Homemade Lotion

Experiment with different lotion recipes, and always store your homemade lotion in an airtight container.

Making your own lotion is an inexpensive alternative to store bought lotions that are often full of preservatives and chemical ingredients you don't want on your body. At its core, homemade lotion is simply an emulsified mixture of oil and water. Beeswax is an easy emulsifier to use and should be easy to find at your nearest craft store. You can add additional ingredients such as fragrances, herbs, colors or butters to suit your preference. As you become more comfortable with the emulsifying process, experiment with different types of oils and mixtures and save your best recipes to use again.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 c. distilled water
• 1/8 tsp. borax
• small stove pot
• 1/4 c. oil of your choice
• 2 tbsp. beeswax
• double boiler
• blender
• spoon
• herbs, tea or fragrance (optional)
• sterile airtight container

Instructions

1. Combine the water and borax in a pot and heat until boiling. The borax is a preservative. If you'd like to add herbs or flowers to the mixture, do so now. You may also steep a few teabags in the boiling water, which adds fragrance and antioxidants to your mixture.

2. Combine the beeswax and oil in a double boiler on the stove and heat until the wax melts completely into the oil. If you are using a butter, such as cocoa butter, add it to this mixture. Use medium heat, and take the mixture off the stove as soon as the wax is fully melted into it. Certain oils, such as avocado oil, can be damaged by excess heat.

3. Pour the hot wax mixture into a blender and slowly mix in the water mixture as you blend. The oil and water mixtures should be at about the same temperature when you combine them. You may use a hand blender or mixer for this step if you prefer.

4. Continue blending until oil and water have been mixed together and let cool, stirring occasionally as needed to release air bubbles. The lotion should thicken as it cools. If you plan on adding a colorant, do so now.

5. Add fragrance to the lotion after it has cooled to room temperature, if you plan to do so. Avoid candle fragrances as they may have chemicals in them that you do not want on your skin. If you already steeped your water in herbs or tea, you can probably skip this step.

6. Pour the room temperature lotion into your airtight container and seal.

Tips & Warnings

• Making lotion can be a difficult process, so don't get discouraged if your first batch isn't perfect. Experiment with different oil-to-water ratios, and with adding in butters such as cocoa butter to thicken.

• Add a few drops of vitamin E oil or empty a vitamin E capsule into the oil to prevent it from yellowing in the bottle.

• For maximum benefit, allow herbs or tea to steep in water for at least 30 minutes before using.

• Adding stearic acid or lecithin powder to the oil will result in a thicker lotion.

References

• Happy Living Magazine: Homemade Lotion
• LotionSecrets.com: Recipes: Lotions and Creams