At long last I have figured out an easy beeswax lotion recipe! This has been months in the making, months to think about and months to come up with something easy and worth making over and over again. After using my original easy homemade olive oil lotion recipe for three years now and having posted it for all to see, I have received many comments on if you can make the lotion with beeswax. Well, you can, but it’s sort of tricky to do, requires a different set of instructions and I wasn’t thrilled with the result. So I started researching beeswax lotions, all the ones I found either resulted in an almost solid cream or required a dozen different ingredients. Some even called for adding borax to the mix, yuck! I wanted an easy beeswax lotion recipe. It became apparent that I’d have to invent a recipe of my own.
My requirements were, well, that it be easy, that it result in a lotion that you’d want to make again, that it would feel good on the skin and that didn’t require the oils to be mixed with water. Over the years of collecting comments on my original lotion recipe, a couple of people have commented that mixing oils with water results in a lotion with a short shelf life. While I haven’t had a problem with my lotion going bad, at least visibly, I wanted to give you a water free lotion option that was truly all natural.
It became painfully apparent that the ease of clean up after making this beeswax lotion be just as important as the final quality of the lotion. I say this because the first beeswax lotion recipe I read and tried required blending the lotion in a blender. If you’ve ever blended melted beeswax and then gone to clean it up after you’ve fed and changed the screaming baby, you know how terribly awful it is to clean up. It’s almost easier to throw out the blender and buy a new one. I couldn’t in good consciousness, advise you to blend any sort of beeswax lotion, as you’d surely be cursing my name for years to come. This lotion recipe can be mixed, melted, cooled, stirred, and stored all in the same container. Very convenient!
The final lotion consistency is lovely. It’s smooth and has just the right thickness. I keep the jar on my counter top and scoop it out with my fingers because it’s too thick to put in a pump bottle, however you could easily put it into reusable squeeze tubes
Because there isn’t any water in this recipe, it should hold up for quite some time, but for added measure I mixed in some Vitamin E drops for an added preservative. You can get creative with the oil too. Instead of olive oil, try jojoba oil, or almond oil or grape seed oil. Or try a mixture of oils. Coconut oil is so good for the skin. And I used the pastilles version of beeswax as it melts faster.
I think you are going to love this lotion:
How to Make an Easy Beeswax Lotion
1 c. carrier oil, such as olive oil, grapeseed oil or jojoba oil
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. beeswax (I prefer the pastilles for easy melting, if using solid beeswax use 2 oz.)
1/2 t. Vitamin E oil (or about 5 capsules cut open and squeezed out) (optional)
20 drops essential oil
Combine olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax pastilles into a pint sized canning jar. Put this jar into a saucepan and fill the saucepan with water until it comes 3/4 of the way up the canning jar, being careful not to get water into the oil mixture. Put on the stove over medium/low heat. Heat and stir occasionally until melted. Let cool to room temperature either by leaving out or quicken the process by putting into the refrigerator. During the cooling process, put a fork into the jar and stir vigorously every 15 minutes or so. Once at room temperature, add in the Vitamin E and essential oil. That’s it. You have lotion!
Download some adorable free beeswax lotion labels for the tops of your canning jars
If you are curious about how to turn this simple, easy beeswax lotion into an ultra luxurious body butter check out my Simple Handcrafted Body Care e-booklet.
My granddaughter and I will be trying this very very soon…I love coconut oil and I think the balance of ingredients you have here will give my skin some great nutrition….our lavender oil from the hillside will drop right in there and create pure bliss!
Do you extract your own lavender oil? If so, how do you do it?
Thanks!
You use something like 8 tbsp lavender & 1 cup oil. Put it in a mason jar in a sunny spot. Strain the lavender the next day and squeeze out all the oil into the jar. Replace with more lavender and put back in the window. Repeat this until you have your desired strength of scent. Or you can speed up the process using the stove top & a pan of water.
This is similiar to what you’re talking about. Tie your bunch of lavendre
and hang outside to dry. When done, leave in a jar of oil for two to 3 weeks. Shake every day. Then you have it!
I would like to know this too.
Actually to /extract/ lavender oil you need a still, there are a few different ways to do it the easiest and one I’m most familiar with is by using steam. You boil water in one container the lavender is placed in a basket at the top and the steam has to force it’s way through the tightly packed herbs. The steam then travels along a pipe or tube to the cooling station where you will start to see the oil and water separating, at this point you can scoop the oil out or send it though again. Making essential oil is not easy nor inexpensive and definitely not for the dabbler.
