The BEST All-Natural Homemade Lotion

Have you ever heard the phrase "Necessity is the mother of invention"? As with most things I've created, this recipe for The Best All-Natural Homemade Lotion is no exception.

As young as a pre-teen, I can remember choosing my lotions based on scent alone. This carried into my teens and twenties and as the popularity of big chains grew so did my collection of scented lotions... lotions that I slathered all over my body, from head to toe, because "they smelled soooo good".

Did I ever think to read the back of the bottles to see exactly what I was forcing into the largest organ of my body....my skin?  Oh heck no! I chose based on scent. I wanted to smell good. I wanted to feel good. After all, if we smell good, we feel better about ourselves, right? We may, but does our body feel better?

Approximately 4 years ago, I began to develop psoriasis. Just little spots on my elbows and knees. Not too bothersome, but there. I would use a dab of a steroid cream prescribed by my doctor (again not thinking about what exactly I was putting on my body) and the little spots would go away for a while. Then 2 years ago, my psoriasis came back and this time it was more persistent and spreading. A couple more trips to the doctor, a couple blood tests to check for underlying causes, more prescriptions and still not much relief ultimately led me to the creation of this lotion.

I began by changing my diet and that seemed to help a little, but it wasn't until after I read an online article that said, "your skin is the largest organ on your body", that the lightbulb in my head went off!  My skin is what?! I obviously didn't remember that from science class in elementary school. I'm sure I was more interested in talking to friends than learning about my body, or maybe I was sick that day...yeah, let's just go with that! 😉

This is when my journey to make all-natural body products began. I started on Pinterest by searching for homemade lotion. The results were overwhelming, but I chose a couple, ordered all of the ingredients suggested and off I went! While the lotions I made were okay, there was something about each of them that I didn't like... many were greasy (I had to wash my hands after applying), some were super thick and had to be spooned out of the jar and held in my hands for a minute before they were soft enough to spread over my body, and others weren't all-natural... they called for the use of that smelly pink baby lotion that my mom slathered all over me as an infant!

Eventually, I learned enough about the different ingredients I had been using and began to  experiment on my own. Then one day this past summer, it happened! I had finally made The BEST All-Natural Homemade Lotion!!! I was SO excited that I made some for friends and family (to make sure I could duplicate it) and they all loved it!  It's non-greasy (you don't have to wash your hands after applying), lightweight (great for all year round...even summer), leaves your skin softer than a baby's bottom, has a nice soft texture, spreads evenly, soaks in almost immediately (there's no need to wait to get dressed), and the best part? It's great for your health!!! 😀 It even helps to keep my psoriasis under control...it's no longer noticeable to others!

So without further ado, let's make The BEST All-Natural Homemade Lotion and nourish the largest organ on your body!

 

 

Items you will need

*These items can be purchased through our affiliates by clicking the links below.

 

• ½ cup Coconut Oil - 100% Pure, Unrefined, Cold Pressed: BetterBody Foods Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 teaspoons Beeswax Pellets - 100% Pure: Your Natural Planet BEESWAX PELLETS
• 1 cup Shea Butter - 100% Pure, Organic, Unrefined, All Natural: Shea Butter - Organic - Unrefined
• ½ cup Sweet Almond Oil - 100% Pure: Sweet Almond Oil 100% Pure 
• ¼ cup Aloe Gel - 100% Pure Gel (substituting with aloe juice will greatly affect the consistency of your lotion): Art Naturals Aloe Vera Gel - Certified Organic, 100% Pure Natural  **Note: if you choose to purchase a different aloe vera gel, make sure it DOES NOT have the ingredient Triethanolamine in it. It has been proven to cause many health issues.
• 15 drops Red Raspberry Seed Oil (not to be confused with an essential oil): RASPBERRY SEED OIL 100% Pure / Natural / Virgin. Cold Pressed
• 15 drops Carrot Seed Oil  (not to be confused with an essential oil): CARROT SEED OIL 100 % Natural Cold Pressed 
• 48 drops total of the Essential Oils of your choice for scent *See list below for scent combinations and more info regarding EO's (yes, I still love a good scented lotion, but now have the best of both worlds...a lotion that smells great and nourishes my body)
• Pipettes (not a necessity, but I prefer to use them): Plastic Transfer Pipettes 
• (3) 8oz Glass Storage Jars (I prefer the square ones because it's easier to get all of the lotion out of them.): Ball Wide Mouth Jars 8 Oz with Lid and Bands, 4-Count
• Double Boiler (I prefer to use a regular pan & stainless steel bowl. I've found it easier than a double boiler when mixing.)
• Hand Mixer
• Wooden Tags (optional, but fun): 10 Count Wooden Tags  

