If my old-self knew my today-self, she’d totally point her finger and laugh at me.
First, for refusing to drink coffee creamer. Childish to some, but I don’t really want to eat plastic-like food, thankyouverymuch.
Then, for making my own toothpaste. Shoot, she’d laugh at me for cutting off the ends off the tubes too, but for an entirely different reason. Not only does old-self think new-self is a bit too crunchy at times, but old-self wasn’t very careful with her money.
Which is probably why new-self is cautious with her money. But that’s a whole different story, for a different day.
Today though, she’d be laughing for this:
I’ve starting wearing food on my face.
It sounds crazy, I know, but I’m slightly traumatized and I can’t turn back. There is a reason though – let me explain…
About six weeks ago, I was getting ready for church and noticed that my foundation was getting close to empty. There was still a few days worth left, but I decided to go ahead and try another tube that I had in my makeup bag. I pulled it out and noticed that the liquid portion of the makeup had separated from the solid portion.
Gross.
But this mama still needs makeup, so I shook and shook and shook that little tube until my arms got tired of shaking (it was like, a minute) and looked at it again. It wasn’t completely mixed, but it looked good enough to try putting on my face.
I should have known better.
I put about a pea sized amount on my sponge and started to apply it to my face, the same exact way I do every other morning. Only this time, the make up didn’t “go on.” Instead, it just smeared like thick goo on top of my skin. You know how in the movies lifeguards have that thick white sunscreen on their nose? Imagine that, only something slightly resembling the color of skin.
Oh but wait, it gets worse.
I smeared the makeup face with my hands, trying to rub it in and make it better, but everything I did just made it worse! No joke, I looked as if I was putting on costume makeup for Halloween. It was embarrassing and awful. There was NO WAY I could go to church like this!
Using a hand towel, I tried to wipe off as much as I could, but that resulted in an even worse disaster! That tan-ish goo had seeped into my pores and made my face looked like it was spotted with the stuff!
Seriously, it was beyond bad.
By this point, I was starting to run out of time before we had to leave so I had to let it go. I added powder on top, finished the rest of my face and threw away the liquid.
I don’t care what was in that little bottle, but there was NO WAY in the world I was EVER going to try it again. I don’t care how expensive it was!
That week, I started looking into homemade foundations. I figured I had a few Sundays left of my normal foundation (since I really only wear it to church and on date nights with Mr. Crumbs) so I had some time to experiment.
I found LOTS of recipes out there, but in the end I created a homemade powdered foundation that uses only the food from my kitchen, and it works beautifully. It’s so easy to make and offers enough coverage to allow me to go grocery shopping without scaring other patrons.
Here’s the list of ingredients:
- non-GMO cornstarch
- cocoa powder
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves
- ground sage
- ground ginger
- lavender essential oil (optional)
Pretty neat, eh? MUCH better than the list of ingredients from clown-face makeup:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Trimethyl Pentaphenyl Trisiloxane, Silica, Phenyl Trimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Tribehenin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Methicone, Tetramethyl Hexaphenyl Tetrasiloxane, Phenyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Laureth-7, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hexyl Laurate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cellulose Gum, Propylene Carbonate, Alumina, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone Silylate, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin. May contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), ILN37941.
Gosh – to think of all the years I’ve been willingly putting this JUNK on my face… and I wonder why I have sensitive and acne-prone skin?
Geez.
Making your own homemade powdered foundation is really easy. You start with a base powder, add some color and mix with just a hint of lavender essential oil. There is a bit of science behind it though, so let me explain that too:
Base
You can choose non-GMO cornstarch or arrowroot starch. This is the blank canvas powder that you’re going to add color to. If you’re allergic or sensitive to corn, choose arrowroot. If you don’t have any sensitivities, choose whichever is more affordable.
Color
You have your choice of essentially any ground spice you can get your hands on, with the exception of cinnamon. Cinnamon is known to be irritating to the skin, so I’d avoid that one if possible. Here are the colors that will make up your pallet:
- Clove – dark reddish brown
- Cocoa powder – medium brown
- Nutmeg – light/medium brown
- Sage – green (off-sets red undertones)
- Ginger – yellow (off-sets blue undertones)
Tip: If you don’t have a green spice that is ground and you need to counteract some red undertones, make your own by putting some oregano or basil or sage in a coffee grinder or blender and whiz away!
