Today we’re making a gentle, low-foam, creamy Clementine Facial Cleansing Milk. It comes together just like a lotion, with the addition of a few grams of surfactants in the cool-down phase for a titch of cleansing power. If you’ve been looking at making your own facial cleansers and feeling a bit unsure, but you’re already making lotions, this is the recipe for you!
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I’ve kept the oil phase quite small (just 10%) so this would be on the thinner side—more of a cleansing milk than a cleansing cream. Small amounts of castor oil and safflower oil make up the bulk of the oil phase (though you could use other oils), a touch of cetyl alcohol adds some thickness, and the whole lot is emulsified with some Polawax.
Our was phase is mostly water, with some champa hydrosol contributing to the scent department. If you’re an avid yoga studio goer, you know the smell of champa. It smells deep and mysterious and, well, like a yoga studio. I find it to be a rather rich, calming scent. Apparently it is also said to be an aphrodisiac, though I can’t say that’s why I included it! I chose clementine essential oil to compliment the champa hydrosol; clementine is bright and juicy, so it is a nice counterpoint to the more weighty champa.
Some vegetable glycerine brings some moisturizing, humectant goodness, while panthenol (vitamin B5) is magic as ever with its soothing, transepidermal water loss, anti-inflammatory, skin-improving fantastic-ness. I’ve also included some hydrolyzed oat protein for added moisturizing; you could also use hydrolyzed silk. I recently picked up some new hydrolyzed proteins from Windy Point as they’ve got three new ones in stock—rice, quinoa, and baobab! I can’t wait to play with those some more. You could use any of those here as well, just be sure to check and see if they are heat sensitive so you can add them to the right phase.
For surfactants I’ve kept it super gentle. The amounts are very low—just 5% surfactants, with 2.1% active surfactant matter. Both Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside have pH values that are skin compatible without any adjusting. Non-ionic surfactants (like Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside) are the least likely to irritate the skin, and the addition of an amphoteric surfactant (like Cocamidopropyl Betaine) helps make surfactant blends milder. All that comes together to mean the surfactant blend we’re using here is super gentle.
The final product is fairly thin, but not watery, with a low lather and great rinse-off. If you’ve made lotion before this is wonderfully easy, and you can easily customize the scent if you’re so inclined. Let’s get making!
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Clementine Facial Cleansing Milk
Water phase
28.375g | 56.75% distilled water
10g | 20% champa hydrosol
2g | 4% vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
0.5g | 1% panthenol powder (vitamin B5) (USA / Canada)
1g | 2% hydrolyzed oat protein (USA / Canada)
Oil phase
1.5g | 3% castor oil (USA / Canada)
1.5g | 3% safflower oil
1g | 2% cetyl alcohol (USA / Canada)
1g | 2% Polawax (USA / Canada)Cool down phase
1.5g | 3% Cocamidopropyl Betaine (USA / Canada)
1g | 2% Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside (USA / Canada)
0.25g | 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus™ (USA / Canada)
0.025g | 0.05% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
0.35g | 0.7% clementine essential oilPrepare 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 water phase into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Weigh the entire lot (measuring cup + ingredients) and note that weight for use later. Weigh the oil phase into a second heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Place both measuring cups in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
After about 20–30 minutes the oil part should be completely melted and the water part should be thoroughly dissolved. Remove the water bath from the heat and weigh it. Add enough hot distilled water to bring the weight back up to what it was before heat and hold, and then pour the water part into the oil part. Stir with a flexible silicone spatula to incorporate.
Grab your immersion blender and begin blending the lotion, starting with short bursts so the still-very-liquid lotion doesn’t whirl up and spray everywhere. Blend for about a minute, leave to cool for ten, blend for another minute or two, and repeat this blend-cool-blend cycle until the outside of the glass measuring cup is barely warm to the touch and the lotion is thick and creamy.
