Last autumn Angela wrote in asking for a DIY version of an expensive calendula-infused eye balm she was using in Portugal. The ingredient list was beautiful, and as usual, the price tag was a touch shocking. So, with her enthusiasm for the product I took that ingredients list and went for a bit of a run to create a smooth, lightweight balm. Angela’s Calendula Eye Balm is packed with anti-inflammatory calendula and lightweight oils designed to penetrate and moisturize the delicate skin around the eyes (but it’s also great on the rest of the face as well as on hands and lips).
I wanted to enure this balm was smooth and melted readily on the skin so you’d never have to worry about tugging at delicate around-the-eye tissue. I also wanted the balm to sink into the skin relatively quickly so you wouldn’t be left with greasy eyes for ages. As such, the bulk of the balm is made from lightweight, fast-absorbing oils and butters.
Mango butter is a wonderful, rather surprising butter. It’s thick and creamy, but when massaged into the skin it leaves a very unexpected (and welcome) dry finish. If you’re familiar with shea butter you’re no doubt familiar with how it can leave your skin feeling quite heavy and greasy for hours, and if you don’t like that, you need to get yourself some mango butter. Mango butter is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and E.
I had calendula-infused olive oil on hand, so that’s what I used for my calendula hit, but if you happen to have a different liquid oil infused with calendula in your pantry, feel free to use that instead. I rounded out the liquid oil part with some silky, lightweight olive squalane, and some fast absorbing, slightly nutty macadamia nut oil. If you don’t have macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil would be an excellent alternative—and you could use it instead of squalane as well, if you need to.
The balm is thickened with beeswax, but you could use 4g (0.14oz) of either of the c-waxes (candelilla or carnauba) if you want to make a vegan version. A few drops of lavender add a lovely, soft scent, but you could definitely leave it out if you have extra sensitive eyes, or try swapping half the lavender essential oil for chamomile essential oil for added calming goodness.
As a bit of a special finishing touch, I’ve added some silica microspheres. On first glance silica microspheres are just a light, white powder, but add them to pretty much anything, and you’ll see that they’re magic. They help disguise fine lines by softly diffusing light around the skin, creating a wonderful airbrushing effect. They also help give anything they’re added to a silky, dry touch, which is definitely a welcome characteristic in an eye balm. I didn’t add enough to give the balm a completely dry touch, but you could always double to amount if you want a drier touch. The silica is optional as I know it’s a fairly odd ingredient, but I cannot recommend it highly enough for luxy DIY skin care and cosmetics. You could also use twice as much sericite mica instead; it’s not quite the same thing, but it’s as close as you’ll get to the real thing.
Since this balm is 100% oil based, once you have all the ingredients together all you’re really doing is melting everything together, stirring in a few post-heat add-ins, and pouring it into a tin. And that’s it! Bam. Angela’s Calendula Eye Balm is pretty awesome. You should make some.
Angela’s Calendula Eye Balm
7g | 0.25oz calendula infused olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) (or other carrier oil—whatever infusion you have on hand will work)
6g | 0.21oz mango butter (USA / Canada)
5g | 0.18oz olive squalane (USA / Canada)
2g | 0.07oz macadamia nut oil
5g | 0.18oz beeswax (USA / Canada)4 drops lavender essential oil
0.3g | 1 drop Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
1/8 tsp silica microspheres (I use these tiny measuring spoons for tiny measurements like this)Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh the calendula infused oil, mango butter, olive squalane, macadamia nut oil, and beeswax into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Place the measuring cup in your prepared water bath to melt everything through—this will take about 20 minutes.
Once everything has melted, remove the measuring cup from the heat and dry the outside of it off with a dish towel. Set the measuring cup on a towel or hot pad to insulate it from the counter and stir the mixture with a flexible silicone spatula to combine everything.
Add the lavender essential oil, vitamin E oil, and silica to the mixture, and use your spatula to blend them in. Take care to break up any clumps of the silica if they form so you have a completely uniform mixture with no obvious blobs or lumps.
