This is a really easy DIY. I mean, I consider most of my DIY's to be pretty easy. No one has time for hours of crafting elaborate, hard to manage recipes.
My favorite DIY up until now was probably my chapstick recipe. But, I think this new lotion might have taken the cake. Granted this lotion is a riff on that recipe. All roads lead to Rome.
This lotion is light and easy to absorb, unlike my Christmas body butter experiment. While it was fine in winter, by the time summer rolled around it was too thick. It sat on the skin and slowly absorbed leaving you with a greasy feeling.
No one has time to feel greasy. Coconut oil has a very slow absorption rate. It's why I've banned it from most my beauty products. I used what coconut oil I had left and turned it into soap! No longer in its fatty form, it is AMAZING for soap and shampoo - that lather.
body butter vs. lotion
Boby butter is typically made of just oils and butters. Lotion is typically made with water. Homemade versions of lotion will need to be emulsified and kept in the fridge to prevent spoilage. Body butter has a much longer shelf life.
Body butters and lotions both present two very different types of moisturization.
Body butters create a barrier on the skin that seal in moisture and provide lubrication. Lotion, however, preserves the moisture already in the skin. They have little oil and don't provide lubrication.
I know what you're thinking, doesn't that make a butter better? Well, it depends on your skin type. If you have oily skin a butter is better for you, and if you have dry skin a lotion is better. Dry skin doesn't need more oils, it needs more moisture. Which may be explaining a lot of my problems with the body butter.
I don't have oily skin, it's pretty dry - especially on my face. Bonus points: I never have to worry about shine.
Non-Greasy Lotion
- 2 Tablespoons of Grated Beeswax
- 1/2 Cup of Sweet Almond Oil*
- 2 Tablespoons of Vitamin E Oil
- 2 Tablespoons of Cocoa Butter
- 3/4 Cup of Water
*You can sub the almond oil for olive oil. They have similar absorption rates. I just bought almond oil at Rainbow Grocery in bulk and I am so excited to use it!! I have also linked to a vitamin e oil that comes in glass. But, I recommend that you look at your natural health store first.
You can read more about what I bought in bulk at Rainbow here.
Melt your beeswax, almond oil, and cocoa butter in a double broiler. Once they've melted add the vitamin e, a natural preservative and excellent for nourishing skin.
In the base of a blender add your water. Once my roses are in bloom, I think I will use rose water next time. Once the water is blending slowly stream in your oils. You're creating an emulsion.
Do it VERY SLOWLY. You will see it form into a thick and creamy consistency. Pour it into a spare pump bottle or into a mason jar.
Keep it in the fridge next to your mouthwash and face scrub. What do you use on your skin? Do you prefer butter or lotion?
