One of the best parts of sustainable living is learning to create things for yourself instead of buying them. It allows you to avoid materials and ingredients that are harmful to your family or the planet — and it’s also very satisfying personally. One of my favorite creations of the past few years has been this body lotion.
Why Homemade Lotion?
I started looking at making my own lotion after exhausting myself reading labels, trying to wade through paragraph-long ingredient lists in an attempt to decipher if the lotion was safe to put on my skin.
Why did I bother? Well, much of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. What the skin doesn’t absorb can enter our waterways when we wash it off — where it can pollute water supplies and harm wildlife. In many commercially produced lotions, you’ll find potentially harmful ingredients like diethyl phthalate, propylene glycol, synthetic colors and fragrances, parabens, and more.
Instead of slathering yourself in all of that, how about whipping up a batch of your own creamy, rich, luxurious lotion with just three simple ingredients?
Ready?
Moisturizing Body Lotion
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons grated beeswax
Instructions
1. Gently warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated beeswax and stir until it dissolves. Once dissolved, remove from heat.
2. Add water to a blender, food processor or a bowl (if you’re using a hand mixer). Start mixing the water and slowly add the oil and beeswax mixture. The key is to add it slowly enough that the mixture can emulsify, so don’t rush it!
As you continue to add the oil to the water, you’ll see lotion starting to form!
3. When you’re all done pouring the oil, blend for a few more minutes and then use a spatula to decant the lotion into sterile glass jars.
You can add a few drops of essential oils if you prefer scented lotion, but the scent of the natural ingredients is quite delicious.
This luxurious lotion has been my savior since moving to a very dry climate. I massage it into my skin after a hot bath, and I stay moisturized and soft instead of scaly.
Want more recipes? Check out our other guides for DIY personal care products.
Originally published on April 27, 2017, this article was updated in December 2022.