I think this yucca root powered eye make-up remover is pretty cool. It’s easy to make, works well, and has yet to make me cry. All good things, no?
Yucca root is full of natural saponins, meaning it lathers all on its own when mixed with water, just like soapwort or soapnuts. It’s nowhere near as strong as soap, though, making it a good option for something you’re going to be rubbing around your eyes.
Something that should be noted about yucca root is that it does not smell amazing. It’s not awful, but it’s certainly not lovely. I would not recommend putting essential oils in anything you’re going to put this close to your eyes, either, so… consider yourself warned 😉
This recipe is just two quick steps—steep and stir. That’s it! Then you’ll be the proud owner of a mildly gooey, gentle, all-natural eye make-up remover. The xantham gum is here to thicken it up so it pumps out nicely, but you could leave it out and store the final product in a flip-top bottle instead.
You’ll notice the recipe doesn’t make much, and I don’t recommend doubling it. By keeping batch sizes down, you reduce the chances of spoilage. I’ve also opted to store mine in an airless pump bottle (compliments of Saffire Blue—thanks!) to further reduce contamination. You can also add your preferred broad spectrum preservative and/or keep it in the fridge. Whatever you do, be sure to watch for signs of spoilage and chuck it if you see any.
Hello! This recipe is really old, and I no longer recommend making it 🙂 If you are looking for a better eye makeup remover, check out this one!
Yucca Root Eye Make-up Remover
1 tsp powdered yucca root
45 mL (3 tbsp) water or aloe vera juice
15 mL (1 tbsp) vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)5 nips xantham gum
Measure the yucca root out into a fill-it-yourself tea bag and tie it off.
Measure the vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada) and water into a 125mL/half cup mason jar. Add the tea bag of yucca and seal the jar. Shake to combine and let the mixture steep overnight.
The next day, remove the tea bag, squeezing it to preserve as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the tea bag and reserve the liquid.
Slowly sprinkle the xantham gum into the liquid, whisking to combine. Decant to a 50mL pump bottle.
To use, apply some of the make-up remover to a cotton pad and wipe across the eyes to remove make-up.
Just wondering why you use xanthan gum instead of guar gum for thickening. I don’t know much about either of them.
I’ve found xantham gum to be more powerful, so I could use less of it. Either should do the trick, though 🙂
This looks lovely! I might use a different tea though 😉 I am not found of yucca. I infused some coconut oil (or grapeseed, either are soft and thin enough to rub without tugging) with chamomile tea and that is what I use right now. I am going to try this next with chamomile!
Hi Ashlynn! I do not recommend swapping out the yucca root—it’s not a tea, it’s a natural saponin that has gentle soap-like cleansing abilities. Chamomile won’t do even close to the same thing 😉
Well, that makes sense! How similar is oatmeal saponin? I am not sure how much difference the Chamomile makes infused in oil but the oil itself is a wonderful eye makeup remover!
I really have no idea how similar oatmeal saponin is, though anecdotal “evidence” from working with the two shows yucca to lather quite a lot more. And yes, oil is always an awesome eye make-up remover… though it can leave your eyes a bit gummy haha 😛
I am wondering if the yucca root you refer to is the edible yuca or the plant known as yucca. I’m doing some research online and people seem to use them interchangeably. Could you please let me know, I’m dying to try this product since I have insanely sensitive skin.
Hey Diana! The yucca you’d be looking for is Yucca schidigera. That said, this formulation is very old and I no longer recommend making it—it’s just really not that good. I would instead recommend this one!