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How To Make Natural Face Wash: Free Homemade Face Cleanser Recipes To Try
Let’s be honest, the bathroom cupboard can get a little dramatic.
There is always one cleanser that smells beautiful but leaves your face feeling like parchment, one “miracle” bottle you bought because the label looked fancy, and at least three half-used products you are keeping because they cost too much to throw away.
So when people start searching for how to make natural face wash, I completely understand why. Sometimes you just want something simple, gentle, and made with ingredients you can actually recognise.
Homemade face wash recipes can be a lovely way to experiment with natural skincare, especially if you already enjoy making soaps, scrubs, bath bombs, and body products. The trick is choosing the right kind of cleanser for your skin. A honey face wash feels very different from an oil cleanser. An oat cleanser is not the same as a clay cleanser. And a fruity facial recipe is often better as an occasional treatment than something you use every single morning.
Before we get into the recipes, here is my sensible craft-room note: homemade skincare still needs common sense. Patch test first, make small batches, keep everything clean, and do not store fresh food-based recipes in the bathroom for weeks. Natural ingredients can still irritate skin, and anything made with water, milk, fruit, fresh herbs, or aloe can spoil.
Right, now let’s raid the pantry in the prettiest possible way.
Honey And Almond Oil Cleanser
The Honey And Almond Oil Cleanser from CraftBits is a beautifully simple recipe for anyone who wants a soft, nourishing cleanser without a complicated ingredient list. It uses honey and sweet almond oil, which makes it feel more like a gentle cleansing treatment than a foaming face wash.
This one is lovely for dry or mature skin, especially if your face does not love anything too soapy. I would use it as a slow evening cleanse when you have time to massage it in properly and wipe away with a warm damp cloth. It is simple, but sometimes simple is exactly what skin wants.
Castor Oil Cleansing Oil
The Castor Oil Cleansing Oil Recipe is a great option if you wear makeup, sunscreen, or heavier moisturisers. Oil cleansing works by helping dissolve oily buildup, makeup, and daily grime without needing to scrub your face like you are cleaning grout.
This recipe uses castor oil and sweet almond oil, and it is especially useful as a first cleanse at night. If you are new to oil cleansing, start gently and use a warm face cloth to remove the excess. Too much castor oil can feel drying for some skin types, so listen to your face rather than being heroic about it.
Oat Milk Paste Cleanser
The Oat Milk Paste Cleanser from CraftBits is a classic pantry-style cleanser using oatmeal and milk. Oats are one of those ingredients that feel old-fashioned in the best possible way — gentle, soothing, and very much like something your grandmother would have quietly known about.
This recipe works as a soft cleansing paste with a little natural exfoliation. It is best mixed fresh and used straight away, especially because it contains milk. I would avoid scrubbing too hard with this one; let the oats do their gentle work without turning it into a sanding project.
Strawberry Leaves Face Cleanser
The Strawberry Leaves Face Cleanser is a more unusual homemade face wash recipe, and that makes it perfect for a natural beauty roundup. It uses strawberry leaves and milk to create a face-wash cream that helps leave the skin feeling soft and smooth.
This is the kind of recipe that feels very cottage-garden and slightly vintage, which I love. Because it uses fresh plant material and milk, make it in a small amount and use it immediately. It is not one to bottle up and forget in the bathroom drawer.
Cucumber, Apple And Mint Facial Cleanser
The Facial Mask – Cucumber, Apple And Mint recipe is described as a natural cleanser using cucumber, apple, and mint. It feels fresh, cooling, and very spa-at-home without needing a robe or cucumber slices over your eyes — though I will not judge if you go the full spa fantasy.
This one is best treated as a fresh facial cleanser or mask rather than a daily stored face wash. Cucumber gives it that clean, cooling feel, apple adds a fruity freshness, and mint makes it feel bright. If your skin is sensitive, go carefully with mint as it can be a little lively.
