DIY your own easy Oil-to-Milk Facial Cleanser
If you’re looking for a gentle facial cleanser that removes makeup, sunscreen, excess oil, and daily impurities without leaving your skin feeling tight or stripped, an oil-to-milk cleanser may be exactly what you need. Unlike traditional foaming cleansers that rely on surfactants to clean the skin, oil cleansers use nourishing carrier oils to dissolve oil-based impurities while helping maintain the skin’s natural moisture barrier. When mixed with water, the oils transform into a light milky emulsion that rinses away easily, leaving skin clean, soft, and comfortable.Â
Oil cleansing has become increasingly popular among skincare enthusiasts because it works well for a wide variety of skin types, including dry, mature, sensitive, and even oily or acne-prone skin. The principle is simple: oil dissolves oil. A properly formulated cleansing oil can effectively remove excess sebum, makeup, and environmental buildup while respecting the skin’s delicate acid mantle.
This DIY oil-to-milk facial cleanser recipe combines carefully selected carrier oils with an emulsifier that allows the product to transform into a milk when it comes into contact with water. You’ll also learn how to customize the formula for your skin type, choose the most suitable carrier oils, and use Vitamin E to help protect your oils from oxidation.
Whether you’re completely new to DIY skincare or an experienced formulator looking for a simple and effective cleansing oil formula, this beginner-friendly recipe is a great introduction to anhydrous skincare products. Because the formula contains no water, it is naturally less prone to microbial growth than water-based cleansers, making it one of the easiest facial care products to make at home.
In this guide you’ll learn:
- What an oil-to-milk facial cleanser is
- Why oil cleansing works
- How to choose carrier oils for your skin type
- Which emulsifier to use and why
- The role of Vitamin E in oil-based formulations
- How to make your own DIY oil cleanser at home
- Tips for packaging, storage, and shelf life
This natural oil cleanser recipe is ideal for anyone interested in DIY skincare, gentle cleansing routines, and creating customised facial care products using high-quality ingredients.
About the Ingredients Used in this Formulation:
Carrier Oils:
In this formulation carrier oils are used to clean oil based impurities form you face. The water you mix the product with at the time of use will clean off any water based impurities.
Dry Skin
- Sunflower
- Avocado
- Hazelnut
- Moringa
- Pomogranate
- Castor
Oily Skin
- Grapeseed
- Jojoba
- Hemp
- Rosehip
- Fractionated Coconut
- Sesame Seed
Mature Skin
- Rosehip
- Macadamia
- Passion Fruit
- Argan
- Avocado
- Pomogranate
Sensitive Skin
- Evening Primrose
- Argan
- Rice Bran
- Apricot Kernel
- Avocado
- Moringa
Read more about Carrier oils in this postÂ
Essential Oils
In this formulation carrier oils are our active ingredients.  Active ingredients are any type of ingredient that offers a special benefit to the skin.
Dry Skin
- Myrrh
- Petitgrain
- Patchouli
- Cedarwood
Oily Skin
- Bergamot
- Cedarwood
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Ylang Ylang
Mature Skin
- Juniper Berry
- Cedarwood
- Roman Chamomile
- Myrrh
Sensitive Skin
- Frankincense
- Helichrysum
- Black Spruce
- Lavender
- Rosemary
Emulsifier
The emulsifier is what will cause the milky effect when you mix your cleanser with water. When the oil and water emulsify, you get to use both to their full potential.
Choosing Your Emulsifier
There are different emulsifiers you could use for this formulation. The cheapest one is Polysorbate 80, but if you are wanting to only use natural ingredients, this will not be an option for you.
Up next is Durosoft PG4-O.  Durosoft PG4-O is naturally derived from sunflower seed oil, its lipophilic properties make it ideal for use in transparent and water free formulations such as oil cleansers, massage oils and solid moisturising bars.
There is also Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate which is a PEG-free non ionic emulsifier based on natural raw materials.
