How to Make "Floral Cleansing Grains" ~ A Delightful DIY for Your Skin

"These flower-packed cleansers gently exfoliate your skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth. Cleansing grains can contain a wide variety of ingredients, from ground oats, nuts, seeds, rice, beans, powdered milk and clays, so there's a lot of room for creativity when making them..."

~ Jan Berry, The Big Book of Home-Made Products

for Your Skin, Health & Home

A bright and beautiful Monday morning to you all! Today I am excited to share that all-natural skin care can be a frugal but beautifully floral endeavor! You can tap into your creative feminine side without tapping into your bank account. 

With that being said, I am excited to share four variations of Jan's recipes (with her permission) featuring floral cleansing grains from The Big Book of Home-Made Products for Your Skin, Health & Home. I am also going to share my variations of what I created based on ingredients we already have. That is most of the fun (and frugal part) -- being resourceful with what you have! Ladies there are so many possibilities! You can always make an assortment of "flavors" and store them in small jars according to the seasons and what is growing in your gardens. 

To begin, this is really too simple not to do! All that is necessary is to grind all the dried ingredients together in a (well cleaned out) coffee grinder until finely powdered (I actually used our high-powered blender to process mine). 

Keep in mind that you can always double the recipes (and so forth) since there isn't anything in these that will go rancid quickly (except if you use the brown rice, nuts and/or seeds -- I would use that up within 3 months). The shelf life should be about a year if you store them properly in an airtight container to keep them fresh and dry.

Jan's Recipe Combinations:

CALENDULA OATMEAL (very simple blend - suitable for all skin types)

• 2 1/2 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. dried calendula flowers

YARROW & GREEN CLAY (helpful for oily and acne-prone skin)

• 2 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. dried yarrow
• 1/2 tbsp. French green clay

CHAMOMILE ROSE (enriched with milk and suitable for more sensitive skin types)

• 2 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1/2 tbsp. milk powder (cow, goat or coconut)
• 1/2 tbsp. dried rose petals
• 1/2 tbsp. dried chamomile
• 1/2 tsp. rose clay

LAVENDER & BLUE CLAY (gently polishes all skin types)

• 2 tbsp. white or brown rice
• 1/2 tbsp. dried lavender
• 1 tsp. dried cornflower (or use more lavender)
• 1/4 tsp. Cambrian blue clay

To use, remove any makeup and splash your face with warm water to dampen your skin. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the grains in the palm of your hand and mix in with a bit of water until you form a paste. If you want to be extra-fancy, you can use another liquid such as coconut milk, aloe, hydrosol, yogurt or witch hazel to form the mixture.  Gently apply and rub the paste over your skin and onto your face and throat. Rinse well with warm water and follow with a moisturizer if desired. 

When I asked Jan if these can be used on a daily basis verses a weekly basis, here was her answer... 

"It will depend on your skin type and personal preference. Some people find them helpful as part of their daily skin care routine, while others may want to use just once or twice per week. (Personally, I use just once or twice a week on my dry skin.)"

Alternatively, you can use these floral cleansing grains as a face mask by leaving the mixture on your skin for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off.

Since I don't have any of the interesting clays she mentioned, I am making all my recipes without them. Here are some of the combinations I have created based on her ideas! I also made bigger batches because I like bulk supplies! It's the pantry builder in me 🤎 I also made fancy names as it is the romantic in me.  

Don't be shy...

and remember, if you don't have any of these dried herbs on hand, you can always go outside and forage for some and dry them yourself. 

Now, it's time to prepare some pretty things! Grind all the ingredients together and you have yourself some all natural beauty products!

Jes's Recipe Combinations:

SUNSHINE POWDER

• 1/4 c. rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. dried calendula flowers
• 1 tbsp. dried chamomile flowers

LA VIE EN ROSE 

• 1/4 c. rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. powdered milk
• 1 tbsp. dried hibiscus
• 1 tbsp. dried rose petals

LAVENDER POLISH (I will use this as a once-a-week face exfoliator) 

• 1/4 c. white rice (I choose the white rice for the longer shelf life)
• 1 tbsp. dried lavender

These would also make a fun gift! Place the handcrafted floral cleansing grains in a pretty jar, tie a cute small wooden spoon around it, and attach the instructions with a sweet ribbon. Or, use the darling test tubes and corks like Jan has done (pictured in the second photo above). This is a great project for recycled baby food jars as you can have a fun assortment all labeled with your different floral creations and all lined up lovingly in your bathroom cabinet!

Lastly, congratulations to Karen for winning the "Beloved Book" Giveaway! If you signed up, don't despair as we have FOUR more giveaways to go! In the meantime, you may be able to find this book at your local library or it can be purchased on Amazon.

Now to ask you a question... Based on what you currently have in your home apothecary, garden and pantry, what recipe combinations can you whip up that would work lovely on your skin? Just to give you a head-start, calendula, yarrow, rose, lavender, chamomile, sunflower, passionflower, hibiscus, jasmine, geranium and elderflower are all beneficial for the skin. I would also love to hear some made up names for your creations! Happy wildcrafting!