I’ll admit, I have a lotion obsession.
Inherited from my Mom… passed on to friends… we’re all obsessed with lotion!
So, naturally, I had to come up with some lotion DIYs to pass out as gifts–I mean what would make a lotion-lover happier than some homemade lotion or homemade lotion bars?!
A fun Friday night activity, made from all natural ingredients, and way cheaper than store bought– what’s not to love?!
Below are my 5 favorite easy DIY lotion recipes… Use the table of contents to skip to what you’re looking for:
Pst… if you’re in a DIY-mood, check out our 5 Favorite homemade sugar scrub recipes + Homemade Lotion Bar Recipes–Your skin will thank you!
5 Easy Homemade Lotion Recipes
Did you know you can make some homemade lotions with just two simple ingredients?
Or that you probably have most of the ingredients already?
On top of that, lotion is easy to make and doesn’t require a ton of fancy kitchen tools!
Ok that’s great… but what the heck is the point? It seems to take a lot more time than just grabbing a bottle of lotion at the grocery store.
Well then, let’s just delve into the many health benefits of making homemade lotion, shall we?
To be completely honest, I started making lotion because I love DIYs.
I kept seeing lotion recipes that sounded fantastic and looked so easy to make.
Then I started reading more about the side affects of store bought beauty products. I knew I had to start making my own.
Why Make Your Own Lotion?
Why does it matter what you put on your skin… you aren’t eating it!
True, however our skin is the body’s largest organ.
It’s responsible for protecting our internal organs, perspiration, it produces vitamin D and is the “primary and most important defense against infections” (source)!
“Putting chemicals on your skin or scalp, such… a hair dye, may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of your body. However, when you put… chemicals on your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going directly to your delicate organs…
There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, and the U. S. government does not require any mandatory testing for these products before they are sold”(source).
A recent article posted by the “Natural Library of Medicine” compiled three studies relating to beauty products used in our country. They stated that:
“Makeup, shampoo, skin lotion, nail polish, and other personal care products contain chemical ingredients that lack safety data. Moreover, some of these chemicals have been linked in animal studies to male genital birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and altered pregnancy outcomes. There is no definitive evidence for the same effects in humans, but widespread exposure, primarily to phthalates, has been shown to occur” (source).
Have you ever tried reading the ingredients on the back of a lotion bottle?
Don’t bother, most of them will be unknown to you. Heck, I can’t even pronounce them! Here are a few common chemicals that should be of great concern to you:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Why this is used in cosmetics: Used as a skin-conditioning agent and emulsifier.
Why it’s a concern: It is extremely irritating to your skin! And is used in the industry to test and compare how irritating new chemicals are on your skin (source).
Nasty rumors claiming a link between SLS and cancer started based on an erroneous email campaign (read more here). However there is no scientific evidence proving a link between the two.
Synthetic Fragrances
Why this is used in cosmetics: Duh, it makes the product smell good! Typically we shop for products based on their smell rather than their benefits.
Why it’s a concern: “When [fragrances are] applied to [the] skin, they react, causing irritation that may or may not be visible on the skin’s surface” (source).
Even though you may not be able to see the irritation, it is still harming your skin.
Alcohol
Why this is use in cosmetics: To help a product dry quickly, feel thinner and it helps your skin absorb nutrients such as retinol and vitamin C (source).
Why it’s a concern: Alcohol makes it easier for nutrients to be absorbed by breaking down the barrier of your skin. This also harms your skin from being able to protect itself in the future (source).
Differences Between Homemade and Store bought Lotion
There are quite a few differences between store bought and homemade lotion.
The homemade lotions below are made of completely natural ingredients. These ingredients don’t contain added preservatives like store bought products.
However by not incorporating preservatives you will decrease the product’s shelf life.
The shelf life of the homemade lotions below also vary, depending on their ingredients. Typically lotions made with water have a shorter shelf life.
This is why you’ll find these recipes yield a smaller quantity when compared to your Costco sized container. Hopefully you’ll get to use all of your product before it goes bad!
If one of my lotions contains water I store it in the fridge. This extends its shelf life and reminds me to put lotion on! (yes I open my fridge a lot)
When I made the transition to homemade lotion the biggest adjustment for me was the consistency of the product. It’s thick, and doesn’t flow as easily as store bought.
Because of their ingredients, they tend to be thicker and more oily.
This is great for your skin, as the nutrients are extremely nourishing, but it’s not so great if you don’t set aside a few extra minutes to apply this correctly. No multitasking here girls!
Homemade Lotion with Essential Oils
A lot of the ingredients in homemade lotion such as beeswax and coconut oil already smell amazing!
Sometimes I whip up a batch without essential oils.
But lets be honest. I am a girl, and I love the “smell good” stuff. So I typically make homemade lotion with essential oils.
It is important to keep in mind safe use when working with essential oils, you want to keep the ratios in a safe range.
Read more about essential oils and their safe use here.
A huge benefit to using essential oils in your lotion is their aromatic benefits!
