Lotion Recipe!

I love love love lotion. I love to use lotion. I love to make lotion. I found this lotion recipe from the folks over at Design Sponge.

Here is the link to their recipe:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/04/made-with-love-rose-body-lotion.html

It is beautiful in these Weck jars. I need to remember that at Christmastime! Also, they use an emulsifying wax to make theirs; I have always used soy lecithin and beeswax. The emulsifying wax may save me a step!

Lotion is so super easy to make. Just make sure that everything is sterile.

The Design Sponge recipe rocks because it all mixes together on its own. Using the soy lecithin and beeswax I have to run it through the blender....and I have found that a hand blender is much easier than a regular blender and makes cleanup a LOT easier. However, if I can skip that with the emulsifying wax then all the better!

They make the comment at the end that there are no preservatives in their lotion, and that can be problematic when it starts going bad, so here is what I do in my own lotion to fix that (or at least postpone it a little while):

When I make mine I usually have my oils in one pot and my water in the other - I add vitamin E oil to the oils pot because it is a preservative and will keep the oils from going rancid. So is rosemary essential oil, but I am pretty sure that neither I nor Papa want me smelling like my herb garden.

To the water pot - I usually add a couple of drops of grapefruit seed essential oil - it keeps the water from stagnating and gives the lotion a clean/fresh smell.

OILS:

Grapeseed oil is so good for your skin - it has all the super antioxidants and it is light and not very greasy.

Coconut Oil.....love me some lotion made from coconut oil - it is also super good for your skin and makes a really thick creamy lotion.

Olive oil...I have only made one batch of lotion with olive oil, which I proceeded to use on my face... it didn't go over very well. I think it was too rich or oily for my face. It was lovely on my hands and legs, however.

I have made some with Walnut Oil, but I didn't like the smell. It almost reminded me of sesame oil, which is lovely in stir fry but not on your face and hands. blegh.

WATER:

I always use distilled water. However, I have made lotion before where I used water from cooked flower petals and that turned out quite nicely.

I can't wait to try this "recipe" with the emulsifying wax; if it turns out I reckon I will make lotion for everyone this Christmas :)

~~Gena