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Making your own facial moisturizer isn't difficult, and it can save you a lot of money. Learn to make a homemade moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin, and control the quality of ingredients absorbed by your skin.

Homemade Moisturizer for Oily, Acne Prone Skin

You are here: Home / Make it Yourself / Face & Body / Skin Care / Homemade Moisturizer for Oily, Acne Prone Skin
Last Modified: January 28, 2018 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // April 8, 2017 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

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Jump to Tutorial Print Tutorial Tracy Ariza, DDS

Making your own facial moisturizer isn’t difficult, and it can save you a lot of money. Learn to make a homemade moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin, and control the quality of ingredients absorbed by your skin.

Making your own facial moisturizer isn't difficult, and it can save you a lot of money. Learn to make a homemade moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin, and control the quality of ingredients absorbed by your skin.

For the last 30 years or so, I’ve struggled with oily, acne prone skin. Of course, when I was 13 years old, it wasn’t that unusual. I could blame it on the hormonal changes of adolescence. When I hit 20, I was excited that it was finally time for my skin to clear up, but it didn’t; nor did it when I hit 30, or 40 for that matter!

To be honest, I’ve always avoided wearing any type of facial moisturizer because I was afraid that it would make my skin break out more than it already was.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I have started to worry about wearing some sort of moisturizer to prevent age lines and wrinkles.

The best oils for oily and acne prone skin

After a bit of studying, I realized that not all oils will cause breakouts, nor will they all make your skin feel oily. In fact, there are oils that are great for balancing the oils in your skin, so they can actually be beneficial to somebody like me who has oily or combination skin. When making your own homemade moisturizer, it’s important to use the best oils for your skin type!

If you don’t want to use all of the oils I used, you can use your own combination of the following oils. (Just make sure to keep the total oil weight the same.)

Hemp seed oil

Hemp seed oil may be my favorite oil for people with oily and/or acne prone skin!

Not only does it have a comedogenic rating of ZERO, but it is known to help balance the oils in your skin. It may also help clear up blackheads and small pimples. It does all of that while helping reduce dry patches, inflammation, redness, and fine lines!

It’s a definite must have in any homemade lotion for oily and acne prone skin.

Argan oil

Argan oil was already one of my favorite oils for both skin and hair, but I love it even more knowing that it also has a comedogenic rating of ZERO.

The great thing about argan oil is that, because it helps balance the sebum production of the skin, it is a great oil to use on any skin type. It hydrates and works great on flaking or itchy dry skin. It is normally very well tolerated by people with sensitive skin, and it may help eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis.

Because it helps balance the sebum production of your skin, it’s especially great for moisturizing oily or combination skin.

Sunflower oil

I was very surprised to find that sunflower oil is another oil with a comedogenic rating of ZERO! There is a catch, though: you shouldn’t use sunflower oil with a high oleic content which may clog pores. Sunflower oil that doesn’t specifically say it is high oleic, which is made from sunflowers that have been crossbred to be high oleic to help prolong their shelf life and make them healthier for eating, should be fine.

Otherwise sunflower oil is probably the very best oil to use on acne prone skin because it is the highest in linoleic acid of the oils with a comedogenic rating of zero. People who are acne prone tend to have lower levels of linoleic acid in their skin, and it is generally thought that oils high in linoleic acid will help with acne.

Shea butter

Shea butter is another one of those surprising oils because it’s so thick that you would only imagine it would cause your skin to break out. Interestingly enough, though, it also has a comedogenic rating of zero! It also naturally blocks some UVB rays, which is great in a day cream, even if it only slightly helps against them.

One thing to note, some people (not all) with a latex allergy may also react to shea butter. If you are in doubt, sub out the shea butter for a different oil in the recipe!

Rosehip oil

Rosehip oil is great for helping combat the redness and inflammation from acne. I was first introduced to rosehip oil when my husband was badly burned in an accident on his fishing boat. During his rehabilitation phase, the doctors prescribed rubbing reshape oil into the scars daily to help reduce them and allow for mobility in the scarred areas of his skin.

Rosehip oil is thought to help with a lot of skin conditions: from fine lines and wrinkles, scarring, and skin discolorations like age spots to eczema, psoriasis, and stretch marks.

I think that with all of its benefits, that reshape oil makes a great addition to a homemade moisturizer for acne prone skin. That said, I should mention that it has a comedogenic rating of 1. That is still a very low rating and most people react well to it. Some people with acne like to use rosehip oil on alternate days and find that it helps them when used in that way. I chose to use it in a low percentage of the cream, and it’s been working out for me. If you have issues with rosehip oil, though, or prefer to use a different oil instead, by all means sub it out for a different oil on my list!

