Homemade Citrus Pearlizing Shower Gel Recipe

If you like to make your own skincare products then creating your own shower gel should be another project to be added on in your to-do list. Creating your own shower gel can pull the creative side of you to make one amazing shower gel, more better than all shower gels on a mall aisle combined!

Ingredients to Avoid In Shower Gels

For some making the shower gel may be a way to avoid to deal with various ingredients that have cause them to have skin issues in the past. These harmful ingredients that you should watch out for if you have a sensitive skin are

• propylene glycol

• sodium laureth sulfate(SLS)

• triclosan

• silicones

Making Shower Gel

Then embracing homemade products for your own good may not be an option or a request. If you like playing around with formulations and end up with something unique that cannot be found in stores, then kudos to you! This post is going to act as a simple guide to creating a shower gel that does not only cleanse but as leaves your skin feeling fresh.

The shower gel formulation has pearly-like appearance. This shower gel is going to be helpful to sensitive, oily, blemish or acne-prone skin types. The citrus scent will remain on your skin after shower. If you like this post consider read another one like this one.

Read More: Homemade Aloe Vera&Natural Honey Body Wash for Hydrating the Skin

Selecting Ingredients

• Distilled water: When creating cosmetic and skincare formulations, for the case of hygiene and proper sanitation and safety of the end product then distilled water is used. Tap water cannot be used since it can act as a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that can ruin your shower gel end product. Distilled water makes the largest part of the shower gel formulation.

• Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate: Or simply sulfosuccinate, an anionic surfactant and cleansing agent. It can be very gentle to the skin even sensitive type. Be careful when handling this ingredient because it can cause irritation on skin if mishandled. It is safe since it is a large molecule that can't penetrate the skin.

• Coco betaine: It is usually added in shampoos and shower gel formulation. It can act as an emulsifying agent and a thickener too. It is generally considered safe and can be used as part of your shower gel formulation.

• Glycol distearate: It is white waxy solid that can be used as a viscosity controlling agent with pearly finish. This ingredient is what makes the shower gel formulation pearly. It is also a great emollient that can leave your skin feeling soft and moisturized.

• PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate: It is a gentle cleansing agent and a solubilizer. This ingredient is gentle to sensitive, blemish and acne-prone skin types. It is added to this shower gel formulation for more cleansing power!.

• Guar gum: It is a thickening agent in this shower gel formulation. It is usually mixed together in water phase when making cosmetic formulation. A little quantity is actually needed to make the shower gel more thicker, gel-like and less runny.

• Panthenol: Also known as Pro-vitamin B5, this vitamin makes the skin retain more water and reduce chances of water loss. It is one of beloved of skincare ingredients. You can purchase it as a clear gel or powder. The gel will actual make it easier to work with though it is not as strong as a panthenol powder.

• Glycerin: This ingredient is a good humectant with hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory properties that can help the skin to be hydrated and smooth without causing any reactions to the skin thus a part of shower gel formulation.

• Phenoxyethanol: This ingredient is anti-microbial agent that kills of any microbiomes in the formulation. It acts as a preservative that can prevent bacterial growth. It is used in less than one percent for any formulation. This preservative is considered generally safe.

• Essential oil: You're trying to get to a citrus scent as the title suggest then finding citrusy essential oils such as sweet orange, neroli, litsea cubeba, grapefruit or lemon essential oil can be wonderful! This formulation, of course uses sweet orange essential oil for that fresh and citrusy scent after shower.

• EDTA: It is another ingredient that can act as preservative, also always used at less than one percent in any formulation.

Ingredients

• 6¼ tablespoons of distilled water

• 4⅞ tablespoons of disodium laureth sulfosuccinate

• 3¼ tablespoons of coco betaine

• 2 teaspoons of glycol distearate

• ½ tablespoon of PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate

• ⅛ tablespoon of guar gum

• ⅛ tablespoon of panthenol

• ⅛ tablespoon of glycerin

• ¼ teaspoon of phenoxyethanol

• 15 drops of sweet orange essential oil

• ⅛ teaspoon of EDTA

Prepare your tools like measuring spoons, glass measuring cups, kitchen thermometer, saucepan, stove top and designated pump bottle for your shower gel. You can wear protective gear like gloves, wear apron and cover your head to create a safe and sanitation space for formulating the shower gel.

Instructions

1. Start out by measuring your ingredients: distilled water, guar gum, glycerin, panthenol(Pro-vitamin B5) and EDTA. Pour them in a well sanitized glass measuring cup and mix them well and make sure your guar gum is completely dissolved.

2. Take another glass measuring cup and measure out ingredients like disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, coco betaine and glycol distearate.

3. Add these ingredients in your measuring cups prepare a saucepan and add few inches of water to create a water bath, place the measuring cups in the saucepan, turn on the stove and heat it up to 150 Fahrenheit till glycol distearate is fully melted.

4. Now pour contents of both measuring cups in a heat proof-mixing bowl use a wooden spoon or hand-held blender to create a homogenous mixture. You'll notice the pearly appearance on the mixture.

5. Add citrus essential oil, in this case is sweet orange essential oil and a preservative phenoxyethanol to the mixture and continue to stir till the mixture is uniform.

6. Transfer the mixture in your clean well-sanitized pump bottle and close tightly with pump.

7. Your shower gel is ready for use, enjoy your shower routine!

About me

Hello, my dear gorgeous! Welcome to my blog and learn with me as you walk in your skincare journey. I'm skincare enthusiast and a student. I like sharing my passion of beauty and skincare with the world. I like blogging, reading and binge watching YouTube vlogs and Netflix during my leisure time.