Finally!
A homemade lotion that I can use throughout the day without my skin feeling like a grease pit!
As a family, we usually go through several bottles of lotion during the cold, winter months. But, I must say that I have been generally unhappy with the homemade recipes I have tried in the past for several reasons:
- Many recipes contain borax (love borax for cleaning, not so much on my skin).
- They’re just to greasy. Like “can’t hold on to anything” greasy.
- Some recipes involve ingredients that are hard to find.
And the lotions I find on store shelves are:
- super expensive
- they don’t work
- ladened with chemical preservatives that I’m not okay with
For all of these reasons, I decided to continue on my quest for the perfect non-greasy homemade moisturizing lotion.
I’ve finally found it and now, as always, I’m sharing it with you!
Lotion Making Method
Gather the Ingredients
-1 cup aloe vera gel
-1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
-3/4 ounce beeswax, grated or broken into small pieces
-1/2 cup almond or grapeseed oil
-1 tablespoon cocoa butter (I added this for a slightly more luxurious lotion during the winter, but this is optional.)
-10 drops essential oils of choice (optional)
Directions:
With a makeshift double boiler, over low heat, melt beeswax and oils.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil, and essential oils.
Pour the melted oils into a blender and allow them to cool to room temperature. This is a vital step in order to prevent separation. Once cooled, with blender on low speed, slowly and continuously pour in aloe vera mixture. Run a rubber spatula against the sides of the blender to incorporate all ingredients. Blend until the mixture has the look and feel of lotion.
Note: This step may also be performed in a mixing bowl with the use of a handheld electric mixer.
Pour the lotion into sterilized jars. You can use sterilized canning jars if you have them on hand. I keep a jar on the bathroom counter and one in the refrigerator. The lotion will keep for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
–Almond oil and grapeseed oil are readily absorbed by the skin thereby leaving the non-greasy feeling.
-My favorite essential oil combination for this lotion is geranium and lime!
-This lotion is not only perfectly moisturizing for these winter months, but with the addition of aloe gel, I anticipate this recipe will carry me through the summer as well! I think it’s going to be perfect for those after-to-much-sun days.
-Best of all, I like that this recipe contains NO chemicals. It is as pure as any healthy, nutritious food you would eat. Rubbing something into your skin is the same as putting it into your mouth, so I’d rather use good things like almond oil, aloe vera, and natural beeswax. Not to mention, this lotion costs a fraction of the retail price when compared to it’s commercially-prepared counterparts.
-To purchase ingredients needed for this recipe look in your local health food store or order online through Mountain Rose Herbs.
–Remember :: Health doesn’t come from plastic bottles. Vitality grows naturally from the way you live your life. If you want to learn more about herbs as medicine and as food, and if you’re just too busy to enroll in an in-person program, join the Herbal Academy of New England for a comprehensive and convenient online herbal course you can complete anywhere and anytime!
Sounds Awesome! I've been looking for a recipe for a nongreasy feel, thank you!
Questions I made the lotion this weekend and it was very watery and thick. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
OK, I used coconut oil, she’s butter, cocoa butter, beeswax – no vitamin E – just some problems with it all emulsifying like others, but I did end up making it work. All my products are organic even the aloe gel, and its getting stinky after 4 days. If I make again I will refrigerate, but I can’t imagine that’s the problem after 4 days, because so many poster refridgerate but still leave some in the bathroom for days. Consistency was not ideal but for over $10 for the organic ingredients I was fine with it, it moisturizes great and I deffinately skewed from the recipe. I made a lotion a few weeks ago without aloe gel, but everything else mentioned above, and lasted for weeks unrefrigerated, so the aloe gel made mine sour in a few days 🙁 if Vit E is a natural preservative, does anyone know where to get it organically or other organic preservatives. I do like it so I guess refrigerate next time, I’m pregnant and just noticed the smell today, would the smell cause harm, what does it mean- like bactetia in it mold????? Thanks sooooo much for any help!!!! 🙂
Ok, I smelled my refrigerated aloe gel which has been open less than a week and it jhas the same s!mell, so just aloe gel I guess, will keep using but will try to find a naturalish preservative next time 🙂
you can find the all natural vitamin E at your local GNC store or health store. you can also find it on many apothecary sites in bulk.
Hi Andrea: I’m having problems with the lotion not mixing. The first time I left the oils until they were room temperature and solid and had no luck at all mixing. The second time I let cool to the touch in the blender and tried mixing and it’s better, but it’s still globulous. Help.
Thank you….I love love your blog!
I had exactly the same problem. There are hundreds of recipes on the web and different execution methods. My problem was with the beeswax in the oil. Took a very long time to melt at low heat in double boiler method. Also seemed too much beessax in proportion to oil.
The aloe gel in my case solidified the bees wax almost instantly when I poured it in my Kitchen Aid mixer. I whipped at low and high speed like you would do for whipping cream, because that is how I make my other cream. For some reason the water got separated from the oils and compounds. The whole mix was very cottage cheese like.
**** NOTE**** I did not let the oil cool down. Wouldn’t the cooling cause the beewax to re-solidify???
Thank you in advance for any help.
Dunno how long you guys were letting it cool, but I let mine get to almost room temperature. I started mine in a blender, but it wasn’t mixing well enough and got to the consistency of cottage cheese. I ended up scraping it into a bowl and used a hand mixer to blend it up. I mixed the HECK out of that stuff, and it came out wonderfully! Maybe you need to mix it for a longer amount of time? And I don’t think the beeswax would re-solidify that much since it’s got the oil in it. I checked mine for temperature and it was almost like a paraffin wax treatment on my finger, but melted right off when I rubbed it into my skin. You can see pictures of my finished product here: http://pinterest.com/pin/224898575113847390/
can you use aloe vera oil instead of the gel?
Hey Guys, I make my own cosmetics and do a whipped body butter with a few more ingredients. You can do a few things if your having trouble blending. One is try shea or mango butter in the place of beeswax, it should blend a little easier. Stick with Aloe Gel and not oil if you want to to be fluffy. I usually add a bit of cocoa butter as well and for my secret body butter, add a teaspoon Organic Cocoa. It make it smell amazing and you have a whipped chocolate body butter that melts on your skin. It looks like chocolate mouse!
I also forgot to add……..if you put your “hot” mixture in your kitchen Aide or mixer and start whipping first you will see how the texture is as it cools. When it starts to solidify slightly is when I start to add my Aloe Gel until I get the texture and lightness I want. Adrianna~
Can aloe vera juice b used in place of the gel?
I accidentally bought the juice instead of gel. I used it anyway (just today) and it turned out fine. I love it!
You have to get the liquid and the oils hot but not boiling, then combine. And don’t use regular bees wax,use emulsion wax that is white and in tiny little beads that melt and blend in more easily. I don’t do it in the blender but in a large bowl with either a whisk or an electric mixer.After the first couple of minutes you can let it sit and just come back every 10-15 minutes and restir. Hope this helps
The trick is to have the waters and the oils both at ~ 95 F. I use a fine wire whisk by hand at first then continue with my Kitchen Aid Mixer. Works great!
The key to combining all the ingredients is a teaspoon of lanolin which is not mentioned…also very important to let the melted ingredients cool completely to the point of stiff…the beeswax wont resolidify that soon…add the other liquids slowly and wait until the ingredients combine properly…
I made it without lanolin, i used the white pastilles beeswax, you do not lanolin to make a lotion. Everything needs to cool down a bit and be the same temperature .
Caution! Many people are allergic to lanolin! I would caution against using it, from my personal perspective.
The cooling process wouldn’t really make it harden back up; it just allows the whole mixture to thicken up a bit. I also got a cottage cheese texture…I think it would be better with emulsifying wax instead of beeswax.
Right Jessica, E wax is your anwer. Beeswax is not an emulsifyer. Make lip balm wtih beeswax, not lotion. Also must preserve it. YOu will have a rotten moldy batch, if you dont.
This is what happened to me. 🙁 I had chunks in my lotion.
What I do is…. warm….the liquids barely…then let the hot oil mixture cool….then slowly slowly put the liquid into the oil mixture, Stopping and scraping the sides frequently and then pour in a little more of the liquid blend scrape more liquid blend scrape down…then ad the essential oil…blend scrape. add the vitamin e blend and scrape and soon you will have a smooth wonderful lotion. The bees wax is the emulsifier.
I had the same issue I put mine in a mixing bowl let it harden the add aloe mixture and beat with blender
That, Andrea, sounds perfectly wonderful! Trying this one…saved to my tutorial file! Thanks…I'm thinking jasmine essential oil…xo
Oh jasmine! What a great idea! I love jasmine.
