DIY Almond Cleansing And Exfoliating Cream (Gommage Exfoliator)






   This almond DIY cleanser is loosely inspired by the Hauschka cleansing cream which recieved rave reviews on MakeUpAlley but I could not afford at that point. It's not just a cleanser, it's a gentle exfoliator of the gommage type. Gommage-type exfoliators don´t scrub, rather they glue to the dead skin cellsand "suck" them away. Most of the users of Dr Hauschka's cleansing cream got rid of their whiteheads, and their skin improved.
   This cleanser is to be used in an unique way: the press and roll cleansing method is gentler than scrubbing, so you can do it even if you have rosacea or spider veins.

   Here is a recipe for an easy homemade almond gommage:

The recipe 

method by eggs

She realized that Dr Hauschka's cleanser works in a simple way: "Basically, it consists of ground almonds and sweet almond oil, the theory being that the paste binds with the dirt on your skin and whisks it all away."

So, she made her own:
 

 "I used my coffee grinder to grind up a handful of fresh almonds (unblanched), and mixed them to a paste with a tiny bit of grapeseed oil. I also added a couple of drops of lemon oil for good measure. Lo and behold I had created the stuff for myself, at a tiny fraction of what Dr Hauschka charges."

And, she says that her homemade version works even better that the store version !

"But I still needed to be convinced that it would work equally well, so I used it, and trust me it worked even better than the "original". Maybe because the oil and almonds were ultra-fresh, I don't know really, but my stuff is honestly far superior to Dr H's! My skin feels softer than ever, and looks (even to my critical eye) pretty near perfect after discovering this dastardly trick. Maybe it's being less stressed at thinking what I was paying for the Dr Hauschka version..."


Oily skin version

by carekate

"I have hyper-oily skin (even my friggin' eyelids get greasy which is astonishing when one considers that eyelids don't even contain any sebum glands!!) so I customized my cleansing cream to include a few drops of Ylang Ylang oil (my one holy grail product for regulating/controlling my face's oil production) along with a teaspoon of lysorbic acid (Vit-C) crystals, figuring it could help reduce any uneven pigmentation on my face. Anyway, I have to say that I like my homemade version even better than the store-bought Dr. Hauschka's Cleansing Cream !!"


Tips and Tricks

  • The almonds must be unblanched (ie they must have their skin).
  • Use a grinder or blender to grind the almonds.
  • Some stores carry an almond paste in a can (something similar to peanut butter). You can use this, if it doesn't contain any additives like salt or preservatives.
  • To make the almonds into a paste, add a teeny bit of grape oil, literally a few drops.
  • If you grind the almonds really well, the almonds will become an oily paste and you will not need to add the grape oil.
  • For oily skin, try adding 2-3 drops of etheric oils of ylang-ylang, lemon or tee tree oil.

How to use it:

  • Prepare the ingredients shortly before use. Add a bit of water
  • Apply it using the press and roll method: press it into the face, and then quickly lift your hand away. Do not rub ! *Demonstration video here*
  • Adjust the time according to your skin condition: for drier skins less than 2 mins, for oily skins, a bit more. If you feel tightness of the skin, try shortening the process the next time.
  • Wash your face with cool water.
  • In the end, wipe your face with a toner.


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