My Secret DIY Facial Moisturizer Recipe For Glowing Skin

If you’ve ever flipped a store-bought moisturizer jar around and squinted at an ingredient list you can’t pronounce, you already know the feeling that pushed me to start making my own. A few years into this natural living journey, I stopped wanting to guess what was actually going onto my skin and I decided to just make it myself.

So today I’m doing something I don’t do often: revealing my full DIY facial moisturizer recipe, secrets and all. If you’ve been wondering how to make your own facial moisturizer at home, this is everything I wish someone had handed me when I started.

Why I Started Making My Own Moisturizer

In my early 20’s, I tried so many expensive skincare routine lines and many of them included 5+ products. Nothing worked. Nothing healed my acne and dry skin. So, a friend of mine had suggested that I make my own moisturizer. So, I began the research off google. I typed in, “Best natural ingredients to use for facial moisturizer.” From that point, I started taking notes and coming up with my list of ingredients I felt best to include in my homemade moisturizer.

A homemade facial moisturizer gives you three things a store-bought jar rarely can:

• Full control over every ingredient — no fillers, synthetic fragrances, or preservatives you can’t identify
• Nourishment, not just hydration — real, skin-loving oils and butters that work with your skin instead of just sitting on top of it
• A recipe you can adjust for your own skin type, sensitivities, and season

And honestly? There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing exactly what’s in the jar on your bathroom counter.

What You’ll Need

This recipe leans on a few core natural ingredients, each doing real work for your skin:

• Shea butter: the star of the show. Deeply moisturizing, rich in vitamins A and E, and gentle enough for sensitive or postpartum skin
• A carrier oil: (like coconut, jojoba or sweet almond oil) – helps the moisturizer absorb without feeling greasy
• Arrowroot powder: a small but mighty addition that keeps the texture light and helps cut any heaviness from the butter
• Vitamin E: used to deeply hydrate dry skin
• Beeswax: locks in moisture and creates a breathable protective barrier on the skin
• A few drops of your favorite skin-safe essential oil: (optional) for scent and added benefits. (I use Edens Garden Essential Oils)

Note: I recently reformulated my own moisturizer to swap in shea butter over cocoa butter and add arrowroot powder. It made a noticeable difference in how the finished product feels on the skin, especially for anyone who found richer butters too heavy.

How To: DIY Facial Moisturizer Recipe

1. Melt your shea butter and carrier oil together using a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over simmering water) until fully liquid.
2. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly, then whip it with a hand mixer until it turns light, fluffy, and pale.
3. Sprinkle in your arrowroot powder a little at a time, continuing to whip until fully incorporated.
4. Add essential oils, if using, and whip once more to combine.
5. Transfer to a clean glass jar and let it set at room temperature (or pop it in the fridge to speed things up).

That’s it. No complicated equipment, no hard-to-find ingredients – just a little time and a double boiler.

Tips for Getting It Right

• Don’t rush the whipping step. This is what gives your moisturizer that light, fluffy, whipped-butter texture instead of a dense, greasy block.
• Store it somewhere cool. Shea butter can soften in a warm bathroom, so a bedroom shelf or a cool cabinet works best.
• Do a patch test first, especially if you’re adding essential oils or trying this on postpartum or sensitive skin.
• A little goes a long way. Warm a pea-sized amount between your fingers before applying. It melts in fast.

DIY Facial Moisturizer – Is It Worth It?

I get this question a lot, and my honest answer is: it depends on your season of life. Making your own moisturizer is incredibly rewarding, but it does take a little time and a bit of trial and error to land on your perfect ratio.

That’s exactly why I started making a version of this in small batches for the Noble Motherhood Store. So if you love the idea of a natural, simple, ingredient-you-can-pronounce moisturizer but don’t have the time (or the double boiler) to make it yourself, you don’t have to choose between convenience and clean ingredients.

A Simple, Nourishing Skincare Routine

This moisturizer is even better paired with the rest of a natural skincare routine. I always recommend following up with a gentle cleanse with a hydrating toner before locking everything in with moisturizer. If you haven’t already, it’s worth building out that full routine so your skin gets consistent care, not just a one-off treatment.

And if you’re navigating postpartum skin specifically – hormonal changes, dryness, sensitivity – grab my free Natural Motherhood Guide for more simple, natural swaps you can start using today.

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Want to hear the full story behind this recipe — including a few secrets I only shared out loud? Listen to the full episode, “DIY: Making Your Own Moisturizer (revealing my secrets!),” on the Noble Motherhood Podcast.