I am continuously amazed at all the things I can use my blender for. 🙂
Thank you! I thought the other day that I needed to find a recipe for this!
Yay! I have been making lotion with Borax and wasn't too sure that was very good for my skin. I am SO happy to have this alternative!
Actually, you were right to wonder about the use of borax powder for topical treatments! it turns out that Borax is a registered carcinogen. This means that when it is absorbed into your bloodstream it will trap compounds such as those found in aluminum. This will help contribute to diseases such as cancer and loss of memory! Good Call!
Borax is completely natural. It doesn’t cause cancer, accumulate in the body, or absorb through the skin. It’s no more harmful than baking soda or salt.
Jamie is right. While it can be toxic at extreme levels of ingestion – it would take such high amounts that it’s not likely to happen. It does not cause cancer at all.
For more information – this site has a lot of links to studies, as well as noting that the places saying it’s “so bad” don’t even list sources. http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
I’ll take wikipedia over crunchy betty…Education from credible sources is critical to safety. May damage fertility and unborn child are enough for me…and no, that is not the same as baking soda, which is found in every ER in the nation…
Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic.[19] Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats:[20] a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. The lethal dose is not necessarily the same for humans.
Sufficient exposure to borax dust can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. “In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure.[21]
Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be particularly toxic to infants, especially after repeated use, because of the slow elimination rate.[22]
Borax was added to the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list on 16 December 2010. The SVHC candidate list is part of the EU Regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals 2006 (REACH), and the addition was based on the revised classification of Borax as toxic for reproduction category 1B under the CLP Regulations. Substances and mixtures imported into the EU which contain Borax are now required to be labelled with the warnings “May damage fertility” and “May damage the unborn child”.[23]
I’ll take wikipedia over crunchy betty…Education from credible sources is critical to safety. May damage fertility and unborn child are enough for me…and no, that is not the same as baking soda, which is found in every ER in the nation…
Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic.[19] Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats:[20] a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. The lethal dose is not necessarily the same for humans.
Sufficient exposure to borax dust can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. “In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure.[21]
Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be particularly toxic to infants, especially after repeated use, because of the slow elimination rate.[22]
Borax was added to the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list on 16 December 2010. The SVHC candidate list is part of the EU Regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals 2006 (REACH), and the addition was based on the revised classification of Borax as toxic for reproduction category 1B under the CLP Regulations. Substances and mixtures imported into the EU which contain Borax are now required to be labelled with the warnings “May damage fertility” and “May damage the unborn child”.[23]
Actually, colleges around the world tell their students “DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA” because of the unreliability of the information they publish. I am a college student and Wikipedia will get me a huge, FAT, F on any assignment due to the fact information can be added by anyone and cannot be completely verified. I am not saying Crunchy Betty is anymore reliable, but I think I will do more research for myself rather than believe in and promote Wikipedia.
Jackie, I appreciate your reply. Wikipedia can be a quick go to as long as you validate the references provided and ignore the ones that don’t provide references. Pub Med is also a quick go to however requires quite a bit more time and intensive research. This was a quick answer to what could be a very in depth conversation alone. I certainly was not endorsing or promoting wikipedia.
One of the reasons wiki is unreliable is….ready for this….anyone can enter information.
Wikipedia is an interface between user and information. It is not a generator of info, it is a platform for anyone to contribute information. For research purposes, any user must know that anything not sourced is opinion.
As one who has been researching on the internet since 1995, and in print long before that, trust me – even properly sourced information often turns out to be nothing more than opinion when you actually read t thoroughly.
Wikipedia is only excluded as a source of information for colleges because it is an open source program. Meaning it can be changed and tampered with. Usually, the information is accurate, and wiki has members that monitor content. You can’t use it for references, but you can use the references to find additional information. Even colleges (masters level here) recommend it is a good place to get started with research.
Correct, Borax is natural, it is not a carcinogen, and does not accumulate in the human body like arsenic. It is also extremely poor at penetrating the epidermal layer under normal circumstances. But if you have a rash, acne, open pores etc, it can penetrate. Then it is metabolised into boric acid, and that, Jamie, is a recognised neurotoxin. Borax is potentially a dangerous poison. Common sense should prevail. It is toxic to ingest. Why slather it all over your skin?
Yes, Jaime is right. You are confusing Borax with boric acid. Not the same thing. The Borax powder you find at WalMart in the laundry area is perfectly safe. You only need a small pinch too.
This sounds great! Thank you so much for another wonderful and natural recipe. I made the probiotic deodorant for my older children and they love it! I had tried a different recipe but we weren't too thrilled with the results, I think the addition of beeswax is perfect. I added a bit of teatree oil to it along with lavender and can't wait to make some for the rest of us now. I have been making our laundry soap and lavender dryer sachets for a while now and so gave them an all natural care package of homemade body wash, your deodorant, some sugar scrub and laundry soap and dryer sachets. Now I can add some lotion to it before they all leave to go back to their new homes. Thank you again for helping me go all natural! I told my kids that I am going back to my hippy ways… they love it! My 22 year old son took some of the things to his old college roommates for a Christmas present… I can't tell you how happy that made me! Merry Christmas! t.xoxoxo
This looks like an awesome recipe. I love how it looks whipped.
How long will it keep if you don't put it in the fridge? It's cold and I don't want to rub cold lotion on myself after a shower 🙂
@Stephanie I keep a small 2 ounce size jar on the bathroom counter and refill it with the extra in the fridge as needed. Honestly, I use it everyday on myself and the kids so this recipe never lasts 6 weeks:) I've never had a problem with it going bad using this method.
This looks great! I've pinned it to give it a try!
How much did it actually cost you to make this? I think I can find the ingredients locally. Just curious before I tackle it as a winter project. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! What a God-send! Blessings to you! 🙂
Well I made my first batch of this cream 🙂 It didn't quite look like this though lol. I used Aloe from a plant I grow in my house and it's very sticky compared that which you buy in the store, and I didn't have grapeseed or almond oil so I used olive oil instead. The super sticky Aloe made the concoction look like someone blew their nose in a jar, and it didn't combine too well with the oils and wax, but over all it works REALLY well! (And that's really all that counts!) My son has eczema and I haven't found anything that makes his skin feel moisturized, but I'm so pleased to say this WORKED! Even after one application his skin felt so soft and supple, like a baby should! Thanks for another great recipe!
hi–I’d keep your lotion in the fridge & use it very quickly. The aloe from the store is preserved, so it’s probably ok in this recipe, but your fresh aloe will be a source of very nasty organisms very quickly–this is a good source on information about lotion making–and making all sorts of fun things for the body
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/
by adding some neem oil to this recipe, it will help with the eczema
Thanks! I just tried making a hard lotion bar. I really like it. But I'd love to try this too. Do you have another blender that you use just for this? Or are you able to clean the blender out? I'm curious about the beeswax. I've also made lip balm and have a separate coffee mug that I use just for melting the ingredients since it can be hard to clean out the beeswax.
Would you be willing to share your hard lotion recipe? Ive been trying to find a good one. Thanks. : )
I wondered if you can wear make up over this moisturizer? Also, will it clog pores? I have to wear oil-free moisturizers and make up because my skin will break out.
It sounds wonderful.
Georgene,
I’ve been using straight Shea Butter on my face. It has a zero clogging factor (or whatever it’s called). My face does not feel oily after using it. I use a very small amount. Before that I was having a very difficult time finding anything that wouldn’t make me feel oily or dry and I can wear makeup over it. In fact, makeup goes on so smoothly.
This lotion I plan on using for my body and hands. I made a lotion bar, but it was very oily and I didn’t find it actually moistened my skin. My hands have been so dry all winter. I can’t wait to try this.
Oh, by the way, buy the Aloe Vera she has pictured. At least for me, I found it in the juice section of my natural grocery store. The small bottle in the cosmetic’s section was the same price as the 32 oz size. It’s all how it’s marketed.
Oh, fun! I may just have to try this out…seems like it’d make great birthday gifts! ( I love how it doesn’t have mineral oil.)
Ooooo! That’s a great idea:)
thanks for posting this recipe! Most of the homemade lotions I have found have Borax in them, which I’m wary of using on my skin (especially since the box says NOT for drug use!). I’m excited to try this one!
I made this yesterday and LOVE it!! I made the bar shampoo today and can’t wait to give it a try. I don’t know how I found your blog, but I’m so grateful I did. You’re about 10 steps ahead of exactly where I’m trying to go, so I absolutely love your blog. I’ve spent hours and hours reading over past posts and love the new ones coming each day! Thank you!!
