If you are still using store-bought lotion on yourself or your family, there are super easy natural alternatives that are fun to make! This homemade lotion recipe has three basic ingredients and takes only ten minutes to whip together.
The basic recipe is an ultra-moisturizing water-free version that lasts for years without preservatives.
NOTE: This is an improved recipe since many people were having trouble getting the temperatures exactly right to get the lotion to emulsify (as per the comments below). This recipe will not have any of those issues!
Making Custom Lotion Blends
Once you master the base recipe, have fun customizing your lotion to your skin type, skin conditions, and desired scent!
There are endless variations, but some of my favorites are:
- Baby Lotion – Infuse the oil with calendula and chamomile before making the lotion.
- Cooling Muscle Rub – Add peppermint, wintergreen, and ginger for sore muscles.
- Anti-aging Face Lotion – Use argan oil and add lavender and patchouli essential oils.
- Lavender and Vanilla Lotion – Add a few drops of lavender and a little natural vanilla extract.
Homemade Lotion Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond oil (or jojoba oil, or any other liquid oil)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup beeswax pellets
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
- 2 TBSP shea butter (or cocoa butter, optional)
- essential oils (optional)
- vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the almond oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and shea or cocoa butter if using, in a double boiler or a glass bowl on top of a simmering pan of water.
- Stir occasionally as the ingredients melt.
- When all ingredients are completely melted, add the vitamin E oil if using and any essential oils or scents like vanilla.
- Pour into a glass jar or tin for storage. Small mason jars work perfectly for this. Note: This will not pump well in a lotion pump!
- Use as you would regular lotion. This lotion is ultra-moisturizing and more oily than water-based lotions so you won’t need to use as much. It also has a longer shelf life than some homemade lotion recipes since all ingredients are already shelf stable and no water is added. Use within 6 months for best moisturizing benefits.
Notes
Other Homemade Lotion Recipe Variations
There are lots of ways you can make your own lotion at home. Consider this easy men’s lotion with just a handful of ingredients, or see below for other ways to moisturize!
Lotion Bars
If you want an even easier solution, make these easy lotion bars! It only has three ingredients, takes less time to make, and lasts even longer.
Aloe-Based Homemade Lotion
If you’d prefer a lighter lotion recipe, this aloe-based version is much smoother and not as greasy. Unlike the version above, it does not have an indefinite shelf life and should be used within a month since it does not contain any preservatives.
This recipe is adapted from the recipe I’ve used for years from Frugally Sustainable.
Aloe Lotion Ingredients
- 1 cup aloe vera gel
- 1 tsp + 1 TBSP beeswax pastilles
- 1/2 cup almond oil or jojoba oil (or any other liquid oil)
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
- 1 TBSP shea butter (optional)
- essential oils of choice – I like 10 drops of geranium and 5 drops of lime
Aloe Lotion Instructions
- Melt the beeswax, almond oil (or other liquid oil), and shea butter (if using) in a double boiler or glass bowl over a pan of water.
- Remove from heat and pour into a blender or mason jar (if using an immersion blender).
- Let cool to room temperature. You want it to be room temperature and just barely starting to harden around the edges. This will help make sure that the lotion emulsifies correctly.
- Add the vitamin E (if using) and any essential oils.
- Start blending on low using a blender or immersion blender. Very slowly, start adding the aloe vera gel until incorporated. Use a spatula to wipe down the sides and re-blend a few times until fully incorporated.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to six weeks.
Best Pre-Made Natural Lotions
If reading all that just convinced you that you’d rather just buy a natural lotion than go through the trouble of making one, there are also some great pre-made options. (And no judgment… that’s how I felt the first few times I tried making lotion and toothpaste too!).
These are lotions that I’ve personally used and love and that have safe ingredients and a good rating with the Environmental Working Group:
- Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Lotion – I’ve never found a product I didn’t like from this company
- Shea Moisture Head to Toe Ointment – Similar to the first recipe above- no liquid and very moisturizing
- Nourish Organic Body Lotion – Fragrance-free and very highly rated by EWG
- Shea Moisture Olive Oil and Marula – Smells amazing and works really well!
- Nature’s Baby Organic Unscented Lotion – Also very highly rated unscented lotion
Ever made your own lotion? How did it go? Let me know below!
yep… GSE should be fine, or you could leave it out if you are going to use the lotion pretty quickly as coconut oil will naturally inhibit the growth of bacteria. You can definitely use this in his face too.
I must disagree with Wellness Mama on the antibacterial, antimicrobiodical properties of both coconut oil and vitamin E in lotions and creams. While Vitamin E is an antioxident and will prolong the shelf life of products, it does not inhibit growth of mold and bacteria in lotions and creams. I highly doubt that a person would no more buy or use a cream in which mold and bacteria were found to be present than they would buy a carton of cottage cheese with mold growing on the top. Coconut oil, when ingested, has been found to be effective in preventing h. pylori, a bacteria which lives in the stomach lining and digestive system of humans and which is one of the causes of stomach ulcers. But please note that h. pylori requires an antibiotic specific to the bacteria to get rid of it. Read up on your facts.
