Irish Moss as a Gelling Agent (Plus an Easy Hydrogel Face Mask Recipe!)

The ocean has a (beauty) secret. Irish moss has a long history of traditional use in Ireland and other coastal communities. It’s been harvested for various purposes over the years, including a food source, a remedy for respiratory ailments and a thickening agent in culinary and medicinal preparations. It also happens to be a terrific choice for water-based skincare formulations where a gel-like texture is desired. Thanks to its high mucilage content, Irish moss is a top-notch natural gelling agent capable of adding texture and viscosity to skincare formulations — without the need for added gums!

Gentle Yucca Root Shaving Gel

Move over marshmallow root, I have a new herbal obsession. Meet the yucca root. It’s an herbal surfactant. How cool is that? The possibilities of projects with this stuff – from facial cleansers to scrubs to household cleaning products – are endless!

Soothing Repair Gel with Marshmallow Root & Chamomile

Continuing my love affair with the miraculous, mucila-GENIUS marshmallow root, here’s a recipe for a lovely, soothing facial gel with chamomile. Thanks to marshmallow root’s healing polysaccharides and chamomile’s soothing, anti-inflammatory properties, it also works well on sunburns and exceptionally dry, chapped skin.

The Great Gel Experiment

I wanted to make an eye gel incorporating my all-time favorite skincare ingredient, the marshmallow root, but to do that, I needed to understand more about the different natural polysaccharides at my disposal for creating a water-based gel. Which one will give me the thick, creamy, but lightweight texture I’m looking for? How much should I use? Which one feels the best on the skin? Inquiring minds want to know!