10 Effective Natural Skin Moisturizers Using Home Ingredients

2. Avocado

They’re not only absolutely delicious and perfect on toast, but also extremely good for your skin! Avocado is a superfood, and that means that it has a series of nutrients that are perfect for our bodies. Avocados contain a mix of Vitamins B, C, E, K, and even potassium; as well as oleic acid. Packed together in a creamy format that helps absorption both by eating and by applying on your hair and skin.

Additionally, Avocado can also be found as an oil. Avocado oil is a perfect carrier oil to massage and apply on the skin together with some essential oils or by itself. No matter how you use it, avocado is good for your body. So if your skin needs a boost or your hair feels lifeless, avocado is the solution for you.

Two of the key strengths of this superfood are that it is emollient, so it reaches deeper layers of skin. It locks the moisture in and restores your skin. Also, it protects your skin from free radicals which can damage it.

Uses of Avocado

• Mash half a ripe avocado with a fork and apply it on your skin. Leave for up to 15 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. Repeat up to 3 times a week.
• Mash half a ripe avocado with a fork and mix with one teaspoon of lemon juice. Take a raw egg white and beat it until frothy. Mix both mixtures together. Apply to your clean face avoiding the eye area. Let sit for up to 25 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
• Do you have lifeless hair? Mix a ripe avocado with 1/4 cup of olive oil and one tablespoon of lemon juice. It looks gross, but it’s awesome! Apply to damp hair and let sit for 20 minutes. Then wash your hair normally until removed completely. Your hair will shine with life!

3. Overripe Bananas

We all love bananas, and there are a few reasons why they made it to our top 10 best natural skin moisturizers. For one, bananas are rich in antioxidants and moisture. This means that they will give life to dry skin and smoothen up any rough skin patches. Additionally, bananas also contain Potassium, Vitamins A, B, C, E, Zinc, Lectin, and Amino Acids.

So make sure that next time you buy a pack of bananas, you don’t eat all of them! Let a couple get brown, which means they are overripe. Overripe bananas are great to mush and apply easier than normal ripe ones.

Because banana is so good, we need to explain different uses depending on your skin.

Uses of banana

• If your skin is aging and rough, use bananas! They’re like a natural Botox and can help smooth out wrinkles. Mix together one banana, one teaspoon of yogurt, and one teaspoon of orange juice. Apply and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
• If your skin is oily, then the mix changes slightly. You need to moisturize but also control the oil secretion. That for mix one banana with one tablespoon of honey and half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply to your face and let for up to 15 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.
• However, if you just want to moisturize your skin, then things get even easier. You will only need a banana! Yes, bananas are so amazing that you don’t need additives if what you’re looking for is only moisture. Mash the banana and apply to your clean face (obviously avoiding the eyes and mouth area). Let sit for up to 15 minutes and rinse off with cold water.

4. Cocoa Butter

Whenever we hear Cocoa, we all dream of cozy winters by the fireplace with a nice cup of hot cocoa. However, cocoa butter doesn’t actually taste like chocolate… not yet at least! Cocoa butter is one of the ingredients used to produce the chocolate that we consume. It is a healthy fat that can be used not only to cook but also to create cosmetics or apply on the skin. This butter’s properties as compared to those of Shea butter (see top 5 for more info), which is well known in the beauty sector.

Unrefined cocoa butter smells somehow like chocolate, and its properties are simply amazing. It is in itself one of the best natural skin moisturizers. It contains natural anti-oxidants, so it helps to heal damaged skin and reverse the natural aging process. Because of its lather and properties, it can also be used to soothe burns, treat mouth sores, or even just as a shaving cream! What’s more, cocoa butter made it to our best natural skin moisturizers list because it protects your skin from UV rays! If you love its smell but even better its properties, then get yourself a jar of cocoa butter and be ready for some wonderful results.

Uses of cocoa butter

• Use the natural warmth of your hands to melt a piece of cocoa butter. Apply on your skin and leave overnight. Wash off during your morning shower and repeat up to 4 times a week if you have very dry skin.
• If your feet are dry, melt one tablespoon of cocoa butter into warm water. Add some drops of your favorite essential oil. Soak your feet while you watch your favorite TV show. Rinse off with lukewarm water and massage.
• Melt together one part of cocoa butter, one of Shea butter, one of coconut oil, and one of almond oil. Once they’re well mixed together, add 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil. Let the mixture cool down and move to the fridge to solidify for one hour. Whip with a hand mixer until fluffy. Store in a jar in a cool and dark place. Use whenever needed as a moisturizer.

