Open Source Skincare: DIY products that work

For a few years, I've been making many of my own skincare products and doing DIY facials/spa treatments with pleasing results. Today while contemplating an aspirin mask, I realized that what I'm doing could also be called Open Source Skincare. Dermatology research and my own trial and error show that certain products, with certain chemicals/ingredients, at certain concentrations, have predictable results.

Case in point: the aspirin mask has as its primary ingredient Salicylic Acid, which is in turn synthesized from the black willow tree's bark (salix). Paula's Choice sells 2% salicylic acid lotion, gel, and liquid. At a pH of 3 or 3.2, this chemical is an effective chemical exfoliant and prevents and treats painful cystic acne.

All skincare products are required to list the active and inactive ingredients. It's easy, then, to tell what exactly makes your favorite product effective. Many of the inactive ingredients are just there to act as carriers and preservatives for the inactive ingredients. For example, glycolic acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid that rapidly dissolves surface flakiness and promotes a more even skintone. Usual concentrations range from 5-10% in products for the face, but professionals use much stronger concentrations for 'peels'. There are many readily available sources of Alpha Hydroxy Acids - lemon juice, citric acid powder, and glycolic acid from websites like Skinactives.

Skinactives is actually a very illuminating website, that offers hundreds of 'actives' in popular products. (disclaimer: I have not yet ordered from this website so I can't vouch for their customer service or products - I'm merely linking to it to illustrate my point). For example, they have a chart that shows the ingredients list for many products and then has a suggested recipe for making said product. Perhaps most intriguing is the $29 Creme de la Mer kit (which retails, as you probably know, for $150). I don't even LIKE CDLM, but if you do, I think it would be worth it to try the replacement.

If I were to order today, I'd have to order:

Salicylic Acid
Resveratrol
Eyeliss (same ingredient as many well-reviewed eye creams)
Ascorbic Acid
and a base or two, like the Seakelp Bioferment, and the Canvas Base Cream.

Seems simple, doesn't it? I'm going to try it out sometime in the near future and will be sure to post more results. What product do you think you'd like to replace in your medicine cabinet?