Bring Out the Natural Glow in Your Face - DIY Foxy Facial Powder

Makeup is something I know quite well. I began using it when I was 13 years old and from there I spent plenty of time playing with colors and experimenting with different styles. I really love being able to naturally enhance my beauty, giving my face the natural glow I want to present to the world. Makeup should never really cover up, it should enhance. You can hide imperfections, but it's not about putting on a mask. 

I didn't know what I was putting on my face

In my quest to get all of the toxic substances out of our lives, makeup and cosmetics were one of the first things to go. Every single item of makeup I owned, contained ingredients that weren't healthy for the skin. It was so frustrating to me at the time, because the more items I looked into, the more items I found with suspect ingredients. Cosmetics aren't regulated like food, and businesses can put a lot of ingredients in their products that have not been tested for their safety while being used on human skin. The more makeup I threw out, the more angry I got at all the money I had wasted on beauty products that were in fact not a healthy part of my beauty regime. I didn't realize then, just how easy it is to make your own cosmetics. My mind was about to be blown.

I decided it was time I took my makeup into my own hands

Fed up with high prices and tired of toxic ingredients, I began learning how to make my own natural cosmetics. It turns out, making my own makeup is FAR cheaper than buying it, and it's much more natural. In fact, I have noticed a difference in my own face just from making the switch. All of my conventional cosmetic items were causing my face to break out constantly. I couldn't wear makeup AND have clear skin. I didn't even think it was possible, that is until I made the switch to natural and began making it myself. I was surprised to find out that making my own natural makeup is super easy and began testing and developing my recipes for my own skin tone. The great thing is you can make it yourself too, and customize your products to your own unique skin tone! The first in this DIY makeup series is the easiest, Foxy Facial Powder! The perfect light powder to even lines and keep oils at bay!

Ingredients that promote healthy skin

While most of the facial powders (even some of the natural ones) contain a LOT of suspect ingredients that you don't want to put on your skin, there are ingredients that you can use to make your own facial powder without compromising your skin's health! In fact, not only are most of these ingredients already in your pantry, but they are also ingredients that help promote healthy skin rather than clogging your pores! My favorite ingredients to use in my Foxy facial powder are:

• Cacao powder - Raw Cacao is the purest form of chocolate before they start roasting it and taking out all of the highly beneficial antioxidants. In its pure form, cacao is the leader in superfoods, containing the highest amount of antioxidants over any other super food in the world. Cacao is great for fighting against free radicals in the skin, making it the perfect ingredient to aid in healing damaged and aging skin. Cacao also contains sulfur, magnesium, and vitamin C which all help to promote beautiful, vibrant, youthful skin.
• Cinnamon powder - In clinical trials, when used on the skin, cinnamon increased collagen levels for up to six hours after it was applied. When collagen breaks down, it causes the skin to lose elasticity and increases signs of aging. Cinnamon is also highly antiseptic making it a great acne fighter addition to this powder.
• Zinc Oxide - Zinc oxide is a mineral commonly used in cosmetics to help heal wounds and provide both broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. When added to any of your cosmetic creations, zinc will add an SPF (depending on the ratio used) yo your products! You can add it into your powders, butters/salves, and even into your water based lotions and creams.
• Arrowroot powder - A powdery white starch that can be used as a cornstarch substitution in all of your cooking and cosmetic recipes, arrowroot is used in talcum powders and moisturizers as a thickening agent. When used in cosmetics, it enables active ingredients to penetrate the upper levels of your skin as it has great moisture absorbing qualities. Arrowroot is often used in body powders to make your skin silkier and smoother. It softens your skin by enabling it to absorb more moisture and even has been used to help aid in healing many skin conditions including athlete's foot, blisters/scabs/sores/burns, and more!

DIY Foxy Face Powder

This face powder can easily be adapted and customized to match your own personal skin tone. If you already use a sunscreen daily, or your moisturizer contains one, you don't need to add the zinc to this recipe, simply substitute it for more arrowroot powder to keep the colors consistent!

LIGHT SKIN INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Tbsp. cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 3 1/2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1 Tbsp. non-nano uncoated zinc oxide (optional - if you don't want the protective SPF, this can be subbed with more arrowroot powder)
• 3 drops lavender essential oil (optional - helps to preserve the powder longer and is beneficial for all skin types and conditions)

MEDIUM SKIN INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp. cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1 Tbsp. non-nano uncoated zinc oxide (optional - if you don't want the protective SPF, this can be subbed with more arrowroot powder)
• 3 drops lavender essential oil (optional - helps to preserve the powder longer and is beneficial for all skin types and conditions)

DARK SKIN INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp. cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (you can substitute non-GMO cornstarch)
• 1 Tbsp. non-nano uncoated zinc oxide (optional - if you don't want the protective SPF, this can be subbed with more arrowroot powder)
• 3 drops lavender essential oil (optional - helps to preserve the powder longer and is beneficial for all skin types and conditions)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a coffee grinder (I like to use this coffee grinder to grind all my herbs and spices) combine ingredients and pulse for 1 to 2 minutes, until your powder is fine and silky smooth.
2. Store in an air-tight jar in a cool dark location (such as your bathroom cabinet) when not in use! As long as no water ever enters the jar, this Foxy Face Powder will have a minimum shelf-life of a year!