Other beneficial Ingredients to use with oily and acne prone skin

Rose water

I used rose water in this recipe because it smells lovely, moisturizes, and it can also help fight acne and eczema. It also may help heal wounds and clear up scars!

While I normally add essential oils to my lotions and creams, the rose water left this facial cream with such a lovely fragrance that I didn’t choose to add any. If you have moderate to more severe acne, though, you may want to consider adding some tea tree essential oil to your cream.

Which emulsifier should you use?

Because this is a recipe for acne prone skin, I chose to use an emulsifier that is known to be non-comedogenic. For my first batch, the one that I’ve been using for around 2 months now, I used Montanov 68 as the emulsifier. It’s an emulsifier that is made from tapioca and coconut oil, and is said to be non-comedogenic. It gave my cream a light, yet thick, texture that goes on wonderfully, and makes my skin feel nice and smooth. I love it so far.

Since I started posting about how to make lotions, though, it has come to my attention that it is harder to find Montanov 68 in the United States, so I started researching other emulsifiers.

Olivem is another natural emulsifier that is considered non-comedogenic. It comes from the olive plant, and makes a nice creamy lotion, too. While I haven’t tried it in this specific recipe yet, I have since bought it and began to use it in trials. I think it should make the perfect substitute for those who can’t find Montanov 68. I plan on making my next batch, which will be within the next month, using Olivem to see how it works out. I’ve never had issues using Olivem, but I have read accounts of people who think it’s a more difficult emulsifier to use. I suspect that they may be over-beating their lotions, though. I have never had issues using Olivem when hand stirring my creams.

Natural Preservatives

For this recipe, I chose Leucidal because it’s a fairly accesible natural preservative both here in Spain and in the United States. That makes me think it’s fairly accesible worldwide. (Hopefully)

Leucidal comes from fermenting radishes with a bacteria called Leuconostoc Kimchii. Using it as 3-4% of your recipe allows you to keep your finished lotion for 2-3 months (outside of the fridge) provided that you have made the lotion in hygienic conditions.

There are several other natural preservatives that you can use. I cover more about preservatives and emulsions in my post about how to make a basic lotion. If you haven’t made lotions or creams before, it’s a good idea to read through that post to give you a better idea of the process. (Don’t worry, it’s easy!)

Using essential oils

This is one of the few times that I haven’t added essential oils to one of my homemade lotions. That doesn’t mean that you can’t add them, though. I mostly didn’t add them because I loved the rose scent of this lotion   that came from using rose water.

If you want to try to help increase the acne fighting benefits of this homemade moisturizer, though, tea tree oils is probably the best essential oil for treating acne. Not only is it gentle enough to be well tolerated by most people, it has been shown to kill bacteria on the skin, which may very well help clear up acne.

Lavender oil is often used in skin treatments for acne prone skin and it effectively helps clear up the skin of some people. Others, though, may find that it causes redness and makes the problem worse.

It may be a good idea to divide the batch of moisturizer up and test out any essential oils on your skin before adding them to an entire batch.

Should you use this as a day cream or as a night cream?

I use this cream for both day and night.

Normally, the only differences between day and night creams are that night creams often use photosensitive ingredients that can’t be used in day creams. They are also sometimes a bit heavier and greasier than a cream that you would want to wear in the day under your makeup.

Because the heavier, greasier creams tend to be more beneficial to drier skin types, and this cream doesn’t have any photosensitive ingredients, for now I’m sticking with this cream for my face for both day and night. As I get older, I’ll likely try making something heavier for aging skin, especially at night.

Making your own facial moisturizer isn't difficult, and it can save you a lot of money. Learn to make a homemade moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin, and control the quality of ingredients absorbed by your skin.

Have I convinced you to give it a go?

Homemade Moisturizer for Oily, Acne Prone Skin

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Making your own facial moisturizer isn't difficult, and it can save you a lot of money. Learn to make a homemade moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin, and control the quality of ingredients absorbed by your skin.