When the lotion is cool it’s time to incorporate our cool down ingredients. Because cool down ingredients are typically present at very low amounts you’ll need to use an accurate scale—preferably one accurate to 0.01g. As these more accurate scales tend to have fairly low (100–200g) maximum weights you won’t be able to put the entire batch of lotion on that scale without blowing it out. So—grab a smaller dish. Add a scoop or two of lotion, and then weigh the cool down ingredients into that, using the more accurate scale. Stir to thoroughly incorporate, and then stir all of that back into the master batch of lotion. Doing it this way minimizes the amount of cool down ingredients lost to the secondary container.
Once the cleansing milk is cool, transfer it to your container. I used a 2.5 fl oz “tottle” from Voyageur. To use, dispense a dime-sized amount of cleanser into your palm. Blend it up with a bit of warm water before massaging into your face and rinsing off. Follow up with the rest of your skin care routine!
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this cleansing milk contains water, you must include a broad-spectrum preservative to ward off microbial growth. This is non-optional. Even with a preservative this project is likely to eventually spoil as our kitchens are not sterile laboratories, so in the event you notice any change in colour, scent, or texture, chuck it out and make a fresh batch.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 50g.
- You can use a different hydrosol, just be sure to choose something that will work with the essential oil. Alternatively, you could also just use more distilled water, or try something like aloe vera juice or witch hazel.
- You could replace the panthenol with more vegetable glycerin
- Feel free to use a different hydrolyzed protein
- You can substitute another lightweight oil like sweet almond, grapeseed, or sunflower seed for the safflower oil and/or castor oil
- Cetearyl alcohol (USA / Canada) would work as a decent alternative to cetyl alcohol
- You can try Emulsifying Wax NF (USA / Canada / AU) instead of Polawax
- You could use Coco Glucoside (USA / Canada) instead of Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, just be sure to test the pH of the end product and adjust if required as Coco Glucoside has a much higher pH than Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
- You can use a different essential oil, just be sure it plays well with your hydrosol
Lovely! I don’t have clementine EO and tried your link but it goes to star anise EO. I searched and can’t find. Do you have another supplier you could suggest? Would really like to make this as it sounds wonderful!
Clementines are like mandarins, so any kind of mandarin/orange/tangerine EO would also be a good option. Mine is from New Directions 🙂 Happy making!
Won’t those Virtusome oils cause photosensitivity?
Hey Lucy! Give this a read for more details, but it’s also worth noting that this is a wash-off product so photosensitivity isn’t a concern 🙂 Happy making!
Would this be suitable for makeup removal, or is this more a morning wash?
Good morning Sonia!
This would be suitable for a makeup removal wash if you’ve only a light to moderate amount of makeup on.
Another nice recipe. But can I use cocamidopropyl bentaine only.
Yup! It will be gentler, with less noticeable lather, but it will definitely still work 🙂
Hi Marie, please tell us how much grams to use in this case? Will it be the same of will it increase?
Hello Komal!
If you are making a straight swap, if you could read this article before making any sort of swaps! Let me know how it turns out!
Wowzies Marie! You have like the whole array of different types of face washes here! which makes me wonder which recipes do you remake and/or like the most? Thanks so much
Right now I’m using this for my oil cleanser and this for my surfactant cleanser. I like ’em both (especially the oil cleanser), but I rarely commit to anything for too long as I keep trying new things, ha! For instance, I’m leaving for Europe/the UK for 2 weeks tomorrow and for that trip I’ll be using this and this 🙂
Why commit when you can experiment with a little bit of everything:D I’ve gotta try making that super cool gel cleanser once I get some magical sucragel haha
Exactly!
You get a hold star from me today, Marie. I have every ingredient!
Except the champa.I do know what it smells like though as I used to burn nag champa incense in my “mask the scent in the air” days at home with my parents 😉 aaaand maybe a few years after moving out.
Christmas presents with this recipe!
Woohoo! I feel like I’m still a bit on the fence with the champa (especially for wearing it!) as it just smells SO much like a yoga studio to me. I’ll have to keep playing with blends like this one 🙂
Hi Marie,
I’m turning 40 soon. My biggest skin concern is open pores. Can you formulate a cleanser that can help clean the skin thoroughly without drying it – specifically for aging skin. I read a lot about glycolic acid, lactic acid and certain such acids being beneficial for aging skin. Could you please make a cleanser incorporating some of these ingredients? Thank you.