Pineapple Face Wash
The Pineapple Face Wash Recipe is a simple fruit-based facial using pineapple and olive oil. Pineapple recipes often feel bright and fresh, but this is definitely one I would treat as an occasional facial wash or treatment rather than an everyday cleanser.
Fruit-based recipes can be wonderful, but they can also be a bit too active for some skin types. Use this when your skin is happy and calm, not when it is already irritated. And please do not use it right before heading into strong sun, especially if your skin is prone to sensitivity.
Banana Oatmeal “Monkey Magic” Facial
The Banana Oatmeal Face Mask Recipe – DIY Monkey Magic Facial is messy, creamy, and a little bit hilarious — which is exactly why I like it. It uses banana, oatmeal, and cream or coconut milk to create a soft facial treatment with light exfoliation.
This is not a sleek, pump-bottle cleanser. This is a Saturday afternoon, hair-in-a-clip, dog-under-the-table kind of recipe. The oats give it a gentle cleansing feel, while the banana and cream make it rich and soft. Rinse well unless you want to smell like dessert.
Papaya And Oats Oily Skin Facial
The Papaya And Oats Oily Skin Facial is a good choice for readers looking for a fruity facial recipe aimed at oily skin. The oats help give the mixture texture and mild cleansing power, while the papaya makes it feel fresh and tropical.
This recipe is more of a facial treatment than a daily face wash, but it fits beautifully into a homemade skincare routine. If your skin is oily but sensitive, start with a short application time and see how your skin responds. Homemade skincare should feel good, not tingly in a suspicious way.
DIY Calming Cleanser Bar For Sensitive Skin
The DIY Calming Cleanser Bar For Sensitive Skin is a lovely option for readers who prefer a bar cleanser instead of a liquid or paste. It uses gentle ingredients like calamine, chamomile, and goat’s milk soap base.
This one is especially useful to include because not everyone wants to keep fresh ingredients in the fridge or mix something up every morning. A cleanser bar can be easier to use and easier to store. I would still patch test, especially if your skin is reactive, but this is a practical handmade option for natural skincare lovers.
Homemade Honey Face Wash
The Homemade Honey Face Mask & Cleanser Recipe from Wellness Mama is one of the simplest ways to try a natural face wash at home. It uses honey as a gentle cleanser on damp skin.
Honey cleansing is a good place to start if you feel overwhelmed by DIY skincare recipes with long ingredient lists. You do not need a blender, preservative system, or twelve oils with names you cannot pronounce. Just use a small amount, massage gently, rinse well, and see how your skin feels.
Plain Oat Facial Cleanser
The Gentle Facial Cleanser With Just Plain Oats is beautifully simple and very budget-friendly. It uses oats as a soft facial cleanser, which makes it a great option for people who want something natural without buying lots of supplies.
This is the sort of recipe I love for beginners because it is not intimidating. Oats can be ground finer if you want a softer texture, then mixed with a little water right before use. Keep the pressure light and think “gentle polish,” not “scrub the laundry sink.”
DIY Cleansing Balm
The Easy DIY Cleansing Balm from Humblebee & Me is perfect for anyone who wants to learn a more polished DIY skincare recipe. Cleansing balms are especially useful for removing sunscreen, makeup, and long-wear products.
This is a more advanced option than oats or honey, but it is still very doable if you enjoy making bath and body products. I like including a balm in this roundup because face wash does not always have to be watery or foamy. Sometimes the best cleanse is a rich balm followed by a warm cloth and a little peace and quiet.
More Homemade Makeup Remover Ideas
If you wear makeup or sunscreen every day, you may want to pair one of these face wash recipes with a separate remover. Our DIY Makeup Remover Recipes For Every Skin Type includes natural options using oils, aloe vera, witch hazel, rose water, and reusable cotton rounds.
