Lotion Making - Create Your Own Lotion

I've always loved homemade products. From cookies, to embroidery, to paintings, to candles (amongst other things!), lotion making is a wonderful hobby and business venture that will satisfy that craving to make your own homemade goodies. Homemade hand lotion is quite easy to make and requires no special skill. When creating designer lotions, you have to bear this in mind though... lotion is an emulsion.

It's either drops of water in oil emulsion or drops of oil in water emulsion. So the main ingredients in a lotion are oil and water. However, since oil and water don't mix, you'd need a third ingredient called an emulsifier to hold your lotion together. You will also need a preservative to protect your lotion formulation and make sure that your lotion will store well. Next, you need to select your essential oils according to your need. Thickening agents should also be added to your lotion blend for spreadability. The last stages will include heating, coloring, adding fragrance, and finally, sterilization.

Here is a basic homemade lotion recipe you could use and later develop.

Heat an oil of your choice (about ¾ cup), together with 2 tsp. of steric acid and a teaspoon of emulsifying wax. When heating, don't boil. Heat until melted. In a separate container, heat clean water with a half teaspoon of borax until boiling.

Slowly pour in the oil mixture into the water and blend. Do this until the lotion mixture cools down. Add a little color, a little fragrance, vitamin drops like E, D, or A, or whatever you consider good and beneficial for your skin. Make only small batches of homemade lotion so it won't spoil. You can use preservatives in your lotion for longer shelf life.

Once you get the hang of making lotions, you can add or play with other ingredients like green tea, shea butter, olive oil, apricot oil, cocoa butter, honey, beeswax, etc. I mean, the list is endless. Experiment and create your own lotion variants.