Homemade lotion is a lot easier than the ingredient list on a store bought bottle would have you believe. These 30 luxurious DIY lotion recipes run from fluffy whipped body butters to solid lotion bars, gentle baby lotions and true emulsified lotions with a preservative. A homemade lotion is simply oils and butters like shea, cocoa butter and coconut oil, either whipped on their own or blended with water and an emulsifier, then scented with essential oils if you like. Lavender for bedtime, peppermint for the holidays and gingerbread for anyone who wants to smell like a cookie (no judgment here). One tip saves a lot of heartache: beeswax thickens but does not emulsify, so any recipe with water needs a real emulsifying wax. Wrap a few jars for gifts, and find more on the candles and soapmaking hub.
DIY Lotion Recipes
1. Silken Rose and Green Tea Lotion
Silken rose and green tea lotion is a light, fast sinking summer lotion with a long list of skin treats. The water part blends aloe, silk, honey, rose water and green tea, and because those are tempting to bacteria the recipe heats and holds it before mixing, on top of a broad spectrum preservative. The oil part is emulsifying wax, grapeseed oil (quick absorbing), unrefined shea butter and rose wax, which together with the rose water gives the lotion its scent. Measurements are by weight, so a small digital scale is a must.
Get the full tutorial at Humblebee & Me.
2. Chamomile and Elder Sensitive Skin Lotion
Chamomile and elder sensitive skin lotion is a gentle, unscented lotion made in tablespoons, so no scale is required. First infuse avocado oil with a pinch each of dried chamomile, elder flowers and marshmallow root, either for four weeks in a cupboard or for about two hours in a warm water bath. Then combine 1 tablespoon each of the infused oil, avocado butter and emulsifying wax, warm that jar alongside 6 tablespoons of distilled water for about 10 minutes and pour them together. It turns milky white right away. Add a preservative and it makes about 4 ounces.
Get the full tutorial at The Nerdy Farm Wife.
3. Rose Hibiscus Whipped Body Butter
Rose hibiscus whipped body butter is mostly coconut oil, whipped until it is light as frosting. Measure 1 cup of coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of almond oil into a bowl, add a few drops of brewed hibiscus tea for a blush pink color and about 8 drops of rose absolute. Whip it with a hand or stand mixer for around ten minutes. It looks like nothing is happening until it suddenly turns fluffy and holds peaks. It makes about 1 cup. Sugared rose petals on top are optional but very pretty for gifting.
Get the full tutorial at Poppytalk.
4. Simple Homemade Lotion
This simple homemade lotion is a lesson in doing it right, from a maker whose early beeswax lotion separated and grew mold. A stable lotion needs a true emulsifier (beeswax is not one) and a preservative. Weigh the water phase and the oil phase into separate containers, measuring in grams on a cheap kitchen scale. Heat both in a water bath to about 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, until every wax and butter has melted, then combine, blend and test the pH. The guide then explains how to swap oils to suit dry, oily or sensitive skin.
Get the full tutorial at Oh, The Things We'll Make!.
5. Whipped Magnesium Lotion
Whipped magnesium lotion is a four ingredient recipe made in a quart mason jar. Dissolve magnesium chloride flakes in 3 tablespoons of boiling water (chloride flakes specifically, not Epsom salt). Separately melt 1/4 cup of unrefined coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of beeswax pastilles and 3 tablespoons of ivory shea butter. Then blend the two together with an immersion blender or hand mixer until thick and fluffy. Pastilles are far easier to measure than a block of beeswax. Many people rub magnesium lotion on before bed as part of a wind down routine.
Get the full tutorial at Don't Waste the Crumbs.
6. Heavenly Cocoa Lotion
Heavenly cocoa lotion is a lightweight face and body moisturizer inspired by a well known bath shop cream. Sweet almond oil, cocoa butter and vanilla carry the cozy scent, with chrysanthemum extract, glycerin and a little cocoa bioferment for extra care. A complete emulsifying wax and cetyl alcohol hold it together, so do not swap in beeswax. Weigh the water part and the oil part into two heat resistant cups, warm both in a water bath for 20 to 30 minutes, then pour the water into the oils and stir. A broad spectrum preservative keeps it safe.
Get the full tutorial at Humblebee & Me.