Directions

1. Add approximately 1 inch of water to your pan and put your bowl on top of your pan. *Make sure your bowl is a tad bigger than your pan so that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the Coconut Oil & Beeswax Pellets to your bowl and melt over medium heat. *Coconut oil has a much lower melting point than beeswax, so expect the beeswax to take a little longer to fully melt.
3. Add the Shea Butter once the beeswax has fully melted. *The shea butter is added after the coconut oil & beeswax because it doesn't like to be heated for too long.
4. Once the shea butter has melted, stir to make sure it's all mixed well. Remove from heat and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes. *Doing so brings the temp down closer to the room temp oils you'll be adding next and allows them to blend easier.

5. In a separate glass bowl, mix together the Almond Oil, Aloe Gel, Red Raspberry Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil &  approximately 48 drops of Essential Oils of choice. *See Below for scent blends to try.

6. Combine the aloe/oils mixture with the cooled coconut oil/shea butter/beeswax mixture. Stir until mixed well. Put mixture in the freezer for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the mixture starts to look like the center photo above. ^^^

7. Using a hand mixer, mix on low for 30-45 seconds to even out the consistency again. Pop the mixture back into the freezer for another 5 minutes.

8. When you pull your mixture out of the freezer for the last time it should still be very liquidy, just a little lighter in color than when you put it in this last time. *See photo above, left. ^^^

9. Using a hand mixer, mix on speed 1 - 2 for approximately 1 - 1.5 minutes. *The longer you mix, the thicker your lotion is going to be. It's easier to fill your jars if it's a little softer (like the consistency of honey). If it's a little thicker and you need to spoon it into your jars, that's okay too. You just don't want to beat it to death and turn it into a big chunky mess. 😉

10. Fill your jars! Let the lotion sit on the counter for a while to finish setting up. Of course you can use it right away, but I prefer to wait.

*A little goes a long way! An amount the size of an almond is enough for both of my arms. If you find yourself feeling a little greasy the first time you use your lotion, you've probably used a little too much.

*Optional: I like to use these neat wooden tags to label my jars. They add a nice touch when giving as gifts. I use a scrap piece of yarn to attach them.

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Let's Talk Scents & Essential Oils!

• I prefer to add 48 drops total of my essential oil blends for a lighter overall scent (I use clinical grade oils). You can add more or less to suit your personal taste, but I believe this is a good starting point. *If you're sensitive to fragrance, I recommend starting with even less.
• Clinical Grade versus Therapeutic Grade EO's: Not all essential oils are created equally, but I'm not here to suggest which oils you should use. Definitely use the oils you trust and prefer. I just want to point out that the grade of the oil can affect the number of drops you need to add to achieve your desired scent strength. I've found that most therapeutic grade oils only contain 40% pure essential oil, where most clinical grade oils are 100% pure. So depending on which you choose to use, you may need to use more or less to obtain your desired scent strength.

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These are a few of my Favorite Essential Oil Scent Combinations

**NEW: Hormone Balancing Combination for Women: 30 drops Clary Sage, 30 drops Thyme & 30 drops Ylang Ylang. This is a blend that I use and I love it! Check out Dr. Axe for great information on balancing hormones naturally!

*Enjoy your favorite scent combination throughout your home with a diffuser from our affiliates: 

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How much do I need to use? A little goes a long way with this one! I use approximately the size of an almond for both arms. If you find yourself feeling a touch greasy, try using less next time as you shouldn't feel greasy at all...just super soft!
• What is the shelf life of this lotion? I am not 100% sure, but it's at least 3+ months as this is how long I've had a partial jar sitting on my bathroom counter. I'm sure it's much longer.
• Do I have to use glass jars? I strongly suggest you do because the oils in the lotion would cause plastic containers to start breaking down and leaching chemicals in to your all-natural lotion.
• How do I store it? I store mine on the counter in my bathroom, out of direct sunlight. If your home gets extremely warm in the summer, you will find your lotion will become very thin. You can store it in the fridge, if desired.
• What is the SPF of this lotion? I have not tested this lotion for SPF, but plan to next summer.

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I hope you love The Best All-Natural Homemade Lotion as much as we do! I'd love to hear your feedback, including your favorite scents! 🙂