homemade lotion

I had been meaning to try making my own body lotion for awhile, but when a friend decided to give up commercial lotions this year, we got together for a lotion-making party. It was surprisingly easy - and this recipe makes a surprisingly good lotion! We live in the desert, so dryness is an issue. I also have extremely sensitive, allergy-prone skin and I've always had trouble finding unscented, heavy-duty lotions that last all day. Well, it's not an issue anymore because this one is fantastic. It's like a light and fluffy body butter, but with all-natural, organic ingredients at a very reasonable price. If you can buy the ingredients on sale, then a large jar will only cost you a couple bucks.

And did I mention that it's all-natural and organic? I could go on and on about the dangerous chemicals in commercial lotions, but if you're considering making your own then you probably already know about them. Let me just say that it's especially important for infants and young children (primarily males) to avoid the phthalates found in most baby products today (lotions, shampoos, powders, etc). A recent study in Europe has found that lotions and sunscreens that contain phthalates will essentially demasculinize baby boys. It's pretty scary.

Here's a quick how-to, using my favorite lotion recipe from this great book...

Ingredients:

6 oz organic olive oil
2 oz organic coconut oil
1 oz (about 4 tbsp) organic beeswax (I prefer pastilles)
10-20 drops essential oil (optional, for fragrance)
1 cup water (distilled or filtered)

Have the following items ready:


A glass Pyrex measuring cup and a small cooking pot with about 2 inches of water in it.


A mixer (or a blender). I make my lotion in my parents' kitchen because they have this pretty little thing.


Another measuring cup with the 1 cup of filtered water in it. You will also want to have one more cup of water ready (in any non-metallic, heat-proof cup) for heating your mixer/blender (more on that in a minute).

Also make sure you have a container ready for your finished lotion. This recipe makes about 2 cups, so I just use a clean glass pint jar with a reusable lid.

Instructions:

Start heating up the water in your cooking pot. Pour olive oil into the Pyrex measuring cup until it reaches the 6 ounce line, like so:


Next, pour in the coconut oil until it reaches the 8 ounce line:


Add the beeswax:


Place the Pyrex dish into the cooking pot. As the water begins to boil and heat up, it will slowly melt the beeswax. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. It will take about 5 minutes to melt the pastilles (and probably longer if you use chunks). During the last couple minutes, put the two containers with filtered water into the microwave for 1-2 minutes.* (If you do not have a microwave - or are anti-microwave - just heat up all the water on the stovetop, then pour a cup of it out into a measuring cup and save the rest in the pot.)

*Note: The original recipe calls for using 1 cup tepid water. However, our first batch of lotion leached quite a bit of water. Upon further research, I discovered many people say that both the "oil phase" and the "water phase" need to be the same temperature during emulsification. Nuking the water for a minute or two helps quite a bit, but I'd like to get a candy thermometer and try making some lotion with both phases the exact same temperature to see how that works.


Once the wax is totally melted, turn off the heat and add the essential oil if you are using it. You may need to experiment a couple times to find the right amount of scent you prefer. I'm pretty sensitive to fragrances, so I only use about a dozen drops. Current favorite oil of choice = plumeria.


Once everything is heated, do the following as quickly as possible... Pour the extra cup of water into your blender or mixer and swish it around to heat up the bowl (so your wax doesn't solidify as soon as you pour it in). Empty out the water and pour in your oil/wax mixture. Turn on the mixer/blender and slowly add the 1 cup of heated filtered water.


The oil will start emulsifying (turning to cream) almost instantly.


Continue mixing until all of the water has been incorporated. You will have to stop a couple times and use a spoon to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Also make sure there is no water at the very bottom of the bowl. At some point during the mixing, I begin to doubt it will thicken sufficiently, and it always takes just a bit longer than I think it will. You don't want to overmix, but don't worry if it takes a few minutes to look right. You're shooting for this:


Pour the lotion into your container and gently stir to remove any pockets of air. Let the container cool on your counter before putting on the lid. As it cools, the lotion will thicken more.


Since the ingredients are natural, you should only keep this lotion at room temperature for 4-6 weeks. (I use up my jar in about a month.) You can also store it or any extra jars in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

A note on cleaning: Be careful to wipe out all bowls and cups with rags or paper towels that are disposable, because you don't want to pour a bunch of wax down your drain.

I really enjoy this lotion as the original recipe is written, but you can vary it with different types of oils, additives, and scents. Sometimes I will add a touch of vitamin E for its benefits, and may start experimenting more. There's another recipe in the book for a cocoa butter lotion that is thicker and super-moisturizing - I usually make it at the same time (you don't need a mixer for it), and love it on my hands after gardening, on my feet at night, on the growing baby belly, and even on the under-eye area overnight.

Somebody asked me the other day if I enjoy making lotions. I had to admit that no, I don't really love the process. However, it's easy, it saves you money, and the peace of mind in knowing you're not slathering poisonous chemicals all over your (and your child's) body definitely make it worth it. Give it a try, and I bet you'll have a tough time going back to commercial lotions.