Is Small-batch, Handmade Skincare Safe?

Yes. Handmade skincare formulated in a kitchen or home studio is just as sanitary and effective as skincare created in giant vats by mega-corporations. I would argue that indie skincare formulators go above and beyond to ensure the quality of our products, including adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and managing excess and waste. In addition, indie formulators often create products to order, which minimizes the time your moisturizer or toner sits in a hot warehouse waiting to go on sale.

Does handmade skincare need to be refrigerated?

No. I use Phenoxyethanol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin as a preservative on all aqueous (water-based) products offered in my shop. This preservative is broad-spectrum and effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast, and mold. It is paraben-free and formaldehyde-free.

My products are made-to-order or produced in small batches and have a shelf-life of 1 year from the purchase date. Keep fingers and water out of the products to maximize shelf-life and effectiveness. Each order comes with a little metal scoop to help keep your products sanitary!

Do you need a license to make and sell skincare products?

No. The FDA regulates certain cosmetic ingredients, but there is no official licensure that the United States issues to regulate skincare or beauty brands. However, indie skincare developers must follow GMP standards, provide an ingredient list, and cannot make claims not backed up by evidence.

Do you have to be a trained chemist to formulate skincare products?

No. If you can read and follow directions, you can formulate skincare, hair care, makeup, and body products! Before I opened my shop, I was a web developer. Cosmetic ingredient companies often have a formulary to create simple and complicated shampoos, cleansers, serums, and creams. Here are some of my favorite formulator resources:

TaraLee Skincare YouTube
Lotioncrafter Shop
MakingCosmetics Shop
Formulator Sample Shop
SwiftCraftyMonkey.blog (requires paid subscription)

Is it safe to use food in handmade skincare?

Generally, no. Food is not a sanitary product. However, foods like avocado oil, sugar, salt, citrus, veggies, honey, eggs, or yogurt are perfectly safe for fresh-made skincare if you use them within 8-12 hours: a yogurt and honey face mask or a sugar and avocado oil lip scrub.

For the products in my shop, I either purchase the ingredients from well-established manufacturers and local companies or make my own using cold extraction into 100% grape spirits (ethanol), propanediol, vegetable glycerin, carrier oils, or distilled water. I take great care to triple-filter all of my extracts to ensure that there are no bits and pieces of the plant, which are a magnet for mold and bacteria.

How long is the shelf-life of handmade skincare products?

I recommend using my products within one year of opening. After that, water-soluble and oil-soluble vitamins and active ingredients like allantoin, niacinamide (vitamin B3), panthenol (vitamin B5), and biotin (vitamin B7) will expire and degrade in efficiency.

Skincare belongs on your skin! Don't let it go bad in the bottle; use it to treat your skin right.