I’m pretty happy with this recipe. It’s easy, inexpensive, fast, and the sort of thing you’d pay $50 for at the beauty counter. There’s just six ingredients, and the results are quickly noticeable. In the short term you’ll notice smoother skin, and over time you’ll find your face is firmer and brighter.
The base of this recipe is cucumber spiked aloe vera juice. The cucumber comes from cucumber botanical extract, a water soluble powder made from the peels of cucumbers. It is rich in enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, encouraging cell growth and repair. It’s also a great source of powerful antioxidants. And, after all that, it’s a natural astringent, helping to immediately tighten and revitalize skin.
Aloe vera, of course, is a skin care favourite. Soothing, gentle, vitamin rich, and a great natural moisturizer, it’s a no-brainer as a base here.
To that base we add vitamin C, known to brighten the skin and help with collagen production. It’s also acidic, so it functions as a mild chemical exfoliant.
Our last active ingredient is Multifruit BSC. This thin liquid is derived from a variety of fruits, and is a natural source of alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs. AHAs help with cell renewal, skin firming, and soothing, making it great for anti-aging serums.
Lastly, a bit of guar gum as a mild emulsifier and thickener to help the two drops of lavender essential oil disperse. I chose lavender for it’s all-around anti-bacterial/anti-viral/soothing properties, but you could easily swap it out for something that meets your needs more specifically, like carrot seed or helichrysum essential oil.
I no longer recommend this recipe; it’s not well formulated and won’t do what it’s supposed to. Live and learn!
Brighten & Renew Facial Serum
1 tsp cucumber extract
1 tbsp aloe vera juiceNip guar gum
1/32 tsp vitamin C
2g | 0.07oz multifruit BSC
2 drops lavender essential oilStir together the cucumber extract and aloe vera juice in a small dish and place in a hot water bath to warm through, stirring to encourage the extract to dissolve.
Measure the guar gum, vitamin C, multifruit, and essential oil into the bottom of a dark 15mL glass bottle. Cap and shake to combine.
Top off with the cucumber/aloe mixture, shaking to combine when the bottle is about half full before filling the rest of the way.
To use, smooth two or three drops across the face once a day. Be careful not to over apply or the face can be a bit tacky to the touch.
Hi Marie,
Where can I get vitamin c? Do I just crush up a vitamin c tablet?
I bought mine in straight crystal form (it looks like sugar) from New Directions Aromatics. You can crush up a tablet, just watch out for ones that are mostly fillers and artificial sweeteners 🙂
Love your posts and how you make everything! did you ever hear of nerium ad cream to take away wrinkles?
Thanks, Carolyn! I’d never heard of Nerium cream before, but I just looked it up, and now I really want to get my hands on some Nerium oleander to play with 🙂 Or maybe not… since it’s poisonous… darn 🙁
Hi Marie – I love your site, and really enjoy your writing, and your recipes! I looked up oleander on Wikipedia and found this: “…there is no toxicity or deaths reported from topical administration or contact with Nerium oleander or specific products derived from them.” Also, here’s a link to a friend’s site, where you can purchase natural oleander, either as absolute, or in several diluted forms:
http://www.wingedseed.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH&Store_Code=SB
Cheers!
Andrine
That’s good to know, thanks Andrine!
Hey, Marie!
This looks great. I notice you did not use any Ferulic Acid in your serum. Can you give us an idea as to how long potency of the Vitamin C in the serum will last with the Multi-Fruit added?
I love Vitamin C’s action on strengthening the DNA at deeper dermal layers so that it will not mutate later from UV radiation damage.
Hi Sylvia! I’d love to include some Ferulic Acid but I haven’t had much luck finding a good source that I’d also be able to recommend to my readers. Do you know of any?
From my reading, ascorbic acid looses up to 90% of its potency when stored in hot, high-humidity environments, so I would hypothesize that you’d want to re-make this serum every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the temperature of the room where it’s stored. Of course, without a lab, I have no way of really knowing.
I know this is coming to you way after the fact, but I’ve found some good ingredients at Lotioncrafter.com. They are in the US unfortunately, but for a few things here and there the shipping isn’t too bad. I bought the Ferulic Acid, as well as pure coenzyme Q-10 powder that I’ve been quite happy with, my vitamin C serum didn’t seem to oxidize and change color, even after months now, so it seems to be doing it’s job!
I’ve had my eye on LotionCrafter.com for a while, but I’ve never placed an order. Between our terrible dollar, international shipping, and the positively colossal amount of ingredients I already have (seriously, I have a problem), it’ll probably be a while before I order from them. I’m glad you’re happy with your goodies, though! They’ll be on the list when I finally do order 🙂
Thanks, I would lots rather spend $50 on ingredients to make tons of potions than on one teeny bottle.
I was just looking at an ad for the latest “wonder” serum and wondering if you had tried to make one.
I totally agree, Paula! Let me know how this works for you if you try it 🙂
Where did buy all of your ingredients?