Homemade Moisturizer for Oily, Acne Prone Skin

Making your own facial moisturizer isn’t difficult, and it can save you a lot of money. Learn to make a homemade moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin, and control the quality of ingredients absorbed by your skin.
4.44 from 57 votes
Print Rate
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 100 ml
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Materials

  • 10 g sunflower oil not high oleic
  • 5 g argan oil
  • 5 g hemp seed oil
  • 5 g shea butter
  • 5 g rosehip oil
  • 40 g distilled water
  • 25 g rose water
  • 5 g montanov 68 or olivem or other emulsifier
  • 4 g Leucidal or other natural preservative
Switch units back - Convert units

Instructions

  • Weigh out the distilled water and rose water, and heat them over a double boiler while you measure out the oils.
  • Weigh the oils and emulsifier on a scale. I like to use a double boiler insert for weighing them, which I can bring directly to the double boiler afterwards for melting and combining them.
  • Heat the oils and emulsifier until the emulsifier has melted and all are well combined.
  • Combine the hot oils and waters while hot, stirring until well combined. The mixture will thicken and become more opaque as it cools. (If your mixture isn't emulsifying well, it is usually a temperature problem. It can usually be fixed by stirring the mixture while heating it over a double boiler.)
  • Allow the mixture to cool before adding in the preservative and any essential oils you may decide to add.
  • Pour the facial cream into bottles. I love airless type dispensers like the ones in my photo because you can dispense the cream easily without contaminating the cream with bacteria from your fingers.

Notes

I was surprised by how fragrant my homemade moisturizer was with such a small amount of rose water. If you want a more pronounced rose scent, though, you can substitute part of the distilled water for more  rose water. You can also change it out for another floral water or hydrosol of your choice.
I have the final amount listed as 100ml even though it is really a recipe that is measured in grams and not in milliliters. The oil component of ml to grams isn't exactly interchangeable, but the difference is so small that I left it in ml so that you could more easily find a container to hold your final product. You can adjust the amount of the recipe to suit whichever container you plan to use.
Tried making this? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!

 

 

Category: Face & Body, Skin Care

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We'll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danica

    December 6, 2020 at 1:11 PM

    hi, for some reason my cream isn’t thickening:( what do I do?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      December 7, 2020 at 7:33 PM

      Hi Danica,
      Sometimes it can take several hours for it to thicken. Has it thickened by now? I’ve had batches that were on the thinner side that were quite thick the next day.
      If not, which emulsifier did you use? If you switched out the emulsifier, that can make a huge difference. Some may need larger amounts to give the same consistency as the one I used.

      Reply
  2. Kinsey

    November 15, 2020 at 6:43 AM

    5 stars
    Hi, Tracy,

    I really love your informative website. I just have one question for this receipe. I found that the hemp seed oil needs to be refrigerated after opening. Do I need to refrige the lotion?

    Thanks,
    Kinsey

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      November 16, 2020 at 4:06 PM

      Hi Kinsey,
      Thank you so much!
      No, it’s not really necessary. Ideally, you should be using the lotion within a few months anyway, so it should be fine. I’ve never had any problems with it smelling off- like it had gone rancid.
      The problem with hemp oil is that it isn’t as stable as oils like olive oil or coconut oil. So, they recommend the fridge to keep them from going rancid too quickly. In a lotion, if it did go rancid, it’s more of an issue of having an unpleasant scent rather than anything else- so if you did find that it starts to smell off- it’s probably time for a new batch.
      It should keep long enough to use a small batch, though. I remake every few months. It’s a quick recipe, once you get the hang of it- and I like to batch make with other lotions and hair conditioner.

      Reply
  3. Kimberly Johnson

    November 11, 2020 at 9:55 AM

    How much of each ingredient did you use?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      November 11, 2020 at 7:18 PM

      Hi Kimberly,
      If you scroll down, you should see a recipe card with the full recipe. There is also a “jump to tutorial” button at the top of the post that should take you directly there.

      Reply
  4. Lisa Hill

    October 1, 2020 at 12:29 PM

    Nice article! I have acne prone skin and I want to treat it by following your article. Thanks and keep sharing.

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      October 8, 2020 at 5:21 PM

      Hi Lisa,
      I wish you the best of luck with it!

      Reply
  5. Lee-Ann Howard

    June 24, 2020 at 4:27 AM

    Hi Tracy, I want to make this moisturizer for a friend with really dry skin. I thought I may swap the sunflower oil for sweet almond and hemp seed for neem? I don’t have any of the emulsifying wax you list, but I do have BTMS that I bought to try out your hair care recipes, I was wondering if I could use that for this recipe? The preservative I have is Geogard Ultra, I’m hoping that will work too? Also, any other suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks again and again 🙂
    Lee

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      June 24, 2020 at 7:04 PM

      Hi Lee-Ann!
      Yes, all of that should work.
      BTMS is a cationic emulsifier which is conditioning- which is what makes it great for hair (the best, in my opinion). I have seen it used for lotions, but the “feel” will be slightly different. It’s not my favorite for skin products, but it does work. (Each emulsifier gives a different texture and feel to the product. I’m working on a post on emulsifiers right now, actually.)
      The preservative is fine- as is switching out the oils.
      I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.