7. Lavender and Honeyquat Lotion
Lavender and honeyquat lotion is a thick but quick absorbing lotion from a soap supply maker, with exact weights and percentages. Moringa seed oil, rosehip seed oil and shea butter make up the oils, held by an emulsifying wax and cetearyl alcohol. Allantoin adds a hydrating feel and honeyquat draws moisture to the skin. Lavender absolute gives the floral scent, but it is heavy, so wait until the lotion has cooled and thickened before stirring it in or it may separate. Disinfect every tool first. The batch fills four 4 ounce bottles.
Get the full tutorial at Soap Queen.
8. Lavender Lotion Bars
Lavender lotion bars are a solid lotion you rub straight onto dry elbows, knees and heels. Melt 1 cup of beeswax and 1 cup of coconut oil in a small saucepan until smooth, then stir in 1/2 cup of shea butter until it dissolves. Off the heat, add lavender essential oil, starting with 10 drops and working up to 15 or 20 until the scent is just right. Pour into molds, even simple paper cups work, and let them set overnight. Store them somewhere cool, because a hot car will melt them.
Get the full tutorial at Coupons and Freebies Mom.
9. Lavender Grapefruit Whipped Coconut Oil Lotion
Lavender grapefruit whipped coconut oil lotion has only three ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of coconut oil plus 10 drops each of lavender and grapefruit essential oil. The trick is temperature. Coconut oil needs to be solid, so chill it on a warm day, and start with cold beaters and a cold bowl the same way you would for whipping cream. Whisk the oil until stiff peaks form, then add the essential oils and whisk briefly to combine. The citrus and lavender blend is calming and bright at once, and it smells lovely after a bath.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Therapy.
10. Homemade All Natural Pumpkin Spice Lotion
Homemade all natural pumpkin spice lotion smells like fall. Melt a heaping 1/4 cup of cocoa butter with 2 tablespoons each of almond oil and coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of beeswax in a double boiler. A pot set over another pot of water works fine. Stir in 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of paprika for a warm orange color and let it steep about 10 minutes, then pour the lotion off and leave any undissolved paprika behind. Scent it with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove essential oils.
Get the full tutorial at Pins and Procrastination.
11. Soothing Homemade Baby Lotion
Soothing homemade baby lotion is a five ingredient recipe with no alcohol or artificial color. Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 1/4 cup of shea butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Off the heat, stir in 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon of vitamin E and just 2 or 3 drops of lavender essential oil. Then pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip it into a soft lotion. Keep the essential oil very light for little ones, and patch test first on sensitive skin.
Get the full tutorial at Premeditated Leftovers.
12. Non-Greasy Lotion
This non greasy lotion is a true emulsion of oils and water, made in a blender. Melt grated beeswax, 1/2 cup of sweet almond oil and 2 tablespoons of cocoa butter in a double boiler, then stir in 2 tablespoons of vitamin E. Olive oil can stand in for the almond oil since they absorb at similar rates. Run 3/4 cup of water in the blender and stream the melted oils in very slowly while it blends. Go too fast and it will not emulsify. The result is a light, creamy lotion that sinks in.
Get the full tutorial at Going Zero Waste.
13. DIY Texas Cedarwood Hand Lotion
DIY Texas cedarwood hand lotion is whipped up with a mixer in about three minutes. Add 6 ounces of aloe vera gel and 1 1/2 ounces of fractionated coconut oil to a large glass bowl and beat until it has the consistency of lotion. Then blend in 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil and 10 drops of Texas cedarwood essential oil. The woodsy scent is a nice change from flowers, which is why it was made as a Father’s Day gift for a gardener. It fills one 8 ounce bottle or two 4 ounce bottles.
Get the full tutorial at Life-n-Reflection.
14. Best Homemade Lotion
Best homemade lotion is a big batch whipped lotion with just a few ingredients. Put 1 cup of shea butter, 1 cup of coconut oil and 75 to 100 drops of lavender essential oil in a stand mixer and beat until soft peaks form. For a thicker hand cream feel, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of melted beeswax pastilles. Arrowroot powder is another option. Softening the butter and oil first prevents clumps. White shea has a milder scent than yellow, and cocoa butter swaps in for a light chocolate smell. It makes at least 20 ounces, and a dime size dab is plenty.
Get the full tutorial at Back To The Book Nutrition.