5. Shea Butter

Also known as Karité, Shea butter is yet another amazing superfood for your skin. It made the top 5 of our best natural skin moisturizers because of its properties. Not only does it include Vitamins A, E, and F. But it also offers UV protection and helps the skin produce collagen. For the last decade, there has been a craze for Shea butter. But it’s actually a good one! Shea butter offers so many benefits that we should all be using it.

It is a natural moisturizer thanks to its high concentration of vitamins. But also thanks to its fatty acids. What’s more, it has been confirmed in a study in 2010 that thanks to its cinnamic acts, shea butter is actually also anti-inflammatory. Because of Shea butter’s properties for collagen production, it helps to smooth the skin, reverse wrinkles, and prevent acne. Apart from its use as one of the best natural skin moisturizers, Shea butter can be used to prevent stretch marks, as a wrinkle remover, as a massage butter, as a deodorant, and so much more!

Uses of Shea Butter

• Same as with cocoa butter, use your hands’ own temperature to melt a dollop and massage it onto your skin. Leave overnight and shower in the morning. Repeat as needed.
• Melt together one part of Shea butter and one part of coconut oil, then add one part of almond oil. Add your favorite essential oils and mix well. Let chill and solidify. Then whip until fluffy and save in a jar in a cool and dark place. Use as a moisturizing cream.
• To protect and moisturize your skin in summer follow this recipe. Melt one part of Shea butter and add half a part of Aloe Vera gel, add some drops of essential oils. Let them cool down together then whip to a fluffy mixture. Transfer to a jar and leave in a cool, dry place.

Warning: Some essential oils can cause burns when exposed to sunlight. Please ensure to only use the cream at night, or to select specific essential oils that do not cause this reaction.

6. Olive Oil

One of the treasures of the Mediterranean, Olive oil is a golden-like liquid. It has been used for centuries not only to cook but for cosmetic reasons. Even back in the Roman empire, women would use Olive oil in their hair and skin. Even Egyptians and Greeks would use it as a natural make-up remover. Its historical uses range from strengthening food to house cleaning product, passing through cosmetic miracles.

The best olive oil is the extra virgin type. It is capable of penetrating the skin in-depth and create a protective layer to retain moisture. This is thanks to its linoleum acid. What’s more, olive oil also contains Vitamin E which is a natural antioxidant that helps to protect the collagen of your skin. The reasons why olive oil made it to our best natural skin moisturizers list are obvious. Olive oil is one golden tool to save your skin from damage and dryness.

Uses of Olive Oil

• Use your hands’ natural warmth to massage the oil into your skin. Keep massaging for a couple of minutes in circular motions. Then let it sit for 30 minutes and take a warm shower afterward. Repeat 4-5 times a week.
• Peel and deseed one small cucumber, add two tablespoons of Olive oil, and the juice of one lime. Combine all three in a food processor, make sure that the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge. Use morning and night as an anti-aging and moisturizing lotion. Use within three days.
• Mix one part of Olive oil and one part of Shea butter, melt together. Then let cool down and whip until fluffy. Save in a jar in a dark and cool place, use daily as a body moisturizing butter.

7. Aloe Vera

The good news about Aloe Vera is that, even if it’s a tropical plant, it can pretty much grow anywhere as an indoor plant. We all know Aloe Vera for its soothing properties when we get a bad sunburn. But there is actually much more than that! It is also used as a beverage and pills to soothe your intestines. Even though Aloe Vera is a plant, we don’t use its leaves or flowers. From Aloe Vera, we take the gel which is stored within its serrated leaves. So many reasons for it to be in our best natural skin moisturizers list!

We can then add the gel to lotions and creams, or use it as it is. Aloe Vera is capable of helping with digestion, boost the immune system, and provides antioxidants to our body. This wonderful gel is so easy to find almost anywhere that is difficult to find a home without it. However, if you have the plant and can get the gel directly, that’s even better than store-bought! Make sure that the leaves don’t have any white spots anymore before retrieving the gel. Also, remember to water it daily for better results.

Uses for Aloe Vera

• Apply the gel directly on your skin. Let it dry for up to 12 minutes, then rinse it off using lukewarm water. You can repeat this every couple of days.
• Using a hand mixer, whip the gel of one leaf of aloe vera together with half a cup of solid coconut oil. When fluffy, add to a jar and store in the refrigerator. Use up to twice daily.
• Take one part of Aloe Vera gel and one part of your favorite nourishing oil (jojoba, sweet almond, organ or grapeseed). Combine them together until you get a smooth lotion. Add a couple of drops of Vitamin E to prevent oxidation and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Keep in a bottle, in a dark and cool place. Shake before each use. You can use this lotion daily.

