Making homemade lotion is a wonderful way to care for your skin, save money and have a great time doing it.
Did you know that about 60% of everything that you apply topically is absorbed into your skin. What better reason to ditch the chemicals and spend a little time in the kitchen whipping up a batch of soothing, healing lotion?
You will only need a few ingredients and the recipe is not set in stone. Part of the fun of making your own lotion is that you can change the recipe and customize it to your liking. Here is the basic recipe:
- 1/3 cup carrier oil (see below for suggestions)
- 1/3 cup distilled water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons beeswax
- 10 to 20 drops essential oil if desired
Basically, you melt the oil and beeswax in a double boiler or slowly in the microwave. Add the water while whisking. Beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the essential oil and whisk again. Keep stirring until lotion is creamy and cool. Pour into clean, dry bottle or jar and store in a cool place.
Carrier Oils
There are many different types of oils out there that lend themselves beautifully to making homemade lotion and each has different characteristics. For example, sweet almond, olive, or avocado oils are especially beneficial for very dry or aging skin. Grapeseed or jojoba oil, on the other hand, is better for acne-prone or oily skin. Experiment with different combinations of oils to get recipe that is right for your skin.
Essential Oils
The addition of essential oils to your homemade lotion can lend a healing quality your recipe. Sensitive skin, for example can benefit greatly from lavender or rose essential oil. Scars or stretch marks often respond to lotion infused with lavender, geranium, or rosemary. Start off adding just a few drops and increase as desired. Remember to keep the proportion of essential oil equal to the recipe above. Essential can be irritating to skin if not properly diluted.
Make it Your Own
There are many ways to tweak this basic lotion recipe. If you would like a thicker consistency like that of cream, increase the beeswax by one tablespoon. Likewise, if you need a thinner lotion, you can decrease the beeswax. You can also add other ingredients like vitamin E, aloe vera, or honey to your lotion recipe.
One word of caution: Bear in mind that, unlike commercially produced products, your homemade lotion does not contain preservative chemicals and it will not last for more than a few days.
Melissa Murphy - Melissa Murphy has been a life coach and freelance writer for over a decade. As well as being a featured writer on many prominent ...
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