Turn the LimeLights-Out before you go

This DIY make-up remover gets your skin out of the glare

When the spotlight’s shining on you, it’s fun to have a ruby lip, a dramatic cat eye, or subtly flushed cheeks. But when it’s lights-out, it feels so good to have bare skin again—free of make-up and all the dust, sweat, and pollution that accumulate over the day. That’s why we came up with LimeLights-Out, a homemade make-up remover with a special “limey” ingredient that leaves your skin clean and soft so you can glow again tomorrow.

This make-up remover recipe is rather unique. It’s composed mainly of limewater and vegetable oil, which provoke a saponification reaction, creating a product that will gently cleanse your skin and remove your makeup. With the added benefits of beeswax and olive squalane, this DIY make-up remover leaves your skin soft and glowing—so you’re ready for the limelight again when you wake up.

But for now, say LimeLights-Out with your very own homemade make-up remover!

How to make make-up remover

Before you begin

• The chemical reaction between limewater and vegetable oil produces soap, yielding a product with a slightly alkaline pH. Because the pH of your skin is slightly acidic, we recommend applying a hydrosol after using your make-up remover in order to re-establish your skin’s natural pH. It’s a great idea, as hydrosols offer all sorts of other skin benefits! To learn more, check out our article on which hydrosol is right for your skin type. If this extra step seems like too much trouble, we recommend trying our other make-up remover recipe instead!
• As we explained above, this make-up remover recipe involves a saponification reaction, meaning it produces soap. However, it’s quite different from the saponification reaction that occurs in cold process soap making. You don’t need to wait for your make-up remover to cure before you can use it. It’s good to go as soon as you’re finished making it.

Ingredients

Oil phase

• 13.8 g (46%) sesame oil
• 0.15 g (0.5%) white beeswax beads

Aqueous phase

• 13.8 g (46%) limewater

Cooling phase

• 1.5 g (5%) olive squalane
• 0.3 g (1%) vitamin E
• 0.3 g (1%) elderberry extract
• 0.15 g (0.5%) aromatic essence of your choosing

Tools

• Two small stainless steel bowls
• Components to make two double boilers
• Small silicone spatula
• Scale, accurate to 0.01 g
• Pipette
• Ramekin
• Mini-mixer with frothing attachment (the small wheel)
• Thermometer
• Eyedropper bottle (30 ml)
• Funnel

Good to know!

• Sesame oil is revitalizing and softening. It gives your DIY make-up remover a smooth feel so that it slides on well. You can replace it with the same proportion of the vegetable oil of your choosing. Sunflower or olive oil are good alternatives as they have a similar feel.
• Beeswax helps keep the make-up remover homogeneous. This recipe calls for white beeswax beads, but you can choose to use natural beeswax in block form or beads instead.
• Limewater is the main ingredient in this make-up remover and causes the reaction described above. It cannot be replaced.
• Olive squalane softens and protects your skin. It also helps yield a less greasy feel than typical oleo-calcareous liniments (another term for a skin product made of oil and limewater). It cannot be replaced. 
• Elderberry extract is antibacterial and antifungal; it helps preserve the aqueous ingredients. 
• Vitamin E is an antioxidant; it prevents the vegetable oil from going rancid.
• The aromatic essence will leave your skin delicately scented. If you don’t wish to include a scent, you can replace the aromatic essence by the same proportion of vegetable oil. Because make-up removers are used around your eyes, among other places, we advise against using essential oils in this recipe.

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
2. Weigh the oil phase ingredients in the first bowl and melt on the first double boiler. Once melted, mix well with the spatula until the mixture is homogeneous.
3. Weigh the aqueous phase ingredients in the second bowl and heat on the second double boiler until the aqueous phase reaches 60°C.
4. Weigh the cooling phase ingredients in a ramekin.
5. When the aqueous phase has reached 60°C, pour it over the oil phase. Mix well with the mini-mixer to emulsify.
6. When the emulsion has cooled to less than 45°C, add the cooling phase ingredients and mix well with the mini-mixer.
7. Pour it into the container using a funnel. Your DIY make-up remover is ready!

Use and conservation

This homemade make-up remover is formulated for all skin types. 

Apply some to a cotton pad and use it to remove your make-up. Wipe your face again with another cotton pad soaked in the hydrosol of your choosing in order to remove excess product and re-establish the natural pH of your skin before proceeding with your usual beauty routine.

When made in optimal sanitary conditions, your homemade make-up remover will keep for about three months.