Coconut oil can be effectively used to treat bacterial skin infections and is even effective against acne or athletes foot due to its naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. In the natural products realm, it does provide some protection against bacteria and microbes without the chemicals. I’m yet to find any commercial emulsifier or preservative that doesn’t contain a questionable chemical. On a purely anecdotal note, I’ve had lotions and deodorant I’ve made with coconut oil last over a year when I’ve forgotten it in a drawer or cabinet without having any change in smell or color or any indication that it had started to grow mold. Like a reader mentioned, I”d rather take my changes with the possibility of mold than with the assurance of a chemical in the commercial versions.
Me too!
Hi. I’m so keen to try this on my son who is 1 and suffers from mild eczema. I’ve been looking for something completely natural that I can just slaver on before he goes to bed. I’d like to try the baby cream you suggest but he may also have a gluten allergy (I’m getting it checked out) and noticed on an earlier post you proposed GSE as a replacement for vit-E oil. Would GSE also be OK for a young eczema sufferer? Also, would this cream be OK on his face? Thanks in advance for your advice. 🙂
Just made this with emulsifying wax & almond oil! So excited I used orange and lemongrass essential oils because we are entering mosquito season in south texas. Mountain Rose Herbs is the best place to get products you can trust to be pure and high quality.
would citrus oils be ok in this, or do you think it wouldn’t be as moisturizing. also would it irritate sensitive skin? i just love the smell of citrus, and would like homemade natural lotion with that scent.
It would be fine, even for sensitive skin, just don’t use it right before going out into direct sun, as it can make you skin slightly more sensitive
Thank you for all this information.
I would like to know what should I use after micro dermabration peeling?
After laser skin rejuvenation and laser hair removal?
If you have any recipes, please let me know thank you
I have a couple questions.
For the oil, can I use part calendula oil and part coconut providing I keep the total at 1/4 cup? I’m assuming it would make a thinner lotion.
Also, how much does this make?
It makes almost a cup, and calendua oil would work great.
Can you share the ingredients and amounts needed for the baby lotion?
This is great! Thanks for this. Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve been using coconut oil lately, and it works really well, but this sounds fun too! Actually, I went to the allergist this week, and told him I use coconut oil for my eczema…he looked at me like I was crazy and then asked me why. I told him I prefer natural products to chemical cocktails. He didn’t seem amused.
I get amazing reviews from my pinetar soap bars. I use it for myself and on my 6 year old for his ezema. he hasnt had a breakout of ezcema in almost two years! I am looking into making lotions that have same charictoristics as my bars of soap. Only thing to be careful with coconut oil, although it is amazing, It can dry out the skin.
Hello. Interested in the pinetar soap recipe. I have several family member who have ezema. Ts could be the answer to my famiies ezema. Thank you!
To make your own Pine Tar soap, use “Kiln Burned Pine Tar.” One company that sells this is Auson. Open kiln pine tar, which is sold as a hoof care product for horses, often contains creosote.
Here is a general recipe for Pine Tar Soap:
• 50% olive oil
• 25% coconut oil
• 15% pine tar
• 5% Shea butter
• 5% castor oil
• Distilled Water
• Lye (NaOH) – I use Rooto brand from Ace Hardware
I use SoapCalc.net (http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp) to calculate the weight of water and lye based on the amount of oils that I use. Make sure to include the pine tar under the “Oils, Fats and Waxes” section. If you have not previously made lye soap, be very cautious when using lye, as it is dangerous. Never use it around children, please.
You can find other recipes for pine tar online, utilizing pine tar anywhere from 5-25% of the total oils. I recommend you stir it by hand, instead of using a stick blender, as it traces very quickly.
Hi! Can you please share with us pinetar recipe?
Thanks!
And also for everyone…i have a very very very dry skin..what’s the best lotion recipe for my case..
Thanks again
I also have extremely dry dry skin. If you have any solutions for a nice face lotion as well as body lotion for folks like us, I’d appreciate it! I made two batches of the cocoanut oil lotion: 1st with beeswax, 2nd without beeswax and whipped. The second batch went on nicer, but still sometimes felt like it may not be enough. Any tips? Having super dry skin makes it tough to find the right moisturizer. Any help would be great! Thank you!
You might try this lotion bar: https://wellnessmama.com/8555/hypoallergenic-lotion-bar-recipe/
The tallow is great for super dry skin!
What ratio of essential oils to lotion do you use? Do you have a specific measured amount? (As in teaspoons or drops, not grams, please.) And what do you suggest for preventing mold and bacteria?
Thanks!
Liz
I usually use 20-30 drops of essential oil… oils like lavender, tea tree, rosemary and thyme will prevent mold and bacteria.
how much does this make?
“About 3/4 to 1 cup depending on how thick you make it and how much it emulsifies.” 🙂