Exfoliating Pumpkin Face Mask

taralee
Feb 24, 2022
4 min read

Fall is officially here! So I thought it would be fun to make some fall related skincare products. What's the first thing you think of when you think of Fall? For me, it's pumpkins! So of course I had to buy some pumpkin based ingredients. I decided to purchase two of them. The first one I purchased is a Pumpkin scented extract and the second one is pumpkin powder. I purchased both of these over on formulator sample shop. I'll talk more about the benefits of these ingredients later in the post.

The first thing I decided to make with these two ingredients in an exfoliating pumpkin face mask. You may be wondering why I chose an "exfoliating" mask. Well, it's because the pumpkin powder has exfoliating properties. I also decided to incorporate some willow bark extract for some extra exfoliating properties. So lets get into the formulation so you can see all thats included in this mask, how I made it, and the benefits each ingredient brings into this mask.

Formula;

water phase

28.5% distilled water - (substitute w/ a hydrosol or more aloe vera liquid)
20% aloe vera liquid
5% glycerin - (substitute w/ 1,3 propanedial)
.5% allantoin

oil phase

8% ritamulse scg - (substitute w/ 4% emulsifying wax & 3% cetyl alcohol. Could also use polawax instead of emulsifying wax or stearic acid instead of cetyl alcohol)
12% meadowfoam seed oil - (substitute w/ jojoba oil or another carrier oil of choice)
8% evening primrose oil - (substitute w/ another carrier oil of choice)

cool down phase

3% distilled water
4% leucidal sf complete - (substitute w/ .5% liquid germall plus, 1.5% optiphen plus, or any other water soluble broad spectrum preservative)
2.5% willow bark extract - (substitute w/ papaya extract)
2% pumpkin powder
2% dl panthenol
.5% vitamin E oil
2% pumpkin scented extract

Directions;

Start by combining the water phase ingredients in a heat safe beaker. Be sure to mix in the allantoin as much as possible
then combine all the ingredients in the oil phase in a separate heat safe beaker.
cover both beakers and place in a water bath.
heat both phases to 158 degrees fahrenheit and hold for 20 minutes.
while the water and oil phase is heating up weigh out the ingredients in the cool down phase (except for the vitamin E oil and pumpkin scented extract) in a small beaker. make sure to mix in the powdered ingredients until they dissolve
once both phases have been heated, pour the water phase into the oil phase (not the other way around) and blend with an immersion blender
once the formulation has emulsified and cooled you can pour in the cool down ingredients and mix them in.
next weigh out the vitamin E oil and pumpkin scented extract into your formulation and mix into the formulation until they are well incorporated.
pour into a jar, add a label, and you are done! :)

note: I like to use this face mask no more than once a week. If you don't have sensitive skin you may be able to use twice a week. I like to apply this mask using a clean dry makeup brush and I leave on for 15-20 minutes.

Benefits of each ingredient

aloe vera liquid - soothing, hydrating, and calming to the skin. can even help with acne
allantoin - has moisturizing, soothing, anti-irritating properties and stimulates healthy, normal tissue formation
glycerin - hydrates and locks in moisture
ritamulse scg - all in one emulsifier. used to blend oil and water together and also thicken product to create a lotion consistency. is an ecocert emulsifier approved for organic formulations.
meadowfoam seed oil - Like jojoba oil it is slightly waxy and closely resembles human sebum. When used in skin care, it naturally helps your skin to effectively form a barrier to lock in moisture and deliver nutrients deep into your epidermis
evening primrose oil - it promotes a healthy, clear, rejuvenated complexion with enhanced radiance and addresses roughness, wrinkles, redness, dryness, and irritation
leucidal sf complete - uses a combination of peptide technology to deliver moisturizing and conditioning benefits as well as providing broad-spectrum activity to protect against bacteria, yeast, and mold in one product.
willow bark extract - lightly exfoliates skin. enhances cell turnover, act as a natural anti-microbial agent. is an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic agent
pumpkin powder - the fine, orange powder, smells exactly like pumpkin. Pumpkin gently removes dead skin cells and leaves skin smooth and glowing.
dl panthenol - has deep penetrating characteristics which provide excellent humectant benefits for restoring and maintaining natural skin moisture.
vitamin E oil - reduces UV-induced free radical damage to the skin. It also protects cells against the effects of free radicals which are formed as by-products of the body’s metabolic processes.
pumpkin scented extract - is packed with vitamins and minerals and soothes and moisturizes the skin. It can also act as an accelerator, helping the skin to absorb nutrients quickly.