Pour the liquid balm into a 30mL/1 ounce tin and leave it to set up. Once it’s solid and uniform in colour, it’s ready to use! You will find the top layer of the balm is firmer than the rest of it, so go ahead and push your finger through the top layer of the balm before using it to get a true feel for how firm it is.
To use, gently glide a rice-grain sized bit of the balm across the orbital area of your eye—I like doing this just before bed. Enjoy!
This recipe was designed to be firm to control usage. If you have bits between your fingers you’re trying to melt, or you’re using a tool, or you’re digging, that’s a pretty big indicator that you are over-using the product. You should just be gliding your fingers over the surface of the balm and applying a thin film to the under-eye area (not the eyelids), not digging out chunks of it and applying that. You’ll be applying lip balm type amounts, not body butter/lotion amounts.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this salve is 100% oil based, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Want to learn how to make your own herb infused oils? Click here.
I’ve had a lot of requests for an eye cream, but I’ve been pretty hesitant to work on one—mostly because I don’t have a test subject as I don’t have under-eye bags or dryness or whatever people use eye creams for. When I release a recipe I want to know it works, but without a test subject, that’s hard!
Thank you! I’m gonna make some this weekend. I just happen to have a jar of calendula infusion ready to be strained.
I have been looking for a copycat recipe for DHC deep cleansing olive oil. I love it and would love to make my own but alas, I cannot find a recipe. I have looked in your archives for an oil cleanser but have not found one. If it pleases you, would you make a recipe for those of us who love oil cleansers
Again, thank you for all the lovely recipes.
Thanks, Becky! I have had a cleansing oil on my DIY list for a while, so stay tuned 🙂
Marie,
Some of us are getting older….not me, of course…..but some people are and use eye cream to help with those pesky “fine lines” and dryness developing around the eye area. I wouldn’t know anything about this, though! Haha
This sounds lovely! I will have to make some soon. Thank you for including a vegan version, as I’m allergic to beeswax. You’re awesome!
Belinda
Of course, not us. We’re getting younger. Definitely 😀
Sounds lovely!
Thanks! Happy making 🙂
This is next on my ‘to make’ list for sure. It sounds lovely! I just found a very surprising source for silica microspheres…NYX 100% mineral setting powder is 100% silica. I bought it at $11.99 CND, which I thought was very reasonable. Hope this is helpful.
Handy! What’s the weight on that? With no cross-border shipping that’s a good way to get some for a reasonable price, especially since they’re so potent!
It is 6g. Not bad, considering there is no shipping or wait…and you get a sweet little sifter jar in the deal
Not bad at all! Good find 🙂
A nice take on … Indie Lee I guess? You better not answer 🙂 This product line is so basic, yet rather pricey. I got some ideas for simple scrub recipes just by looking at the ingredient list.
Anyhow, just spent another small fortune on all those oils for anti-headache, anti-acne and rose lip salve you have here… Your recipes are positively addictive!
😉 Happy making, and thanks for reading! Sorry about your diminishing fortune 😉
Hello Marie,
I have some silk powder (200 mesh) here. Do you think I can substitute it for the silica to have that dry touch around the eyes ?
Thank you for all your wonderful ideas !
Sadly no—the similarities stop after the “sil” bit at the start of their names. Different mesh, solubility, and impact on feel. They have about as much in common as silica does to corn meal.
LOL I love how you can describe things so straight forward and so simple. I learn a lot! Thanks
Dear Venus;
Isn’t Marie hilarious in how she describes things? Happy making and don’t forget to share your formulating with her on Instagram!
Would you be able to sub cera bellina for the beeswax?
I can’t see why not, though I can’t speak to what the end consistency would be like 🙂 It would likely be softer.
Do you sell this item? I do not wish to make it
I don’t, sorry!