The other answers on here of leaving the herb in oil or heating the oil with a herb in it are only making scented or flavoured oil. These are useful too but do not mistake them for essential oils.
YOU are brilliant, my dear. Such an easy, yummy fabulous concoction.
No muss, no fuss. Just pure deliciousness – I LOVE it.
Just made my first batch of lotion using an infusion oil of yarrow and organic sesame seed oil (instead of the 1 cup olive oil). I want to make medicinals and this was my first try. LOVE the recipe. Consistency is fantastic with great spread, but also good tackiness. I am a bodyworker and intend to use the yarrow lotion/salve (I find it kind of a mix) on my clients. I do a lot of clinical/therapeutic work and a yarrow salve is perfect for pain relief. No problems just substituting the sesame/yarrow oil for the olive oil.
And, oh my dear, how I LOVE the smell of beeswax. Would rather smell like that than any other perfume on the planet.
I now have my second medicinal on the stove – juniper berry infusion in organic sesame (substituted for the olive oil) , with, of course, the coconut oil, beeswax and vitamin E you suggested Can’t wait for the results, which I know will match my first batch of the yarrow.
Then, I am just going to make myself a plain old sesame oil lotion for slathering all over just as in your recipe.
Thank you so much for all your research and coming up with this magnificent elixir. Much appreciated and, well, spread out into the world to friends, clients and what not.
Just an afterthought.
I really appreciate that the final product looks exactly like the one you show in the palm of the hand and in the jar. It was why I was attracted to the recipe in the first place and the actual, real product exactly matches your visuals. Really, really nice presentation, visually and verbally.
thanks again. Exactly what I was looking for.
Does anyone know the shelf life of this cream? Since it doesn’t had water, will it be ok without any preservatives?
Thanks!
Spending so many hours in the sun and wind now I’m working on the farm (or it could just be ageing) my skin is so dry and brittle. I think I will give it a go! Thanks for all your hard work.
I already make a beeswax and oil cream that I find quite easy. I never thought to make it in the very container you are going to keep it in! How perfectly simple!!! Thanks for a great tip.
Very Cool! I’ll be giving this recipe a try this weekend. I’m a massage therapist, 54 years old, a late starter. Most of my clientelle are my age and older. Many of my clients, a bit apologetic, comment on the dryness of their skin. I have thought many times over, how I could come up with a healthy, nutritious cream for them to use on a daily basis, and especially over the winter. This just might be the silver bullet. I’m excited. Thanks! 😀
I even use this lotion with my massage instead of oils!
Awesome, this is the comment I was looking for. :-). Here researching making lotions/creams
Do you know how many ounces this recipe yields. Thanks so much for posting, I’ve been experimenting with the same thing.
And sorry for the missing question mark.
A response to amelia here, though a year late.
I decided to purchase 2 0z glass jars for exchange/sale/barter/use. I just made the recipe as directed and I got about 7 and 1/2, 2 ounce jars of product out of the recipe as indicated in the instructions.
As you may see from my above comments, I am doing medicinal infusions using a base oil of organic sesame seed instead of the olive oil. Sesame seed is much lighter and more fluid than olive oil and so I don’t know how it will translate for you. But that was my yield with the substitution. Sesame oil is absolutely gorgeous, also used in a lot of ayurvedic healing. It absorbs into the skin quite nicely.
Big bang for the buck, in my view.
I love the idea of using sesame oil because, as you say, it is used in a great many Ayurvedic recipes, salves, oils, etc. But it’s best used for those with a predominantly Vata constitution or imbalance. My dosha is generally Pitta, so I should, and do, use coconut oil because it is cooling for my fiery constitution. This winter, however, I have a strong Vata imbalance and have been very cold and dry and have found sesame oil and Vata yoga asanas to be quite beneficial.
I’m so glad to see someone else appreciate the benefits of Ayurveda! Learning about it and applying it to my life has made a great difference for me. I hope it has for you as well. Namaste.
That is good to know in regards to how much you get. I too like the lightness of sesame seed oil.