Thank you Karen! This lotion is wonderful isn’t it! You’ll love the shampoo bar soap also. It’s the only “product” in our shower now. Great for the hair and body. I hope you enjoy…and thanks again for your encouraging words!
I just made another batch of this and just wanted to thank you again. I love love love love love this lotion!! Thank you!
Thank you very much for sharing. I have been trying and searching for the non-greasy one for months. Now I will try this.
I’ve tried SO many lotion recipes, and they’re always too greasy! This is the best I’ve ever tried!!
Thanks for the recipe, I love your blog!
I just made your lotion. I added lavender essential oil and it turned out wonderful! I didn’t have almond oil so I substituted with some avocado oil that I had on hand. The lotion feels non-greasy and left my skin feeling silky soft even after washing the dishes.Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I just made this also and added the lavender oil. I love it but one problem I had while mixing it, there was a lot of liquid that wouldn’t incorporate so I ended pouring it out and then blending the rest. It seems ok but I’m just wondering if you had this problem. Could it be the aloe vera gel? I shook the container but it did seem watery. Thanks.
Do you think I could substitute the cocoa butter with shea butter?
I did
Okay, I’m allergic to anything ‘bee’s’ related so no bee’s wax! What about using shea butter in it instead? Just wondering. Thanks!!
You may want to look into something like Carnauba Wax?
try an emulsifying wax. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve seen recipes that say to use either. Emulsifying wax is also good if your recipe has water, it allows the water and oil to mix together.
Renee I thought I was allergic to beeswax but as it came out I was allergic to propolis. I was avoiding anything with beeswax not knowing that the clean cosmetic beeswax does not cause any allergies for me. I bought lip primer not knowing that it is almost pure beeswax. If you do not get reaction on your lips you are not allergic. I am making my own cosmetics, and enjoying it so much.
Keyla I love the recipe, I made a batch of it and it is perfect. After the shower and on my hands, I use it in work (they use really harsh soaps) and I work on computer. I love your site and Thank you:))
Okay, thanks! Great idea!!
I just made this and LOVE IT!! all the other lotions/creams I have made a great for overnight, but are too greasy for daytime use. I used 1/4 cup of coconut oil and 1/4 cup of rosemary infused olive oil instead of the almondor grapeseed oil. It is perfect.
This recipe looks good! Just a question: How long does it keep? Does it need to be refrigerated? I can’t wait to try it!!
Thanks for sharing!
I’m about to make this and I also wonder if it NEEDS to be refrigerated? Thanks for a great site and all your recipes!!!
I am new to this website AND making my own cleaners & such in my home! I made this lotion recipe a week ago tomorrow. I can’t say enough about how AMAZING this lotion is! I am so excited to have some really good lotion in my home! I used a peppermint essential oil with this and I feel like I’m putting candy on my body because it smells so yummy! I love the way my body feels, especially my hands….I have to go through several hand washings before my hands start feeling the need of lotion (I wash my hands so much because I am constantly diapering, cleaning, etc). I keep a small glass jar in our bathroom (we went through that in a weeks time) and the rest of the lotion in a larger glass jar in the fridge. I just refilled our smaller bottle yesterday w/ the lotion in the fridge, I think I have at least 1-2 more weeks of lotion left before I make more. We have 7 people in our family and we use lotion like crazy!!! So excited to try different scents as I continue making this!
I am loving all your tips and hints and recipes. Thank you for spending your time to educate us!!!!
can i put any natural preservatives in this so that i do not have to keep it in the fridge? if so, what and how much?
thank you!
Vitamin E oil will help it keep longer–but I’m not sure how much to use.
Hello. I am new to the world of essential oils. I love this lotion! I have tried it once and will making a new batch by the end of this week! I have a question regarding using “lime” essential oil. I read somehwere that lime is a photoxic oil. Thus, you shouldn’t be in sunlight after you use it.
I take it you haven’t had any problems w/ reactions because you continue using it in your lotions, right?
Do you think you havent had reactions because it is such a small quanity of lime being used in the lotion recipe?
Thanks for any and all advice! I’m curious to use the “scent” that you like, but wanted to make sure I was safe. Thank You!
All citrus essential oils are phototoxic and sun exposure should be monitored.
Hi There– I just made this today & followed the recipe step by step, but I found that there was a lot of aloe vera left over. It looked like the it didn’t blend like yours, any suggestions?
Love you blog, thanks for sharing with us all 🙂
Lauren
I’m really looking forward to making some of this! Thank you for posting it 🙂 I’m collecting everything I need to make it, and I had a quick question. Do you think an immersion blender would work for this recipe? Thanks again!
I’m with Lauren, I made it and it had a lot of aloe vera left over. I could see the lotion amongst it all but it was as if it needed to be strained or something, haha. Any suggestions or did I do something wrong?
Jessica, I had the same issue. I just did not use it all. Turned out nice.
Do you think soy wax would work instead of beeswax?
Hi Shannon! What a great question, in all honesty I can’t really speak to using soy wax instead of beeswax. Does anyone else have insight into this type of substitution?
I would not touch anything with soy with a long stick, Ninety % of soy is GM.
Help! I have tried using candelilla wax and caranuba wax and when I wait for it to cool to room temp the wax rehardens and then it leaves the lotion feeling very gritty when incorporating it! Suggestions please!! Should I add more shea butter then so it isn’t so ‘hard’? Less wax? Help! I need to get this to someone!!
I would suggest not letting it cool to room temp. It should still work even if it’s slightly warmer.
Also, if you’re using raw shea butter, it will get grainy if heated to much to too high..
Well, I tripled the cocoa butter and that did the trick! It’s perfect now! The wax is just too hard substituting it from bee’s wax. Just FYI. It is now very rich and luxurious!! Thanks anyway.
Oh, someone asked about ‘natural preservative’. I use Tinosan (Silverion 2400) with Potassium Sorbate. Texas Natural Supply has this. It is recommended to use it at 0.1 to 0.3 percent of the quantity that you are making so it depends on how much you make. For this recipe, if you use it as above, that is about 4 tsp of each for 0.1 percent. I hope that helps!
i plan to try this after making another lotion i’ve planning for. may i substitute emulsifying wax for the beeswax? beeswax is not very moisturizing on my skin. it tends to sit on top and blocks everything else.
Any of the waxes basically hold all the other goodies in your skin so they all will feel like its just sitting there.
I made the lotion but when I cooled it in the blender and added the aloe it separated badly so I transferred to a bowl and used hand blender and then a whisk to no a avale so then I returned it all to the double boiler and remelted and wisked it and poured it into a jar hoping for the best and open to any feedback. But on a brighter note I used some of the access that I spilt and it feels and smells great 😉
I found your website less than a week ago…and I feel like asking..”What did I DO before I found your site…I mean, honestly???”
I really couldn’t tell ya 😉 Thanks so much Elisa! You made my day!
Followed instructions and pictorial exactly but, the last 1/4 c. of Aloe Vera Gel/Vit. E oil/Essential Oil mixture would not blend in! HELP!!!!
Would this recipe work without the aloe vera? would it be fine just leaving it out, or would it be better to have a replacement, and if so, what? I am allergic to Aloe Vera… I break out in a rash…
I followed it step by step mine came out nothing like yours had to toss the batch out…can you maybe do a video tutorial of it? I dont get where it could have went wrong?? How did you get yours to look so white? Lol it looks like a great lotion maybe I will try it one more time :/
I also tried this recipe tonight and to no avail. It separated. The beeswax mixture hardened in the blender and when we slowly added the aloe mixture it looked like whey and never did come together. I don’t know what I did wrong.
I just made this and I did think I cooled the beeswax mixture enough, but it completely separated when I added the aloe. It is nice on my skin, but it looks awful. How cool does the mixture have to be? If it is too cool is gets solid right? Also, any good tips on cleaning the blender?
I am having the same issues that the previous posters have had, terrible seperation. I’m wondering if the re-heating and blending technique works! Any Advice??
There is separation because there is no emulsifier in this recipe, and because it is recommended to mix it at room temperature. Reheating won’t help! To make it work, use an emulsifier of about 25% of your oil amount, melted with your oils, and omit the beeswax. Heat and hold your liquids (like your aloe) and your oils separately at 70C for 20 minutes. While they are at this temperature, slowly pour your water phase into your oil phase and mix for at least five minutes. When it cools down, add your preservative. Using this method you won’t have any separation!
This may sound like a question from a first grader, but what is an emulsifier? What do you suggest using for that?
