Ever wonder how many elements are in our skincare products? Are there any ingredients you can’t pronounce? Are you interested in putting fewer things in and on your body? If that is the case, you might enjoy this easiest ever grapefruit avocado oil skin cleanser that I have used for years.
There are only three natural products you will use for this craft: avocado oil (or your oil of choice), a pink grapefruit, and borax, a.k.a. 20 Mule Team. Borax is a boron compound, mineral and a salt of boric acid. (Thank you Wikipedia!) You may ask, why use borax?
The super thing about writing articles is doing the research before posting ideas and concepts. Borax is used to dissolve oil off of hands, shirt collars, remove stains, etc. It is alkaline in nature. Grapefruit is acidity. The base for this craft is oil. With that said, not everything that is natural is safe. It depends on the quantity and how you use it. There is some controversy using Borax in skincare products or for home cleaning. In my opinion, Jillie has done an excellent, balanced job of describing the pros and cons of Borax and how to incorporate Borax into your daily cleaning. I had no idea that I could add Boron to my fruit trees to preserve cut flowers, kill weeds, and enhance fruit cell-wall growth!
As a transplant from Texas, I absolutely love the ruby red grapefruits from South Texas. When I go for a visit, especially in the winter, I grab several bags of ruby reds and bring them back to Colorado. Grapefruit and grapefruit peel has great health benefits when eaten or applied to the skin. I seriously could eat a grapefruit a day although I know some medication effects are counteracted by grapefruit. As stated, all that is natural is not always good for you.
Just as with going plant-based, it is interesting that when you start making your own products at home, you pay more attention to labels, ingredients, and perhaps wonder why we eat or ate, and do what we did. I have been making this product for over five years and just love it. I love the feel of my skin after washing. It does not dry out my skin. It leaves it soft and supple without feeling oily.
You may wish to substitute Borax for another ingredient based on your own beliefs, skin sensitivities, etc. When grapefruit season starts in the winter, and I can make a batch that lasts almost all year. Of note, you may also substitute olive oil, Costco’s Mediterranean blend oil, or the oil of your choice. I generally use what I have on hand or need to use up before it becomes rancid.
Use your judgment. With just three ingredients I feel comfortable I know what is going on my skin. Consider your skin type. I am not going to make disclaimers this skincare product is the best ever. It is the best ever for me but you are not me. I’m sure all of us have tried and thrown out plenty of skincare products that claimed to make our skin look younger. At 60, I have age spots that don’t go away with even with laser treatment. As a nod to our plant-based lifestyle, though, my skin is smoother and brighter (except for the few age spots). And yes, I am too cheap to go spend thousands to fix my skin!
Enjoy!
Grapefruit Avocado Oil Skin Cleanser
Ingredients
1/2 cup avocado oil or your oil of choice
1 grapefruit – peeled reserving peeling, wedged, and reserve 1/8 cup of juice
1/8 tsp borax (or substitute based on your own research)
Instructions
- Peel the grapefruit. I use a knife using the chef’s supreme technique. If you aren’t comfortable with that technique, peel the grapefruit by hand.
- Save the peel and reserve the wedges and juice in a separate bowl.
- Using a potato peeler, scrape 8-10 pieces of peel from the peel. Try to peel as much as possible without the white pith. Another option is to use a paring knife and slip off the pith leaving just a slender piece of peel. I have used this method a couple of times and it works well.
- Place the peel and oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in the microwave on a medium setting for 30 seconds. You just want to soften the peel and get the essential oils from the peel.
- Cover and sit on the counter overnight.
- Squeeze enough wedges to make 1/8 cup of juice. Strain through a small sieve. Eat the remaining wedges! :-) Cover juice and place in the refrigerator.
- Next day, mix the borax in a bit of water and add to the juice.
- Strain the peel and oil mixture.
- Mix the oil mixture and borax mixture well. Yes, you are sort of making a vinaigrette for your face.
- Place in a capped bottle.
- Shake well before using.
