The Best Simple, All-Natural, Homemade Lotion Recipe
I created this homemade lotion recipe out of desperation. I couldn’t find a lotion on the market that didn’t contain at least one ingredient that made my sensitive skin unhappy. Years ago I made homemade lotion, and loved it. But after a few years of using it, my body became more sensitive due to some health issues, and I began noticing a burning sensation every time I put that lotion on. I’m pretty sure it was the preservative the recipe called for. That was the beginning of my journey of realizing that my skin couldn’t handle any preservatives, chemical sounding or unrecognizable ingredients, as well as a few normal healthy ingredients like shea butter. I had to have something completely natural, and pretty basic. It just wasn’t out there.
For the next few years, I resorted to plain coconut oil. That was my only “lotion” and it worked okay. It was certainly simple and cost effective. The downside was it was greasy, and completely liquid when it got warm resulting in messy spills. As I missed my homemade lotion of past years, I began to wonder if there wasn’t something I could make with a few simple ingredients that my skin could handle. I began looking at lots of recipes and making notes. This completely natural, extremely simple, and luxuriously creamy homemade lotion recipe is what I came up with.
All Natural Ingredients
Coconut oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax and water are the only ingredients for this homemade lotion recipe. Here are some things to love about them.
- Coconut oil: This one is great for moisturizing your skin. It contains anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial properties and can act as both a barrier to protect your skin, and promote healing of damaged skin. The anti-microbial properties are also helpful in preserving your lotion naturally. It has anti-oxidant properties as well, which is helpful for wrinkles and skin irritation. Extra Virgin or Virgin Coconut oil is your best option for retaining the most health benefits of this oil, but it can be made with any kind of coconut oil.
- Sweet Almond Oil: This lighter oil contains fatty acids that both hydrate your skin and seal in the moisture. It promotes cleansing and the anti-inflammatory properties help reduce irritation. High in Vitamins E and A, it is helpful for acne, sun damage, scar healing and generally vibrant skin. Vitamin A is photo-protective, which means this oil can help protect your skin from sun damage.
- Beeswax: This ingredient also helps seal moisture in to your skin. It acts as a protective, but breathable, barrier keeping irritants out without clogging your pores. The anti-bacterial properties can help keep your lotion shelf stable, and the anti-inflammatory properties are helpful for soothing irritation such as eczema and acne. Together these properties also help fight infection.
Another great benefit of these three ingredients, is that they are very gentle and safe for all ages!
What tools will I need to make this lotion recipe?
- A digital kitchen scale
- A small sauce pan (and a stove!)
- An immersion blender
- A glass liquid measuring cup
How to make homemade lotion
Ready to get started?! Here is a quick guide with pictures, but you’ll want to print off and use the actual recipe below.
- Using a kitchen scale, measure your oils and beeswax into a small saucepan.
2. Heat on low until all ingredients have melted.
3. Place the saucepan in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes. When you take it out, you might see some slight thickening of the oils.
4. Add the water and blend with an immersion blender until all the water is incorporated.
This might take a few minutes, but keep going until you have completely smooth and creamy lotion.
5. Fill a clean tin or jar with your new lotion! This recipe makes 1 cup. I like to divide it in half and put one container in the back of the refrigerator to store, and one jar in my bathroom to use.
Change it up
I love the simplicity of this lotion recipe, but there is still room for some variation or swapping of ingredients if you need or want to. You can simply swap similar oils out as long as you measure by weight. I first tried this homemade lotion recipe with olive oil and coconut oil, which worked just fine. I had the olive oil on hand, which made it an easy option. After that I got some Sweet Almond oil and Jojoba oil and tried those 50/50 by weight in the olive oils place. The results were even better! I finally settled on coconut and Sweet Almond oil as my go-to oils, because I liked the texture, the simplicity, and they made my skin the happiest. But feel free to experiment with different oil options. You’ll probably have the best results if you swap like for like, so choose another liquid oil to swap for the Sweet Almond oil and a solid oil to swap for the Coconut. The water is also something you can be creative with. I have swapped it out for Rose water with lovely results!
Adding fragrance to this homemade lotion recipe
I don’t reccomend adding synthetic fragrances to your lotion, because they soak right into your skin and are harmful to your body. But essential oils are a lovely addition if your skin can handle them. Personally I have to be careful about using essential oils topically, but I do like to add some when I give the lotion as a gift. Lavender is the oil I use the most often. I find that 20 drops added to the recipe is a great amount, but you can do more or less as you prefer. Add the essential oil into the recipe right before your add your water. This Christmas I tried a Lavender Vanilla combination, which smelled so good! That is my new favorite! If you experiment with essential oils, make sure to stick with gentle ones for your skin, as some are “hotter” and can burn sensitive areas like your face.
Does this homemade lotion go bad?
The short answer is yes, eventually it will go bad just like any other lotion. Since there aren’t any synthetic preservatives in it, I do think it has a shorter shelf life, but that said I never have trouble with it going bad before I use it up if I’m using it regularly. The only times I’ve opened a container to find mold growing was when the container had been pushed to the back of the drawer and forgotten about for close to a year. This recipe makes 1 cup, so my strategy is to divide it in half and put one container in my bathroom to be used and the other in the back of the refrigerator to save for later. Doing it this way, I don’t have any trouble with the lotion going bad. The anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties of the ingredients really help to protect it naturally.
Helpful Product Links
This is the Beeswax I’ve been using.
I get my Sweet Almond oil from Revive, but I also love their company for all my essential oils. They are high quality, but without the MLM prices.
My immersion blender is a Cuisinart (something like this)and has been going strong for 10 years now, but here’s another inexpensive option, too.
My Soehnle kitchen scale is sadly no longer made, but here’s another similar option. I love that mine sits up above the display, which makes the numbers easy to read.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commision at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Simple, Natural, Creamy Lotion
This luxuriously creamy lotion is simple to make and completely natural!
Ingredients
- 10 grams Beesxwax
- 52 grams Coconut oil
- 54 grams Sweet Almond Oil
- 1/2 Cup Water (filtered or distilled)
- Optional: 20 drops of Essential oil
Instructions
- Melt first three ingredients in a small saucepan on low heat.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes to cool.
- Add Essential oils if using.
- Slowly add the water to the oil/beeswax mixture while blending with an immersion blender.
- Continue blending with the immersion blender until the lotion is completely creamy, smooth, and all water is incorporated.
Notes
To lengthen shelf life, divide the recipe in half. Keep one container out for use and store the other container in the refrigerator until needed.
Jojoba or Olive oil may be used in place of the Sweet Almond oil, or in combination with it.
Rose Water can be used in place of the water in the recipe.
Lavender essential oil is a good choice for adding a pleasant fragrance.
To make a Lavender Vanilla scented lotion, use 10 drops of the Lavender oil and 10 drops of Vanilla Oleoresin
What do you think?
If you give this recipe a try be sure to let me know in the comments below. And be sure to Pin the recipe so you can find it again!