An emulsifier is something that will combine water and oil, and what keeps them from separating out (that’s what eggs primarily do in mayo, for example). A lot of home-crafters use beeswax and borax together, because beeswax doesn’t really do that great of a job on its own, but I personally find putting borax on my skin a bit scary. I really like using Olivem 1000 (olive oil derived), but a lot of people like using polawax (not quite as natural but cheaper and also easy to use).
There is no water in this recipe. Am I missing something?
The aloe vera gel is water based and takes the place of water in most homemade body lotion recipes. I’ve been making homemade lotion for years, I’d recommend using an emulsifying wax too just like Annie said. I buy mine from Mountain Rose Herb @ http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/wax/wax.html. They’re emulsifying wax is a natural, vegetable based wax which it makes it a great ingredient to use in lotions for our vegan friends 🙂
Hi! I’m so happy to have found your site, I’ve been trying to make non-greasy/oily creams for ages and while they’re nice they’re just too oily. Harragh, I’m gonna try this recipe. How much geranium oil to lime oil should I use? Cheers 🙂
Made this lotion for the second time and it did not separate this time as badly. Much, much better. There was quite a bit of liquid to pour off that did not emulsify with the oils, though. Is this normal or does your lotion completely combine?
I just made this today and had the exact same problem! I poured off the excess liquid and continued to blend and it is very silky and smooth. Time will tell if it separates in the jar. I will let you know.
What do you think of using coconut oil for this lotion? Do you find it very greasy?
I tried making this lotion but i adjusted some things and it turned out horrible. Maybe I used something wrong. I couldn’t find a pure aloe vera gel, so I substituted aloe juice. I used some sweet almond oil and some soy oil because I wasn’t sure if almond oil was the same thing as sweet almond oil, and the sweet almond oil was 7 dollars for a 3 oz bottle. I may have used a bit more than 3/4 oz of bees wax .I had to guess based on a 1 lb block, because I don’t have a scale to measure in oz. It was so thick and greasy I added more aloe vera juice (an extra 1/2 cup) but it is still thick and gross. I hate to not use it as the ingredients that went in it probably cost me 4 dollars (ok I am being cheap I know). Do you have any ideas how I might make it work or make it thinner without it separating or getting it more greasy?
I just finished making this lotion and it turned out good. A few tips: I did not let the oil mixture cool completely or it would have gotten hard (I think), but I did heat the aloe mixture up just slightly in the microwave for about 20 seconds so the two mixtures were about the same temp. Also, I used a hand minxer for the blending step. It is WAY easier to clean the metal mixers that you can toss in the diswasher than sit and try to get all the grease out of your blender, that takes forever. As far as the greasiness of this lotion, I find it to be just as greasy using grapeseed oil as it is using coconut oil. I plan to use it up, as the aloe will be good for the summer sun-kissed skin.
I have tried this on my face a few times but am so prone to acne for medical reasons that I am worried it may break me out. Do you happen to have a good recipe for Homemade facial moisturizer.
Straight Shea Butter
using jojoba oil, neem oil and tea tree eo all help with acne. I use these for my daughters acne. I will find my recipe.
using jojoba oil, neem oil and tea tree eo all help with acne. I use these for my daughters acne. I will find my recipe. Actually, I have agreat solution to this separation issue. This recipe is confusing as it has aloe for the water stage of the recipe and not just plain distilled water. To mix oil and water you need an emulsifier. The emulsifier in this recipe is the beeswax.
1. Use a 2 Pyrex measuring cups to melt in (place in a pan with a small amount of water in it and heat on low) and heat the water mixture in.
2. Using the immersion blender is the best in a small container.
3. Heat the oil mixture to melt the beeswax. Take out and place the water ingredients in the pan and heat to about 100°. Having both at the same temp is what you want, but not at room temp as it solidifies the wax. So if both are slightly warm when blended you come out with a nice creamy mix.
4. Pour the water mixture into the oil mixture slowly and blend for awhile to get the smooth texture. Not on high either as it will break your recipe.
This is how I make my recipes. You can substitute other emulsifiers to mix the oil and water. Another one that works well is Stearic Acid and it is natural too.
Any questions feel free to ask me. Pamela @ Herbs, Bees and Yummi Teas here in Springfield, Oregon.
But I’ve always heard that beeswax alone is not an emulsifier — and today’s failed experiment would seem to back that up. Emulsification fail. Grrr.
Hi,
Its such an amazing post! I mean I really do not have words to express my gratitude to you for posting this. I love using home made lotions. 🙂
I have a question though. I tried making aloe vera gel at home from the aloe vera plant. I mixed with a Vit. E capsule and a vit. C tablet and ran it in a blender. But it became liquid/fluid in consisitency and a few aloe vera pieces were as it is in the blender. Can you please tell me a way to get a gel/cream like consistency in aloe vera?
Thanks a lotttt for this again.
I use fresh aloe a lot and it is much thinner than store bought because it is just aloe and no added stuff. And even using a blender you will end up with bit of unblended aloe. Easiest thing to do is strain it thru a cheesecloth so that you have a uniform liquid.
I make lotions/cream/body butter all the time and to me the oil to liquid ratio for this recipe seems to be off…too much liquid. I would try cutting the aloe to 1/2 cup and see if that helps.
I also use borax in some of my lotions and it works great and no one in my family has ever had a reaction to it. It’s just another mineral that comes from the earth. Crunchy Betty explained it better than I ever could: http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not
If you’re having problems getting the mixture to come out creamy try this..
Reheat everything together in the double boiler just enough so that everything is warmed up again.
Put in a magic bullet or blender and re-mix.
When I first tried this the aloe wouldn’t mix w/ the beeswax and almond oil. I also used a hand mixer.
Next time I make it I’ll be sure the two are the same temperature
Ok, so my lotion isn’t working that great. I got it to look nice but it doesn’t apply nice. It’s chunky and doesn’t spread on smooth. I’m going to post on some message boards to see if anyone has a fix. I’ll keep you guys posted.
My kids swim competitively so we are outdoors all summer. I also worked outdoors in my life before kids (also before sunscreens became so important) so sunscreen is a MUST! I usually use a commercial lotion that has an SPF year round for myself. Looking over your post on sunscreen I wondered what you thought adding zinc oxide and using wheat germ oil? those additions/substitutions? Do you have any clue of the amount of zinc oxide to use? I make my own soap but lotion is totally new to me.
BTW: I love your site. Have used many of your ideas. working on many, many more. Last year we discovered our oldest was sensitive to sucralose (found in SOOOO many things). We had been half heartedly trying to be more aware of what goes in and on our bodies. Now it’s much more vital. Thanks for helping us get there.
BTW2: Making raisins this week. Grapes were on sale. We are loving them!
Thanks for this recipe! Just made it and loooooving it! So light and fab!
I really do like this lotion. One of the best I have come across. In regards to preserving it longer than the 6 weeks refrigerated, I added 1tsp citric acid. I use this for my body wash as well. It does not make it last indefinite but certainly prolongs the shelf life. Not to mention citric acid also has anti-aging properties
This may sound like a stupid question but where do you by citric acid?
Could you please let me know how much lotion this recipe yields? Would love to make it for a special program, but need to know amounts! Thanks.
This looks great! How much lotion does this recipe make (in ounces)? 🙂
My problem with lotion is as the day goes on my skin gets drier and drier (I have very dry skin). Will this lotion keep me from feeling dry hours after I put it on? if not do you suggest putting in more of a particular ingredient to help with all day moisture?
THANKS!!
Can you use an immersion blender to make this? I’ve recently made lotion bars and this would be great for those times I don’t want to use the bar.
Looks good! Non-greasy is a huge bonus. That greased up feeling sucks. I didn’t realize some recipes had borax, strange.
I made this lotion this past weekend – I had high hopes for this non-greasy recipe. After buying all of the ingredients (and spending a small fortune) I followed the instructions to a T. It separated so badly that it looked like egg drop soup. I had to reheat the mixture and blend again, which did not help. It remains separated and when I try to pour it out of the container I am storing it in, a huge stream of liquid (I’m assuming it’s the aloe) comes out. When the “lotion” finally comes out, it is thick and almost sticky. This lotion is NOT “non-greasy” like the post promises. It is so greasy I feel like I’m competing in the “Miss World” body building competition. Total Pinterest Fail. So disappointing.
Hi. I was wondering if I put some Vit. E in the lotion would that help keep it?