Emulsifier
Polysorbate 80
Durosoft PG4-O
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
Natural Origin
No
Yes (Sunflower-derived)
Yes
Typical Usage
Cost-effective oil-to-milk cleansers
Natural oil cleansers and massage oils
Natural cleansing oils and mild emulsifying systems
Adding an Antioxidant
When carrier oils gets older they start to oxidise or go rancid, to help delay this process, we add an antioxidant.
Vitamin E (tocopherol) serves two functions in oil-based formulations. First, it acts as an antioxidant that helps slow oxidation of the carrier oils, improving shelf life. Second, it offers skin-conditioning and antioxidant benefits when used in leave-on products. While Vitamin E helps delay rancidity, it is not a preservative and does not protect against bacteria, mould or yeast.
Learn more about Vitamin E in our comprehensive blog post here
Recommended Packaging
For an oil-to-milk cleanser, consider:
- Glass dropper bottles
- Treatment pumps
- Serum pumps
- Foaming pump bottles (for pre-emulsified systems)
Store the cleanser away from direct sunlight and heat to maximise shelf life.
Shelf Life of your Oil-to-Milk Facial Cleanser
Because this formulation contains no water, it does not normally require a broad-spectrum preservative. However, the shelf life will depend on the freshness and stability of the carrier oils used. Adding Vitamin E helps delay oxidation, but it does not stop it entirely. Always discard the product if it develops an unusual odour or appearance.
A note regarding quantities used:
When we formulate, we do so in percentages, and then weigh our ingredients, as that is the easiest way to scale your formulation. I know not everyone has an accurate enough scale at home, and since we are only working with liquid ingredients, I have added milliliter measurements in brackets next to each ingredient. If you use the milliliter measurements provided you will make approximately 50ml of oil-2-milk cleanser.
Lavender & Geranium Oil-to-Milk Facial Cleanser
Ingredients
- 46% (23ml) Sweet Almond Oil
- 20% (10ml) Sunflower Oil
- 10% (5ml) Castor Oil
- 21% (10.5ml) Emulsifier (Polysorbate 80, Durosoft PG4-OÂ or Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate)
- 1.2% (0.6ml) (+-16 drops) Lavender Essential Oil
- 0.8% (0.4ml) (+-11 drops) Geranium Essential Oil
- 1% (0.5ml) Vitamin E Oil (natural)
Method
- Weigh or measure all your carrier oils in a beaker, mix well.
- Weigh or measure your essential oils and Vitamin E.
- Weigh or measure your emulsifier into an empty beaker and start mixing it with a whisk. (I’ve found an electric one with only 1 attachment on a slow setting, works very well)
- While whisking, start adding you’re your carrier oil mixture in small amounts of 1-2ml to start with. Mix well after each addition.
- Once you’ve added about a ¼ of your oil mixture, you can start adding bigger quantities at a time, but still make sure to mix well before adding more oil.
- Once all your carrier oil has been added and mixed in well, you can add your essential oil and Vit E, mixture.
- When everything is mixed well, you can transfer your product into the packaging of your choice. I’ve found a dropper bottle with a lotion or serum pump attachment works well for me.
Notes:
- If you suffer from a nut allergy, you might have to substitute the Sweet Almond Oil
- You can substitute the carrier oils for another carrier oil/s of your choice
- You can substitute the essential oils for other essential oils of your choice
- When using Durosoft PG4-O you can decrease the emulsifier to 15% and increase the carrier oil % so that your formula still adds up to 100%
- When using Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate you can decrease the emulsifier to 10% and increase the carrier oil % so that your formula still adds up to 100%
To Use:
- Add a small amount of your cleanser to damp hands and apply to your face by gently rubbing.
- Rinse off with warm water
FAQ
Do oil cleansers clog pores?
Not necessarily. Choosing the correct carrier oils for your skin type is important. Many popular cleansing oils contain lightweight oils such as jojoba and grapeseed oil.
Can oily skin use an oil cleanser?
Yes. Oil cleansers are commonly used by oily skin types because they remove excess sebum without over-drying the skin.
Do I need a preservative?
Because this recipe does not contain water, a broad-spectrum preservative is typically not required. However, good manufacturing practices should still be followed.
Is Vitamin E a preservative?
No. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps slow oxidation of oils but does not prevent microbial growth.