Texture
The powders alone make for a great powder, but they’re not very user-friendly. As a powder should, they kinda leave behind messes during the transition from container to brush to face. Essential oils and other nourishing oils like jojoba, vitamin E or sweet almond oil help make the powder stick better to itself (and your face) so you don’t make huge messes everywhere, while at the same time still keeping the foundation in powdered form.
Quantity
The quantity of the base will stay the same, but the colors will vary depending on your skin type. I’ll share a basic recipe that should get you started, but you’ll have to tinker with the amounts to find the right shade that’s perfect for you.
It might sound intimidating, but it’s really not difficult. Adjust the color using small amounts and you’ll have your perfect shade in less than five minutes. Yes, it’s really that easy!
Homemade Powdered Foundation
Supplies
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp bentonite clay
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch – 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- pinch – 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- pinch – 1/4 tsp ground sage
- 10 drops nourshing oil (jojoba oil, sweet almond oil or vitamin E oil) or lavender essential oil
- 5 drops tea tree oil (optional)
Note: I really like Plant Therapy essential oils. You can find their shop here.
Method
In a small glass bowl, measure out arrowroot or cornstarch. Add 1/4 tsp of cocoa powder, bentonite clay and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Mix well with a whisk.
Add remaining ingredients, 1/8 tsp at at time, depending on your skin tone, whisking well after each addition. Test the color by dipping your foundation brush into the bowl and brushing on your face. Adjust the color as needed.
When you’ve found your perfect color combination, add 10 drops of lavender oil and whisk well. If you would like additional moisture, add the optional tea tree oil and whisk well. Scoop powder into your final container and store closed.
I have very fair skin and I burn easily. When I shop for makeup, I always get the fair/light powder and concealer. My liquid foundation is usually one of the two lighter ones (whichever is more pink). Here’s my perfect color combination for homemade powdered foundation:
- 1/4 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp sage
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- 1/8 tsp cloves
Storage
You have two basic options for storing your homemade powdered foundation:
- Glass Jars – you can get these in all sorts of sizes, but you probably don’t want to go any smaller than 4 oz simply because you won’t be able to get your brush in the smaller jars. As you can see, this is what I use. I tip the jar over so powder can rest in the lid, and then I dip the brush in the lid before applying to my face.
- Powder Jar – these are the special jars that have the insert with little holes to help you control the flow of the powder. If you’re prone to making messes, this would be your better option. They would also work well if you prefer to use powder puffs over brushes.
Cost
Here’s the best part. The total cost for homemade powdered foundation? Less than 30¢. Can you believe that?! Each batch of makeup will last anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks, depending on how much you use.
There might be a small upfront investment for the oils if you don’t have them, but once you do, the small amount of each ingredient per batch means you can literally make your own makeup for one full year for just $3 – less than the cost of a grande latte! Gosh… to think of all the money I’ve spent on makeup over the course of my life, lol. At least this is one toiletry item that won’t be making a big dent in our grocery bill!
More Ways to Heal & Care for Your Body Naturally, at Home
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- Homemade clay-based toothpaste (just like Earthpaste)
- Homemade Tinted Moisturizer
- Heal acne naturally
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- Homemade facial cleanser
- Homemade shampoo bar
- Homemade liquid herbal shampoo
- Homemade lip balm and lip scrub
- Secret to healthy teeth & gums
Erin
You can use beet root powder, for pink…. and not hot/spicy like cinnamon 🙂
Melinda
Hi, first…I love this idea. Second, and I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but I used matcha powder for the green in the powder I made for myself. It works so well that I doubt I’ll ever go back to commercial powders again!
Really love your site and wanted to say ” Thank you! ”
Melinda
Tiffany
That’s a great idea Melinda, thanks for sharing! And thank you for the kind words too – “you’re VERY welcome!!” 🙂
Shari
I love the easiness of this recipe. I’ve been researching many of these and so many call for zinc oxide. What are your feelings on this since I don’t see in in your recipe.
