I had no idea making something like hand/body lotion was so uncomplicated. It turns out that making your own lotion requires just four or five ingredients and very little working time—and in the end you know exactly what is in your lotion. The lotion I made is great—it is light and very absorbent. It doesn’t sit on top of your skin or wash right off when you wash your hands; it actually absorbs into your skin and helps it heal from heat and dry air.

I used some essential oil in my lotion, without it smelled a little too much like olive oil for me, but even olive oil isn’t bad. I chose peppermint—it is a bright and refreshing scent and I like that it isn’t too flowery or strong. Citrus oils or lavender would also be nice.

Homemade Hand and Body Lotion
makes about 1 ¼ pints.

6 oz. olive oil (you could use jojoba or almond oil)
3 oz. Shea butter (you could use coconut oil or cocoa butter)
1 oz. beeswax*, shredded or shaved
9 oz. distilled water
a few drops of essential oil (optional)

Place the olive oil, shea butter, and beeswax in a double boiler or a jar placed in a pot of water. Heat it over medium heat and stir until the beeswax is completely melted, stirring occasionally. When the liquid is uniform, remove the jar from the double boiler and set aside until it cools to just warm to the touch.

Heat the distilled water to just warm (distilled water is necessary—you don’t want to rub the elements in tap water on your skin, and impurities may make the lotion go bad faster), and place it in a quart jar or blender. I used a jar and an immersion blender for this step, but a regular blender or food processor would also work for this step. You need to emulsify the water and the oils. Start the blender and slowly drizzle the oil mixture in as the blender works.

The oils will separate and get chunky at first, but it will all come together as you blend. Blend until everything is incorporated and it looks like lotion. Add essential oil and stir that in and you’re done.

I put my lotion in jars to save it. You do want to keep it in an airtight container. The recipe makes plenty of lotion to keep and have a few small jars to give away.

*You can find small bars of beeswax in Spokane at Sun People Dry Goods and generally at the Farmer's Market.
 

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