Hey! This cleanser is a good thorough, non-drying cleanser. AHAs are typically best as leave-on actives so they have time to work their magic 🙂 I would recommend looking at some products from The Ordinary for simple, inexpensive, and effective alpha hydroxy acid products—they aren’t something I currently formulate as I feel they are beyond my abilities and knowledge for the time being 🙂 Happy making!
I have peppermint & tea tree hidrosol. Can I use it? And how will I know that they will work well with my essential oil. I have many essential oil but none clementine
Clementine basically smells like oranges, or mandarins. Personally I hate mint or tea tree paired with orange—yech, ha. You can test for yourself by opening all the bottles and wafting the scent of all of them towards your nose 🙂
Hi Marie:
Nice tutorial as always, would love to try this recipe. Can I use Decyl Glucoside instead of Capryl?
Thanks,
Lorena
Hey! Yes, you can, but you’ll need to take the same measures you would as if you were using coco glucoside instead, as detailed in the substitutions list 🙂
Hi! I first place I have to say how awesome you are and thank you for all the knowledge you give us in such a generous way!:)
Second, I have a question about which skin type is this product (best) for? Thank you so much!Hugs from Chile!
Thanks for reading! I don’t think this wash is best suited for any one type of skin; it’s quite gentle, but nobody needs super strong facial cleansers. If you have very sensitive skin I would recommend leaving it entirely unscented 🙂
Question about Polawax- is Polawax anything special? Could I just use my regular old emulsifying wax (emulsimulse) instead? Or should I invest i Polawax? Also, this is my first time using surfectants, and I basically have no clue whatsoever about them. What articles of yours should I read in order to…ah…get myself better acquainted with them?
Hey! So, I’d say Polawax is more foolproof than Emulsimulse. It’s also a bit more tolerant of things like lower pH and cationic ingredients—check the encyclopedia entries for both to learn more 🙂 Generally speaking I think it’s a good idea to have one more natural emulsifying wax (like emulsimulse) and one less natural one (like Polawax). They both have their places!
Check the encyclopedia to learn more about surfactants! This page is also helpful, as is this article (and its follow-up).
Happy making!
Thanks so much! Will definitely invest in some Polawax ASAP! Happy holidays!
Hi
I’d like to know if lactobacillus ferment is an effective preservative at 4% For face mist, lotions, body scrubs etc.
I’m not an expert, nor author of this beautiful website, but:
Yes and no. It’s effective against bacteria, but no against mold and fungi :/ But I read on some DIY fb group that one person’s foot cream with this preservative lasted 6 months and it’s still ok.
I don’t recommend it—I know many people who’ve had it fail on them (sometimes at very great expense!). Unless you are planning on having all your products professionally challenge tested in a lab I would stick to something that has a better history of working. You can learn more about different preservatives here 🙂
I have tried making this several times now and can’t figure out why it keeps separating. It sounds like such a lovely recipe that I am determined to make this! The only change I made was to omit the hydrosol and replace it with more water. I watched the video and followed all the directions carefully. Has this happened to you?
I’m sorry to say that after a few months mine split, too 🙁 I guess I didn’t wait long enough before sharing this recipe—sorry! Two thoughts for troubleshooting—the first would be trying more polawax, perhaps 4% instead of 2% (removing the added 2% from the water). The second would be including the CAPB in the heated water phase—perhaps shrinking the portion of the recipe added during cool down will help? I’ve added CAPB to the heated phase of several cleansing conditioners and haven’t had any issues with it lathering up during blending—and those don’t split on me, either. Actually… following that thought, perhaps trying a cationic emulsifying wax could also be an additional angle to try? Hmm.
Anywho, I’m sorry this isn’t working for you—since mine eventually split as well I suspect it is me and not you 🙂
Thank you for being a patron!
Hi. I have the same problem. I will try your suggestions as I never had had a problem with cleansing conditioners seperating. On that matter could the problem be the caprylyl capryl glucoside?
Maybe this could be a good project for your bee better series!
I like using lotion like cleansers as they don’t dry out my skin as much as foaming ones.
Thank you for sharing all the work you do. You are my favourite blogger.
