Ingredients:

• 1/2 + 1/8 cup of baking soda (anti-bacterial properties, exfoliant)
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil (anti-bacterial properties, moisturizer, helps remove oil, BUT coconut oil is fairly comedogenic, so it can contribute to clogged pores, so I balance it out with:)
• 1/8 cup of olive, grape seed, or avocado oil (similar properties as coconut oil, though not as effective, but much less comedogenic)
• 1/8 cup of honey (anti-bacterial properties)
• 1/8 cup of vodka (alcohol can help tone your skin, and vodka has fewer additives/impurities than other drinking alcohols, while being much less harsh than rubbing alcohols)

Disclaimer: This recipe is what works best for ME. You can remove any of the ingredients or substitute with something else, depending on skin sensitivity, oiliness, etc.

Disclaimer 2: This is the hardest recipe for me to re-create the same way each time, both because I make it the most frequently, and because the ratios aren’t equal and I’m too lazy to measure them out. This recipe is based on filling a container that holds about a cup of face wash.

Add all the liquid ingredients into your container and mix as best you can with a fork. You won’t be able to get a totally mixed liquid, due to the oils, but this is mainly to help integrate the honey.  I suppose you could melt the honey beforehand, but that doesn’t seem worth the trouble.

Add in the baking soda, a little bit at a time, thoroughly mixing in before adding the next bit.

You want your final consistency to be somewhere between crumbly and creamy. The baking soda will continue to absorb the liquid, which is why you don’t want it to be too creamy when you finish combining everything. It should feel smooth, but, if you stick your finger into the container, won’t stick too much to your finger or fill in the hole. My personal preference is for it to be a little crumbly, so that I don’t negate the exfoliating properties of the baking soda.

I keep mine in the shower, with my other toiletries. Make sure to keep the lid on when not in use so water doesn’t mix in (a little water is inevitable, so don’t fret if some gets in). The antibacterial properties of…basically all the ingredients will prevent any mold or bacterial growth.

I use my face wash as the last step before getting out of the shower, as you don’t want to compromise any of the benefits of the moisturizing ingredients by getting any harsh detergent like soap or shampoo on your face and stripping the oils off.

Use your fingers to scoop out a small amount, about the size of your thumb, and spread it out between your hands. Rub it all over your face, and under your chin, for a few seconds, to exfoliate. Make sure none gets in your eyes!  After you’ve gotten it all over your face, let it sit for a few seconds so the anti-bacterial ingredients and toners get some time to work.

To kill time, I’ll get any remaining face wash off my hands by rubbing it on my chest or arms, and then scrub them under the shower stream until I feel my hands and body are clean. Then, put your face under the stream and rub it until you feel it’s come off. The hardest part of using this face wash is feeling like you’ve still got oil on your face. This is good! You don’t want to strip away all your oils, or your skin will be too dry and may overproduce oils as a result. You don’t want to be too oily though, and it can take a few seconds, longer than expected, of rubbing and washing to get it all off, so find a good balance of clean/oiled that works for you.

I’m planning on doing some experiments soon using different quantities of the above ingredients, and also a small food processor to combine everything. I’ll update Lisa if I find that this helps or hinders the current process.

Please e-mail me at josh . huffman [a] gmail . com with any questions, photos, or success stories! Or failures, too – I’m happy to offer any suggestions or tips. Good luck!