Find me on Etsy - search thesuburbanpioneer: DIY - Make Yourself Wonderful Organic Lotion

Most people know that their skin is the largest organ of the body and also absorbs what is put on it. When something is absorbed, it eventually enters the bloodstream and can either do good things for your or harm you. Alarmingly, many cosmetics, lotions, detergents, and other things we use contain actual poisons. Fragrances, Parabens, Preservatives, and other chemicals used in our daily care items have shown to have negative effects on our health. Fragrances have been linked to diabetes in most recent findings... the list goes on.

We also all know that we like soft skin, to smell good, and to feel clean, right? And that most of the products on the market that are safer cost more money, right? Not to mention the products that are listed as "Natural" or "Safe" that really are not! It is confusing and frustrating to know what to do.

Stick with me here.. I am committed to R & D (research and development) to find safe and frugal alternatives for my family that I will share with you! Here is one of our first Do-It-Yourself products. This lotion is good enough to eat!!!

Journey and I purchased a few extra ingredients last night at Whole Foods that we needed to create homemade body butter!! We had most of the other ingredients in our kitchen! We created a batch of Peppermint Chocolate Lotion for her and a container of Lotion for me scented with my new favorite Essential Oil Blend called "Pure Joy". This is an essential oil I purchased a few weeks ago at one of my favorite stores called Finders Keepers on Douglas. She carries a lot of environmentally friendly products, including essential oils. Essential oils smell wonderful and can be used for aroma therapy and just making a wonderful scent. I wear my Pure Joy as a perfume on days that I get away from the kitchen!

Here is the recipe for the Lotion we made. It was really easy. I will add some details underneath it for you.

Homemade Lotion Basic Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond or olive oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (as preservative)
2 tablespoons Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter (optional)
Honey (optional)
Cornstarch (optional - reduces some of the greasiness)
Natural scent (essential oils or vanilla - no perfumes)

How to Make Lotion:

Put all ingredients in a glass jar. You can use a mason jar or a leftover jar from coconut oil, pickles, sauces, etc.
Pour a couple of inches of water in a saucepan and place on stove - medium heat.
Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally to mix. I found a wooden popsicle stick to stir. When all ingredients are completely melted, pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Any small container will work well for this but keep in mind that this lotion is a bit more solid and probably will not pour.. and definitely will not pump!
Use and enjoy. I especially love this lotion on my feet and any dry skin. It has a longer shelf life than some homemade lotion recipes since all ingredients are already shelf stable and it contains no water. Use within 6 months for best results.

Note: A litte goes a long way! This lotion is incredibly nourishing and is also great for diaper rash on baby, for eczema and for preventing stretch marks!

We used the Olive Oil and Beeswax as the base. Instead of coconut oil I used Palm Shortening, as it is a soft solid and more inexpensive. We used some organic cocoa butter and the vitamin E oil (it acts as a preservative of sorts so it extends the shelf life too)

We also used a bit of honey in ours and one other secret ingredient.

The secret ingredient differed between Journeys and mine. We started by melting the oils and beeswax in a glass jar in a double boiler type water bath on the stove. We stirred with a popsicle stick so we would not mess up a good spoon. When the oil base was all liquid, we poured 1/2 of it in my flat plastic container and added my essential oil to individualize mine for me. I also added the "secret ingredient" to mine. It was a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch. The cornstarch mixed in nicely and serves as a de-greaser of sorts... it prevents the lotion from being too greasy on the hands.

Journey wanted chocolate peppermint so she added peppermint essential oil and cocoa (the kind you have in the cupboard for baking). Her cocoa, being a powder, worked the same way as the cornstarch did in mine.

Before bed I tried some of it on my hands and feet. LOVE the results and also enjoyed the good smell of my Pure Joy as I went to sleep. Imagine how good it would be to use Lavendar essential oil to use before bed!!

Here is my lotion in a used Beeswax Plastic container... not so pretty but organic, good for you, effective and almost edible!