The Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products is our shorter beginners course. The time it takes to complete the course really depends on how many products you want to make. You can make as many or few as you like! There are 9 modules and you’ll probably need to allow 2-4 hours per module to understand the theory, complete the exercises and practice making a few products. So we estimate between 20- 40 hours.

There are no live classes, everything is pre-recorded so you can study at a time that is convenient for you. You can go through the course at your own pace. The materials are yours to keep forever!

You could immerse yourself in all the material over a few days, study one Module a week, or take several months. The choice is yours. We suggest setting aside two to five hours for each Module to study the materials, get to know your ingredients and practice making the products.

If you want a longer and more in-depth course then you may wish to consider our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

For 72 hours only you’ll receive four bonus classes when you enroll on the Certificate course. These bonuses are:

1) Natural skincare recipes for mother and baby

Make amazing baby products with recipes for:

• Baby bump butter
• Nappy balm
• Baby oil
• Baby powder.

2) Simple and effective aluminium-free deodorant recipes

Avoid aluminium deodorants and harsh baking soda deodorants with our recipes for:

• A gentle baking soda deodorant
• A baking soda-free deodorant

Baking soda is an effective, natural ingredient for deodorants because it has a very high pH that prevents bacteria growing and reproducing on our skin as we sweat. The downside of this high pH is it can be irritating for some. This is why in our recipe we added a couple of (secret) ingredients that have a soothing and anti-inflammatory effect on the skin so you can benefit from the effectiveness of baking soda without the irritation!

We also include a recipe that uses a completely different deodorizing ingredient so you can steer clear of baking soda! What is it? You’ll have to read the eBook to find out!

PLUS we’re going to teach you:

• How to make your deodorants in two formats: a balm and a stick.
• How to make your deodorant stronger if you wish.

3) Bath Products eKit

Make a range of relaxing and luxurious bath treats including:

• Bath melts and bath bombs
• Bath creamers and truffles
• Fizzing fairy dust and aromatic bath soaks!

4) Amazonian Oils and Butters

Discover a range of exotic Amazonian oils and butters to enhance your skincare products that:

• Help maintain skin elasticity and integrity.
• Restore the lipid layer of the skin.
• Prevent transepidermal water loss.
• Protect the skin cells against photo-oxidative damage.

Make gorgeous products with these three recipes:

• Murumuru Peppermint Lip Balm
• Buriti Rose Body Butter
• Passion Fruit Orange Body Oil

You can only access these four bonus classes when you enroll on the Certificate course within 72 hours.

Studying online is easy and convenient. You can study at your own pace from the comfort of your own home (or office/library - wherever you wish!).

As soon as you enroll you receive access to the course inside our online classroom. There you’ll find the whole curriculum laid out for you. We provide a variety of study materials - written lessons in beautiful downloadable pdfs, video demonstrations, audio lessons, downloadable worksheets, reference charts, activities and quizzes.

You’ll meet your classmates and tutors in our private student support group (hosted in Facebook). There you can chat to other students 24/7 and if you have a question for a tutor you can ask these each Monday on our Q&A post.

When you have worked through the lessons you can take the end-of-course quiz. Once you have successfully completed the quiz you’ll be issued with your Certificate of Completion. You can retake the quiz as many times as you need to.

You'll have access to the online classroom for 18 months, so plenty of time to study. We recommended that you download the files and documents to your own computer for safekeeping, that way the material is yours to keep forever!

In terms of ingredients we recommend that you start off simple! With just a handful of ingredients you can make many types of product. We suggest you begin with inexpensive carrier oils that are still very beneficial for the skin. This means as you are practicing and learning you won’t waste expensive ingredients.

So it’s probably best to start with:

• 1-2 emulsifiers.
• 1 preservative.
• 1 antioxidant (Vitamin E).
• 2 stabilizers (cetyl alcohol and xanthan gum).
• 1 humectant (glycerin).
• 1 wax (beeswax or a vegan alternative).
• A few basic carrier oils (eg sweet almond, sunflower, apricot kernel).
• A few specialist carrier oils (eg avocado, macadamia, rosehip, raspberry seed, evening primrose).
• A few butters (eg shea and cocoa).
• A few essential oils (the course covers 14 essential oils in depth - you could start with 3-5 of these).