      Reply
  6. Erica

    June 4, 2020 at 12:44 PM

    Amazon has most of your ingredients unavailable, with suggested similar items not quite what yours were. Is there a company you can buy These ingredients off of besides amazon? I’m in the US.

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      June 4, 2020 at 3:41 PM

      Hi Erica,
      The oils themselves should be pretty easy to find.
      The emulsifier can be changed to something easier to find. I’m working on writing a post about different emulsifiers.
      I have already written a post about possible preservatives that you can use.

      Reply
  7. Michelle

    April 15, 2020 at 8:55 PM

    Hi Tracy!
    I’m new to making homemade facial products and really love the ingredients in this recipe because of the benefits (I have sensitive, oily, acne prone skin). This inspired me to try it for myself but want to change it slightly to make it without water (use of emulsifier and preservative intimidates me a little, want to try without them first). What grams or percentages would you recommend if I use shea butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, rosehip oil, hempseed oil, tea tree oil and lavender oil. One last thing, I eventually want to give this another go with the rose water, emulsifier and preservative and see how the consistency changes. I noticed you don’t use Leucidal anymore, which would you recommend for oily skin?

    Thank you for your posts! I’ve learned so much and appreciate you taking the time in sharing.

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      April 20, 2020 at 9:49 PM

      Hi Michelle,
      You’re welcome!
      Sure, I can try to help.
      First, I’d say that if your skin is sensitive, it might be best to pick one of the oils and see how your skin reacts to it. You can then choose another, and add them together.
      By adding new oils in little by little, you can get a better idea about which oils work best for your skin.
      Using an emulsifier changes things completely. I love the feel of a moisturizer vs. a straight oil. The water gets drawn into your skin more easily with a lotion, which means that it normally does a better job of hydrating your skin.
      If you’re intimidated, try with an inexpensive oil and emulsifier to make a simple body lotion!
      As for the preservatives- I don’t think they’ll make a huge difference for skin. (I’d guess most would improve acne rather than aggravate it.) I have a post now that I call the beginner’s guide to preservatives. Maybe you can find a good option that’s easy to find locally listed there.

      Reply
  8. Hannah

    February 14, 2020 at 8:42 AM

    Hey Tracy,

    Can you make this without the emulsifier and preservative? I’m struggling to find some suppliers here in Aus.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      February 19, 2020 at 7:54 PM

      Hi Hannah,
      Unfortunately, without an emulsifier and preservative, you’d end up with a completely different product.
      To make this without either, you’d want to make something without water in it.
      You could make a facial oil type product. In that case, you wouldn’t need to use either, but it wouldn’t absorb into your skin in the same way.

      Reply
      • Erika

        April 10, 2020 at 3:31 AM

        I was interested to read what you said specifically about hemp seed oil. I have had similar issues with my face into my late 30s. I’m wondering what you think it would be like to just simply use hemp seed oil as a moisturizer?

        Reply
        • Tracy Ariza, DDS

          April 10, 2020 at 5:10 PM

          Hi Erika,
          That’s completely fine. I think it’s important for each person to find what works best for his/her skin. While a specific oil may be considered non-comedogenic, that doesn’t mean that it will be perfect for everyone’s skin. Any of us could negatively react to any product, really.
          So, especially if you have sensitive or problematic skin of some type, I think it’s a really good idea to start out with a lesser number of oils to see how your skin reacts to it/them.
          Then, later, you can incorporate other oils later, if wanted. But, it’s not really necessary.
          I personally like making a lotion vs. just using an oil because a lotion helps bring water into the skin. I feel it hydrates my skin better. But, again, each person is different. You need to find what works best for you!

          Reply
          • Erika

            April 11, 2020 at 4:36 PM

            Thanks so much for your response! This was very helpful.

          • Tracy Ariza, DDS

            April 13, 2020 at 11:53 PM

            You’re welcome!

    • Katherine

      June 9, 2020 at 6:06 AM

      Hi Hannah

      I have been able to find the emulsifier and preservative for sale at this Qld based business
      https://www.escentialsofaustralia.com/search?q=olivem

      I haven’t ordered these particular products yet, but I have successfully purchased other products and found them to be quite good.

      I hope this helps.

      Reply
    • Maria

      July 27, 2020 at 4:01 PM

      I live in Aus, and I found all the ingredients
      You can find it at Aussie soap Supplies,
      New direction Australia

      Reply
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Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
Oh, the things we'll make!...

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