I realized, looking at the ingredients of most of my store bought beauty products, that the majority of the ingredients were things that I could not pronounce and, when I looked them up, found that they are not naturally derived products. I remember someone telling me once that our skin is the largest organ in/on our body and that we should never put anything on it that we wouldn't actually eat (or couldn't eat, really). It has never been so clear to me how important that statement was for me to hear. So here is a lotion recipe from wellnessmama.com that is an amazing and cheap way to start the process of learning how to make your own lotion. This particular recipe is a bit on the oily side but you can play with the ratio of ingredients to fix that. I like to add a bit more cocoa butter than oil and add some non-nano zinc oxide (for a natural sunscreen). Another option is to add a couple tablespoons of honey for an anti-aging cream. But do not add water to the mixture unless you are certain that you will be able to use it quickly. Water has the tendency to build up bacteria and therefore will create mold on your lotion (there are no added preservatives to this recipe...nor do you want to add them if you are truly trying to remain all natural or organic). Refrigerating the lotion can also help to preserve it. Many of these ingredients can be found on Amazon and if you are looking to add fragrance to your lotion, I have found wholesalesuppliesplus.com to have a decent selection of essential oils (just be sure that you get a 100% natural or organic essential oil). Enjoy playing with this recipe to find the lotion that fits your skin type the best.
Organic Homemade Lotion Basic Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup almond or olive oil (can infuse with herbs first if desired)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup beeswax
- Optional: 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
- Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter
- Optional: Essential Oils, Vanilla Extract or other natural extracts to suit your preference
- How to Make Lotion:
- Combine ingredients in a pint sized or larger glass jar. I have a mason jar that I keep just for making lotions and lotion bars, or you can even reuse a glass jar from pickles, olives or other foods.
- Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat.Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
- As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally to incorporate. When all ingredients are completely melted, pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Small mason jars (8 ounce) are great for this. It will not pump well in a lotion pump!
- Use as you would regular lotion. This has a longer shelf life than some homemade lotion recipes since all ingredients are already shelf stable and not water is added. Use within 6 months for best moisturizing benefits.