Danae
I’m definitely planning on continuing to experiment in this area as I love cream cleansers, too! I just finished a beautiful sample one from La Roche Posay that has me newly inspired 🙂 And thank you so much for your kind words <3 Your support means the world to me!
Hi.
Thank you for the recipe! 🙂 I made a similar cleansing milk (with some substitutes) because I need something more gentle as my skin easily dehydrates after washing (after using a cleansing foam with 14% [about 4-5% active matter] surfactants).
I changed Polawax (I can’t buy it here in Poland) to 2% Glyceryl Stearate Citrate and also added 1% Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate.
I used 3% Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate instead of CAPB (allergy).
I also added 0,7% Allantoin, because my skin is very sensitive.
BUT I used only 2% of oil (Cherry kernel oil), because I was afraid that it’ll leave some kind of film that my skin doesn’t tolerate. I washed my face with the cleansing milk once and my skin feels a bit dried, tightened.
How can I make it more delicate? I think I should have used 6% of oils, not 2%…can I add it and mix it again? Or 5% of surfactants is too much for me as maybe 2% GSC and 1% P-4C emulsify the sebum on my face more than enough?
My skin is oily (T-zone = oily, rest = dry), easily dehydrates and is acne-prone (especially when it’s irritated).
And yes, I use a moisturizer after washing, of course 🙂
I’d be grateful for some advice what can I do to make the milk cleanser more delicate 🙂
Cheers from Poland,
Andrzej
Hey! Your top two avenues for making it gentler will be lowering the active surfactant matter and ensuring your surfactants are gentle ones and blended for more gentle-ness (a combination of different charges). You should be good on point 2, so try reducing the ASM (even less than 1 % should still work well). Also, have you checked the pH? The Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate has a higher pH than CAPB, so the pH of your end product could possibly be a bit higher—adjusting it closer to 5 might help. You could also try incorporating more oils as you suggested.
You might also consider something like a micellar water for something even gentler 🙂
Best of luck and happy making!
Thx for the answer!
Yes, I use Citric Acid to lower pH to 4-6 (pH strips aren’t so accurate). I’ll try Lactic Acid soon, because of some suspucions that it (citric) irritates.
Oh, that’s interesting! Really <=1% ASM is enough to clear pores? :O Does this only apply to a facial milk formula or f.e. facial foam would be ok too?
I ask, because I switched back to a foam cleanser, because it's easier to dose and spread.
3,88% Coco-Glucoside
3,5% Glycerin
1% Polyglyceryl-4-Caprate
1% Abyssinian Oil
It was ok at the beginning – no tightness, but after 3 weeks, I have small dry flaking skin between my nose and cheeks and some whiteheads there (probably because of this flaky skin :() The rest of skin, especially my forehead is very oily (4-6h after washing). I think these are signs of dehydration, so maybe ASM is too high.
I'd like to try 1% ASM, but I wonder how to calculate P-4C ASM? And I wonder, if maybe P-4C could be a reason of dehydration? It's very hard to find any info about it. Shop's description only says that it's a surfactant with nice solubility properties, which isn't toxic to the skin. But no idea, if it's harsher than glucosides and if it deeply penetrates the skin or not.
Thx again and I'd be very grateful for any additional advice! 🙂
I use 0.4% peg-6 caprylic/capric triglycerides in my micellar water formulations and it works beautifully—but of course these things are very subjective! You’ll really just have to try to see for any given formula.
ASM values, if available, should be provided by your supplier. I’m afraid I haven’t worked with Polyglyceryl-4-Caprate so I have no personal experience to share.
Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Hi, I have all the ingredients for this! Can’t wait to try it!!
Also, quick question, why didn’t you add any surfactants or Polywax to your Lavender Cleansing Milk recipe? Can I add some if ever? Or can I replace the emulsifier in this recipe with, say, TRO and Soy Lecithin?
Honestly, it’s ’cause that recipe really isn’t very good. It’s old, and I have learned a ton since I shared it! I’ve just updated it to add a note about how it’s just not very good, and you should make something else instead 🙂 Thanks for reminding me about it and happy making!