I just tried this lotion tonight and I wanted to share my amazing results and to give some pointers to achieve the same results. I had read most of the comments on this blog first, so I had a good idea of what to expect. I must say that my results far exceeded my expectations. Many of you experienced problems with the liquids separating and I thought I’d give a few pointers to help with that situation as I have a hunch as to what might have gone wrong. #1 Follow the recipe exactly. #2 Bring your aloe vera gel to room temp before introducing it to your warm oils. #3 and I think this is the key here: use an immersion blender in a tall narrow container. My container was just a bit wider than the diameter of the blender. This traps all the oils and gel into tight quarters, making the texture become quite thick and creamy. I waited about 20 minutes before I started blending the oils. The oils at the perimeter had solidified but the inside was still warm liquid. Blend this for a good 30 seconds then gradually start introducing the aloe. Thanks Andrea for sharing this exquisite lotion recipe. I look forward to trying your shampoo bars in the near future 🙂
This is the third time I’ve tried this recipe and I used the immersion blender in a narrow container and agree that it is key as well as warming up the aloe to room temperature. I am so pumped with the results!!!!! Thanks for the recommendations.
Thank you for the tips Stephanie. I agree that the immersion blender is the easiest way to make this lotion. The first time I tried this I used my blender. It worked ok, but I got tired of scraping and blending. The end result was still great, but had a few clumps I then had to rub in as I used the lotion. It was also a huge task to clean up. The second time I used my immersion blender and it only took a few minutes! The results were consistant (no clumps), and cleaning up was a breeze. I would add one tip that made it even easier. I did not wait until the oils cool fully. As my oils cooled in the container I stirred with a spatula until it was a thin pudding consistancy. Then added the aloe mixture slowly as I blended. It is now something I can easily get done on a weeknight.
Is there anything I could substitute for the vitamin E oil, or just leave it out altogether?? I know it’s good stuff but I have a couple family members that are allergic to it (stinks, I know!). Really want to make this though 🙁 🙁
@ Lindsay,
Could the vitamin E oil that u used be sourced fr. Wheat?
some people are Wheat/gluten sensitive.
I have to try this! Thank you so much!
I tried this and love the consistency and feel more than any other lotion. I am not really enjoying the oily smell (I’ve tried olive oil and grapeseed oil, grapeseed being the best). Even when adding 10 or so drops of peppermint oil, I find there is still an oily smell. Do I need to add the essential oils at a certain time or mix oils? Not sure what to try?? Thanks for you wonderful blog!
Add essential oils at the blending stage. The less heat they are exposed to the better, as heat can break down some of the scents.
This 123 easy as pie recipe was a nightmare, good luck getting the wax off your utensils.
Use baking soda. Combine a small handful with a tiny amount of water to make a paste. Using your hand, rub the utensil with the paste over a strainer in the sink. The baking soda collects all the wax. Rinse with running water allowing the clumps of baking soda and wax to collect in the strainer, keeping the wax out of your drain. Throw the clumps into the garbage. Utensils come out perfectly clean.
Hi , do you think its ok to incorporate oxygen (hydrgen peexide) in this recipe? I always buy oxygen face cream but it i can’t find any for body lotions. Thanks
Omg, sorry for the typo… I meant hydrogen peroxide
Would this cream last longer if you added a few mls of grape seed extract?…it’s a natural preservitive…I only ask as I am very time poor so the longer something will last the better for me…
My husband is allergic to Aloe, can I just leave that out or substitute something else for it? Thank you.
This is the 4th time I have made this lotion and I LOOOOVE it! I felt like Goldilocks when I was trying to find my “go to” lotion recipe…Some were too greasy, some were too waxy, but this one is just right 🙂 It has my skin unbelievably soft. My daughter has eczema (still trying to sort out the underlying cause; to no avail yet) and I have been using Weleda calendula lotion on her, but I have used this the past few days and (I don’t want to get my hopes up), but I feel like her eczema is going away. Here’s hoping and praying 🙂 Thank you, Andrea (and awesome name, btw!). I love seeing your new recipes!
Suggestion: NEEM COLD PRESSED
AZADIRACHTA INDICA
Ingredient Origin – INDIA
Ingredient Type – FIXED OIL
Extraction Method – COLD PRESSED
Neem oil is said to be used widely in India as an antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic, antiparasitic agent in toiletries, soap, toothpaste and skin/hair care products. It is used to treat skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, scabies, syphilitic sores, chicken pox etc. It can be used to get rid of lice and control dandruff. In toothpaste in helps relieve swollen and bleeding gums and kills the bacteria that cause gingivitis. Neem powder can be used in a foot bath powder to kill fungus and bacteria. Mixed with clay, it makes a great facial for those with acne and other skin problems. Add to liquid soap base for an anti bacterial hand soap. Use in bug repellant lotion bars to keep the bugs away. Use in pet soaps to kill and repel fleas and to treat hot spots. Neem oil can be sprayed on plants to keep insects from devouring the leaves.
Some studies show that as a preservative, Neem oil is used at 1 to 5% effectivly.
I haven’t tried it, but plan to.
I love neem, but it stinks. If you’ve only read of it, it’s one hell of a wake up call when you finally get a whiff of it. I honestly suck it up because it is so great, but i’ve found that it is hard to use in my products i sell due to its stench and the inability to cover it, even at very low concentrations. Think onion garlic beef stir fry left in an iron skillet for a month or two. Can you say rank?
Oh, and I found that vanilla essential oil compliments the sweet smell of the aloe best, at least for my nose, anyway 🙂
I have never made lotion before. How to measure the 3/4 oz bees wax? Is it by weight, measuring cup, what?
Is that cocoa butter oil?
Hi,
I just found your website with this recipe and can’t wait to try this! I only had one question about the cocoa butter though. After reading through the recipe I couldn’t find any where when you added the cocoa butter. Could you please specify at what point you add the cocoa butter? Is it possibly along with the beeswax and the oils over the heat?
I tried this recipe this week and loved it! I didn’t have the problems with seperation other people seem to be having. I use a glass pyrex measuring cup as my double boiler and I simply took it out of the water, mixed in some vitamin E oil, and then let it set for about two and a half hours. I was using a new bottle of Aloe gel, so it was already room temperature, though next time I’ll have to take it out of the fridge to when I take the oils and butters off the double boiler. I tried to use an immersion blender in my pyrex glass measuring cup, but the oils and butters had hardened as they cooled to lip balm consistency, so using an immersion blender with one hand while holding the glass cup steady in the other was difficult and it didn’t feel like it was mixing very well, it was a very thick consistency. So I switched to a hand mixer with just one mixer attachment in there on low, which went much faster, but I think my lotion ended up a different consistency than everyone else’s. In the picture it looks soft and creamy enough that I thought I’d be able to put it in a cleaned out travel size bath and body works lotion bottle for my purse. There was no way I’d be able to get this lotion back out of a bottle, it’s actually a body butter consistency but with the light feel and coolness of a hand lotion instead of the thick creaminess of a butter, so I had to put it in tubs instead. I think it ended up making about 13 or 14 oz. I really like the cool feeling of the aloe vera gel in it, though I wish I’d have added some light scented essential oils (generally I am not a fan of scents).
I was wondering, do you think if I used aloe juice next time instead of aloe gel I’d get the lotion consistency as opposed to the body butter one?
I want to use this on my eyelids because they get quite dry in the winter. I was planning on skipping the essential oils in case they irritate the eye.
Has anyone put this lotion on their eyelids? With or without essential oils in the recipe? Any reactions?
Thanks!
For those that are having problems with it separating, just keep blending.
If you’re like me, you probably have several bottles of half-used lotion in your bathroom cabinet that just don’t match up to the advertisement you saw on TV. And then I discovered Made from Earth’s Holistic HONEY Body Lotion. I first received it as a gift from my dad (I’m a girl) and I LOVED that it was ORGANIC and HEALTHY! Well, I was more than surprised when I first put Made from Earth on my skin. I haven’t used anything else on my skin for over a year now. The texture of this moisturizer is thick and smooth; it absorbs easily into your skin, leaving it moist but not greasy. I apply the Made from Earth Honey Lotion at night before going to bed and then very lightly in the morning and my skin stays moist all day. It’s great in the winter, especially if you live in a cold/dry area like I do. And the scent is mild enough that perfume/cologne can be worn without too many over-powering scents. To put it simply, this is the best lotion I’ve ever owned.
I was thinking about trying this soon, I was wondering if everyone has sorted out the globby stuff yet? I need a moisturizer and this sounds great.