Ooh Marie, you should come with a health warning (bank balance health that is) I am still reeling from the pruce of my last order for rose wax,orange wax and jasmine wax, ouch! And now you bring us this ! It sounds sooooo good,I have got to try it.I do have some dryish patches under my right eye, which do no need a little more moisturizing,so I would love a cream.I would love to be your test subject so if you can come up with a recipe, I will happily make it up and report back to you on how it feels and works/doesn’t work etc.
Sorry not sorry haha 😛 At this point I’m definitely going to stick to working on formulas I don’t need help/feedback to develop—I’m having a hard enough time keeping up with my self-imposed posting schedule without adding the variable of other people!
I’m so making this and will let you know how it goes (well, I’ll make it after I make the intoxicating rose salve, bill’s salve, the winter solstice lotion, the vegan deodorant… and a few others first!!!)
Ha! Sounds like you’ve got a pretty awesome to-do list 😀
Hi Marie, Angela From Portugal here. So excited by this eye balm recipe. I will make it as soon as I can purchase the products I don’t have.
Thank you so much x
Woohoo! Enjoy 🙂 And thank you for the request!
If I substitute Cera bellina for bees wax wouldn’t it give it a better feel on skin in terms of being less greasy because beeswax will leave a residue on skin ?
I don’t think so—cera bellina is no less greasy than beeswax (moreso, even), and the blend of carrier oils actually means this balm is quite light.
Addicted to your blog! Could D.E.-food grade be a substitute for the silica as it is also silica?
Oooh no, definitely not! That would be like using flax seed instead of fine linen because they’re both technically flax. The format makes a MASSIVE difference!
Is there a substitution for Macadamia nut oil? I’m allergic
If you don’t have/can’t use macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil would be an excellent alternative—and you could use it instead of squalane as well, if you need to.
I’m sorry, I should have mentioned I”m allergic to all nut oils
Wouldn’t the second suggestion work, then? The extra squalane?
I searched about silica microspheres but it looks like some powder to colour the LIFE JACKET so it can glow in the dark. Is that the “RIGHT” type of silica microspheres? I want to buy it so I can make this beautiful eye balm ( my eye bags hmmm…. )
I’m pretty sure that’s not even close to the right kind LOL. The right kind have no colour, and they don’t glow in the dark, so I have no idea what you’re looking at, but I’m pretty darn sure it isn’t a cosmetic ingredient!
Do yo have any thoughts on making eye drops that can nourish and hydrate but without the harsh chemicals?
Thank you!
Nothing in particular. Probably an emulsion? Include some humectants and film formers and emollient ingredients? Avoid fragrance? I have a hard time believing many eye specific products contain harsh chemicals, though! The eye area is so delicate, no formulator worth their weight in anything would put something harsh or irritating in an eye product—that’s just asking for trouble.
Thanks for this great information, but can i also use coconut oil as well? keepup the good work.
I wouldn’t try to shoe-horn it in here; coconut oil is a really oily oil, and I carefully formulated this to be as un-oily as possible. Adding it would rather defeat that goal!
OOoh, how utterly awesome! I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying it, and glad it’s making the transition into warmer weather gracefully 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this recipe! Just made this and so looking forward to trying it out :).
Thanks! Enjoy 😀
This is absolutely amazing! I was a little apprehensive as hayfever or some other allergy affects the area below my left eye. I decided to try this balm and it’s amazing. It has really helped to bring down the slight swelling and protects the skin so well. Thank you very much!
Yay! I’m so glad Calendula for the win!
Tried as close as possible but I used more macadamia vs olive squalene but after a few weeks it turned into a diff texture. It felt like I had tiny little beads of wax in balm. It melts still after rubbing but still looks like tiny beads of wax suspended in balm.
Does it sound like this?
Hi Marie!
I have been eyeing (pun intended) this recipe for a little. I recently came across an eye balm stick that uses matcha, coconut oil, and beeswax and supposedly helps reduce puffiness and darkness. I feel dubious about these results but curious enough to make my own that doesn’t contain coconut oil. Would it be possible to successfully add matcha to this recipe?
