How to Make an Oatmeal and Pink Clay Facial Cleanser

It's been over a year since I posted the very first cleansing bar how-to, and your interest in these little soap-free cleansers just keeps growing! I'm absolutely thrilled to experience how many of you have started making your own and have gotten positive feedback from all different skin types as well as age groups spanning from teens to mid 60's.

Today's cleanser is great for sensitive, oily, and combination skin. It is actually a variation on this recipe (also with oatmeal and pink clay), but this one has a somewhat firmer texture and is a tad easier to use.

Formula

This will make 2 x 100 gr bars or 2 'guest soap' trays.

Ingredients List

50 gr (1,8 oz) white clay
10 gr (0,3 oz) pink clay
20 gr (0,7 oz) 'pulverized' oats (whiz in a blender)
25 ml (0,8 fl. oz) castor oil
55 ml (1,8 fl. oz) almond oil
44 gr (1,5 oz) cocoa butter
40 gr (1,4 oz) shea butter

Melt the cocoa butter slowly over low heat. Just before the cocoa butter is completely melted, remove from heat and stir until melted. Add shea butter and oils and stir until thoroughly melted.

If you want to do layering, pour 1/4 of the mixture into a smaller container. 

In the small container, add all of the pink clay, a spoonful of white clay, a spoonful of the oats and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Pour a thin layer into each mold and chill for a few minutes.

Meantime, add the remaining white clay and oats to the remaining mixture and stir thoroughly. When the first layer has set, pour the remaining mixture into the mold and let chill for a few hours or overnight.

Unmold and enjoy.

Decorative Fun Stuff

A dusting of cranberry powder was added as a final flourish to one of the trays, but this was purely for fun (and because I love that fab pink color). I have done quite a bit of experimentation with cranberry throughout 2012. Sometimes the results were great, other times they were epic fails. Here are links to a few examples if you're interested: gel-based face cleanser, make-up, face cream,  another cleansing bar.

CLEANSING BAR TIPS

Storing

Wrap in paper towel, place in an airtight bag or container and store in the refrigerator until use.
There are 2 reasons for this:
1. There are no preservatives these bars, which is fine in anhydrous (water-free) products if they stay completely dry until use. The paper towel helps keep the product dry.
2. The airtight container helps keep the product fresh and free of refrigerator smells.

About the Texture

These bars will become soft-ish at room temperature – which they should be when applied. The bar should mash easily with a finger and have the consistency of chocolate that is going soft but still holds its shape.

For a step by step tutorial and FAQ's, please visit this page

Custom Cleansers - Just For You

If you would like to order a custom made cleansing bar, feel free to drop me a note.