All Natural Lotion Tutorial

I'd fallen in love with my Aunt Nancy's lotion recipe (which my cousin introduced me to) and had run out, so I jumped at the chance for a hands-on lesson from her. This lotion is a deep moisturizer and needs a moment to absorb. My favorite is the cocoa butter scented with citrus bliss essential oil - it makes me smell just like a chocolate orange (good enough to eat).

You'll want to gather various measuring cups, bowls, a digital scale, candy thermometer, electric frying pan (or double boiler), and the following ingredients:

Virgin Coconut Oil
Cocoa, Mango or Shea Butter
Beeswax, grated
Distilled Water
Grapeseed or Almond Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vitamin Oil (as a preservative)
Essential Oils for scenting

Measure out 2 1/2 ounces of coconut oil

Add 1/2 and ounce of shea butter and 1 ounce grated beeswax

Place in an electric fry pan filled with water heated to 385 degrees, stir until melted

In the meantime (it helps to do this project with a friend) measure out 2 ounces of olive oil, 2 ounces almond oil, and 2 ounces grapeseed oil. Set aside

Just before the beeswax melts, it will look like this. Keep stirring

There. All melted. Remove the measuring cup from the fry pan.

Set it in a dish filled with ice water and add the six ounces of combined oils you set aside earlier, cool to room temperature

Isn't it pretty? Stir to combine and add 2 Tablespoons of Vitamin E oil

It will start to thicken

Bring 9 ounces of distilled water to room temperature

Add the oil mixture to the distilled water, slowly.

Continue mixing for about 5 minutes. When it's done, it should be the color and consistency of Pond's Cold Cream. Remember that stuff? It sort of reminds me of melted white chocolate.

Pour into your sterilized containers and add your preference of essential oils to scent. We added about 40 drops of Wild Orange to the entire batch of cocoa butter lotion and then divided it into containers. Other combinations we made (with the shea butter) were lemongrass/lavender, vetiver/peppermint/balance (for focus and energy), Deep Blue (for sore muscles), and Aromatouch. Enjoy!