DIY Foaming Acne Cleanser: Castile Soap, Aloe and Tea Tree

Acne comes in many forms: small bumps, red pustules with pus, itchy irritated patches and deep cystic lumps under the skin. Many cleansers dry the skin out while they fight the pimples. Daisy’s answer is a foaming cleanser with only three ingredients. She says it takes less than two minutes to make, needs no fridge and has no fragrance or preservatives. It is also cheap, so a student in a hostel can make it.

In the video she builds a full routine: the cleanser, a vinegar toner and a light oil. Here is how each step works.

How to make Daisy’s foaming acne cleanser

Start with a clean pump bottle. Daisy reuses an empty one from home. Wash it, then sanitise it with boiling water and let it dry fully. She says to do this even with a brand-new bottle, because many people may have handled it. Bacteria in the bottle are the last thing acne-prone skin needs.

Then add three things:

• 3 tablespoons of castile soap.
• 9 tablespoons of transparent aloe vera gel. That is one part soap to three parts gel.
• 10 drops of pure tea tree essential oil.

Shake well. The result is creamy and foamy, but not bubbly or harsh. Daisy says the aloe gel makes it creamy. It smells strongly of tea tree. If 10 drops feels like a lot, she says to start with fewer and build up.

Why castile soap, aloe and tea tree oil

Castile soap is a gentle soap made from plant oils. Daisy says it does not strip the skin’s moisture and has no chemical preservatives. She uses a neem and lemongrass one, and says any gentle castile soap will do.

She points out that castile soap is alkaline, around pH 9 to 10.5, while skin sits near 5.5. This is where the aloe comes in. Daisy says aloe gel has a pH of about 4.5 to 5, so it cushions the soap’s alkalinity. She also describes aloe as anti-inflammatory and soothing for angry, red, pus-filled pimples. Use clear aloe gel, not green.

Tea tree oil is her active ingredient. Daisy says it is antibacterial and works across the whole range of acne, from fungal acne bumps on the forehead to hormonal and cystic pimples. She compares it with benzoyl peroxide, a common pharmacy acne ingredient. Her view is that it works more slowly but without the peeling, redness and dryness.

Daisy says the cleanser also removes dirt, oil and makeup. For eye makeup, she removes that first with a proper eye makeup remover.

The apple cider vinegar toner

Daisy says to always follow a cleanser with a toner. Her pick is apple cider vinegar, and it must be the kind that says “with the mother” on the label.

The mother is the cloudy sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Daisy says it is a colony of helpful bacteria and enzymes that produces malic, citric and lactic acids. These are natural alpha hydroxy acids, the same family used in many skincare products. She says regular clear vinegar is filtered and pasteurised, so it loses this sediment.

Her dilution rules are firm: never use it neat.

• Sensitive skin: 1 part vinegar to 4 parts distilled water.
• Tougher skin: 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
• No distilled water at home? Boil tap water and let it cool.

Hemp seed oil or squalane to moisturise

Once the toner dries, Daisy applies a non-comedogenic moisturiser, meaning one that should not clog pores. She likes two oils.

Hemp seed oil is her first choice. She calls it a holy grail for acne among dermatologists and gives it a comedogenic rating of zero. She also says it is about 60% linoleic acid, and that acne-prone skin tends to be low in this fatty acid. In her view, it helps thick, sticky sebum flow out of the pores instead of clogging them.

Squalane is her second choice, and the one she uses on camera. She says it mimics the skin’s own oils and soaks in without feeling greasy. A pump or two is enough, depending on how dry your skin is. She prefers oils with no added fragrance. If you want a scent, she says to add only a drop or two of an essential oil.

What research says

Tea tree oil has some human evidence. A 1990 trial of 124 people with mild to moderate acne compared 5% tea tree oil gel with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion. Both reduced pimples, tea tree oil acted more slowly, and it caused fewer side effects. That was a leave-on gel, not a wash-off cleanser like Daisy’s.

On linoleic acid, one small study found that linoleic acid applied to the skin shrank early clogged pores by about 25% in a month. It tested linoleic acid itself, not hemp seed oil, so treat the link as a reasonable idea rather than proof.

Vinegar is the one to be careful with. A published case report describes a chemical burn from apple cider vinegar on the skin. This is why Daisy insists on dilution.

Daisy’s tips

• Never overwash. Daisy says stripped skin makes more oil to compensate, which can mean more acne.
• Make weekly batches, not monthly ones, even though nothing in the mix needs a fridge.
• Always follow the cleanser with a toner and a moisturiser.
• Patch test everything. Try it on your hand or the back of your neck and wait 24 hours before using it on your face.
• Daisy adds that creams and toners treat the surface, while the cause of acne is mostly internal. She suggests working on both.

Daisy shows every step in the video above. It takes about 13 minutes.