Homemade Face & Body Lotion

If you have ever been victimized by hard water, you know the importance of having a good lotion on hand. It is unbelievable, the things hard water can do to your skin. 

As a full-time student, I am almost always strapped for cash (save for when that direct deposit first hits--sweet Mary). Its hard for me to justify buying a $15 bottle of lotion from Bath and Body Works. No matter how amazing some of their scents might be... 

If your hard water situation is as bad as mine, you might also want to invest in a filter for your shower head. Even with a filter (albeit a fairly cheap one) my skin gets so dried out that I need to use lotion everyday. Can you imagine how many of those $15 bottles of lotion I'd go through? 

Honestly, aside from the scent, Bath and Body Work's lotions kind of suck. Scratch that, most lotions I've purchased suck. I'm really curious why that is. In preparing to write this article I looked at my last bottle of lotion (a gift from a friend) and found that the top three ingredients are

• Water
• Glycerin Petrolatum
• Cetyl Alcohol 

According to the Organic Authority, these ingredients can contain carcinogens and even exaggerate dry skin while only appearing to hydrate.  

It bewilders me that water is the first ingredient. For those who don't know, ingredients are listed in order of concentration. That means there is more water in this lotion than any other ingredient. Followed by a carcinogen and a drying agent. When you start making your own products you quickly learn that store-bought isn't all it was cracked up to be. 

DIY Lotion Recipe

• 1/2 cup of Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp. of Vitamin E Oil
• 1 tsp. of Sweet Almond Oil
• 10-20 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

Things You'll Need

• a small microwaveable bowl
• a spoon for mixing
• a funnel
• a container to store it in

How to Do it

• In a microwave safe bowl measure out 1/2 a cup of coconut oil and melt for 10 seconds (or until no solids remain). 
• Stir in other ingredients until well mixed. Feel free to adjust the amount of lavender oil to your personal preferences. 
• Using your funnel, take the oil and pour the mixture into your container for storage. 
• Wait a couple of hours (depending on room temperature) for your lotion to solidify. This tip is for ease of application. The lotion is just as affective in liquid form, just be careful not to get it on your clothing as coconut oil can stain!

So what do you think? Will you be sticking with your old lotion? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!