In your nighttime lotion you could use lavender oil to help you sleep and relax. While in your daytime lotion you use grapefruit to energize!
Read more about each of the essential oils and how they effect your mood here.
DIY Lotion
Here is a quick guide to our 5 DIY lotion recipes.
Why I love this homemade body lotion: Hands down, this is my favorite lotion in this article. If you are looking for a lotion that is most similar to store bought (in terms of being able to spread the lotion across your skin) this is your recipe!
It is not a greasy lotion, it absorbs into your skin and is great to use on your arms and legs!
Keep in mind: This lotion has a shorter shelf life due to the fact that it contains water.
I typically make small batches of this lotion to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Why I love this homemade face lotion: It has a long shelf life (when compared to other lotion recipes), which is attributed to the fact that this recipe doesn’t contain water!
This lotion is extremely nourishing and is great to put on before bed (your skin will get nice and shiny so don’t put it on before you leave for your hot date!
Keep in mind: This lotion is thick and oily, so don’t try to place it in a lotion pump!
A little goes a long way, covering yourself in too much lotion will make it hard for your skin to absorb it.
Why I love this easy homemade lotion recipe: I stumbled on this recipe one night when I ran out of lotion but was feeling too lazy to go to the store and buy ingredients for a new batch.
It is so incredibly simple, it uses only 2 ingredients and works wonders for my skin!
When solidified this lotion is not spreadable. I pour it in liquid form into muffin tins and make “lotion sticks”.
It’s a great on the go lotion – I throw mine in a baggie and rub it across the tops of my hands when they’re feeling dry!
Keep in mind: As stated above, this recipe is more of a balm. If you are looking for a spreadable lotion this is not for you.
It is very oily and takes a while to absorb into your skin.
Why I love this less oily homemade lotion: If you’ve ever made lotion at home, you’ll find that most of them are very oily. This is because you are using the purest ingredients!
Because of the use of water and fractionated coconut oil, this recipe is far less oily when compared to some of the others, and is still extremely nourishing!
The rosewater in this lotion adds an uplifting aroma!
Keep in mind: The use of water in this recipe decreases its shelf life. Like we said above, it’s a good idea to make smaller quantities of this lotion, or to store in the fridge.
Why I love this nighttime body lotion: I love most body lotions, but don’t feel they nourish my skin as much as the thick oily lotions do.
That is why I love this recipe, it’s extremely thick and nourishing. I only put it on at night so it has time to soak into my skin.
Keep in mind: This lotion is oily!
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
- 1 cup of rose water (You can also use distilled water or aloe vera juice)
- 1 Tablespoon beeswax
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (Cornstarch helps to bind the lotion together, this is an optional ingredient, however if you leave it out the texture may be different)
- .5 Tablespoon honey (Also optional, I always use this because it adds a nice smell and helps to bind the ingredients together)
- Pour the sweet almond oil, beeswax, coconut oil and honey into a container that can be used as a double boiler (I always use a large mason jar).
- Fill a medium sized sauce pan with a few inches of water.
- Place the container into the sauce pan and bring the water to a gentle boil.
- As the ingredients start to melt, stir the ingredients together (I use a chopstick for this! You can use a popsicle stick as well)
- Warm up the rose water. I do this in another jar in the same sauce pan. You want these to be right around the same temperature.
- Pour the heated rose water into a food processor. Turn on the food processor and slowly add the melted oil/wax mixture and corn starch while the food processor is on (I use a large bowl and a hand blender which I think is much easier to clean!)
- Use a spatula to move your new lotion into the desired container (I like mason jars for this too).
recipe source: Broke & Healthy
Nighttime Homemade Face Lotion
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup almond oil (You can also use olive oil or avocado oil)
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup beeswax
- 1 Tablespoon shea butter
- 1 Tablespoon of cocoa butter (if you don’t want to purchase both, use 2 Tablespoons of one or the other)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of vitamin E
- Optional: essential oils, since this is a nighttime lotion I would suggest something relaxing like lavender oil
Instructions:
- Pour the ingredients into a container that can be used as a double boiler (I always use a large mason jar).
- Fill a medium sized sauce pan with a few inches of water.
- Place the container into the sauce pan and bring the water to a gentle boil.
- As the ingredients start to melt, stir them together (I use a chopstick for this! You can use a popsicle stick as well)
- Once the ingredients have melted and are fully combined, pour the ingredients into your desired container (I like mason jars for this too).
recipe adapted from: Wellness Mama
Easy Homemade Lotion Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raw shea butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (You can also use almond oil or avocado oil)
Instructions:
- Place the shea butter into a container that can be used as a double boiler (I always use a large mason jar).
- Fill a medium sized sauce pan with a few inches of water.
- Place the container into the sauce pan and bring the water to a gentle boil.
- Stir the shea butter as it starts to melt (I use a chopstick for this! You can use a popsicle stick as well).
- Once the shea butter has completely melted, add the oil. Stir these ingredients.