I just tried this lotion tonight and I wanted to share my amazing results and to give some pointers to achieve the same results. I had read most of the comments on this blog first, so I had a good idea of what to expect. I must say that my results far exceeded my expectations. Many of you experienced problems with the liquids separating and I thought I’d give a few pointers to help with that situation as I have a hunch as to what might have gone wrong. #1 Follow the recipe exactly. #2 Bring your aloe vera gel to room temp before introducing it to your warm oils. #3 and I think this is the key here: use an immersion blender in a tall narrow container. My container was just a bit wider than the diameter of the blender. This traps all the oils and gel into tight quarters, making the texture become quite thick and creamy. I waited about 20 minutes before I started blending the oils. The oils at the perimeter had solidified but the inside was still warm liquid. Blend this for a good 30 seconds then gradually start introducing the aloe. Thanks Andrea for sharing this exquisite lotion recipe. I look forward to trying your shampoo bars in the near future
Reply
Cathy Simon says:
November 16, 2012 at 10:56 am
This is the third time I’ve tried this recipe and I used the immersion blender in a narrow container and agree that it is key as well as warming up the aloe to room temperature. I am so pumped with the results!!!!! Thanks for the recommendations.
Reply
Amber says:
January 17, 2013 at 8:34 pm
Thank you for the tips Stephanie. I agree that the immersion blender is the easiest way to make this lotion. The first time I tried this I used my blender. It worked ok, but I got tired of scraping and blending. The end result was still great, but had a few clumps I then had to rub in as I used the lotion. It was also a huge task to clean up. The second time I used my immersion blender and it only took a few minutes! The results were consistant (no clumps), and cleaning up was a breeze. I would add one tip that made it even easier. I did not wait until the oils cool fully. As my oils cooled in the container I stirred with a spatula until it was a thin pudding consistancy. Then added the aloe mixture slowly as I blended. It is now something I can easily get done on a weeknight
I’d love to try this cream, but am wondering if I can replace the aloe vera gel with coconut oil or something else? I’ve had a difficult time finding pure aloe vera gel at a reasonable price where we live, and would like to use what I have on hand. Thanks!
I would like to know where you get your almond oil. I’m looking for 100% pure almond oil (PRUNUS DULCIS) with no other additives, fillers or dilutents to buy from a reputable seller. Good quality stuff! Can you recommend one? Many Sweet Almond Oils for sale on-line are not pure, but have mixtures of other types of oils (even when they say 100% pure and organic) and that’s not what I want. So if you know of a reputable seller that sells the real stuff, please advise. I’m tired of being duped and misled by deceptive descriptions and ads by sellers wanting to make a quick buck selling less than pure oils and ingredients, i.e., ‘Now Foods’ products. This type of deceptions is quite prevalent in so called natural products and ingredients these days, so it is truly ‘buyer beware’. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
If you added vitamin E and included some essential oils, one would think they would preserve it beyond 6 weeks. It seems a very short window of freshness, even while being refrigerated. Have you had it turn rancid or grow mold or show some obvious sign it was no longer good after 6 weeks of storage?
Sorry just needed to click the email reply box….
The product works great and the recipe was about as accurate as it could be. For the culinary inclined, simply prepare this as you would a hollandaise – I whisked mine and it turned out beautifully. Now to extend the life…
Excellent post – thank you!
Whisking I’m sure would be awesome too. It’s so easy to blend! 🙂
O.K. I JUST made this and it turned out awesome!! Here’s exactly what I did: I used 1/2 CUP Aloe Vera instead of 1 CUP. Made it much creamier. Used everything else just the same. Cooled beeswax and everything else to same temperature as Aloe Vera Mixture. Used immersion blender in a long tupperware (or long container of your choice) and blended until smooth. Didn’t take long at all! Came out perfect. I used Lemongrass and Sweet Orange Oils. It smells and feels incredible! Honestly if you follow the directions I just gave, you will have absolutely no problem and it is as easy as pie! Please try it and those that tried it and had a problem, give it another whirl and let me know what you thought. 🙂
Thank you Andrea for your wonderful posts! You are truly amazing and truly care about all of us by giving us all of these amazing recipes. You aren’t just interested in making money, but you have your awesome items available to those of us that don’t feel like making our own. Bless you!
ok so I have a question….I am very new to all of this and I am very excited to try and make this stuff. When measuring the beeswax, is the 3/4 ounce weight or volume?? I read thru all of the comments and also thought this could possibly be the reason why so many people are getting the “hit or miss” results. Just a thought!
WORKS AND MELT GREAT IN THE MICROWAVE.
Hi,
I also had an issue with the aloe not mixing completely with the beeswax and shea butter. The lotion came out very liquidy with clumps of the bees wax and shea butter mixture. I let the bees wax mixture cool first before adding the aloe and it did not mix together very well. I’m not sure what I did wrong. HELP!
stir it as it’s cooling to keep it from clumping. as I added the aloe vera mixture I put the whole jar back on the heat to warm it all up. I didn’t leave it there long. I think it helped since I saw beeswax cooling on the bottom of my jar and this helped warm it up.
I made this lotion tonight,and after blending and blending and blendig……did not want to come together. In desperation, I decided to add a teaspoon of lecithin and it pulled it together right away. Now I’m very happy with the result.
About preserving the lotion… If you buy your aloe vera gel in the store ( I got the lily of the desert brand) it’s already have citric acid and potassium sorbate to preserve it. It has an expiration date more than a year.So I think it’s takes care of the water phase. You can add grapefruit seed extract,vitamin E and rosemary antioxidant to help your oils self life.
I added 3/4 tea of xanthan gum and that seemed to help bring it all together 🙂 Otherwise, it was a rather strange texture and consistency. I do like the “gel” aspect of it, though. A little bit ends up going a looooong ways!
Thx so much for the receipe! I made a first batch two weeks ago and looooooove it. I’ve got eczema and need to moisturise as often as I could and I don’t want to put on cream with lots of chemicals. I’ve substituted beeswax with rice bran wax and it works perfectly. I used a stick blender and blended the final mixture on an ice bath, which helped to bind the oil and water. The consistency is just right. It yields about 300mL. I love how this cream feels on skin – non-greasy yet moisturising. Thx again!
PS. I’ve made a second batch two days ago but I’ve put too much aloe vera gel and the cream got a bit separated. I’ll be moe careful next time in measurement.
Can you use this as a facial moisturizer?
Hi Andrea,
When in the process do you add in the cocoa butter? I got mine for MRH and they are wafers. What would be the conversion to 1 TBSP?
Thanks!
Shari
cocoa butter is very soft, just cut it and put into a measuring spoon. Mine is in chunks, that’s what I did. It is an oil, so put in with the beeswax, but you can wait for most of the beeswax to melt since it melts at a much higher temp than the cocoa butter.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it this morning and it is HEAVENLY! Beautifully creamy and feels amazing on my skin. I now have a few more of your recipes on my list to make. Thanks again for sharing and taking the time to research these products.
I just finished my first batch. Very pleased. I read all comments, or most, to see what the problems were. I do not have an immersion blender, but I do have a hand held blender. So I took an empty spaghetti sauce jar that was large enough to fit the 2 blades and warmed the beeswax in it with the oils. Then let it sit and stirred while it cooled so it wouldn’t get too chunky again. It remained creamy. Then I added 1/4 cup aloe very at a time and mixed completely between each 1/4 cup. It was not easy to mix, but It did mix up eventually. I do find it oily so I washed off my palms and left on my arms and back of hands and it seems to remain moisturized.
For those of you who spent a lot of the ingredients, look around. I was able to get the Aloe Vera gel, a 32 oz container for $6.49, the Sweet Almond oil cost me $7.56. I have a local store that sells most of the ingredients for a very reasonable price. Check online. Yes we want a better/safer product to put on our bodies, but I also want something less expensive. I did not want to spend $25 for a 4oz night cream or day cream. I buy the Shea Butter for $6.29 for 7oz at this same store. If you are in the Dallas area, the store is Herb Mart. I know they have a website, I’m not sure if they ship, but you should be able to find at other online stores.
So this product is for sure non greasy? I’ve been having a hard time making a lotion that is non greasy.
The batch I made wasn’t greasy at all. I think it was because the large amount of aloe vera in it.
Very disappointed on this blog. Why everyone try to be an expert in everything…. It’s not safe to use this beauty products, sorry.
I made this and it turned out fairly well after using a hand mixer. My 8 month old has eczema pretty badly and was looking for a natural lotion. Sadly after putting this on her face it wasn’t but 5 minutes later her face turned bright red in the areas applied and lasted about 30 minutes. I put some on my 11 year old son and he also broke out in red splotches. I’m completely baffled here. I made a similar lotion last month and nobody broke out. The only difference was that this one had aloe vera. I’ve never heard of an aloe vera allergy. Seems so odd. I did add a very small amount of coconut oil to this recipe. My other lotion had that in it too. I guess I’ll be using this lotion only on me. It had a nice cooling affect, though once in the fridge the consistancy is different now.