8. Coconut Oil

Coconut is one of those drupes that we use to its full potential. Its pulp and milk are so rich in properties and taste that are never left to waste. You may have seen coconut in many forms. Its original fruity form, as milk, as cream, as ice cream, as oil, and as dry and grated. Plus, its oil can be both solid or liquid depending on the temperature around it.

In terms of benefits as one of the best natural skin moisturizers, coconut oil almost has it all. It is capable of locking the moisture deep within your skin. As well as nourishing your skin with essential nutrients. One positive thing that makes coconut oil stand apart from other oils is that it’s not greasy. Whenever you apply it, it won’t leave your skin like an oily mess. It is easily absorbable.

Uses of Coconut Oil

• Gently warm up using your own hands’ temperature. Massage in a circular motion on your skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then take a warm shower. This can be done daily if necessary.
• Melt four parts of coconut oil, and mix it with one part of organ oil. Move to a jar and keep it in a cool, dry place. Apply using a sponge or cotton to remove makeup and moisturize your skin.
• Coconut oil is not only one of the best natural skin moisturizers, but can also be used to fight off dandruff. To do this, mix six ounces of Coconut Oil with these essential oil drops: 5 of Lavender, 8 of Lemon, and 4 of Rosemary. Stir well together and add to a jar. Apply directly to your scalp. Rub it and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Wash off as usual.

9. Cream (Milk)

Even though we use cream or milk daily, we mostly never think of it as one of the best natural skin moisturizers. However, it is actually very unique in its properties. Cream contains lactic acid, which exfoliates our skin. By exfoliating it, we get rid of dead cells thus showing fresh glowing skin. Not only cream can be used, but also whole-fat milk or buttermilk. History tells the benefits of eternal youth for Cleopatra using milk baths.

Milk cream can actually help to wash your face, moisturize dry skin, anti-aging, and soothing. All these are possible thanks to the different properties of milk. However, as we focus today on the best natural skin moisturizers, we want to highlight the properties that refer to this specifically. Its moisturizing properties come from the mix of water, fat, and proteins within the cream. This perfect match helps to lock the moisture and exfoliate the skin.

Uses of Cream (Milk)

• Apply fresh cool cream directly to your face, avoiding the eyes and mouth areas. Leave for up to 15 minutes. Then wash off with cold water. Repeat 3-4 times a week.
• Mix one tablespoon of cream with a quarter mashed Avocado. Apply to your clean face using a circular motion. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash it off using a warm cloth or warm water. Then finish off with cold water and pat dry.
• Mix together one tablespoon of cream, one teaspoon of honey, and one teaspoon of ground oatmeal. Apply to your face, avoiding the eye and mouth areas. Let it dry for 10 minutes, then wash off with lukewarm water.
• Wash your face using pure whole-fat milk every other day to remove dead skin cells. This will result in younger and fresher skin. See the results for yourself!

10. Glycerin

Even though it sounds like a chemical, it isn’t. Glycerin is a natural compound which is taken from animal fats or vegetable oils. In its normal state, Glycerin is an odorless and clear liquid. Plus, as a fun fact, it tastes sweet! It is used to treat dry and itchy skin or even minor irritations. Glycerin is an emollient, which means that it is perfect to lock moisture into your skin.

Glycerin is used in cosmetics to produce soaps and lotions that are moisturizing your skin. You may have used it before without even knowing that it was in fact Glycerin. Because of its properties, Glycerin made it to number 10 of our best natural skin moisturizers list. But, how can you use Glycerin in its liquid form? Check below!

Uses of Glycerin

• Mix three ounces of rose water with 1 teaspoon of glycerin, add a teaspoon of jojoba oil, and five drops of lavender essential oil. Mix well together and transfer to a spray bottle. Spray it every day on your face (with your eyes closed), just after your usual toner.
• Take half a cup of Shea Butter and melt it together with one and a half teaspoon of beeswax pastilles and two teaspoons of coconut oil. When it’s melted, allow it to cool off in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Whip the mixture until fluffy and add two teaspoons of glycerin to it. Continue whipping until all is mixed well. Transfer to a jar and store it in a cool, dry place. Use 3-4 times a week as a moisturizing lotion.
• Summer can be quite a problem for the skin, either because of dryness, sunburn, or insect bites. That for, prepare this cooling gel for any of the above! Mix two tablespoons of aloe vera gel together with two teaspoons of glycerin and four drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Transfer them to a small container and coat your skin with this gel whenever necessary. Do not apply on the eyes!