Add a little bit of luxury to your cleansing routine with this DIY rose cleansing balm from guest bloggers Kim and Kyla of A Life Adjacent. This velvety balm is a lovely way to pamper yourself at the end of the day. Infused with the soft, floral fragrance of rose petals, it will help you relax and unwind as it melts away your makeup. A subtle petal pink color makes this cleansing balm a delight for all of your senses!

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Emulsified cleansing balm recipe

Who doesn’t love a bit of self-care at the end of the night? A few minutes spent taking good care of your skin can have lasting effects, not only on your skin’s condition, but also on your overall mood. And what better way to improve your mood than with the intoxicating scent of roses?

This DIY rose cleansing balm pairs the aroma of fresh roses with a rich, creamy balm. A combination of jojoba oil, white beeswax, and a natural olive emulsifier create a silky consistency that will melt away even the most long-wearing makeup. Plus, it’s the perfect texture for giving yourself a pampering facial massage.

For the finishing touches, rose petal powder adds a subtle pop of colour, while naturally fragrant rose wax releases a lovely aroma as you cleanse. The result is a cleansing balm that’s as beautiful as it is effective.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced DIYer, this cleansing balm recipe is extremely easy to make. It can be customized according to your needs and preferences, and includes a vegan option for those avoiding animal products. This particular recipe is very fragrant, so if you prefer lighter scents in your skincare products, you may want to check out our simple DIY vanilla cleansing balm.

For more cleanser recipes, try this bamboo face scrub, this cleansing balm with jojoba beads, and this gentle DIY cleansing milk.

Why cleansing with oil is good for your skin

The idea of using oil to cleanse your face may raise concern for some people. After all, oil is typically viewed as something that causes breakouts, not something that helps prevent them.

But that’s exactly what oil can do. As you may recall from chemistry, like dissolves like. This means that using the right oil on your skin can break up the oil that blocks pores and causes blemishes. By pairing a cleansing balm with a facial massage, you help dislodge blockages before they turn into full-fledged breakouts.

But this doesn’t mean that cleansing balms are just for those with oily skin. Those with dry, sensitive or mature complexions can also benefit from the extra moisture and nourishment that a cleansing balm can provide. Instead of feeling dry or tight, your skin will feel soft and hydrated after cleansing.

Irena also has a DIY oil cleanser recipe that leverages the power of oil to cleanse both deeply and gently.

DIY rose cleansing balm ingredients

Clear jojoba oil

Due to its unique composition, jojoba oil is very shelf-stable and resistant to heat. It’s comprised mostly of wax esters, meaning it’s more of a liquid wax than a true oil.

Jojoba oil is also high in omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids as well as potent antioxidant vitamin E. This makes it much less prone to oxidation than other liquid vegetable oils. The hot water used to wash your face can damage unstable oils and contribute to skin inflammation, so it’s best to use heat-stable lipids like jojoba oil in a cleansing balm.

We chose clear, naturally filtered jojoba oil as to not affect the final colour of the balm. Using regular jojoba oil will not affect its efficacy, but it will give the finished product a golden tone.

If your skin doesn’t fare well with jojoba oil, you can substitute any liquid oil that you wish. However, it’s important to note that this may result in a textural change.

Olivem 1000

Olivem 1000 is a natural emulsifier and gentle surfactant derived from olive oil. This special ingredient is what allows this rose cleansing balm to so effortlessly melt away makeup.

This ingredient is very viscous, yet surprisingly easy to remove. Once Olivem 1000 has done the work of emulsifying your makeup, you’ll be able to wipe everything away with a hot washcloth.

As an added benefit, it’s completely hypoallergenic and is therefore ideal for sensitive skin.

Beeswax or sunflower wax

Beeswax has the ability to turn any liquid oil into a rich balm, but its benefits don’t stop there. It also has calming, humectant, and anti-inflammatory properties that make it incredibly soothing and moisturizing

We love the dense, creamy consistency that beeswax gives this homemade cleansing balm. It’s firm in the container, yet melts readily on contact with skin.

