Soap Queen

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Healing Under Eye Serum

Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

Difficulty: Beginner
Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1 bottle

Nothing does more damage to your skin than being outside in the elements in the sun and wind. Treat your overly sunned face to some pampering oils to help nourish, replenish and reduce inflammation. We’ve had a string of nice weather here in Bellingham, WA so you better believe that I’ve been wearing SPF protection and treating my eyes at night with this serum. Stay away wrinkles! You are not welcome here!

What makes this recipe so healing and skin loving?

Tamanu Oil: Often used to treat burns, insect bites and stretch marks.

Vitamin E Oil: Nourishing, moisturizing and may decrease wrinkles. Often used to heal scars.

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE): Used as an antioxidant to help prevent rancidity in oils.

Meadowfoam Oil: Contains 98% long-chain fatty acids making this oil moisturizing and rejuvenating.

Mallow Extract: Contains soothing and protecting properties to dry and sensitive skin. Also used in skincare products to reduce inflammation.

Avocado Oil: Contains natural vitamins B1, B2, and A.

Carrot Seed Essential Oil (optional): Simply the best oil for pampering of more mature skin types. This essential oil works by stimulating red blood cells which improves appearances by adding elasticity and tone to skin.

Eye Serum Recipe

1 ml Tamanu Oil

1 ml Vitamin E Oil

1 ml Grapefruit Seed Extract

1 ml Meadowfoam Oil

2 ml Mallow Extract

.5 ml Avocado Oil

Optional: .5 ml Carrot Seed Essential Oil (replace this with .5 ml of Mallow Extract)

Plastic Roller Bottle (Discontinued)

Yields: 1 Roller Bottle

Get everything you  need in the click of a button!

Prep: Does your Tamanu Oil look like the picture to the left? Don’t worry, that’s just what Tamanu Oil looks like. Pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Did it melt? If not pop it in for another 10 seconds until the specs are gone and it’s a nice dark color like the picture to the right.

ONE: Using a plastic dropper, add all of the ingredients into the plastic roller bottle. If you choose to add 1 ml of the Carrot Seed Extract  to the recipe, only use 1 ml of the Mallow Extract.

TWO: Add the roller bottle cap and black cap and shake the oils together.

Tip: The Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is super thick so it will settle at the bottom of the container. You’ll need to shake the bottle before each use. The oils will turn slightly cloudy after shaking, which is perfectly normal.

To Use: Generously roll-on the mixture under and around your eyes, gently massaging into your skin before bed time.

Have a question about this blog post? Come join us at Bramble Berry’s Facebook page and we can help you out with any of your soapy questions!
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73 Comments

  1. Have dermatitis around my eyes, the steroid ointment the Dr. gave me didn’t work. I had rosehip oil so I decided to try it. And did some research on it. It really has worked. Finally some relief! Would have tried tamanu oil but did’nt have any left, love that as well.Any feed back to rosehip oil?
    Thanks!
    Barb

    • Hi Barb!

      We are so happy to hear that the Rosehip Oil that you used worked so well for you. We haven’t experimented too much with it, but we’ve heard some great things about it! In this particular recipe, we used the Tamanu Oil because it is such a skin-loving oil that is very mild on the skin and great for people with sensitive skin. If you ever get a chance to try it, let us know. 🙂

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

      Tamanu Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Tamanu-Oil-P3217.aspx

    • Hi Sonya!

      As of this time we are not carrying the rolling bottles any longer, but I’d definitely check in you area to see if you have any specialty bottles stores or with Sunburst or Specialty Bottles online. I hope this helps! =)

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  3. Thanks for the serum recipe…. All good natural ingredients … Might I suggest you stand the oil in warm water until the bits breakdown? Using a microwave just re-natured EVERYTHING good in the oil….

    • Good morning, Colleen!

      Thanks for the suggestion. In our research, we have never found the microwave to be harmful for our products, but we totally understand if you don’t want to use one for yours. Keep us updated on how your serum turns out and if you get any pictures, we’d love to see them on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page.

      https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  5. I made this serum this weekend, and played around a little with the recipe based on what I had on hand (left out the grapefruit seed extract, added more tamanu & meadowfoam, added sea buckthorn extract). It came out really nice– very moisturizing! One change that I made that I really liked was to add a few (8-10) drops of blue chamomile essential oil. The chamomile is good for inflammation, which seemed perfect for eyes, and a nice side benefit is that it’s great for a good night’s sleep. I put it on before bed and slept very well!

    • Good morning, Amisha!

      We are so glad you like this recipe so much and had a chance to make it. I’ve often referred back to this recipe when someone is asking me for skin-loving facial product. I’ll have to keep in mind your recommendation of the blue chamomile essential oil for my next batch.

