S.W. Basics Launches Natural DIY Skincare Essentials
A new collection of single-ingredient products launches today from all-natural skin care brand S.W. Basics. (Photo: S.W. Basics)
The natural beauty world can be tricky to navigate. With limited regulations and an “all-natural” label slapped on just about every jar of face cream these days, it’s hard to know what really fits the definition, but S.W. Basics is one brand that makes the cut. Adina Grigore first started the Brooklyn-based skin care line to deal with her own sensitive skin and it quickly gained a cult-like following. The premise of the line was simple: all the products are made with five ingredients or less. In February 2015, Grigore released Skin Cleanse, a book that explores the process of switching to an all-natural routine and it was this book that has lead to the latest launch from S.W. Basics, a collection of DIY Skincare Essentials.
“When I wrote [Skin Cleanse], I assumed everyone had access to the ingredients that I do, [but] it can be really hard to find high quality ingredients,” Grigore tells Yahoo Beauty. She’s making it a whole lot easier by offering nine high-quality single ingredient skincare products in this new collection. Grigore set the bar high when it came to sourcing these ingredients, working exclusively with small, family farms. The collection includes tea tree oil, lavender hydrosol spray, lavender essential oil, rosewater, witch hazel, shea butter, sea salt, jojoba oil, and aloe powder.
The jojoba oil from the S.W. Basics DIY Skincare Essentials collection is sourced from a family farm. (Photo: S.W. Basics)
The ingredients can all be used alone, in combination with each other, or with other basic ingredients to create a product customized to your skin type. For a brand that is known for limiting the number of ingredients in products, paring it down to just one ingredient seems like a natural next step. “It really makes sense for our audience,” say Grigore. “To give them this opportunity to find what works for them, what works for their skin, and to customize their routine.
But don’t let the idea of DIY scare you away — you won’t need to bust out the spatula or throw on rubber gloves to put these ingredients to work. “You can use all of them as their own products or, if you do want to get crafty, we put recipes on the ingredient labels,” says Grigore. “I want people to feel like it can be really easy and really fast.” In honor of the new set of essentials, Grigore is sharing some of her favorite ways to use the products exclusively with Yahoo Beauty. Check out her DIY recipes below and get ready to customize your routine.
A hydrating face mask recipe that includes S.W. Basics Aloe Powder. (Photo: S.W. Basics)
Hydrating Face Mask
3 T aloe powder
2 T water
1 T honey or yogurt
Combine aloe and water in a small bowl, stirring slowly but completely to turn the mixture into a gel-like liquid. It should look like water but feel thick. Add honey and stir again well. Keep in bowl or pour into a bottle. Shake or stir before using. Apply with cotton or by spritzing onto face, then rinse and follow with moisturizer. You will get four to six uses from this recipe.
Dry Scalp Remedy
4-5 drops jojoba oil
4-5 drops carrot seed oil
4-5 drops tea tree oil
Your daily shampoo
Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl and take with you into the shower. When preparing to shampoo, pour shampoo into the bowl or your hands, and add oil mixture. Lather well before applying to hair, then wash, rinse, and condition as normal. This recipe is a bit stinky, but extremely healing. The smell will disappear with your conditioner or once your hair is dry.
The Shea Butter can be used alone or combined with other ingredients. (Photo: S.W. Basics)
Body Butter
2 T shea butter
1 T jojoba oil
5-10 drops lavender essential oil
Scoop shea butter into a small bowl. Add jojoba oil and stir well, making as smooth as possible. (Don’t worry too much if it’s a little clumpy — it’ll spread easily from the warmth of your hands.) Add lavender essential oil and stir again. This butter is ultra-rich, so a little goes a long way, and you should be able to cover your entire body one time with the amount in the recipe.
Super Rich Body Oil
1.5 ounces jojoba oil
.5 ounces olive oil
5-20 drops lavender essential oil
Combine all three ingredients in a bottle with a spritzer or pump tops and shake well. Use on particularly dry areas or after a shower for long-lasting moisture.
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