Again, we used naturally filtered beeswax in this recipe, which has a white appearance instead of the typical golden beeswax tone. This was chosen as to not affect the cleansing balm’s soft pink colour. However, filtered beeswax also has the benefit of being far less allergenic than regular beeswax and therefore more suitable for sensitive skin.

If you’re vegan or highly allergic to bee products, you may wish to use plant-based sunflower wax as an alternative. Sunflower wax is denser than beeswax, so if you choose to use it, you’ll only need half the amount of beeswax called for in this recipe. You can also use candelilla wax, but its bright yellow appearance will affect the color of your balm.

Rose wax

Rose wax is the aromatic wax left over from the process of making rose absolute. A little goes a long way with this highly fragrant wax! Sweet, herbaceous and floral, it adds a lovely creaminess and natural fragrance to this homemade cleansing balm.

Though still a luxury ingredient, rose wax is a more affordable alternative to rose essential oil for those who love the distinctive scent of roses.

The only downside is that rose wax can be hard to source, so you can still make a lovely rose-scented cleansing balm without it. A few drops of rose otto is the best replacement. Pure rose oil is an investment, so it’s perfectly acceptable to buy a rose otto that’s been pre-diluted in a carrier oil, such as jojoba oil.

Please be aware that due to their potent fragrances, rose wax and rose essential oil can be sensitizing. If you have particularly sensitive skin, you may be better off omitting the aromatic ingredients. Instead, you can use extra rose petal powder for a subtler aroma.

Pink rose petal powder

A pinch of finely ground pink rose petal powder gives this cleansing balm a soft pink colour. If desired, you can use more for a deeper color and extra rose fragrance.

If you don’t have rose petal powder, you could also use a bit of pink clay for a subtle color and even more cleansing properties. And of course, you can also make your own rose powder by grinding organic dried pink rose petals in a coffee grinder.

How to use this rose cleansing balm

Since a cleansing balm cleanses deeply, it’s best used at night on a face full of makeup. You don’t want or need to disturb your skin’s protective barrier by using a cleansing balm twice a day. For morning cleansing, something gentle like our natural DIY micellar water would suffice.

Start with dry skin. Scoop a generous amount out of the jar using a clean cosmetic spoon or spatula. You can also use your fingers, but only if your hands are clean and thoroughly dry.

Massage your balm into your skin with gentle, circular motions, and watch as the balm quickly melts and emulsifies your makeup. It’s good to take your time here, since facial massage has so many benefits for both your skin and your lymphatic system! And the longer you linger, the more time you get to enjoy the beautiful rose fragrance.

Once you’ve finished your facial massage, place a hot, wet washcloth over your face to briefly steam your pores. Then, gently wipe the cloth across your face to remove the balm. If at this point you still have residual eye makeup, you may wish to repeat the process again.

After this step, your face should be free of visible makeup. To ensure a thorough cleanse, follow up your cleansing balm with you usual facial cleanser. Your skin will be left clean, soft, and ready for the rest of your skincare routine.

Those using the oil cleansing method may wish to skip the facial cleanser. However, this technique doesn’t work for everyone, and should only be attempted if you know it works for your particular skin type.

More from A Life Adjacent

If you enjoyed this recipe, then you might also like our vanilla cleansing balm, our witch hazel micellar water, and our other homemade beauty recipes on our blog A Life Adjacent. And if you love the scent of roses as much as we do, you may enjoy our rose petal bath bombs or our plumping rose petal lip mask. For even more natural beauty ideas, follow us on Pinterest and Instagram. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

More rose beauty recipes

If you like this emulsified cleansing balm, you may enjoy some of these other rose-inspired bath and body products:

Add the jojoba oil and rose powder.

• DIY rose body lotion
• homemade rose body wash
• rose-inspired beauty gifts
• DIY rose serum
• rose petal bath bombs
• rose bath truffles