There isn’t a set list of materials that you need. We suggest that you read through some of the recipes and decide what you’d like to make. You can also look through the ingredient charts to see which oils sound appealing to you. Then you can order your ingredients accordingly.

Don’t get overwhelmed - keep it simple! You can always add more ingredients to your collection later.

There are many excellent suppliers of cosmetic ingredients. We provide a very extensive supplier list within our courses that covers suppliers in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, UK, USA, Canada and more.

The Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products uses easy-to-source ingredients and it’s likely you’ll be able to find what you need in your country. Depending on where you live you may need to order emulsifiers and preservatives from overseas if you wish to use those approved by natural/organic certification bodies. Many suppliers ship internationally.

In terms of equipment, you don’t need anything expensive. You can start with simple kitchen/home lab equipment. For example, you’ll need:

• Digital scales.
• Simple glass lab thermometers.
• Some way of creating a double boiler for example jugs/heat-proof beakers and saucepans.
• An electric stick blender.

We have an article and video here that shows you the equipment you need: https://www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com/equipment-you-need-making-natural-skincare-products-home/

Yes! The course is a fully online training program that consists of downloadable recipe files, online training videos, worksheets and an online student community.

It is designed to be taken from home from anywhere in the world. We’ll provide information on ingredient suppliers in many different countries and will guide you to the relevant regulations wherever you are based, too. We have students in over 50 countries so you’ll be joining a thriving community of global students when you join!

Yes! Once you have completed the course there is a end of course quiz to take and then we'll issue you with a Certificate of Completion.

No. The Certificate course will teach you how to make products by learning the principles behind each product type and following our recipes (adapting them if you wish). If you want to learn to formulate skincare products from scratch then our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation would be a good choice for you.

The Certificate course is not designed to help you create your own skincare brand. That’s what we cover step-by-step in our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

The Certificate course can certainly be the first step you take towards starting your own brand or formulating your own products but you will need to complete our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation afterwards.

The Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products is our beginners’ course and useful if you want to create products for yourself, family and friends and primarily follow our recipes rather than creating your own. You will gain a good foundational knowledge of different types of products, when and why to use preservatives, emulsifiers and antioxidants and you'll get lots of recipes to try out. By the end you’ll confidently be creating a range of natural or organic skincare products for face and body including creams and lotions, cleansers, toners, serums, body butters, lotion bars and scrubs.

Our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation takes your skills to a the next level. This more advanced course will teach you how to formulate your own products from scratch, rather than following our recipes. This means you’ll design a unique product by identifying who the product is for and the benefits you want it to offer. You’ll then use our guides and templates to help you choose your ingredients and create a unique recipe/formula. We cover a wider range of ingredients and also help with business essentials such as creating a brand and selling your products legally. If you want to start a brand or sell your products then the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is designed to help you do that.

Many students only take the Certificate course as that helps them achieve their goal of making products for themselves and their friends and family. Many also start with the Certificate course and then move onto the Diploma course to help develop their skills further. Some students who already have some experience with making skincare products only take the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

No. The course is a self-study, self-paced course so you can study at a time that suits you and complete the course as quickly or slowly as you wish. Everything is waiting for you in the online classroom when you are ready to study.

Yes! The course includes how to make a range of natural products which don't need preservatives. Generally, products that don't contain water don't need preservatives. I first started making my own products because I wanted 100% natural, preservative-free products so included in the course are preservative-free moisturizing balms and butters, cleansers, facial serums, lip balms, lip gloss, face masks, scrubs and more. These products have a good shelf life of around six months or so.

Some of the recipes do need preservatives - creams and lotions, for example. Where preservatives are needed we recommend those that are permitted in Ecocert organic products and the details of where to buy these is provided. I'm really happy with these preservatives and you can make wonderful creams and lotions by using them.

Yes! The course contains recipes for every skin type - normal, oily, combination, dry, mature and sensitive, plus recipes suitable for skin prone to eczema or acne. You will learn which ingredients are suitable for which skin types so you can adapt and design recipes that suit you.

Once you have accessed your course it is not possible to get a refund. If you are unsure you can contact us with any questions or to request a free trial of the course.

You can see the full terms and conditions here.