      If you have any pictures of your eye serum, we’d love to see them. You can share them with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page:

      https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

    • Hi Bev!

      We’ve recently discontinued the plastic roller bottles on our website and are currently sourcing new glass ones. But, in the meantime, any type of roller bottle will work for this recipe as it is using fixed oils and not essential oils. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. =)

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  7. So do you have to add a preservative to this in order to sell? Basically my question is regarding this and all other oils, dry masks, balms, solid lotions and perfumes. I’m a little confused. Thanks!

  8. Looking forward to trying this recipe.. It looks great!!

    Just an FYI or kind suggestion… I see that you are suggesting putting the Tamanu oil into the microwave, but even at just a few seconds, the microwave could zap away useful properties in the oil. It takes longer, but is much better for the oil if it’s immersed into warm water for a period of time.

    Cheers!

    • Hi Corie!

      Thank you so much for your comment. While I am personally okay using the microwave for oils, I know it is definitely a personal preference. For foods and recipes, I typically go off studies (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/health/17real.html?_r=0), but in the end, a water bath melts the oils exactly the same way as a microwave does, so they both will work! You can also use the stove as a way to melt your ingredients as there are a lot of people who don’t actually have a microwave. 🙂

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  9. I have psoriasis and under my eyes gets very dry and some days actually peels in large plaques. Would this possibly help heal that?

    • Good morning, Pam!

      It’s tough to say. Really, prescription steroids are the only thing that’s been proven to help with psoriasis but it cannot possibly hurt. Great moisturization is always a good idea!

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  10. I just got these ingredients to make the serum and it is great! I have used it on a terrible burn on my hand and it is healing quickly! Not that I made it for that but it did the trick!

    I love how this combo of oils absorb quickly into the skin leaving no oily residue.
    Thanks so much for sharing!

  11. Just wondering if adding a little Lavender E/O to this wonderful blend would effect it either way? The oils are so strong and not very pleasant odor, just thought adding lavander would calm them down a bit and definitely be relaxing at night.
    Thanks so much!
    Angie Queen

    • Adding the Lavender Essential Oil would make a great addition to this serum in very small amounts, literally .1% maybe since the eye area is so sensitive, and lavender has been known to help relax. If you use it, let us know how it turns out for you!
      -Becky with Bramble Berry

    • If you (we) make any claims about our products, we run the risk of turning this product into a drug based product (because we’re making claims) so we don’t have any suggestions on that unfortunately. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help – or actually had an answer since I get dark circles under my eyes as well with a newborn in the house! =)

  13. If I make this (or a variant of it) to sell, how specific do I need to be on the ingredient list? Such as, can I just list mallow extract, or do I need to list each thing in the mallow extract?
    Thanks!

  14. just so im sure.. the total ingredients will be 6.5ml.. so if i add the carrot seed oil (.5ml) does that mean i only put 1.5ml of the mallow extract?

    ty,mike

  15. Thank you! yes I did dilute and I must say even diluted I am loving the immediate effect this has on my skin so thank you for inspiring us.
    (and by the way, you are toally awesome :))

    Eugenia

    • Wonderful – I’m so glad that you’re enjoying this recipe now. You’ve made my night with this great news! =)

  16. Hi Anne-Marie,

    I learnt that each ml of any EO (essential oil) should be diluted in about 28-30gr of carrier oil (with very few exceptions).
    This recipe calls for 2ml of 2 EO’s while the amount of carrier oils are very small.

    Is this safe to use?

    Thank you,
    Eugenia

    • Hi Eugenia,

      The recipe only calls for 1 ml of the EO (the Carrot Seed Oil) so not quite as strong as you’re thinking =)

      That said, of course, dilute down if you are concerned.

      I’ve been using the recipe and LOVE it but definitely can see the gentle under eye area needing a bit more TLC for some sensitive people and their skin. =)

      I’ll put a note on the post just to be on the safe side. Thanks for the note. I totally appreciate it.

  17. Looks like the same thing happened to me that happened to Donna- the allergic reaction. I made the recipe with the alterations of 1ml of mallow and 1ml of GSE. I applied a generous amount right before bed, and woke up in the middle of the night with my eyes red, puffy and burning. I did reading about GSE- and one site claims GSE can actually cause allergic reactions because of the preservatives it uses. Think that’s possible?

    • GSE, if it is preserved, is preserved with less than 1% of preservatives. This would make it less than .1% in the total final product so it’s probably not the preservatives. If it’s anything, you’re irritated by one of the oils or the mallow extract or the GSE itself. GSE is a citrus derivative (grapefruit seed extract) so that would be the most likely culprit in my opinion.

      I’d water down the entire recipe by 50% with Olive Oil and see how you do with that.