- After everything has combined, pour the ingredients into a bowl and place into the fridge to cool.
- Let this cool until it starts to harden (usually about 30-40 minutes).
- Blend the ingredients with a hand blender to combine!
- Use a spatula to move your new lotion into your desired container (I like mason jars for this too).
recipe source: Detoxinista
Less Oily Homemade Lotion
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rose water (You can also use distilled water or aloe vera juice)
- 1/2 cup beeswax
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup jojoba (You can also use sweet almond oil, olive oil or avocado oil)
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil (Optional)
- Essential oils
Instructions:
- Pour the beeswax, coconut oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E and essential oils into a container that can be used as a double boiler (I always use a large mason jar).
- Fill a medium sized sauce pan with a few inches of water.
- Place the container into the sauce pan and bring the water to a gentle boil.
- As the ingredients start to melt, stir them together (I use a chopstick for this! You can use a popsicle stick as well).
- Warm up the rose water. I do this in another jar in the same sauce pan. You want these to be right around the same temperature.
- Pour the heated rose water and melted oil/wax mixture into a food processor (I use a large bowl and a hand blender which I think is far easier to clean!)
- Let this cool until it starts to harden (usually about 20 minutes).
- Blend the ingredients to combine!
- Use a spatula to move your new lotion into your desired container (I like mason jars for this too!)
recipe source: Delicious Obsessions
Nighttime Body Lotion
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of oil such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil or avocado oil
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon beeswax
- 2 teaspoons shea butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Pour the sweet almond oil, beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter into a container that can be used as a double boiler (I always use a large mason jar).
- Fill a medium sized sauce pan with a few inches of water.
- Place the container into the sauce pan and bring the water to a gentle boil.
- As the ingredients start to melt, stir them together (I use a chopstick for this! You can use a popsicle stick as well)
- Take the jar out of the saucepan and add the vanilla extract.
- Pour the mixture into a food processor (I use a large bowl and a hand blender which I think is far easier to clean!)
- Let this cool until it starts to harden (usually about 20 minutes)
- Blend the ingredients to combine!
- Use a spatula to move your new lotion into your desired container (I like mason jars for this too)
recipe source: Healthy Living How To
We hope you enjoyed all of these easy homemade lotion recipes!
Do you have a favorite DIY lotion recipe? What do you do differently? What was your favorite lotion recipe to make?
Love this post- so organized and put together! Definitely saving this in my favorites! I’ve been pretty lazy about my homemade “lotions” and basically mix a few oils together, so I’d love to try out some different textures and natural fragrances.
Thanks Angela! You should try the “Easy Homemade Lotion” recipe – it takes no time at all! Good luck 🙂
Oh my gosh! All of your lotions look soooo beautiful!
Thanks Kathleen! Hope you found a lotion you enjoyed!
THIS POST IS AMAZING!! SO GORGEOUS, I WANT TO EAT ALL OF THESE.
Thanks Chantelle!!
My first attempt at the first lotion listed failed unfortunately. It kind of crumbles off the skin when rubbed. When should I add the cornstarch or should I leave it out to prevent this?
Hi Beth, sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you! I add the cornstarch when I combine the ingredients in the blender – if this isn’t what you did let me know so I can continue to help you trouble shoot!
Hi Beth, sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you! I add the cornstarch when I combine the ingredients in the blender – if this isn’t what you did let me know so I can continue to help you trouble shoot!
These are good recipes, but I have to say that I have created my own recipe because everything I found was just whipped oils. I don’t use any preservatives and use essential oils. The reason home made lotion goes bad is the coconut oil. Because of food particulate in the oil when it’s separated, it bio degrades when water is added causing all the other oils to go rancid INCLUDING the coconut oil. My recipe does not use coconut oil or cocoa butter and I have tester jars that I’ve been sticking my finger in daily for 9 months now and it has never gone bad. For this reason, I can make up to how ever many batches I can pump out and sell them to my clients – many with eczema and rare skin rashes as well as cancer patients who have removed ALL synthetic chemicals from their lives.
I would like your lotion recipe you spoke of on this site.
This sounds great. What is your recipe? My daughter and I suffer from extreme dry skin and live in the mountains where there is no humidity. We are looking for a good lotion recipe to help us with this.
Can you list the product brands that you use for these recipes? Such as the rose water, beeswax, sweet almond oil, and shea butter.
Most people in my area have no clue that shampoos that grow your hair fast (of course with no sulfates, no parabens and no DEA) are a thing. Persons can now experience longer hair and possess more options. Certainly worth considering.
When you’re looking into alopecia, damaged hair, avoiding skin disorders, hair growth, hair health normally, similar ideas become relevant.
In most cases, you will want to stay away from hair treatments and products that include chemicals such as parabens, DEA or sulfates.
What’s beneficial for your hair is good for your skin as well.
Obviously your content on this page hits the nail in the head for multiple reasons. It stays away from the accustomed traps and traps so many fall into: buying bad alternatives. Keep up the great content!
Thanks for the info Deandre! ?