I’ve linked to my suppliers in the big box above the comments section 🙂
Hey Marie!
The cucumber extract on NDA – it says mix 1 part to 10 parts of water (aloe juice on your recipe) – does your recipe get the extract fully dissolved along with the rest of the ingredients? Also do you use this before you apply cream on your face or during the evening, do I need to wash it off?
And something else I noticed with the Multifruit – I add some in my regular floral water toner (just rosewater and the Multifruit), mix/shake to combine but after a day or two, little sliver ‘crystals’ form in the water – has that happened to you? I’m guessing that’s the Multifruit solidifying somehow … when I shake the mixture again, it doesn’t dissolve, it just kinda floats around. Very cool looking but I wonder if the effects remain the same (benefits for the skin).
Thanks!
Hi Annie! My cucumber extract dissolved fully, no problems there. I’ve been using a few drops before I apply my argan oil, and I don’t rinse it off. I also haven’t noticed any crystals with the multifruit, but I have had something similar happen with homemade floral waters—it’s usually just bits of sediment settling out. That might be a better Q for NDA 🙂
Despite the aloe this does not need to be refrigerated? My aloe vera juice says to keep refrigerated and I haven’t used it much for that reason.
I find my lotions generally last at least two months, even with aloe vera juice. Just be sure to watch for signs of spoilage (mould, funny smells, colours, etc.) & chuck it when those pop up. You can also add a broad spectrum preservative, though there are no real natural ones in my experience.
Hi Marie,
I was wondering if I could use xanthan gum instead of guar gum? Sapphireblue only sells xanthan gum and I don’t want to order 500grams of guar gum from NDA for a “nip” of it.
Do I really need a gum at all? Or can I just omit the gum altogether? I do not mind shaking the bottle. Would polysorbate 20 suffice? Sorry for so many questions.
You can just ditch it & shake, or use a couple drops of polysorbate 20—just be sure to mix the lavender EO into the polysorbate 20 first, before adding the mixture to the water part 🙂
Would TRO work better than guar gum as an emulsifier to eliminate the tacky feeling?
You can try it, but I would err on the side of less is more as I’ve found TRO can be irritating to the skin, and given that the face is quite sensitive, I’d be hesitant to add large amounts. In my experience, though, the tackiness is likely caused by a variety of ingredients (cucumber extract, I’m looking at you).
Hi, can I use something else instead of the Multi Fruit Blend? Any recommendations? Sadly it’s not available here in Europe. Thanks for taking some time of your life answering this. And keep the good work up!! 🙂
Hi Patricia! The active ingredient we’re interested in here is alpha hydroxy acid, which can also be found in some fruit botanical extracts (apple, for instance). I’m not sure what you have access to, but that’s the ingredient to watch for 🙂
Hi! I just love your experiments…u r amazing !
What if you can neither find cucumber extract, nor multifruit? Should i stop thinking about this serum?
Thanks Shivani! Those are two of the most important active ingredients in this recipe, so I would probably take a look at something else like my argan oil serum 🙂
Beautiful, beautiful serum!! I finally got around to making it this past Monday and have been using it just before bed. My skin is noticably smoother less than a week later (it’s Saturday morning). I love that I will never again shell out way too much for magic creams and facials since finding your site. Thank you, Marie, for all your amazing DIY recipes!
Yay! I’m so thrilled that you’re loving it and it’s working for you 😀 It’s always awesome to hear from people who aren’t me!
hi, i want to make this serum but i can’t seem to find Multifruit in my area. Can i switch it to Cherry or Mulberry extract instead?
Hi Mery! I’d recommend shopping online for both price and variety—both of my suppliers carry multifruit (links in the big box above the comments).
hi Marie,
i was wondering if this serum can also diminish age spots and hyper pigmentation or do you have a serum recipe that can help? thank you
Hi Mery! Check out this serum 🙂
What is 2g = to? Thanks!
A “g” is a gram—a measurement in the globally used metric system 🙂 Check out my two part guide here and here if you’re not familiar with it 😉
Research guar gum before using it, its an unnecessary additive and full of pesticides, which are by the way absorbed through the skin to cause cancer. Dont rub carcinogens on your face, or eat food tainted with that stuff.
I have researched it. You will find organic versions are pesticide free, which is rather the entire point of organic products. It’s also not unnecessary here—it functions as an emulsifier.
Hello!
If I am using liquid extract – how much should I use? Thank you! 🙂 ps. I made your Immortele Primrose serum and it is divine. My skin is soooooo soft!
I’d probably start with ~1/2 tsp, but having never worked with the stuff I can’t be too sure.
Hello. I love your recipes and I want to try this and the argan oil serums… but I can not find what the multifruit is. I live in Mexico and will bought everything here (I am sure in some herbalist stores I should able to find them) so I will love some ideas of what I can use as a substitute… Thanks!!!
Hi Doria! The multifruit brings alpha hydroxy acids to the mix, so if you can find something else that contains those, that would be a great place to start 🙂 I’m afraid I don’t know of anything available in Mexico offhand.