15. DIY Mint Chocolate Chip Body Butter
DIY mint chocolate chip body butter is just 1/2 cup of cocoa butter, 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 20 to 40 drops of peppermint essential oil. Do not melt the cocoa butter. Chunk it out solid with a butter knife, then whip everything together in a stand mixer for about 8 to 10 minutes, stopping every minute or two to scrape the bowl. A hand mixer works too but takes longer. The peppermint feels cool on tired muscles. For a bigger batch, a few drops of vitamin E help it keep longer.
Get the full tutorial at The Homespun Table.
16. Aloe Vera and Coconut Oil Hand Lotion
Aloe vera and coconut oil hand lotion needs just four ingredients: aloe vera gel, fractionated coconut oil, a vitamin C serum (optional) and essential oils. The recipe was tested with one specific 99 percent aloe gel that contains a little emulsifier, which helps it blend, so other brands may behave differently. Make sure the coconut oil is the fractionated kind that stays liquid. Whisk it all together in a bowl, spoon it into a plastic sandwich bag, snip a corner and pipe it into pump bottles. Free printable labels make them gift ready.
Get the full tutorial at Lia Griffith.
17. DIY Itch Relief Solid Lotion
DIY itch relief solid lotion comes out as a twist up stick for bug bites and itchy spots. Weigh 1 ounce each of beeswax, sweet almond oil and shea butter on a digital scale and melt them in a double boiler. The beeswax seems like it will never melt, then it goes all at once. Let it cool until it stops steaming, then stir in 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender essential oil and 12 drops of helichrysum. Pour into tubes or tins and let it set. It makes about 3 ounces. Skip it on broken skin.
Get the full tutorial at Everything Pretty.
18. DIY Organic Baby Lotion
DIY organic baby lotion is a small batch balm made with the double boiler method. Melt 1/4 cup of cocoa butter (shea or mango butter work too), 1/4 cup of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of beeswax pastilles in a glass jar set in simmering water. Use 2 tablespoons of beeswax if you choose shea and your home runs warm. Stir in 2 teaspoons of vitamin E. Up to 5 drops of a baby safe essential oil is optional, but skip essential oils entirely for babies under 3 months. A little goes a long way, so one batch lasts months.
Get the full tutorial at Mama Instincts.
19. Vanilla Bean Winter Lotion Bar
The vanilla bean winter lotion bar skips beeswax on purpose, because in cold weather a beeswax bar feels like rubbing a candle on your skin. Cocoa butter and coconut oil melt instead, warmed gently over medium low heat (a small pot with a spout makes pouring easy) just until combined. Stir in vanilla essential oil, which leaves tiny dark specks that look like vanilla bean. Pour right away into an ice cube tray and chill for two hours. The small bars melt fast in your palms. They are best in cold weather, since they soften in heat.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Therapy.
20. Whipped Body Butter
This whipped body butter comes in two versions. The white chocolate one uses 1/4 cup each of shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and sweet almond oil, while the regular one doubles the shea and skips the cocoa butter. Melt everything except the essential oils in a small pot or double boiler, then let it partly set. The freezer speeds that up, just do not forget it in there. Add 10 to 20 drops of essential oil and whip until fluffy. It is moisturizing without feeling greasy, and the chocolate version smells good enough to eat.
Get the full tutorial at The Prairie Homestead.
21. Sultry Jasmine Lotion
Sultry jasmine lotion is a rich, lavender tinted lotion with a soap maker’s exact measurements. Half the water phase is jasmine essential water, the oil phase is rosehip seed oil held with an emulsifying wax and stearic acid, and a dark jasmine fragrance plus a little purple colorant finish it. A preservative goes in during cool down. Disinfect every tool in a mild bleach solution before starting, as with any water based lotion. It is too thick for pump bottles, so plan on flip top or squeeze bottles. The batch fills four 4 ounce bottles.
Get the full tutorial at Soap Queen.
22. Luxurious Homemade Lotion
Luxurious homemade lotion is really a thick cream that sets in a jar, since it will not pump. Combine 1/2 cup of sweet almond oil (jojoba or another liquid oil works), 1/4 cup of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of beeswax pellets and 2 tablespoons of shea butter in a double boiler, or a glass bowl over simmering water, and stir as it melts. Off the heat, add vitamin E, up to 45 drops of essential oils and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla if you like. Pour into small mason jars or tins to cool. It makes about 9 ounces.
