alwaysme07
Well-Known Member
I'm looking to make some lotion with the oils I have. Hopefully I won't need to buy any more 
looking for a basic lotion recipe
- Thread starter alwaysme07
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What ingredients do you have? Oils, butters, emulsifier, thickener, preservative? It would be helpful to give us a list of what you have so we don't have to play "20 questions."
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Here is a good, basic recipe from Susan Swift.
70% water
15% oil (sunflower, soy bean, rice bran, or olive oil)
5% shea or mango butter
3% cetyl alcohol
5% emulsifier (BTMS or Polawax)
1% fragrance or essential oil
0.5% to 1% preservative
(This doesn’t total 100% because of the difference in preservatives!)
1. Weigh out your water in a heat proof container and put into a double boiler. (As a note, weigh more than 70% because it will evaporate when heated, so you’ll have less than 70% in the end).
2. Weigh out your oil, butter, cetyl alcohol, and emulsifier in a heat proof container and put into your double boiler.
3. When both containers have reached 70C, weigh out your water again, then add it to your oil container. (This is a very cool moment…watch closely. It’s emulsified! It’s lotion!)
4. Blend with a hand mixer or stick blender for at least 3 minutes. Repeat this process as often as you would like until the temperature reaches 45C.
5. Let cool to 45C, then add your fragrance or essential oil and preservative. Mix well with your hand mixer or stick blender, then let cool.
6. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature (a few hours), put into a bottle (with a pump, if possible), jar, or malibu bottle, then use.
70% water
15% oil (sunflower, soy bean, rice bran, or olive oil)
5% shea or mango butter
3% cetyl alcohol
5% emulsifier (BTMS or Polawax)
1% fragrance or essential oil
0.5% to 1% preservative
(This doesn’t total 100% because of the difference in preservatives!)
1. Weigh out your water in a heat proof container and put into a double boiler. (As a note, weigh more than 70% because it will evaporate when heated, so you’ll have less than 70% in the end).
2. Weigh out your oil, butter, cetyl alcohol, and emulsifier in a heat proof container and put into your double boiler.
3. When both containers have reached 70C, weigh out your water again, then add it to your oil container. (This is a very cool moment…watch closely. It’s emulsified! It’s lotion!)
4. Blend with a hand mixer or stick blender for at least 3 minutes. Repeat this process as often as you would like until the temperature reaches 45C.
5. Let cool to 45C, then add your fragrance or essential oil and preservative. Mix well with your hand mixer or stick blender, then let cool.
6. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature (a few hours), put into a bottle (with a pump, if possible), jar, or malibu bottle, then use.
WillieWright
Member
Homemade Lotion Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond oil or jojoba oil (or any other liquid oil)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup beeswax
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
- 2 TBSP shea butter or cocoa butter (optional)
- essential oils, vanilla extract, or other natural extracts to suit your preference (optional)
- Combine almond oil (or any other liquid oil), coconut oil, and beeswax in a double boiler or a glass bowl on top. If using shea or cocoa butter, add it as well.
- As the water heats, the ingredients will start to melt. Stir occasionally as they melt to incorporate.
- When all ingredients are completely melted, add vitamin E oil (if using) and any essential oils or scents like vanilla.
- Pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Small mason jars work perfectly for this. (I like to use 8 ounce jars like these.) 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.
"Lotion" made with only fats and beeswax is an anhydrous mixture and it could be called a salve or balm or a butter. It is not really a lotion -- lotion is an emulsified blend of water-based liquids and fats.
This is not a lotion recipe. Lotion has emulsifiers and contain water. What you've posted is a anhydrous balm type. Also, all B&B should be measured by weight for accuracy and consistency.
Also, this recipe has been plagiarized from Wellness Mama's blog -- https://wellnessmama.com/3765/homemade-lotion-recipe/
@WillieWright -- There's nothing wrong with sharing information from other people's websites IF you give credit to the original source. It is NOT okay to copy-and-paste articles or recipes and make the info seem as if it is your own.
@WillieWright -- There's nothing wrong with sharing information from other people's websites IF you give credit to the original source. It is NOT okay to copy-and-paste articles or recipes and make the info seem as if it is your own.
dixiedragon
Well-Known Member
I love this tutorial:
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/gift-series-lotion-tutorial-from-scratch-2/
If I want my lotion to squeeze out of a bottle, I use all liquid oils and 80% water. If I am making a jar lotion, I use some shea butter and less water, I think 75% or 70%.
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/gift-series-lotion-tutorial-from-scratch-2/
If I want my lotion to squeeze out of a bottle, I use all liquid oils and 80% water. If I am making a jar lotion, I use some shea butter and less water, I think 75% or 70%.
Antoinette
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Why do you need actual measurements? Decide how many ounces of lotion you want to make and use the percentages to get the actual weight of each ingredient.