Hi Marie
I looked on the sight for the miltifruit BSC and cannot find it. Has it been discontinued or moved?
It looks like NDA discontinued it, but Saffire Blue sells it 🙂 I also have a giant list of places to check here.
Thank you very much
Is it important to add a preservative because of cucumber peel powder?
If yes what would you recommend to extend shelf life
Hi Nina! You need a preservative because of the water—read this for more info 🙂
Sorry to bug you again but the recipe dosent say water?
And how much of the preservative should be added for this recipe?
Aloe vera juice is 99.99% water; that’s the water. This FAQ walks you through how to calculate how much preservative to use—it varies by preservative so I can’t say.
If I add Germall plus how much should be added it’s hard because in your recipe some measurement are in table spoon and some gm
Could you roughly tell how much preservative to add like you do in some of your recpies
Much appreciated!
I’m afraid I don’t know how much this weighs either just by looking at the ingredient list—you’ll need to weigh it when you’re done making it and figure it out from there, using the formula on the FAQ page I linked earlier 🙂 It’s probably around 15g since it’s mostly water and 1mL of water = 1g, but that’s just a rough estimate.
Hello Marie. Thanks for the great recipe.
I was unable to find the multifruit because the link is broken. I found it a bit expensive on Amazon instead. I visited your Encyclopedia but isn’t there: Do you think I can substitute the aloe juice for gel instead? If so, should I use the same measurements?
Thanks a lot in advance. Can’t wait for your book!
Hey Stef! You can use more aloe juice instead and it won’t “break” the recipe, but it will certainly be less effective; that’s sort of like using water instead of oil in a baking recipe. It will still work, more or less, but you are removing an important active ingredient and replacing it with something that does nothing similar. I have updated the link, though, and that source is actually still available and is much less expensive.
I have been doing a bunch of research on vitamin C serums and they are very tricky to formulate correctly. There are different vitamin C derivatives. Which one you use makes a big difference in how stable your vitamin C is. There is a cost difference as well. The more stable derivatives cost 3 times more than the more commonly used L-absorbing acid but they are much more sensitive skin friendly.
Oh, I know—this is a very old recipe. You’ll notice there aren’t any newer than about 3 years up for this very reason. Sigh. Darn vitamin C and your resistance to being incorporated into things!
I can’t find guar gum .
Do you think I can substitute arrow root instead?
No; starches and gums thicken VERY differently—think of the difference between gelatin and cornstarch for a rough idea 🙂
Hi, marie
I was looking at serum recipes and came across this one. Which is your favorite serum recipe that you use the most?
Also, if you have not tried Nerium as of yet, please let me know. I am registered to sell it and am happy to ship to a bottle of the day and night cream to try out. Warning, the night cream works sort of like a thin mask and doesn’t smell pleasing to everyone. I don’t mind it as the smell dissipates very quickly.
Lastly, do you have any newer recipes for acne, such as a toner, cream, etc. my daughter in law suffers with terrible acne and I am trying to find some recipes to make for her.
Thanks a million.
Hugs,
Michelle
I honestly haven’t been using serums much these days—moreso double cleansing and lotions. I do still love this one, though 🙂
I’m always happy to try new things and see how they work! Feel free to send me an email to grab my shipping address 🙂
The serum I linked above is great for acne, and I’d also recommend the Winter Solstice cream (or any other face lotion on my site); I found my skin improved immeasurably when I started including water in my facial skincare and really focussing on hydration! Also, give this a read 🙂 If she’s using soap, consider switching to something like a cleansing oil or pH-balanced foaming cleanser.
Happy making!
Hi Marie,
I try to make this serum , I ordered all Ingredients and make but I noticed that vitamin C powder is not Dissolves in liquid ingredients , it’s become hard and stored down in bottle, I tried on my face it’s very heavy and I feel not comfortable with it , it’s take long time to dry . So I need you kindly help please to resolve this problem .and can I add some witch hazel to recipe to make it a little heavy
I’m sorry—I’m really not sure what you’ve done or what you have. Vitamin C is very water soluble, so whatever you have is not vitamin C if it isn’t dissolving. That said, this recipe is really not very good as it’s very old and I’ve learned a lot since I first made it. I’ve added a note to the recipe, sorry.
Hi Marie
Thank you for your reply, I used Ascorbic acid powder, so it’s not Dissolves In other Ingredients. Now what you suggest for this recipe, can I put powder vitamin c in water first or what your opinion. Thank you
I don’t know what to tell you—it should. It’s very water soluble; google “ascorbic acid solubility” and it’s the first thing to come up. If you want a better, stable vitamin C serum recipe I’d recommend this one.
Hey Marie! Just found your site. Curious to know why do you not recommend this recipe anymore, what do you mean when you say it won’t do what its supposed to do? I’m new to formulating and want to learn from your experience.
Also – what would you add/subtract in this recipe to make it work?