The Natural Skincare Formulary: What Is Inside
The Natural Skincare Formulary is a studio manual for making skincare at home: 60 formulas written in percentages, a guide to 46 ingredients and the safety fundamentals behind them. It is built for people who want to understand how a product is put together, not just copy a card. This page lists what is in it chapter by chapter, who it suits and what it leaves out.
The numbers
| Format | PDF, 82 pages, with a companion web app |
| Formulas | 60, written in percentages that total 100 |
| Level | 39 Beginner, 21 Intermediate |
| Types | 41 water-free, 9 emulsions, 6 water-based, 4 surfactant |
| Ingredient guide | 46 ingredients in 10 groups, with INCI names, use ranges and phases |
| Worksheets | Batch log and formula notes |
| Chapters | 9 |
The nine chapters
| Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Equipment & Workspace | The tools you need and how to set up before you start |
| Hygiene & Sanitising | A cleaning routine, because cleanliness decides how long products last |
| Measuring in Grams & Percentages | How percentages become grams, with worked examples |
| How a Formula Is Built: Phases | Oil phase, water phase, emulsifying and cool-down |
| Understanding pH | How to test and adjust a water-based product |
| Preservatives | When one is needed and the common ones with their use rates |
| Essential Oil Safety | Maximums by product type, phototoxic oils and who should avoid them |
| Storage, Shelf Life & Labelling | Shelf-life ranges, storage and what goes on a label |
| Troubleshooting | Causes and fixes for grainy butters, thin lotions, separation and more |
The 60 formulas by category
| Category | Formulas |
|---|---|
| Bath & shower | 11 |
| Body butters & balms | 10 |
| Creams & lotions | 9 |
| Facial oils & serums | 6 |
| Toners, mists & gels | 5 |
| Perfume & gifts | 4 |
| Masks | 3 |
| Scrubs & polishes | 3 |
| Hands, nails & deodorant | 3 |
| Lip care | 2 |
| Cleansers | 2 |
| Body oils | 2 |
Each formula lists its level, batch size, time, yield, shelf life, phases with percentages and INCI names, the method, swaps, notes and safety. Water-based formulas also list a target pH and a preservative. Some examples are covered in detail on this site: lotion, whipped body butter, lip balm, sugar scrub, bath bomb and solid perfume.
The ingredient guide
The 46 ingredients are grouped as 12 oils, 6 clays and powders, 5 thickeners, 5 preservatives, 4 emulsifiers, 4 humectants, 3 butters, 3 essential oils, 2 actives and 2 waters and hydrosols. The same set is laid out on this site in the natural skincare ingredients guide.
Bonuses and the web app
- Quick-Start Guide: your first three batches and a 15-ingredient starter shopping list.
- Ingredient Substitution Cheat Sheet: 150 swaps.
- Troubleshooting Field Guide: 47 problems with causes and fixes.
- Formulator's Workbook: formula sheets, batch logs, ingredient inventory and testing notes.
- Gift-Making Guide: 12 giftable sets and printable gift tags.
- 12-Month Seasonal Formulation Calendar: what to make when, and how weather changes the formula.
- Three surprise gifts: 12 solid perfume and roll-on blends, eight tinted lip balms and glosses, and a Home Spa Night Planner.
- Formulator's Studio web app: Batch Calculator, Formula Builder, Essential Oil Dilution, pH Helper, Shelf-life & Label, Ingredient Library and Batch Journal.
Who it suits
- Beginners who want an order to learn in. The DIY skincare for beginners page shows the three-batch plan the Quick-Start follows.
- Makers who want formulas in percentages that scale to any batch.
- People who want the reasons behind a formula: the phases, the pH and the preservative.
What it is not
- It is not medical advice, and it makes no claims about effects on skin. It teaches formulating.
- It is not a guarantee that a homemade product is safe or will last a certain time. Shelf lives are planning ranges.
- It does not include haircare formulas, a cost and pricing spreadsheet, a printable labels kit or a formula scaling workbook. These are sold separately.
- It is not a guide to selling. It tells you to learn your local rules before selling anything. For the cost arithmetic, see what a batch of handmade skincare costs to make.
Ready to buy?
The Natural Skincare Formulary is the one product on this page. The sections above are the full list of what comes with it.