Don't Be A Gorilla! Make Some Vanilla...Lotion!

Have you ever wondered how to make lotion? Have you ever been in a position where *most* ingredients on lotion labels either aren't safe for you (or your family)? Well, both of my boys have really severe food allergies and believe it or not, a lot of  skin care products you find in stores aren't safe for their skin. For example, did you know that sesame seeds are in some lotions/make up? That's terrifying for this mama as my youngest has a sesame seed allergy :(  So last year when a group of us were invited to a lotion party at my girlfriend's house, I was elated at the fact that I knew EXACTLY what was going into these lotions....and what was even better...it was SAFE for my boys! Hot damn and hallelujah thankyouverymuch! 

This creamy and absolutely decadent lotion is very easy to make. What makes this lotion so special is that it's made with organic ingredients. My girlfriend orders her high quality, certified organic oils and wax from this online company here. Not only is this a super hydrating lotion, the scent doesn't fade! This lotion is ready in a matter of minutes and solidifies in about an hour. 

You just need a few ingredients: 

*2 - 4oz wide mouth Mason jar (each batch makes two jars) 

*oil (I prefer to use Organic coconut oil, but you can use sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil etc)

*Essential oil of your choice

*Water 

*Emulsifying wax

*a measuring cup

Homemade Body Lotion

1 1/4c hot water

1/4c emulsifying wax

1/4c coconut oil

24-36 drops essential oil

In a Pyrex measuring glass, combine the coconut oil and emulsifying wax and microwave for 1 minute until it is all melted.

Fill 1 1/4c water in a microwave safe mug for 2 minutes. While the water is heating up, add the essential oil into the melted wax/coconut oil mixture. 

Then pour the hot water into the wax/oil mixture and watch it turn milky white (my boys love watching this part!). Then pour the hot lotion into the wide mouth pint size Mason jar, cover tightly and shake. I've found that if I shake the jar every 15-20 minutes for an hour, it helps solidify the lotion more quickly than if I just let it solidify on its own overnight.

Make sure to store your lotion in a dry location, away from excessive heat. My little 4oz jar will last a good month and a half! Not bad, eh? These little jars make such wonderful hostess/birthday/anytime gifts because they are made with love :) 

 Behold....the amazing Vanilla lotion! I can smell its signature warm, feminine, sugary scent now! Lather up!!

This Tangerine and Lime Peel combo made me drool! The uplifting and invigorating scent provided a happy smile on my face all day long! And then it had me wishing for the long summer months ;-)

However this right here....the Mother of all scents (in my opinion), Lavender....sweet baby Jesus, is to die for. This has been my favorite essential oil to add to my lotions. I've also done a Lavender and Vanilla combination which is just as aromatic and luxurious! Doesn't this image make you wish you were laying in a dreamy hammock, with the breeze tickling your face, while drinking a glass of sweet tea? 

I'd love to know if you decide to try out this recipe! There are so many essential oils out there; Aura Cacia Pure, Young Living Essential Oils (which really should be a blog post on it's own as I SWEAR by these miraculous little jars of oil!), and doTERRA just to name a few. This recipe is easy to experiment scents with. Not only will you reap the benefits of the essential oils, but your skin will stay hydrated all day long. Choose the essential oil that rings true for you and you'll never purchase store bought lotion again. You have my word on that!!

Creatively Yours,

NorCal Contessa

*Note: you may want to go in with a few friends and order the wax. It's a little spendy, but it lasts a long time. My portion of wax, split between at least 5 of us, was a little over 2 cups I think. I have at least another 4 batches remaining! That's 8 more jars of lotion! Oh yeah!