So what does this have to do with water based make-up removers?

I've been referencing "water soluble

oils" in the last few posts. What are those? They are what the name implies - these are oils that can mix
with water instead of repelling it. You could get water soluble olive or shea oil at the Herbarie or water
soluble soy oil at Suds & Scents, or you can make your own using a non-ionic emulsifier/surfactant. (As a
note, I have both the olive oil and soy oil and love them! But if you can't get these products, you can make
your own...)

Polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 are very high HLB emulsifiers (more on this in a few days) that mix oil
and water together. Poly 20 is best used for fragrance oils in things like surfactant mixtures; poly 80 is
better with carrier oils. So I'm going to make my own water soluble oil by using polysorbate 80 and a
carrier oil.

3 parts oil of some sort (olive, soy, shea, etc.)

1 part polysorbate 80

Mix together well, then add to your water based system. You may have to increase your polysorbate to a
1:1 ratio depending upon the weight of your oil.

What are the goals of a water-based make-up remover?

Something with glide, something emollient, something cleansing - the water soluble oil

So let's be honest...this really is more about the water soluble oil than it is about the other ingredients. But
if you don't like an oil based remover, then you need something else. So we're going to make up a
remover that has a few other goodies in it to make your skin feel nice as this is meant to remain on your
skin.

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
What do we want in our make-up remover?

 Water soluble oil - this is the backbone of this recipe. 10 to 20% or so. The higher the oil amount
or the heavier the oil, the higher the oiliness will be, so choose according to your desired oil level.
 Water or hydrosol - lavender and aloe are both lovely for soothing, so let's add that at 70 to 80%
 Preservative - as this is water based, you'll need 0.5% (Germall Plus) to 1% (Germaben II)
 Protein - this is will add extra conditioning, so we'll put in 2%
 Panthenol - never a bad thing to add, so let's include 2%
 Humectants - if you are using olive oil, you have a humectant in here. And the protein acts as a
humectant. If you wanted to include glycerin (2%) or propylene glycol (2%) or sodium lactate
(2%), that wouldn't be a bad thing.

WATER BASED MAKE-UP REMOVER

15% water soluble oil
78% water, aloe vera, or hydrosol of choice
2% humectant of choice - sodium lactate, propylene glycol, glycerin
2% hydrolyzed protein (oat, soy, wheat, silk, etc.)
2% panthenol
0.5% to 1% preservative

(For a 100 gram batch of make-up remover, to create you own water soluble oil make up a batch of 12
grams oil to 4 grams polysorbate 80. Mix well. If it looks emulsified, then add that to your mix. If it doesn't
look emulsified, add more polysorbate 80 up to 12 grams - a little at a time. Keep a record of what oil you
used and how much emulsifier you used! Now add 15 grams to a 100 gram batch.)

Heat and hold your water (aloe or hydrosol) and humectant in a heat proof container in a double boiler
until the temperature reaches 70C. In a separate container, weigh out your water soluble oils and heat
until the temperature reaches 70C. Mix together the two containers, then when the temperature reaches
45C or lower, add your protein, panthenol, and preservative. Let cool. Bottle, and use.

As a note, you could make this recipe cold without any heating, but I am always worried about
preservation when I use water or hydrosols, so I'm suggesting doing this warm!

(If you'd like another recipe...May I suggest this great recipe I found at the Herbarie called the Fruit &
Flowers Make-up Remover. If you have these ingredients, make this recipe. You will love it!)

You Will Need

2 Tbsp witch hazel

2 Tbsp oil of choice (like jojoba oil, organic almond oil, etc.)

2 Tbsp water (please use filtered water — see how to make your water safe)

Small Glass Jar with lid like this one or this one

Organic Cotton Rounds or organic makeup remover pads (I recommend the rounds since eye makeup
will tend to be hard to wash off of the pads)