Homemade Organic Lotion Recipe
Here is a recipe for a organic, all-natural, non-toxic lotion and body butter that you're sure to love! It's easy to make and even give as a gift.
A few months ago, I wrote about a natural body butter recipe I had made from a recipe I had found at another site. And while I have really liked the way it turned out, it just wasn't perfect, and once it ran out a few weeks ago, I revamped the recipe and made it my own.
I'm much happier with this recipe because of the rich, creamy consistency – it's more like the consistency of commercial hand cream, whereas the old recipe was very oily, and I couldn't use my phone, open doors, or even write after using it! The other recipe is excellent for use on legs and arms, especially after showering and shaving. But this new recipe is my all-time fav for hand lotion – and once again, it has all-natural, pure, organic ingredients, so there are no worries about what I'm putting on the largest organ of my body!
Homemade Organic Lotion Recipe
A creamy, rich, and organic body butter recipe that moisturizes even the driest skin. Hypoallergenic and safe for everyone in the family!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Shea Butter OR Cocoa Butter if you have a nut allergy
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/2 cup Almond Oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Beeswax
- Optional: (a thickening agent) 1 tbsp. non-nano Zinc Oxide* OR arrowroot powder or cornstarch – neither of these are as thick as zinc oxide, but they do work!https://amzn.to/2UywkfH
- Optional: 1 tablespoon Vegetable Glycerine or Pure Aloe Vera Gel (optional for added skin protection)
- Optional – 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil or Gentle Baby blend (a blended oil of Geranium, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Rosewood, Roman Chamomile, Rose, Lemon, Palmarosa, and Coriander) or other essential oil of choice for fragrance and skin nourishment
Instructions
(For a picture tutorial, go to the other recipe). In a double boiler, melt the shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil and beeswax together. Once it turns to a liquid, let it cool in the fridge for about an hour. Then, spoon into a mixer (like Kitchenaid, or use a hand mixer) and pour in the zinc oxide and vegetable glycerin. Whip for about 5 minutes to get it nice and fluffy, like whipped cream.
Notes
*A note about zinc oxide  – this is the only ingredient that isn’t raw and totally natural. It is mined and then synthetically processed. It is used in cosmetics to thicken creams, create a barrier for the skin, and to make sun screen because it is insoluble in water. It can be optional, but the cream won’t be as thick and creamy without it.
How long can we store this? Should this be kept in refridgerator? Should we use any preservative if we want to keep it for a ling time? If yes, details about the preservative please.
If you don’t use the aloe gel it should keep for a very long time without a preservative, if you do use it then there’s lots of natural preservatives out there. Liquid Germal Plus is good
Hi! Yes so essential oils are a wonderful natural preservative. They fight germs and bacteria very well so if you use those, it should last a LONG time. I’ve never had mold grow in my homemade lotions, at least mold that I can see. It doesn’t need to be stored in the refrigerator and if you did, it would harden back up and probably not be usable.
Essential oils do not act as preservatives.
They do actually keep the lotion from getting bacteria and mold.
Tea Tree is anti-fungal as well as anti-bacterial and anti-viral so it should preserve the cream very well. Most essential oils are anti-bacterial so you could always add another one to sweeten the smell such as lavender, geranium or,if you can afford it, rose! Just don’t use any of the citrus oils as they make the skin more photo-sensitive which leave the skin vulnerable to photo-aging and sunburn.
Hi Marie! Such helpful tips, thank you. Yes, great point about the citrus oils being photosensitive. Important for others to know!
Would you recommend using tea tree oil ??? Or would it be irritating for the skin. I’m currently suffering from Perioral dermatitis.
Hi Amanda! Yes Tea Tree oil is a wonderful essential oil to use for the skin.
Would this work well in a pump bottle or one of those pop open lid bottles would be better? I’m excited to try and make it!
Hi Alexys! It is too thick for a pump bottle – you would have to have to use one with an open lid, like a mason jar.
Hi, could I swap coconut oil and almond oil? Would avocado and Shea or coco oil work? I’m allergic to nuts but looks like a great recipe!
Thanks
Yes! That would also work really well!
Hello,
I read that glycerine is soluble only in water. Isn’t this lotion going to separate? (I don’t want to add the aloe vera gel, as I’d have to add a preservative, so my formula would be anhydrous)
Hi Jane! I’ve never had the solution separate before. And yes, removing the Aloe Vera Gel would be fine! Don’t have to have it.
Hey Sara, I used to make lotions and have quite a bit of extra product that I really don’t want to throw away. I have bags of beeswax and Shea Butter vitamin e oil. I know this is random. I don’t want any money, just want it to go to good use. If you would like it message me at 6156032901 or call me at 9318535338.