Simply Perfect Body Lotion

Recently I have been experimenting with all things to do with personal body care.  It occurred to me the other day that I had no idea what any of the ingredients were on my shampoo other than aqua.  That is a sad state of affairs!  I make every effort to provide my family meals made with whole foods (as much as possible) so it would stand to reason that I would make the same effort with personal care products as well.  I have dabbled in homemade care products for years, however, until now, I have never jumped in with both feet.

I have been experimenting with body butters, sugar scrubs and homemade bag balm, but this week’s project was body lotion.  The recipe I discovered has only 3 ingredients, but I have to tell you – it makes my skin so soft that I can hardly believe it!  My husband is especially thrilled with the results.  I find myself slathering lotion on at every available opportunity.

The first lotion I made I scented with Lavender essential oil.  Lavender is so earthy and soothing and is perfect for sore muscles.  Miss Serenity pulled a muscle in her back while we were working on the log deck and after the day’s work was done she treated herself to a hot lavender bath and asked me to rub lavender lotion on her back after she was finished.  It helped her so much that she had me put lotion on her several more times over the next few days to facilitate the healing of her pulled muscle.

With such success with the lavender lotion, I decided to make something a little more “manly” for the men in my life.  Shuffling through the cupboard I came up with Fir Needle Balsam essential oil.  Oh, it smells so good!  Spicy and earthy and eminently masculine!  I added just enough to the lotion to produce a wonderful, heady scent without being overpowering.  I have to admit, even though I made the Fir Needle Balsam for the guys, we girls are pretty mad about it as well.

When you work with your hands, water, inclement weather and hard work take their toll.  If you are anything like me, deep fissures can develop if you don’t take time to care for these hardworking members of your body.  I do really enjoy using a lotion that I can make in my own kitchen and am pleased by the fact that I know what every ingredient is and where it came from.   There is something comforting about that!

If you want to try your hand at making homemade body lotion, I highly recommend this recipe.  Use any essential oil that smells good to you – you can even make every member of your family their own scent.  Lotion take moments to make but the rewards are much longer lasting.

Simply Perfect Body Lotion
1/2 C coconut oil
3 T beeswax
5 drops of Essential oil (or more or less, depending on preference)

In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil and beeswax over low heat.  I grate my beeswax with a cheese grater. It melts faster and is very easy to measure.

Remove from heat, add essential oil.  Allow to cool, stirring occasionally.  

When cool, use a stand mixer or hand mixture to mix to a creamy consistency.  Pour into containers and label.  

You can add extra beeswax if you want a more solid consistency or less for a very liquid lotion – it’s up to you.

This lotion is somewhat oily going on, but quickly absorbs into the skin, leaving it impossibly soft and smooth.  It is rather addicting!

If you value knowing what you are putting on your skin, this is the lotion for you.  Enjoy!