everyBODY Beauty Blog by Voyageur Soap & Candle Co.: How to Make a BB Cream From Scratch

Right now BB Creams are the hottest trend in the cosmetics industry. It seems like every couple of weeks there's a new one on the market, from high end cosmetics companies in Europe and Asia to over-the-counter drug store brands. Everybody has a BB Cream in their line, now you can too!

BB (Blemish Balm or Beauty Balm) Creams originated in Germany, formulated by dermatologists. The original idea was to create a vitamin and nutrient-packed moisturizer that would also give coverage to skin imperfections. Over the years it has gradually morphed into an all-in-one type product, taking the place of a primer, moisturizer, foundation, concealer, and loose powder thus shortening the time it takes to get ready while maximizing the performance of one product. A BB Cream is perfect for those who have normal to dry skin and want to eliminate redness and cover blemishes while limiting the heavy feel that foundations can have on the skin.
Our BB Cream formula is light and airy, and made of totally natural vegetable waxes and oils and pigmented with natural iron oxides. It goes on like a lotion and blends in easily while providing medium coverage. We enrich it with Honeysuckle Extract which contains Chlorogenic acid, a natural flavonoid and powerful anti-oxidant that has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and detoxifying properties, making it especially beneficial for those with acne problems. It also contains our new Ultrafine Glacial Cosmetic Marine Clay, which has incredible detoxifying and cleansing properties while absorbing into the skin and depositing phytoplankton and countless minerals (read more about our Ultrafine Clay here).
When making a liquid foundation or BB Cream it's very challenging to match natural skin tones. In this formula we have tested many, many pigment blends and found one to be the best for medium skin tones, which can easily be modified by adding or removing some of the components. Because not everyone has a mineral makeup scale that can easily weigh out less than one gram increments we came up with a Pigment Blend that you can tailor to your specific skin type. You will probably have some leftovers of the Pigment Blend, try adding it to our Mineral Makeup Powder Base for a mineral loose powder foundation! Our Medium Skin Pigment Blend consists of the following:
25 grams Water Soluble Titanium Dioxide 1 gram Red Iron Oxide 4 grams Yellow Iron Oxide 2 grams Ochre Iron Oxide 20 grams Arrowroot Powder 6 grams Ultrafine Clay
Tip: For cooler, fair skin tones add a few grams more Titanium Dioxide, Arrowroot, and Ultrafine Clay. For those with naturally red complexions, add a gram or two more Ultrafine Clay and Yellow Iron Oxide. For those with darker skin, try adding a gram or two of Brown Iron Oxide. If you want a dewy glowing finish try adding Peach or White Mica to the mix!
The base for our BB Cream is a thick moisturizer that will protect and hydrate the skin. It contains Evening Primrose oil, which calms inflammation and helps combat signs of aging, Glycerin, a powerful humectant, and Vitamin E to help heal scars and minimize the look of fine lines. Here is the formula to make 600 grams:
Part A:
8% Polawax 48 grams 4% Stearic Acid 24 grams 4% Evening Primrose Oil 24 grams 1.5% Glycerin 9 grams
Part B:
73.3% Boiling Water 440 grams Part C: 7% Pigment Blend 42 grams
Part D:
0.5% Vitamin E D-Alpha Tocopherol 3 grams 0.5% Panthenol 3grams 1 % Optiphen 6 grams 0.2% Honeysuckle Extract 1 gram
Step 1: Weigh out all the pigments into a container, then mix them together until the colour is consistent and no clumps remain. This is quite a time consuming process, we used a paper plate and a fork which worked well, otherwise we've heard using a sheet of freezer paper and cutting up the colourants with a popsicle stick.

Step 2: Put the pigments to the side, it's time to start making the cream! Start by weighing out Part A into a large bowl. While you're doing this you should have the water starting to boil in the kettle.

Step 3: When the water is just off the boil weigh out 440 grams into a measuring cup, then pour it into Part A quickly and start whisking. Continue to whisk fairly vigorously for at least 5-10 minutes to ensure all solids have melted. This is the most crucial part of making a lotion, if it is left for longer than a minute or two it could separate!

Step 4: Continue to whisk the cream every minute or two until it starts to thicken and cool down. Once the cream has thickened substantially (think pudding) add in the pigment blend (Part C) and whisk well until no clumps remain.

Step 5: Take the temperature of the cream, when it is below 45° Celsius add all the components of Part D and whisk well. You can add essential or fragrance oils at this point, a few drops at a time until the desired scent level is reached (try ones like our Skin Therapy blend - perfect for the face).
Step 6: Package into tottle bottles or any plastic bottle with a treatment pump. This cream is fairly thick so we recommend spooning it into a plastic bag, snipping off the corner and piping the lotion into the bottle like icing on a cake.