Hello. I have made this lotion several times and I love it. I love that it is not greasy and it very whippy. I have one question for you. I made is yesterday and I must not have waitied long enough before adding in the aloe. Now it is separated and feels like slim. Could I just reaheat it and start over or would it be better to add some arrowroot powder? Thanks for you advice.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I made 5 different recipes for moisturizers a week ago and all of them were greasy. This one is awesome. It is non greasy and feels so soothing on the skin. I went with the immersion blender and didn’t have any problems at all. Thanks for everyone’s input, it really helped me out. 🙂
All ingredients are “chemicals”. This recipe has water in it so needs a proper preservative unless you enjoy fungal spores and bacteria colonising your skin. And it lacks an emulsifier so will separate in time. This is not a proper design.
I believe BECAUSE it has no preservative she suggests keeping it in a closed container in the refrigerator. The ingredients are perfectly safe to use as the original author posted them. The only water present in this recipe is what is present in the aloe vera she suggests to use; no water per se was suggested. Yes-the ingredients will separate after some time. However, I think a lot of lotions suggest to “shake well before use.”Also, this recipe is made in a very small quantity. It is feesable to assume it will be used up by the time separation occurs. So therefore, this recipe is not that far off.
Hi Clive. The human epidermal layer is constantly and always covered in bacteria. Yes and even fungal spores. That’s why we have it. This recipe isn’t going to alter that too much. I think you will find the bee’s wax acts as the emulsifier. An if we’re going to start getting picky, all of the ingredients are actually chemical COMPOUNDS.
For those of you worrying about how long and well this keeps I wanted to post an update. I made my first batch in December 2012 (I posted about it on Decmeber 13). A little goes a long way and I’ve been using the same batch at work as my hand cream since then. I’ve never put it in the fridge and four months later it still smells and works exactly the same. There is no water in this recipe (one of the reasons I tried it in the first place) so bacteria is not introduced as easily.
I still think the consistency I got when I made this was not what it was supposed to be, but I like it. I call it my “body frosting” because it feels like I’m putting cool whip on my skin.
Hi there…your website/blog is GREAT! Thanks for all your work….. I used to have a soap making/lotion making company and made lots of things, including creams, butters, etc. I noticed so many comments above saying that they couldn’t get the aloe gel to incorporate into the oils. This is because oil and water don’t mix, and aloe gel is pretty watery based. The one and only way that you can get oil and water to emulsify (mix) is to use an emulsifying wax. The Beeswax is often used for this but isn’t always successful. You can get a vegan emulsifying wax and order it online at a lot of places. A little does a long way. Usually any site that sells the wax will give directions on it’s use. It has to be melted into your water or oils so heat your oils first pretty warm – until you see the wax melt. Let it cool so it’s not “hot” but is still very, very warm. Then add your gel. Use a STICK BLENDER not an upright blender. You can get a stick blender for super cheap and they work great. You can mix in a bowl and that way you don’t have to try scraping the stuff of your normal blender blades, but can get all of the lotion out with a spatula from your bowl. It blends a lot better, too, because you can hit the blades where you want, unlike a normal blender. I am going to try this recipe – thanks!!
Great tips, Kristy! Thank you.
I commented below. I would love to hear your thoughts.
This lotion is FANTASTIC!!!!!! I am not a fan of greasy body butters and wanted a natural, moisturizing lotion that didn’t leave me looking like a thanksgiving turkey that is ready for the oven. I made 3 BIG batches of this lotion for mother’s day and teacher appreciation gifts, and learned some key tips that might help some of you that had issues with it being “watery”. The first time I made this I followed directions exactly and only used the blender. The result was wonderful, but I had issues with scraping off the wax/oil mixture from the bottom of my blender. The second time around I used a different brand of Aloe and had bad results that were directly related to this. The BEST advice I can give anyone trying to make this lotion is the Aloe brand can make, or break it for you…honestly!! The brand in the photo on this blog is the one that works…I think it is called “Lily of the Desert”. The other brand I used was “LifeTime Natural Aloe Vera Gel” and it must have a higher water content because the result was very watery and the lotion did not “fluff” up like it did with the other brand of aloe. What I did like about the second batch though, was that I started it with the whisk attachment in my KitchenAid mixer. It definitely did not totally combine with the mixer (the blender is needed), however, it allowed the room temp wax/oil to combine perfectly with the aloe mixture and I was able to scrape the sides much more easily so that I did not lose any oil. I then transferred it to the blender to complete. I ended up throwing away this second batch though because of the watery texture. I went back to my local natural market and bought a big bottle of “Lily of the Desert” aloe and started over using the whisk-mixer/blender method. The result was pure magic. I gave jars of this (along with a body scrub I made) to 9 teachers and 8 friends as gifts. EVERYONE loves it! I now use it daily on my 5-year-old son with eczema who normally hates lotion. He likes this one and so do I. If you had poor results the first time, then switch aloe brands and try again. You will be happy you did. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!!
Thank you for this tip!!
2 questions…
1) does this smell like cocoa butter? i love that chocolate-y smell
2) i have used bees wax in the past and disliked the waxy feel… does this feel that way? and if so is a vegetable based emulsifying wax better to use… will the recipe amounts stay the same?
thanks!
Oh!! YOU, my cyber friend whom I really don’t know, may be my new hero. I made my first batch (or three of homemade body lotion, face lotion, and sunscreen per the recipe on Wellness Mama and it is sooooo oily. Everything you said. I’ve been googling for hours and found this. Do you think I could take the mixture I made yesterday (olive oil, bees wax. Vit E oil, shea butter, coconut oil) and whip in the Aloe gel??
The funniest part of this is that I thought of aloe vera gel myself because it is the first ingredient in my pricey face lotion that I like (DeVita). 🙂 I’m dying to send my hubby to the store right now, but he’s in bed. 🙂
Hoping to hear your thoughts!
You are my hero! I ran into town (30 min drive, one way) to get the aloe vera gel and it was soooo worth it!! I whipped up the lotion/cream/butter I made via Wellness Mama’s recipe (sooo stinkin’ oily) and slowly whipped in the gel. Fantastic! What a difference.
I will use your recipe next time, but now you have saved my batch of body lotion and face lotion. I’m leaving the sunscreen the way it is because I think the aloe vera gel might make it come off/wear off too easily. If you disagree, please chime in.
Thank you!
What’s good about homemade facial moisturizers is you know that its truly safe for you. There are many moisturizers developed today, they maybe effective but mostly are not safe for the skin. Your products are inspiring.. What a job well done!
I grow my own Aloe Vera and often use the gel for skin and hair but would there have to be any kind of special preparation of the gel before I use it in this particular recipe?
No need Ramona, just fillet and press out the gell as usual. Make sure you’ve not used any pesticides or chemicals on it though!
I followed this ingredient list but used an immersion blender instead (the same way I do mayonnaise) and it turned out perfectly in about 15 seconds! I waited til ingredients were room temperature and then slowly poured in aloe vera mix on top of oils so it would stay relatively separate. Put immersion blender in bottom of skinny container (I have a Cuisinart & it comes with a perfect container) on low. Then as emulsion began, moved blender up and down for a few seconds. Voila! Super easy and it is not greasy for once!!! Thank you!!!!
I decided to try your recipe instead of my own but it was a disaster. The aloe separated and my lotion is yellow, not white in the picture showed. I ended up adding cetyl alcohol to mine to stop it from separating.
The pin it link under the article is broken 🙁 It won’t work.
This turned out amazing! I gave it away as gifts in cute little glass jars and they were like this must have cost so much! But no, I made it 🙂 My aloe was in the fridge so I warmed the mixture gently using same method as beeswax and mixed while they we both the same temp. Blends so quick and easy that way. I used grapeseed oil/jojoba oil blend, next time I will use Sweet almond/jojoba as it’s not as slick for the summer and just a touch less cocoa. I only used 2 drops cinnamon cuz it’s strong and it turned out lovely and lightly scented of honey, chocolate and cinnamon. Ahhh…perfect.
I am allergic to Bee’s and cannot use beeswax or I will swell up like a balloon. All these wonderful home recipes for skin care always use beeswax… Is there something else I could use instead of beeswax or do you have a recipe without beeswax?
there is a lot of other option instead of beeswax , vegetable based waxes 🙂
Does anyone know how to take a real Mango fruit and make home butter from ? Mango butter? Please let me know if you do would luv to try making it !!! Thanks,+ Debby~
Hi Debby. The oil required comes from the kernel of the mango (the seed), and it requires quite some effort to extract. Stick to buying it. Good thought though.