Tiffany
Thanks Shari! Zinc oxide is known for its SPF properties. I use it in my homemade sunscreen and love it, but I wouldn’t add it to foundation. My best guess is that recipes are adding it because of the exposure to the sun, but I’m a firm believer in getting as much vitamin D from sun exposure as you safely can, and then relying on other means of sun protection as needed. I wouldn’t add SPF to foundation unless my face was going to be exposed to the sun for long periods of time, and since I’m a WAHM mom that doesn’t happen (and frankly, it wouldn’t even if I worked at a typical office).
Casey Miller
Hi there! Thank you for posting such a great article and recipe. I, too, have struggled with very sensitive and acne prone skin. During my crunchy journey, I’ve discovered well, maybe my skin isn’t actually THAT acne prone (maybe still sensitive though), rather it’s the products I’ve used. After stopping all use of make up, the craziest thing happened.. my skin cleared! Now, there are still times I’d like to wear a light foundation.. thus here I am. So about two months ago I made this powder, and applicated throughout the process to match to my skin color.. but everything looked so pale, I continued to add and add. It now looks similar to what the closest thing to “natural” powder I’ve been able to get my hands on. It’s just soon powder-y, and ends up everywhere. Not to mention, the only color that stayed was a yellow-green tint. A few people noticed and asked me, I was like, “Err, who knows, that’s odd!” hahah! But I’m sure I can make this work. I’ve added 10 drops of jojoba oil to try to help, and have put that on my face to see if it helps it stay, but that application was still so powder-y. I think I may also add 1-2tbsp arrowroot (which is my base) to bellow out some of the spices I added.
P.S. I couldn’t help but to notice the comment about cocoa powder when I was reading comments for any suggestions…. Can I just say…. I think it’s crazy to put an obscene amount of chemicals on our skin… rather than cocoa powder, something entirely natural… 😀
Tiffany
Hi Casey! Thanks for sharing your story with me! I wanted to address the “powdery” issue you’re having. I had that too and couldn’t figure a way to make it go away, so I just dealt with it (feeling confident it was healthier for my skin than make-up). But then I changed to a different brush and that fixed it! It’s the strangest thing, but for some reason the mess the powder creates is nearly gone AND it stays on my skin better. I’ll see if I can find a link online for the type of brush I have. Hopefully it will help!
Tiffany
Casey – the brush I have is similar to this one: http://amzn.to/294Lweu
I found it locally, but the key is that it has a flat top and not rounded. I’m not a make-up pro, but that’s made all the difference!
Laura
Hi thank you for the article! I am wondering, what type of coverage does this homemade foundation give? I have the regular breakout on my jawline, which isn’t too bad, but I also have a lot of acne scarring from earlier in my life. The scarring is quite noticeable, and gives my skin an uneven texture. Would this foundation cover that? Also, do you have a homemade liquid foundation recipe? Thanks!
Ashlynn
Respectfully, food isn’t going to give any coverage. You can use kaolin clay though with a tiny amount of arrowroot and it will give light to medium! You also need colorants, spices impart very little. I would highly recommend Humblebee and Me blog for mineral recipes that are easy to do. Purchase at TKB trading. She has a book coming out this Fall full of legit makeup recipes including a liquid foundation. A recipe like this is wonderful for people who don’t want coverage, but sadly, didn’t work for me either. It does make a good setting powder 😉
Laura
Thanks! 🙂
Tiffany
Hi Laura – this recipe will not provide coverage for scarring, rather it’s very light. I don’t have a liquid recipe at the moment either. I’m sorry!
Kari
I’ve worn this as my foundation all this past month…I love it! A bonus of it that I figured out, it makes a great dry shampoo as well! 🙂
Kristen
I whipped up a batch just now and it looks GREAT! I’m a little shocked. I had no idea DIY makeup could look as good if not better than store bought. But I shouldn’t be surprised. DIY is always better!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us on your blog! I recently heard of your blog from a friend using your meal-planning service and have fallen in love!
Blessings!
