Beginner’s Homemade Lotion

making-lotionAlmost two years ago, I posted a super easy 3-ingredient moisturizer. Today, it still remains my most popular post. It is so simple that I’m reposting here with smaller quantities for those wanting to make a smaller batch. Lotion is nothing more than an emulsion of oil and water; you can make a base lotion with just one type of oil, water, and an emulsifier. To make approximately 6 fl. oz., you need:

In a 1-cup glass measurer, combine oil and wax. Heat until melted, either in a microwave or water bath. In another heatproof measuring cup, measure out 2/3 cups of hot, boiling water. Combine the water with the oil/wax mixture. Blend with a spoon, stick, or handheld stick blender. Let cool, occasionally blending as needed. Pour the lotion into a lotion tube while it is still warm and is the consistency of skim milk. Otherwise, it is difficult to get the lotion in the tube once it has completely cooled.

You can add 1 to 3 drops of essential oil per fl. oz.

Note that these are volume measurements and therefore make a great starting point. But if you want to get a little more serious with lotion-making, it is worthwhile to invest in a scale; kitchen cosmetics are more accurate and repeatable with weight measurements. Here’s my all-time favorite lotion recipe that is very similar to this one but uses weight measurements.

Kitchen cosmetics share many of the same ingredients as food and like food, they are perishables. Without preservatives, which I do not advocate using as it defeats the whole purpose of homemade, this lotion has a much shorter shelf life than what you’d find in the stores. So many factors affect shelf life – temperature, packaging, etc… that all I can say is make just enough to be used up within weeks or longer if refrigerated. Use the same judgement as you would with any perishables to determine when it’s past its prime. I can make this lotion in less than 15 minutes so for me, the short shelf life is worth the trade-off of no preservatives. Plus, homemade lotion is better for your skin and much cheaper. Read more on shelf life here.

Entering this post in the Mountain Rose Herbs recipe contest.

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