In an effort to live simply and naturally, I’ve been experimenting with different natural hygiene products that I can make on my own without having to invest in special equipment or exotic ingredients that I’d never otherwise buy or use.
This body lotion is perfect – it’s made from three simple ingredients: an edible oil, beeswax, and water. They’re all ingredients that I can source extremely locally, and they can all be used for other products, as well. I use organic sunflower oil from a nearby company which buys all its sunflower seeds from local farmers. The beeswax comes from a neighbor who keeps bees and the water comes from our own well.
To make the lotion you’ll need:
1/2 cup oil (olive, sunflower, or another edible oil)
3 Tbsp grated beeswax
1 cup hot-warm water
*To add scent, use 5-10 drops of essential oil to the beeswax/oil mixture, or use scented waters in lieu of plain water. For my Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree Oil recipe, see below.
Directions:
Combine the oil and grated beeswax in a double boiler and heat until the beeswax is melted into the oil. Let cool until the beeswax/oil mixture and the water are close to the same temperature. (If one is hot and one is cold, the water will separate from the oil/beeswax mixture.) Pour the oil/beeswax mixture into a blender and turn on the blades. Slowly pour in the warm water. (You can also pour the oil/beeswax mixture directly into your storage container and mix it using an immersion blender.)
Continue to blend the mixture until the water and oil are completely mixed and the lotion has a creamy smooth consistency. If the mixture is warm enough that it’s giving off condensation, you’ll want to let it cool to room temperature and then blend it again. Not all of the water will combine. Just pour off the excess water.
Because this lotion is made from natural ingredients, including oils, it doesn’t have the shelf-life of commercial lotion. I don’t have exact, irrefutable data on how long it lasts, but I have kept mine for quite a while with no issue. To be safe, I’d say that you can keep it on a shelf out of direct sunlight and away from high heat for approximately 3 months. (In my experience, if you lotion your hands/body regularly, you’ll use it up way before this deadline.) If you refrigerate your lotion, it’s safe for about 6 months.
This lotion may initially feel a bit greasy when you first apply it. I find it similar to the feeling of using shea or cocoa butter as a moisturizer. Give it a minute – it soaks into your skin, and doesn’t feel greasy at all. Instead your skin feels silky, hydrated, and soft.
To scent my lotion, I use lavender essential oil, fresh rosemary, and tea tree oil. It gives it a spicy, earthy smell that is subtle on the body, and plays well with any perfumes I might wear.
First, I bring my water to a boil in a tea kettle, and then pour 2 cups of hot water (to allow for evaporation) over three sprigs of fresh rosemary. (If you only have dried rosemary, use 1.5 Tbsp in 1.5 cups of hot water.) Let that steep until the water is no longer steaming, and then strain out the rosemary and measure 1 cup of the scented water for use in the lotion. To the melted oil/beeswax blend, I add 10 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil. It may smell slightly strong when your lotion is all mixed up, but it will be very subtle on your skin. Combine the rosemary water and the scented oil/beeswax mix as directed in the original recipe.
And that’s it! I’m experimenting with a few other lotion recipes right now, and will be sure to share more in the future.
Dream, Calluna. 