Get the full tutorial at Wellness Mama.
23. Gingerbread Body Lotion
Gingerbread body lotion uses real kitchen spices. Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of shea butter in a small saucepan, stirring often, then pour it into a stand mixer bowl and chill about 15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 5 drops each of ginger and cinnamon essential oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, then whip on high for about 5 minutes until fluffy. Spoon it into an 8 ounce mason jar. A cool house keeps it firmer, while a warm one makes it softer.
Get the full tutorial at Freebie Finding Mom.
24. DIY Eczema Lotion
This DIY eczema lotion is a rich, oat soothed cream for dry, itchy patches. First infuse coconut oil with chamomile by steeping two tea bags in 1 cup of oil, slowly, in a crock pot. Grind 1/4 cup of oatmeal as fine as possible, almost like baby cereal, or it settles in the jar. Melt 1/2 cup of shea butter with 1/2 cup of the chamomile oil in the microwave in 30 second bursts, then stir in 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the oats. A 4 ounce jelly jar holds it.
Get the full tutorial at Everything Pretty.
25. Dandelion Magnesium Lotion
Dandelion magnesium lotion pairs dandelion infused oil with magnesium oil in a light, water based lotion measured in grams. Infuse dried dandelion in oil first and strain it. Then put 22 grams of the infused oil and 6 grams of emulsifying wax in one heatproof jar, and 32 grams of magnesium oil, 25 grams of distilled water and 14 grams of aloe gel in another. Magnesium oil is actually water based, which is why it goes in the water jar. Set both in a pan of water for about 10 minutes, to around 150 degrees, then combine and stir. Add a preservative.
Get the full tutorial at The Nerdy Farm Wife.
26. Easy Beeswax Lotion
Easy beeswax lotion is made, cooled and stored in one pint canning jar, which saves you from scrubbing wax out of a blender. Add 1 cup of olive or jojoba oil, 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of beeswax pastilles to the jar, set it in a saucepan of water about three quarters of the way up and heat on medium low until melted. As it cools, stir hard with a fork every 15 minutes or so. At room temperature, mix in 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin E and 20 drops of essential oil. It has no water, so it keeps well.
Get the full tutorial at a sonoma garden.
27. Homemade Peppermint Body Butter
Homemade peppermint body butter is a pink, holiday ready whipped butter. Chop 1/4 cup of shea butter into small pieces and melt it in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each. Move it to a mixer bowl and whip in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of vitamin E and 15 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil. Chill about 15 minutes, until a skin forms on top, then whip until fluffy. Stir in up to 1/2 teaspoon of beet root powder, a little at a time, for the candy cane pink.
Get the full tutorial at Coupons and Freebies Mom.
28. Dandelion-Infused Hand Lotion
Dandelion infused hand lotion is weighed on a kitchen scale right in the saucepan, which saves dishes. Tare the pan, add 8 grams of beeswax, tare again and add 105 grams (about 1/2 cup) of dandelion infused sweet almond oil, then melt it over the lowest heat while stirring. The recipe also uses rosehip seed oil, vitamin E oil, 1/2 cup of distilled water or rose hydrosol and 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin, plus up to 10 drops of essential oil. Geranium and lavender are nice picks for soothing hands.
Get the full tutorial at Scratch Mommy.
29. Moisturizing Shea Butter Lotion
Moisturizing shea butter lotion is a whipped cream made for dry winter hands and feet. Set a mason jar in a heavy pan with about 2 inches of water, then melt 1/2 cup of shea butter with 2 tablespoons of jojoba or olive oil, stirring as it goes. Pour it into a metal mixing bowl and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes, until solid but not rock hard. Whip until it looks like frosting, scraping the bowl now and then. Add 5 to 10 drops each of lavender and frankincense oil and whip again. It is ready to use right away.
Get the full tutorial at Feathers in Our Nest.
30. Two-Ingredient Baby Lotion
Two ingredient baby lotion is about as simple as homemade lotion gets: 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel. Warm the coconut oil just until it melts, not until it is hot. Pour it into a blender or food processor, or a cup with a stick blender for easy cleanup, with cold aloe gel and blend until creamy and well emulsified. A few drops of lavender are optional. Store it at room temperature for a softer lotion, or in the fridge, where it firms up more like a lotion bar.
Get the full tutorial at The Frugal Farm Wife.
