Sanitzing

Before You Begin: Clean Workspace, Better Products

One of the most important ingredients in any DIY skincare recipe isn't found in the formula at all—it's good hygiene.

Before you begin making lotions, balms, scrubs, or any other handcrafted skincare products, take a few minutes to clean and sanitize your workspace. Proper preparation helps reduce the introduction of bacteria, yeast, and mold into your products and encourages good manufacturing practices from the very beginning.

Here's my routine before I start formulating:

1. Clean and sanitize equipment

I wash all utensils, bowls, containers, and tools thoroughly, then sanitize them by soaking them for 30 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of fresh water. Afterward, I allow everything to air dry completely on a clean dish towel.

2. Sanitize work surfaces

I keep a spray bottle filled with 70% isopropyl alcohol nearby to sanitize my countertops and any surfaces that may come into contact with my equipment during formulation. I allow the alcohol to evaporate completely before I begin working.

3. Wash your hands

Before handling ingredients, I wash my hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, paying special attention to my fingertips and under my nails. If you're making several batches, it's a good idea to wash your hands again whenever they become contaminated or after touching items outside your work area.

Fresh Picked Beauty Take

One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is that beautiful skincare starts long before you melt your first butter or measure your first oil. Developing clean habits in the beginning is one of the easiest ways to improve the quality and consistency of every recipe you make.