I’m afraid I’ve never worked with matcha; my initial concern would be solubility (it’s not oil soluble), and then graininess (since it’s not soluble, it may end up feeling quite sandy an unpleasant on such a tender part of the face).
Hi Marie!
I finally managed to put a few hundred aside to make my first order ! No, we don’t all need a few hundred ladies, rest assured ;)!
I started by buying the kindle version of your book and I LOVE it so much!
I find that the recipes in the book require a bit less ingredients and there’s a lot of makeup stuff in there that is not on the blog FYI everyone !
I stopped buying products at the drugstore an let my stash run out and made my first big order (I chose Windy Point and Aquarius, because they ship via Canada post and I feel it’s cheaper.
I had to make choices, because I wanted to try MANY things and didn’t want to commit all my money in skin care … Sooo… I have 2 questions:
1. I (oh so sadly) had to cut this recipe from my first batch… so I wonder: can I use the Essential Argan serum (with lavender and tea tree EO – I had to draw the EO line to your 3 faves also… even if I wanted them all!!) Around my eyes? Maybe if I make a batch without EO?
2. Can I use the Creamy clay cleanser (which I can’ wait to try) to remove eye makeup? Again, I would skip the EO for the eyes.
Thanks for your time and I’ll keep you posted on my experiences 😉
Thank you so much for buying my book! You can definitely use argan oil around your eyes, but I’d recommend using it EO free. For the eye makeup remover; I’d recommend the cleansing balm in the book 🙂 Just swipe a damp cotton pad across the surface and it works beautifully!
I recommend your book any chance I have. I’m now very proud to say that all my skin care and make-up (except eyeliner and mascara) are from your book or website 🙂 I did make the clensing balm and love it! Better than the Creamy clay one, even! I also found a place to buy handmade soap, because I didn’t venture into soap making… yet 😉 So much to do, so little time ! My skin is better than ever, thanks to your teaching. Next step for me will be hair care… I’m debating between letting my natural colour grow or switching to henna to keep it red. I can’t unsee the ingredients on hair colour and products anymore :-/!
Your comment makes me so happy! I love helping people feel empowered to make choices about their skincare and get excited about making things 😀 Whee!
Ive been making your recipes that contain stearic acid as the “wax” in the formula and would love to try making this with stearic acid as my facial skin isn’t too fond of beeswax. I have made the original version with beeswax but got somo milia around my eye atea. I think this would be lovely with stearic (or would u recommend cetyl… or both?)
I just need to figure out how much stearic acid and/or cetl alcohol to use.
Good idea! You might consider referring to my forest facial cleansing balm for some starting amounts 🙂
Hi, Marie
Nice work, I enjoyed everything you wrote. Is there any substitute for silica microspheres? Thanks!
Not for this recipe; you can just leave them out 🙂
Hi Marie,
I would love to make this recipe, but I don´t have olive squalane, macadamia nut oil or the other mentioned alernativ oils on hand. I do have some argan, rosehip and primrose oil. Would it be okay to use one or a mixture of them as a substitution? I´m not sure about thier oilyness and you mentioned this shouldn´t be to oily…
Rosehip would be a good alternative as it’s very light 🙂
Thank you very much, Marie! I tried it with the Rosehip Oil and it went out really nice. Feels not to heavy on the skin, leaves it cared and soft, has a nice dark yellow color, and the earthy rose aroma blends in well with the calendula and lavender scent.
Wonderful, I’m so glad! Enjoy and thanks for DIYing with me 😀
I have Rosehip,Argan, camallia seed oil can this be used in place of the others in this recipe they are all fast absorbing oils.
Yup!
Great recipe!
Is there a natural alternative to silica microbeads? Would wrinkle blur work in a similar manner as the silica powder?
I’m rather confused by your question; you want something “natural”, but you are considering using “wrinkle blur” (INCI Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, silica) as an alternative…? That’s sort of like asking for a healthier alternative to Coke… like Pepsi 😛
I haven’t used the Wrinkle Blur product, but from reading the description it sounds like it is a similar product.