You can get already made natural lotion online without harsh chemicals and not expensive as well. I like to get mine from http://www.naturalwayorganics.net. Theirs is the best I have found online and they also have a few varieties to choose from that are mild and not bad for your skin.
Samantha making your own lotions is more about passion than saving the money. The preservative are very cheap and there is two or three good ones. I get incredible pleasure to mix and make my creams or lotions. It is kind of difficult to make lotion with beeswax because it tends to separate. That particular lotion does not cause instead of water there is aloe vera gel.
It’s highly unlikely that this is “all natural” as the aloe vera gel you’re using will be (by necessity) laden with chemical preservatives. Also, if those preservatives are only food grade and for use under refrigeration, then you could be introducing another risk – that of bacterial or fungal growth that can be dangerous itself.
The only way I know to get pure aloe is to grow it yourself. Even then, you’d need to add preservatives to make it last any longer than a few days, even in the fridge.
This is why lotions are fraught with difficulty. Firstly, you need an emulsfier – beeswax on its own is not an emulsifier AFAIK, so you need chemical like cetearyl alcohol and secondly, you need a preservative. There are virtually no natural preservatives which are safe for use in skincare products – unless those products are stored in the fridge and used fairly quickly.
Hello,
Do I have to add water to this wonderful lotion ?
Hello, for this lotion can we use pump bottle?
Thanks
Does anyone know how much 3/4 oz of beeswax is in tablespoons? I don’t have kitchen scales at this time. Thanks.
I just made this lotion and I blended the aloe in when the oil/beeswax mix was still warm to the touch. I also used a handmixer instead of a blender. It turned out beautifully!!!! Thanks so much for my new favorite moisturizer recipe!!!
I love your site, but am new to all this, and to purchase all the stuff to make the homemade items you post would break the bank. Frugal is good, but getting there is another story. whew! However, I do scan your recipes for stuff I already have in my kitchen and try to implement your ideas of going natural and healthy.
Good idea!
I never tried, but I have to do it asap 🙂
We use, to make a body lotion non greasy, a small amount of soybean lecithin, a natural emulsifier, and water gelly with corn starch or potato starch, and oils. 🙂
Tried making this twice, taking into consideration a lot of people’s comments and each time it just came out separated. Really a waste of ingredients, so I would recommend finding another recipe unless you happen to be one of the lucky people it worked for.
Although mine separated, I still used it. The other ingredients are still great. I just stirred and poured off all the water I could. Certainly not non-greasy this way, but I’m not going to throw away good ingredients. I’ve been using it all over my body.
it worked really good with me. I left wax and oils to cool down really good, it was like a butter, then I mixed with hand mixer ( i used only one stick to mix), then I have added prepared aloe vera gel ( only with vit e, no essential oils) in small batches. I have added essential oils after this and I think it was a mistake, but still good cream. I have added 6 drops lemon, 1 drop patchouli, 4 drops vanilla.
My question is…is this better day cream or night cream? and what type of skin? for face only?
Okay. Have to add my 2 cents. Borax can and is used for ant poison. It can also be irritating. Something I would not want on my skin.
Since this recipe was a bit different then the ones I normally make, I decided to give it a try.
The aloe really makes a difference in it. I loved it!
Question… How does this hold up in AZ. I have a body butter that I made but if not kept in fridge it separates pretty fast. It is a bummer because it works amazingly but no shelf life.
it worked really good with me. I left wax and oils to cool down really good, it was like a butter, then I mixed with hand mixer ( i used only one stick to mix), then I have added prepared aloe vera gel ( only with vit e, no essential oils) in small batches. I have added essential oils after this and I think it was a mistake, but still good cream. I have added 6 drops lemon, 1 drop patchouli, 4 drops vanilla.
Just to make my head clear:
*good for day or night cream?
*what type of skin?
Hi,
What a coincidence! I made a batch of lotion this morning very similar to this one. Since I didn’t have cocoa butter I used Mango butter instead. The other recipe also called for 2oz of Lanolin (super greasy). This one is already a winner in my book. Luckily, I didn’t have any issue with clumps in my lotion. It was pretty smooth. I am definitely making another batch tomorrow using your recipe.
Happy Crafting Everyone!
Hi There,
Lovely blog but I am having a real hard time with your Frugally Sustainable name along with the ad for enbridge’s northern pipeline ad, are you Canadian? If you were, surely you would know what a horrible idea the pipeline is.
Sincerely.
No matter which butter I use in my lotion or body butter recipe’s they always smell like the butter-cocoa, shea and mango. I am trying out different essential oils but the ‘butter” scent is overpowering. I’m purchasing very good, therapeutic grade butters. Anybody have this same issue?
Try Patchouli essential oil, musk, lemon…these are really strong
Yes you can purchase my lotion. Go to facebook and look me up.
Marlo Duncan
Hi,
I am a professional lotion crafter, I have a signature line, Marlotion.
There are a couple of problems with this recipe.
The ratio of wax to oil is not correct. Also, there is nothing here to emulsify the water and oil phases.
There are two kinds of emulsions, oil in water, and water in oil. Both will give a different feel.
Worst of all, there is nothing to prevent microbiol and mold from forming. You must use a preservative, and the preservative does not have to be chemical. Check me out on Facebook
Marlo Duncan and Marlo’s Emulsions. MY lotion is vegan and organic, containing only plant botanicals, I scent it with vanilla bean, vanilla absolute, and vanilla extract, I use plant preservatives, and Marlotion is gluten free!!! ♥
I totally agree with you Marlo. I tried this recipe twice and now am left with a bunch of the stuff that would NOT emulsify with the aloe vera….I am righteously mad!
Hi,
I am a professional lotion crafter, I have a signature line, Marlotion.
There are a couple of problems with this recipe.
The ratio of wax to oil is not correct. Also, there is nothing here to emulsify the water and oil phases.
There are two kinds of emulsions, oil in water, and water in oil. Both will give a different feel.
Worst of all, there is nothing to prevent microbiol and mold from forming. You must use a preservative, and the preservative does not have to be chemical. Check me out on Facebook
Marlo Duncan and Marlo’s Emulsions. MY lotion is vegan and organic, containing only plant botanicals, I scent it with vanilla bean, vanilla absolute, and vanilla extract, I use plant preservatives, and Marlotion is gluten free!!! ♥
Hi,
I am a professional lotion crafter, I have a signature line, Marlotion.
There are a couple of problems with this recipe.
The ratio of wax to oil is not correct. Also, there is nothing here to emulsify the water and oil phases.
There are two kinds of emulsions, oil in water, and water in oil. Both will give a different feel.
Worst of all, there is nothing to prevent microbiol and mold from forming. You must use a preservative, and the preservative does not have to be chemical. Check me out on Facebook
Marlo Duncan and Marlo’s Emulsions. MY lotion is vegan and organic, containing only plant botanicals, I scent it with vanilla bean, vanilla absolute, and vanilla extract, I use plant preservatives, and Marlotion is gluten free!!! ♥
Do you have a web site, Marlo?
Th is a wonderful cream,it works perfect for me,. leave the base to cool down at room temperature even if that means hours, then I mix only the base to make a smooth emulsion, then I add bits and bits the aloe vera and keep mixing only with one stick
the cream stays great in the fridge. even if it is very soft at the beginning
I personalize the cream with different oil and stays well couple of months in the fridge.
Marlotion you are just advertising your line :).
let people try their handmade. you must fail then to try again.
these are creams for people at home, creams with are 1000% better than commercial ones.
This recipe obviously has problems. For those who make lotion, you should be able to tell from the picture at the top of the page that this lotion is not right. In the picture you can see that it is separated and there are many water pockets on the top. This is NOT what lotion is supposed to look like. Then when you read the comments, it only confirms the obvious. The problem is that you cannot use beeswax by itself as an emulsifier, you have to add borax or use e-wax instead. It took me many wasted batches to discover that a lot of the recipes on the internet are not correct. Make sure you know your source is experienced and knows what they are doing. This is one of those which is not.
I don’t know about your experience, but I have been using this recipe for almost a year and has been working great for me! just beewax and coconut oil, and I actually add more distilled water on top of the aloe gel to make the cream lighter than one only using aloe gel.
thanks for the awesome recipe!
Borax is one of the worst ingredients you could possibly use on your skin. Please do not use this!
This is the best recipe I have ever used in my life! It’s completely non-greasy! I made a batch of this, put it in jars and sent them out as Christmas gifts:)
This was my first try at making my own moisturizer, and it was a complete FAIL lol. I thought I had let it cool long enough, but I guess I didn’t. Did not mix well at all. Back to the drawing board.