I made lotion today! I didn’t use a set recipe because all the ones I looked up had different measurements, so I winged it and hoped for the best, and so far I’m liking the way it turned out. I dumped one part Shea butter, one part coconut oil, a half part beeswax, and a little less than a half part olive oil in a glass jar, which I put in a water bath on medium-low heat, stirring until everything was blended. Then I added some lavender essential oil for scent and further skin-soothing properties. The trick seemed to be adding the right amount of beeswax: too much and I’d have ended up with a hard, solid brick; too little and it would be greasy and not moisturizing enough (the wax forms a waterproof barrier that prevents the oils from evaporating). My skin is dry at best, but it gets really horrible when the humidity drops in winter. I used Burt’s Bees lotion for years, but they sold out to Clorox and starting pumping all their stuff full of chemicals, so I’m glad I found a good, truly natural (and cheaper!) alternative. Plus, it was fun to make. I enjoy anything that lets me pretend to be a mad scientist.

I made lotion today! I didn’t use a set recipe because all the ones I looked up had different measurements, so I winged it and hoped for the best, and so far I’m liking the way it turned out. I dumped one part Shea butter, one part coconut oil, a half part beeswax, and a little less than a half part olive oil in a glass jar, which I put in a water bath on medium-low heat, stirring until everything was blended. Then I added some lavender essential oil for scent and further skin-soothing properties.

The trick seemed to be adding the right amount of beeswax: too much and I’d have ended up with a hard, solid brick; too little and it would be greasy and not moisturizing enough (the wax forms a waterproof barrier that prevents the oils from evaporating).

My skin is dry at best, but it gets really horrible when the humidity drops in winter. I used Burt’s Bees lotion for years, but they sold out to Clorox and starting pumping all their stuff full of chemicals, so I’m glad I found a good, truly natural (and cheaper!) alternative. Plus, it was fun to make. I enjoy anything that lets me pretend to be a mad scientist.

  1. bananacasts said: Serious question: Should one use regular olive oil or extra virgin?
  2. penllawen said: That sounds like dessert. Are you sure it’s not dessert?
  3. treets posted this