Homemade Organic Lotion, Take 1

Since this dry winter air has resulted in me flying through lotion, I decided to try making some for the first time.  I started with this recipe from Wellness Mama: http://wellnessmama.com/3765/homemade-lotion-recipe/
On the positive side, this was amazingly simple to make.  The prep time was closer to 2 minutes and it took about 10 minutes to cook.  It was so easy!  Plus, since my 14 oz. bag of organic beeswax from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJ3EOSS contained about 3 cups of pellets and was $12.50, it can yield 12 batches of 8 oz. jars of lotion.  $2.00 jars of fresh, organic lotion is a great price, especially for such little work!

Additionally, I tried this on my lips and this recipe is amazing for lip balm!

The only drawback to this recipe is its name.  The resulting consistency is pretty close to solidified coconut oil.  This isn't a terrible thing - I've used Trader Joe's coconut oil as a moisturizer before.  However, it does have a different texture than I expect when I hear "lotion."  It is very thick and does feel a little greasy at first, although after a couple of minutes the layer of oil had been absorbed. 

One other drawback is that the coconut scent does not go away.  I love coconut, so this isn't a bad thing, either.  However, when the recipe mentioned essential oils, I thought that they would subdue the coconut scent.  I added many drops of peppermint essential oil - enough that my eyes watered just from standing next to the mixture.  However, the resulting product still smelled primarily of coconut.  Next time I will skip adding scented oils.

So, if you want a delicate lotion with a customized scent, this recipe is not for you.  However, if you love the idea of coconut body butter or lip balm, this recipe is fantastic!

Luxurious Homemade Lotion Coconut Body Butter Recipe
Prep time: 2 mins
Total time: 15 mins

Ingredients
• ½ cup almond or olive oil (can infuse with herbs first if desired)
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup beeswax (a little under 2 oz of small pellets)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
• Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter
• Optional: Essential Oils, Vanilla Extract or other natural extracts to suit your preference.  Note that the scent of coconut will remain, so take that into account if adding any other fragrances. 

Instructions
1.Combine ingredients in a pint sized or larger glass jar. I have a mason jar that I keep just for making lotions and lotion bars, or you can even reuse a glass jar from pickles, olives or other foods.

2.Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat.
3.Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
4.As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally to incorporate.

5. When all ingredients are completely melted, pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Small mason jars (8 ounce) are great for this. It will not pump well in a lotion pump!

6.Use as you would regular lotion. This has a longer shelf life than some homemade lotion recipes since all ingredients are already shelf stable and not water is added. Use within 6 months for best moisturizing benefits.