One of my favorite things to do with Essential Oils is make homemade lotion. My children help me and we have so much fun doing it. I also love sharing the lotion for gifts.
I use a wonderful body lotion that is unscented that you can add your oils of choice to if you do not have time to make your own. This is a fun to do and really easy, but you do have to be a little patient.
Supplies needed before you get started
You will need to purchase containers to put the lotion in (2-8oz), Virgin Coconut oil, Shea butter or cocoa butter (Raw organic, hard) and grated or granules of beeswax. You can purchase at Aromatools.com or soapgoods.com
A Blender, distilled water, grape seed, Almond or Fractionated Coconut oil and Olive oil (soft oils).
Make sure all containers, spoons, etc have been sterilized before you begin.
The Recipe
The hard oils
5 Tbs (2.5oz) Virgin coconut oil
1 Tbs (1/2oz) Cocoa or Shea butter (can mix the two)
2 Tbs (1oz) beeswax (granules work the best)
9 0z. Distilled Water
The soft Oils
1/2 cup (4oz) Grape seed, Almond, or Fractionated Coconut oil
1/4 cup (2oz) Olive oil or oil of choice
30-50 drops
This recipe makes 12-16oz of lotion
Step 1
Place coconut oil in a 16oz heat proof measuring cup. Fill a skillet with water (like a double broiler) place the measuring cup in the skillet of water. Place on Medium heat, add hard oils cocoa or Shea butter or a little of both, and the beeswax. Stir occasionally, this will take 10-15 minutes to melt. Keep stirring until the oil and beeswax melt and dissolve becoming one liquid.
Step 2
Set up blender and add 9oz. of distilled water. Let it sit.
Step 3
In another glass dish or measuring cup add your soft oils together. Grape seed oil, Almond oil, Olive oil or Fractionated coconut oil. I prefer Almond and Fractionated coconut, but I have used Avocado and Macadamia nut oil too. Just depends on what you like. I have found the Olive oil to be greasy but it is great in the winter months for moisture with the Almond oil.
Let it sit at room temperature.
Step 4
When the hard oils have dissolved into a liquid, remove from heat and let it cool (about 5min). As it cools it will become thick and opaque.
Before this happens add the soft oils to the hard oils, you will see it start to harden and thicken up. Once you have mix hard and soft oils, place glass container back in the skillet of water until all the oils dissolve into liquid form.
Step 5
Remove the dissolved and melted oils from the skillet and place on hot pad to cool. With the water and oils at room temperature before the oils start hardening again but not too hot.
Turn the blender on low and slowly add the oil to the water, then cover and turn on high and watch it emulsify, this is the secret to lotion. This may take 20-30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on your blender. For my blender about a minute. If you are using a stick blender it could take up to 10 minutes. I recommend a blender and you can get one at the thrift store or an inexpensive one at the drug store just for lotion.
Here is a video on the Emulsification process.
Step 6 Final Step
Add 20-50 Drops of Essential oils of choice. Blend on low for a minute or until you feel it is fully blended.
Scrape into containers, fill to the top leaving as little airspace as possible. Let sit over night allowing the flavors to blend and ready for use. Use a clean plastic or wood stick to get your lotion out.
Variation on the oils for this recipe are easy. As long as the amount of hard (solid when cool) totals 4 oz. and soft oil (liquid )totals 6oz, you can lay with oils to make creams for different purposes. Have Fun! Optional ingredients include PAPA for sun protection, MSM for cellular hydration and repair, and natural preservatives such as grapefruit seed extract or vitamins A, C or E.
Essential Oils also act as a preservatives due to their antimicrobial properties.
Essential Oil Combinations
Lavender/Lemongrass: terrific scent combination, calming to tissues, reparative to joints and tissues, relaxing and calming to stressed ans strained muscles.
Soothing alone or with Lemongrass: wonderful aroma, calming and soothing to damaged tissue and nerve, useful for soothing painful joints and muscles. Add Clove to a cream for painful feet.
Peppermint with Cocoa Butter: For a great holiday or just soothing cocoa mint blend use peppermint essential oil.
Frankincense/Lavender/peppermint: painful or pulled muscles, hand cream, cream for massaging back of the neck for head and neck tension.
Geranium/Lavender/Cypress/Lemon/Helichrysum/Ylang Ylang: or any combination of these is fantastic for a cream to moisturizing and stimulate repair of varicose veins, spider veins or broken capillaries.
Myrrh/Melaleuca/Coriander Great for skin rashes
Lemongrass/Coriander: uplifting and motivating, invigorating.
Grapefruit: Great for skin conditioning
Vetiver and Lime: Calming and uplifting, soothing and calming.
Be creative and please share your combinations. Enjoy and have fun.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
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As I continued with my presentation and Kent was passing the oils, they were getting excited. I was really enjoying watching the excitement. As the Lavender was getting passed around one said, where can I get some of that, does it help you sleep? The children loved the Essential Oils and they were so grateful that I came and taught them about them. I even got a letter from one little boy apologizing for being rude during my presentation and he was very grateful to learn about Essential Oils and how they can help you. Wow! they actually listened and learn something. I do not remember this child being rude at all.
After the presentation I passed out a bag with Epsom Salt to everyone, so they could make a Salt Bath to take home. Kent went around the room and added Fractionated Coconut Oil, Lavender and Wild Orange Essential Oil. The children went crazy, they wanted more. There was a group around the diffuser, everyone wanted more oils in the bath salt. It was adorable and I love how the children are so attracted to the oils.
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