This is a helpful companion article because face wash and makeup remover are not always the same thing. A gentle oat cleanser may not remove waterproof mascara, and a fruity facial is not what you want near your eyes. Use the right recipe for the right job and your skin will thank you.
More Oatmeal Bath And Body Recipes
If your skin loves oats, you might also enjoy our 18 Oatmeal Bath And Body Recipes. Oatmeal is one of those gentle ingredients that works across so many homemade bath and body projects, from facial cleansers to bath soaks and skin-soothing recipes.
This is a good internal link to include because readers searching for how to make natural face wash are often interested in gentle, low-cost skincare. Once they try an oat cleanser, they may want oatmeal bath recipes, body scrubs, or soothing handmade products too.
Activated Charcoal Soap For A Deeper Clean
For readers who like charcoal skincare, our How To Make Activated Charcoal Soap tutorial is another useful homemade cleanser project. Activated charcoal and clay are often used in soaps for a deep-clean feel, especially for oily skin types.
I would not suggest using charcoal soap too aggressively on the face, especially if your skin is dry or sensitive. But for readers who enjoy handmade soap and want something a little more clarifying, it is a good related project to explore.
Bath And Body Recipes To Try Next
If you are falling down the homemade skincare rabbit hole — welcome, we have jars — you can browse even more DIY beauty recipes in the CraftBits Bath And Body Crafts section. It includes free recipes for facials, soaps, bath bombs, moisturisers, shampoo, and other handmade body products.
That is the lovely thing about learning how to make natural face wash. It often starts with one little jar of oats or honey, and before you know it, you are labelling homemade scrubs and wondering whether your linen cupboard can fit another box of supplies.
How To Choose The Best Natural Face Wash Recipe
If your skin is dry, start with honey, almond oil, oats, aloe, or a cleansing balm. These tend to feel softer and more nourishing than clay-heavy or soap-heavy recipes.
If your skin is oily, try clay cleansers, castor oil cleansing, papaya and oats, or a gentle bar cleanser. Just be careful not to over-cleanse. Oily skin can still become irritated and dehydrated.
If your skin is sensitive, keep things plain. Oats, honey, and fragrance-free recipes are usually better starting points than citrus, mint, strong essential oils, or gritty scrubs.
If you wear makeup or sunscreen, use an oil cleanser, cleansing balm, or makeup remover first. Then follow with a gentle second cleanse if needed.
If you want something quick, choose honey or plain oats.
If you want something that feels more like a finished product, try a cleansing oil, cleansing balm, or cleanser bar.
Homemade Face Wash Safety Tips
Always patch test first. Try a small amount on your inner arm or jawline before using a new recipe on your whole face.
Make fresh food-based recipes in tiny batches. Anything containing fruit, milk, cucumber, herbs, aloe, or water can spoil quickly.
Use clean jars, clean spoons, and clean hands. The bathroom is not as clean as we like to imagine, especially if teenagers also use it.
Avoid using lemon juice, strong essential oils, baking soda, vinegar, or coarse scrubs on your face unless you know your skin tolerates them.
Do not scrub hard. Your face is not a casserole dish.
Label anything you store with the date made. If it smells odd, changes texture, grows anything, or makes your skin sting, throw it out.
The Easiest Natural Face Wash For Beginners
If you are brand new to homemade skincare and just want to know how to make natural face wash without getting overwhelmed, start with one of these easy ideas.
Try honey on damp skin for a soft, simple cleanse.
Mix finely ground oats with a little water for a gentle cleansing paste.
Use an oil cleanser at night if you wear makeup or sunscreen.
Try a handmade cleanser bar if you want something easy to store.
Make fruit-based facials fresh and use them as occasional treatments.
Homemade face wash does not need to be fancy to be useful. Sometimes the best recipes are the quiet little ones — a spoonful of oats, a dab of honey, a warm face cloth, and five minutes in the bathroom without anyone asking where the good scissors went.
And honestly, that might be the most natural beauty treatment of all.