Tiffany
So glad you liked how this turned out Kristen! Welcome to Crumbs!
Amy
Would it be possible to substitute ground sage with ground rosemary powder instead?
Tiffany
I haven’t tried this myself Amy, but it’s worth a shot!
Amy
It seems to work and I’m not getting any allergic reactions.
Thanks for replying and thanks for posting the recipe on your blog. It helped me a lot.
Barbara
I made the tinted moisturizer and absolutely love it ecept that the ground nutmeg is noticible on my face…little dark specks. I will make my next “batch” without the nutmeg.
sayara
do you really use this? because in all the blogs that share this recipe not one showed the picture of the author actually using it.
Ashlynn
Hi Sayara,
Visit Live Simply blog, she has a VIDEO on Youtube also of her making it and applying it to her face with some lovely music. Search “DIY homemade Foundation powder” by Live Simply and watch it there. This powder doesn’t do much which is why I think it isn’t demonstrated by many. I make true mineral powder foundation makeup and that does cover! This is a great little setting powder though or perhaps if you already have great skin!
Bhavna
How do you make your mineral powder foundation? I tried this and need heavy coverage and got zero coverage. Please share your mineral foundation recipe if you can, thanks!
Ashlynn
Right, this food based powder is lovely for a setting powder, with just the cocoa and the arrowroot as spices are just too large and visible on the skin. Food doesn’t have opacity so it can’t cover anything in the way of blemishes and such. You will need a few things to make a mineral foundation. A coffee grinder dedicated to this only (thrift stores are great! Where I found mine) and some minerals of course. You can get them several places but the best prices and quality I have found is HowToMakeCosmetics (TKB Trading). Recipe:
4 tsp Titanium Dioxide, low micron or non-nano
1/2 Tbsp Sericite mica
2 tso Zinc Oxide low micron or non-nano
1/2 tsp magnesium stearate (optional but will improve the “slip” and make it more smooth)
yellow, brown, and red oxide (sample sizes are plenty for quite a few batches!)
Oxides are strong pigments of crushed rocks. The amount will depend on your skintone and this is where it gets tricky. Add a little at a time. You will use mostly yellow and brown and if you have a very cool or olive skintone, also get some ultramarie blue and chromium green oxide.
Blend the Titanium, zinc, mica, sericite, and magnesium stearate for several minutes, 5-6 and allowing a rest inbetween so your grinder doesn’t overheat. Then slowly add oxides blending 1 minute between additions. The more you grind, the ore the color develops. I use plastic wrap to cover my grinder before putting the lid on to keep the mess to a minimum. You can also purchase sifter jars from TKB. Good luck! A google search of “DIY mineral Foundation” will bring up plenty of sources.
Tiffany
Yes I do Sayara! I don’t have a picture of me using it because it’s quite hard to hold the camera, of myself, while doing my makeup. 🙂 But I assure you, I eat and use everything you see on this blog!
Senya
My question is regarding the banana yellow concealer you were talking about. Where can we purchase that product. I have terrible dark circles under my eyes.
Audrey
Just tried this recipe today and got great results.thanks for posting this!
Jen
hoping someone can help. i really want this to work but I’ve tried twice and my foundation just turns an icky grey color. I’m medium toned. anyone?
Ashlynn
Hi Jen,
Are you using Sage in your formula? Try leaving it out and add it at the end little by little if you need it 😉
Ann
Mine also looked really gray. I started with the suggested amounts but it looked really white still, so I added more cocoa but then it started looking really gray, almost a purple gray, so I stopped. I added loads of tumeric to get it more to my yellowy skintone, but it still looks really gray and really white. When I rub it into my skin it starts to look more skintone though, bringing out the yellow somehow, but I have to buff so much to get the whitish and grayish color away that I end up with no coverage.
I tried mixing it with moisturizer and that made the color look like skincolor, but still not really any coverage.
I also dob’t recommend anyone add as much tumeric as I did, it itches and burns. Might be the cornstarch though, I read in one of the comments that it can be itchy.
