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In our family, we have a tradition of holding one gift to open on January 6th, which marks the feast of the Epiphany and the end of the Christmas season for us. I wanted to find a fun way to teach our kids about this traditional feast which celebrates the arrival of the three kings bearing Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, and I thought what better way that a homemade product that combined all three.
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
I’d already made Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Lotion Bars, but wanted a smoother lotion that would be easy to make and that my kids could help with. As we made this, we learned about the benefits of each of the ingredients and what they symbolized.
Gold was pretty straightforward but the other two are not as well known. Some speculate that frankincense signified a teaching role and sacrifice while myrrh predicted death and embalming. Both had practical benefits for mom and child though. Frankincense was often used to help balance hormones and for healing. Myrrh was often used on the umbilical cord to prevent infection and speed healing and both are considered calming and soothing.
Frankincense and Myrrh are both extracted from the bark of certain trees and are considered medicinal herbs.
Other Ingredients
I wanted to also make this an opportunity to teach my kids about oil and water and emulsification (homeschool science project) so we used an ingredient I don’t often use but that aids emulsification. It is called emulsifying wax. There is some debate on how natural it is, though it is plant derived. Emulsifying wax goes through more processing than a truly natural wax like beeswax, but works much more easily for emulsification.
In fact, we first attempted to get oil and water to emulsify by themselves in the blender and watched them separate completely after a few minutes. Once we added the emulsifying wax, they stayed blended and felt like lotion.
NOTE: Unlike my homemade luxurious lotion, this lotion does contain water and will have a shorter life than strictly oil based lotions. You can use a natural, broad-spectrum preservative to extend the shelf life, but I chose to skip it. I just made a small batch and used it all up within two weeks and kept it in the fridge.
For this recipe, we used (click links to see the brand we used):
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Emulsifying wax
- Distilled Water
- Essential Oils (Frankincense and Myrrh)
- Gold Mica powder

Three Kings Lotion Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 1 TBSP almond oil (or olive oil)l
- 1 TBSP emulsifying wax
- ½ cup distilled water
- 10 drops frankincense essential oil
- 10 drops myrrh essential oil
- 1 tsp gold mica powder
Instructions
- Make sure that all containers and ingredients are very clean. This lotion does not contain a preservative so to extend shelf life, make sure everything is as clean as possible.
- Melt the emulsifying wax and coconut oil in a double boiler until just melted.
- Remove from heat and add olive or almond oil and whisk in.
- Slowly add water, whisking to mix until all added.
- Return double boiler to heat and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes creamy and slightly thick. It will be the consistency of squeezable lotion from a store.
- Add essential oils and whisk in.
- Let cool and transfer to jar or bottle to store.
Notes
Ever made a DIY project with your kids? How did it turn out?
I really wish I could make this lotion, but being a stay at hm mom I can’t afford the ingredients which are about 100 dollars plus!
What a great idea! I’ll have to remember this for next Epiphany.
I love the look of this lotion and anything that gets the kids involved is great. I use Frankincense oil a lot and am always on the lookout for new uses. Thank you for posting this and I can’t wait to try it!
Will the gold make it glittery or colored or is it just for fun?
Hi Katie, although everyone should do their own research I feel like you should mention that myrrh is contraindicated for pregnant and nursing moms.
I am confused about something. If you are using strickly oil and water, how does it go bad? Especially if you use distilled water. It’s not highly important, I was just curious. 🙂
If it is in a jar and you reach your hand in to scoop some out,it can contaminate over time from that, but the likelihood is much lower in a pump bottle.
Hi! I love your postings. I’ve been following you and recommending your site for awhile now. Thank you for all the great ideas and recipes.
Just one thing. I live in Hawaii and Mountain Rose does not deliver here. Any suggestions?!
I wasn’t aware that they don’t deliver to Hawaii…
how much is a tap of the gold mica?
Should be “tsp” for teaspoon. Corrected now… thanks for the catch!
Maybe I’m just missing it, but in the instructions I’m not seeing where you add the mica powder.
I think young living ships to Hawaii
Would adding some Vit E give it more shelf life?
This sounds like a great lotion and a great project to do with the kids! I wouldn’t add the preservative either. Any bacteria in the lotion would be minimal compared to the bacteria in our shower and faucet water that we use on a day basis
so… can beeswax be used instead of emulsifying wax?
It can, but it often resepartates and causes problems.