I’m excited to teach you today how to get the benefits of fresh food skincare, with the convenience of freeze-dried ingredients.
When I first started teaching skincare, I taught workshops on how to make fresh food masks that rivaled anything you could buy. I’d show up to these classes with a basket full of fresh ingredients and start chopping and blending and mixing…
And the biggest question I got was: Do I have to make this fresh every time? I get it. Everyone is busy.
But I knew one thing for sure: nothing is better for your skin than whole food skincare and nothing is cheaper for your wallet or better for the planet than learning how to do it yourself.
So I kept working on solving the problem: how do we make fresh skincare that rivals store bought? It needs to be simple to make, it needs to have a long shelf life, be enjoyable to use and truly work.
The “problem” with fresh skincare
Fresh fruits are full of water – and water is the enemy of homemade skincare. Water is a breeding ground for bacteria and mold to grow. Which is why, the moment you prepare a fresh face mask – the clock starts ticking before it goes bad.
For example, my strawberry body scrub makes your skin feel amazing – and is worth making – but because it has fruit in it I recommend making a fresh small batch every time you want to use it.
And this is a little high-maintenance for most folks.
Then, I discovered freeze-dried strawberries at my supermarket. It smells like a strawberry, it tastes like a strawberry and in every sense of the word, it is a strawberry.
But because it’s been freeze-dried, there is no water – which means the effort you put into making a recipe – will last for weeks, not days!
What does freeze-dried mean?
Freeze drying is a food preservation technique where food is rapidly frozen and then the ice particles are vacuumed out. It leaves food in a state of “suspended animation” where the composition, the enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients are completely intact – but the water component is completely removed.
If you’ve ever tried “astronaut ice-cream” as a kid – then you’ve experienced the magic of freeze dried food! What feels like a crisp, powdery block in your hands – on contact with your tongue – instantly transforms back to its original creamy state. Entire cooked meals can be freeze-dried and stored away for years and years (survivalists are doing this and with climate change – they might be onto something!) and when you’re ready to eat it, a little water brings it right back to life.
Instant-mashed potatoes and gravy aside – for our skin, we want to focus on whole food ingredients that have not been salted, sugared or flavored.
Whole strawberry. Blueberry. even Kale… the food that nature makes.
These fruits and vegetables are picked fresh at their peak and then instantly freeze-dried. The moment you add a little water – you bring this natural element back to life. And what was dormant, is now again active, fresh and awakened enzymes and nutrients food for your skin. How cool is that!?
Now, freeze-dried fruit is not just for “fun” homemade skincare. Many natural skincare brands are using freeze-dried ingredients in their products.
So you’re rolling with the big guys!
S.W. Basics do it.
Youth to the People do it.
Laurel Skin do it.
And you can too.
What are the benefits of freeze-dried ingredients?
- Convenience: Noting beats a fresh food face mask, except for a fresh food face mask that you can make once and lasts without going off!
- Color and scent: Freeze dried foods add natural color and scent to your products!
- Transportation: With the water weight removed, you can easily carry a farmer’s market haul of fruit in your travel bag for the freshest skincare anytime you need it.
- Results: You will see a dramatic difference in your skin when you when you switch out preservative-filled, fragrance-loaded skincare – with simple wholefood skincare. The main comments that I hear from people are more balanced, clear and bright skin.
How do I choose the right ingredient for my skin?
All skin types benefit from the nutrients present in all raw fruits and vegetables. Whether you use strawberries or bananas – you will see your skin improve in health and function with consistency.
That said, here are my suggestions for specific concerns:
Dry skin: freeze-dried banana for fat
Oily, congested skin: freeze-dried pineapple for enzymes
Sensitive skin: freeze-dried aloe for soothing
Maturing skin: freeze-dried berries for antioxidants
Dehydrated skin: freeze-dried aloe for hydration and increased water retention + freeze-dried banana for fat.
How do I use freeze-dried ingredients
Okay, so you decided to trust me – and bought a packet of freeze-dried fruit. Now what?
Step 1: Grind it to a powder in a blender, breaking down whole pieces into a usable skincare ingredient.
Step 2: Add the powder to a recipe.
1. Add a boost of fruit to the Oat
2. Add shelf-stable strawberry powder to the Strawberry Body Scrub.
3. Add an enzymamic boost to this Hydration Mask.
Here are other recipes to experiment with:
1. Lime and Strawberry Bath Melt
2. Fruit Bath Bomb
Where do I buy freeze-dried fruit?
You can find packets like this in health food stores: Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s – and also I see them stocked in just my local supermarket too.
Online: Click here to shop for freeze-dried ingredients.
I hope this sparks curiosity and inspiration to make your own fresh skincare at home.
If you feel that you need a little more support – I am available for one-on-one consultation to offer you a customized skincare protocol, where’ll I’ll talk with you to determine the best ingredients and recipe blends for your individual constitution, emotional needs
Militza xx
One response to “Pantry Ingredient: Freeze Dried Fruit”
Hi Militza,
Just so you know, I got my dry packets of several fruits at the Dollar Tree store! There was a wide selection there.