In separate heat proof containers, weigh your water and oil phase ingredients
- Place both containers in a saucepan with a small amount of water
- On a low heat, heat both containers until the mixture reaches 75-80°C
- Remove from heat and slowly pour your oil phase into your water phase, mixing well
- Stir for a few minutes as the mixture starts to come together, then let cool to room temperature
- While the mixture is cooling, in a separate container weigh your cool phase ingredients
- Add cool phase ingredients into the mixture and combine thoroughly
- Transfer to an amber glass jar
Additional Notes
To ensure your formulation comes together effectively, here's a few helpful tips:
- Ensure you sterilize all your containers/items before use.
- When weighing up your water phase ingredients, let the Xanthan Gum sit in the water without stirring. The gum will start to absorb the water and create a thick consistency in the water.
- Checking your pH level is important when trailing different ingredients. We suggest measuring this before adding in your cool down phase ingredients. 5-5.5 pH is ideal for skincare formulations.
- To check stability of your final product, separate some of your mixture in a separate jar and do not use. After a month, compare the product you have been using and the product you have stored, take notes of any changes and make tweaks to your formulation if needed when remaking.
- This recipe is a basic formulation to be used for educational and home DIY purposes. If you are making skincare products to sell, we recommend speaking with a professional formulator.
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Essential Oil Safety
- Essential oils are extremely potent and can cause serious harm if used incorrectly.
- In line with the Therapeutic Goods Act, we do not recommend ingesting essential oils without the guidance of a registered Aromatherapist or Naturopath. Essential oils should be kept out of reach from children and pets.
- Avoid using essential oils during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
- Essential oils are highly concentrated and are likely to cause irritation or reactions if applied directly to the skin. For this reason, we recommend diluting your essential oils before using topically (on the skin) - see our dilution table below for guidance. All Peppermint Essential Oils are known to be toxic to pets and for this reason, we advise against using them when animals are present.
Topical Dilution Guidelines
Please note that the following guidelines are recommended for healthy adults:
- General Use: 2 – 4% dilution (4 – 8 drops per 10ml)
- Facial Application: 1 – 2% dilution (2 – 4 drops per 10ml)
Since Peppermint Oil is particularly potent, the recommended topical application for healthy adults is less than the regular recommended amount, as follows:
- General Use: 1 – 2% dilution (2 – 4 drops per 10ml)
- Facial Application: 0.5 – 1% dilution (1 – 2 drops per 10ml)