Oil + Water + Emulsifier = Basic Body Lotion Recipe

In terms of oil, a popular choice is olive oil.  This delicate, fruity oil has long been touted for its moisturizing properties, and it is a good choice for any homemade lotion recipe.  In terms of water, distilled water is always best, because it will keep the end product fresher, longer.  When you use distilled water, you can be better assured that there is little or no bacteria present in the water that could cause your lotion to go rancid (and who wants that on their skin, anyway?).

“But oil and water don’t mix!” you are no doubt incredulously crying right now. What your second-grade teacher told you is right – to a point. What your teacher should have said is that oil and water need help to mix, and that’s where an emulsifier comes in.  It’s not entirely necessary to use an emulsifier if you don’t want to, but if you opt not to you’ll have to shake your lotion before its use to help water and oil make friends.  If you don’t want to serve as a human emulsifier, you’ll have to choose something else to do the job for you.  Even more importantly, an emulsifier will help the oil in your lotion from going rancid and will help extend the shelf life of some of the other ingredients you may choose to include in your lotion recipe, such as grapefruit or other citrus juices.

So, how do you actually put this formula to work in a recipe?  Here’s the basic recipe you’ll need on How to make Body Lotion.  Once you get a handle on this, you can change up the formula a million ways to create your very own personalized lotion recipe.

½ cup of oil
2 tbsp emulsifier such as beeswax)

Combine in a heat-safe container and microwave on medium heat until they have completely melted, checking at 20 second intervals to ensure they are not burning.

Add distilled water in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly with a fork, until the mixture is emulsified.  Note:  If you want your cream to be more airy in consistency, you may want to use an immersion blender for this step.  Be careful to ensure that the immersion blender is completely submerged in the mixture before turning it on, however!  Otherwise, you could risk splashing hot liquid on yourself, which can cause serious injuries.

Once you have made your mixture, allow it to cool down.  As it cools, the lotion will become thicker and more like what you’d expect from lotion.  Then you can transfer it into the clean, dry container of your choice.  Put on a tight-fitting lid onto the container, and voila!  That’s all there is to it.

This basic lotion recipe can easily be doubled if you wish to make a larger batch to keep or give away.  Homemade lotion makes lovely gifts!

Remember to visit www.howtomakebodylotion.com for more lotion recipes

Combine chosen Essential Oil with beeswax wax and gently heat on medium heat until wax has melted. Remove from heat.

To the melted oils and wax blend add the following Aloe Vera gel and Xanthan gum. Beat all ingredients until creamy and smooth.

Allow lotion to completely cool before adding essential oils and packaging.

This Natural Lotion should do wonders for your skin.

That’s it from How to Make Body Lotion, stay tuned for up and coming recipes