      The eye area is the MOST sensitive area of the body (except for mucus membranes) so try that and let me know how it goes =)

  18. I can’t find the tamau oil on the website. when I click on the link (the name above) it takes me to
    A Summary of Dave Ramsey’s Chick-Fil-A Leadercast Advice

    • Definitely! Just make sure you have your business license before you start selling =) I’m assuming you do because you already have such a lovely website.

  20. i made the recipe and used it all week sparingly then i read this again and it said generously so that night i put on heavy and the next morning under my eyes were sore and red and peeling what do you think happen? do you think i put to much on? its been about 3 days and i haven’t used it but is still pretty dry and flaky under my eyes the soreness went away after one day

    • It sounds like you’re having an allergic reaction to one of the fixed oils is my guess, though I can’t imagine what. Did you use the Carrot Seed Essential Oil or the Mallow Extract?

      If you didn’t use the carrot seed, the only way to figure out what you’re having a reaction to (and this will be helpful for you in all of your beauty shopping for the rest of your life) is to apply each and every oil, individually (!!) for one or two nights to see if that individual oil gives you a reaction. If it does not, do a one day “break” where you use nothing and then move on to the next oil. Please keep me posted on what you find out. If I had to guess, it’s the GSE or the Carrot Seed since they’re both such a powerful ingredients….

      =)

      • i used the carrot and the mallow did i make the recipe wrong? i used 2ml of mallow and 1ml of carrot but i was fine all week no problems. Hmmmm i will have to try all the oils separately like you said i will keep you informed Thanks

        • It could be something else that caused the red flaky sore eyes but the coincidence is too strong for me. The recipe is designed for either Carrot seed essential oil OR mallow extract and not both so that might just be a little much antioxidant work for your delicate eye area? Keep me posted =)

          • Your comment says to use either the carrot seed extract OR mallow extract, but the instructions say “If you choose to add 1 ml of the Carrot Seed Extract to the recipe, only use 1 ml of the Mallow Extract.”

            I’m confused, can you clarify?

      • One more thought, any allergies, you should be seeing a Doctor about. He’ll potentially say the same thing that I said but if you’re at all concerned, a trained medical professional is where it’s at!

        • @Ali There are 2 ml of the Mallow Extract in the recipe. The optional part is just swapping 1 ml of Mallow for 1 ml of Carrot Seed EO. Feel free to make this recipe your own. If you want to add 2 ml of the carrot seed essential oil and get rid of the mallow all together…go for it =)

          Courtney from Bramble Berry

  21. I tried this recipe last night, didn’t have all the ingredients so I used Argan oil in place of the Tamanu oil, Dulse extract in place of the Mallow extract, and extra Meadowfoam Seed Oil in place of the GSE. It turned out to have a nice feel, plus the rollerbottle massage around the eyes is nice too! I want to get the ingredients later to make the exact product, but couldn’t wait to try the idea out with stuff I had on hand that I thought would be similar!

    • Have you been using your own recipe since you posted, and if so, how has your skin reacted?? Or did you get the original recipe ingredients and just go with them….just curious. Thanx!! 🙂

      • I have been using this recipe since I posted, and it has been great! I have Tamanu oil now so I will probably try it with Tamanu oil and green tea extract next time 🙂

    • The shelf life will be about a year.

      And as a rule of thumb, the shelf life will be the same as the oil with the shortest shelf life.

      Courtney from Bramble Berry

  23. Ooo, nice! I’ve heard good things about tamanu. My problem is I’m getting some darker skin patches from sun damage. Looking for natural ways to diminish those. Any ideas?

  24. I was putting in an order today and just happened to see this recipe. I can’t wait to try it. Just an FYI, though, your buy it now places 2 bottles of tamanu oil in the cart. I didn’t catch it before I checked out, but its okay, it will get used in something else!

  26. Try upping the quantity of the thicker oils like Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin E or Tamanu. That should do the trick.

    Courtney from Bramble Berry

  27. How can I make this thicker like a traditional serum? Not lotion like but more gel like? Thanks

  28. If I wanted a thicker consistency (not like a lotion but almost) what do you suggest I add to it and at what quantity? I’m thinking emulsifying wax?

    Thanks.

    • I’m thinking you could mix this recipe with 1/2 teaspoon of Shea or Mango butter. Melt it down. Mix. Then let cool. You’ll probably need to put it in a different container as well. If it’s thicker it probably won’t work in the roller bottle. Let us know how it goes!

      Courtney from Bramble Berry

  29. I’d love to know the reason behind it turning cloudy when you shake it. Is it because of particulates or some other reaction? I think it’s a very pretty green. 🙂

  30. This looks fantastic and I love that the recipe is for one so I can make it right away just for me.

    Thanks 🙂

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