Silica is reasonably “natural”, depending on your definition; it’s a major component of sand.
you should add this to your shop
you should also add some more items
i would really love to buy some of the things you make
Honestly, I am debating shutting the shop down. I don’t enjoy the associated bureaucracy, or making the same things over and over again. My heart is definitely more in teaching and experimenting 🙂
So I made this this afternoon and was SO excited to come home and use it before bed, but it’s very hard/sticky/waxy and not soft at all. When I tried to melt it between my fingers, here we’re definite crumbles that took a while to soften up. And the application required tugging, which I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to go on smooth. It’s been 30 min since I applied it and it has not absorbed at all and I can feel it weighing down my eyelids. I’m wondering if I used too much beeswax? It seems like in terms of volume, there was a lot more of it than the mango butter, but I used the right amount of both, according to my scale. And it filled my 1 oz glass jar completely. Can I melt it down again and add more of the other ingredients?
Hey! I think you are using far too much—if you have bits between your fingers you’re trying to melt, that’s a pretty big indicator. You should just be gliding your fingers over the surface of the balm and applying a thin film to the under-eye area (not the eyelids), not digging out chunks of it and applying that 🙂
I made this last week, and it is wonderful! The firmer surface is just more firm than I would like. Is there anything I can add to this without compromising the integrity of the product to make it a little softer? Or use less beeswax if that might by the firming factor? It’s not quite as convenient to use a tool to get it out as opposed to your finger. Thank you!
Hey! This recipe was designed to be firm to control usage. If you have bits between your fingers you’re trying to melt, or you’re using a tool, or you’re digging, that’s a pretty big indicator that you are over-using the product. You should just be gliding your fingers over the surface of the balm and applying a thin film to the under-eye area (not the eyelids), not digging out chunks of it and applying that
You could adjust the recipe to use less wax and more oil, but I did make it firm on purpose.
That makes perfect sense! Thank you so much. BTW, I made some of this and gave it to my sister. She took her $60 eye cream back to the store LOL Winner!
Woo! DIY FTW 😛
Hi Marie,
I’ve just recently seen this post and I really want to make this amazing cream! Just one major problem- I can’t find where to buy silica anywhere! I live in Australia and Amazon don’t
Post here anymore. I know it’s optional,but my wrinkles need all the help they can get…
Do you have any ideas about where I could buy this please?
Thanks so much for all your great information,
Katrina
I’m afraid I am far from an expert in the inventory of all suppliers globally; if you haven’t found any from any of the suppliers listed here I don’t have any other suggestions. There is a more readily available alternative/substitution listed right in the post, though 🙂
Can i put aloe vera oil instead of olive squalane?
It’s worth a try! It might impact the absorption speed a bit, but it should still be lovely 🙂
Hello Marie. I was wondering if I can include Matrixyl to this recipe? I will apreciate your response. Thank you and have a wonderful new year!
Hey Gaby! I’ve written an FAQ on this 🙂
How could I make this less “hard” and more of an airless bottle? Reduce the beeswax by half and replace it with mango butter or an oil?
You would have to do your own tests to ensure that works & remains stable, but in theory, it could work!
I love this formulation! I didn’t have the microspheres so I skipped those and then I whipped it to a nice cream consistency. Oh boy, it’s really nice. While I like balms, I wanted something a bit softer for the eyes. It’s Devine! Can’t wait to try it with the microspheres
I’m so thrilled to hear you are loving this! ❤️ Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Hi Marie – would I be able to use Isoamyl Laurate rather than the Silica microspheres? Thank you!
I made this a few months ago and love it. I saw an improvement in my undereye area within a couple of weeks. I also use it regularly on my lips, corner of mouth fold and a small dry area of sun damage. It certainly helps control dryness and seems to be healing. The calendula probably. I am taking the ingredients to a friend so she can make it too.
I’m 68 years young.