I’m going to try with rice powder when I can get some, and find a replacement for tumeric. I don’t think ginger will do it as I had to add a ton of tumeric and it’s way more pigmented. Maybe saffron.
Kim
I’ve been excited to try this, but I can’t get the shade right. Like you, I’ve always purchased the lightest shade of foundation with some pink in it, so I figured my perfect shade would be close to yours. (I have reddish brown hair, so I figured I would have to do some tweaking.) However, I’ve added 5 times as much of all the color, and it still looks like my face is covered in white powder. Should it actually be 2 teaspoons of cornstarch instead of 2 tablespoons? Any other suggestions? I hate to just throw out what I’ve been working on, but I’d rather not spend much more time on it unless I can get some other ideas. Thanks!
Ann
Mine also looked waaay too light and I added loads of extra yellow (I have a lot of yellow in my skin), and double the amount of cocoa from the recipe. I tried mixing it with a moisturizer and that really seemed to strengthen the color, finally turning into actual skin color and resembling tinted moisturizer a lot, but it didn’t seem to do anything for the coverage.
Siena
Hello Tiffany. Thank you so much for your articles. It is really going to give me a head start to healthy living and looking beautiful naturally. But please I live in Nigeria, and we don’t have cloves here. For homemade powdered foundation What can I possibly use as an alternative. really appreciate
Charlotte
Ok, so I just tried it without the ground sage and it didn’t work at all for me! 🙁 I don’t know what the coverage is suppose to be but it couldn’t even cover my freckles. Do you have any idea what I might have done wrong?
Ashlynn
Charlotte,
The reason why this powder doesn’t cover anything is because it is food, not minerals like that which makes up powder foundation. It didn’t work for me either. Food is not opaque and doesn’t adhere well unless you have a water-based moisturizer, which could then make the spices muddy in color. I make my own mineral foundation, I got into it after discovering that this just doesn’t cover anything, but arrowroot does make a nice setting powder and cacao makes a lovely bronzer!
Tiffany
Ashylynn – I use my tinted moisturizer that has coconut oil, and that tends to help make this powder stick a bit.
Ashlynn
Awesome! What concealer, tinted moisturizer and foundation do you use for when you use them? Have you found healthy options you like? Thanks!
Tiffany
Unfortunately, I have not found healthy options for makeup yet 🙁 I’m still using up some old stuff from the cabinet… but I’m on the lookout because my bottles are more empty than full!
Tiffany
Sorry for the late reply Charlotte! The sage is green, which helps to counteract red undertones. The coverage is light – think like a finishing powder as opposed to a traditional wet foundation. I use this w/concealer on the typical day, but also w/wet foundation when I get gussied up for date night. 🙂
Charlotte
What could I use instead of the ground sage and the ground cloves? Do I need to put those in there?
Joddy Wilde
OMG!!! I can’t believe that I can make my own powder foundation! It sounds so incredible and I am absolutely sure that this is the best way to stay healthy. I will definitely try this recipe! I will throw in the garbage every single concealer and powder! Thanks!
Tiffany
You’re welcome!
kemee
Hi Tiffany!
I love your blog. I have looking for ways to become debt free and live a healthier life. I tried your powdered foundation and tinted moisturizer recipes and although I had to tweak the formulas a bit to match my skin tone (I’m African American) I couldn’t be happier. People comment on my clear smooth skin. This is huge for me, especially after I had an awful breakout from an expensive department store cosmetic. I had hundreds of tiny bums all over my face, including the corners of my yes and eyelids. My entire face felt like sandpaper. It was a low point for me. Finding your blog gave me the motivation to do what I’d been wanting to do for a long time. I could go on and on, but instead I will just say thank you for sharing!
Tiffany
Wow Kemee, thank you so much for sharing this with me! I’m so sorry you had an awful experience with OTC makeup, but I’m so thankful that these homemade versions have helped your skin to heal AND improve! I know the feeling of a skin compliment – one of the best feelings in the world. I hope they keep on coming!!! 🙂
Tracy
I have a question. I am ne to using essential oils. When the recipe calls for 10 drops of lavender essential oil, is that straight or after it is mixed with a carrier oil?
Tiffany
Straight Tracy!