I’m wondering too if I could add a bit of honey to it. I’ve been on the hunt for lotions/creams that contain bee products. Royal Jelly is too illusive, most of it comes from China, and the RJ is compromised in quality once it makes it to the US. So, I’ve been scheming with the other bee products. If I add honey, I just don’t want the lotion to leave a sticky residue on the skin.
You can also try propolis which is really awesome and won’t be sticky.
I made body lotions with honey and milk and it wasn’t sticky at all… so I would say go for it!
If you don’t mind can you please share your recipe?
A lot of soaping companies sell honey powder, which doesn’t leave a sticky residue, but gives you the benefits of natural honey! I put a bit of honey powder in my mineral make up collection, and have had no problems with stickiness.
Do you have any issues when you perspire? I wonder if it creates a gritty or pasty feeling.
Toni
Try glorybee.com.
I’ve been wanting to make something like this! So thrilled to see this recipe. Can’t wait to try it. Love that I have all the ingredients on hand.
I am a new beekeeper who has been looking for a lotion recipe that I can use some bee’s wax in. This looks perfect! Would you have any idea of the weight of the 1/2c of beeswax that you used?
Thank-you so much!
Heather, I don’t have the weight handy, but I’ll weigh it when I get the chance.
Hi! I was also wondering if you could tell me the weight of the 1/2 cup beeswax. I purchase my beewax from a local beekeeper and they give it to me in 1 pound blocks. Thanks!
I grated a 1 oz. bar of beeswax with a cheese grater and it gave me just about 1/2 cup! I also mashed it down a little to compensate for the extra air. It’s not exact but hopefully it will give someone a starting point.
1/2 a cup is equal to 4 oz.
A 1/2 cup of beeswax is not equal to 4oz.
However, I found that if I freeze my beeswax for a few hours then put n inside a couple layers of plastic bags, then smash it with a hammer, that it breaks down into much easier to manage chunks and pieces. Then I took them and squeezed them into the 1/2 cup.
Hope this works for other people!
Four fluid ounces are in a half-cup, but a half cup does not weigh four ounces.
Actually, I believe it is. “A pint’s a pound the world around”… meaning 16 oz in a pint = 1 pound.
There is definitely a difference between fluid oz (volume) and dry oz (mass). 1/2 cup of a liquid is indeed 4 fluid oz. but its mass will depend on the density of the liquid. 1/2 cup of honey (high density) will weigh more than 1/2 cup of water (lower density). In metric, the volume is measured in litres (or milliliters, ml) while mass is measured in kilogroams or grams.
A 1 oz bar (mass) certainly could measure 1/2 cup in volume. It might vary depending on the coarseness of grating and how tightly it is packed in teh measuring cup.
This is so freaking awesome! I used almond oil instead of olive and I put a little cocoa butter in it and it came out fabulous!!
Brittney, so glad to hear it! I love that.. ‘freaking awesome!’ :o)
I also add 1 to 2 ounces of shea butter to mine…I have yet to try anything with cocoa butter…i might have to try though…thanks for the tip
I tried it! Since I didn’t have quite enough beeswax, I added cocoa butter and shea butter to fill the measuring cup. I only made 1/2 a batch and poured them into 1/4-pint mason jars. Filled 2 very nicely. My cream goes on greasy; I had to wipe my hands with a towel after a few minutes to get rid of the extra grease. BUT, hours later, my hands are tremendously soft! Way nicer than store bought cream.
Great to hear Pamelyn! It is a little greasy but I think if you had had enough beeswax it would have been less greasy. Shea butter I know is somewhat oily feeling compared to beeswax. Glad to hear that your hands are so soft now!
I love your Beeswax Lotion! I have made it with the same amount of beeswax and also made it with 1/2 the amount. Both are great! One is a cream and the other a lotion that comes out well with a pump. I have given it to friends with eczema and for friends’ babies with rashes. I call it “Healing Balm”. But, I have a question: Does it ever have a gritty feel to it? (Like maybe the wax hardened into little balls.) Thanks! Chris
(I’m not sure I put this comment in the right place! Sorry!)
Chris, every once in a while, when I am putting it on, I find some balls of something, but they always rub in well..
I heard it you add about a tb of corn starch it won’t come out grease.
I have found when using shea butter, if I overheat it, it will be gritty. Heat the oils and butter slowly ( maybe in a double boiler instead of a microwave like I often do). It has better results.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve wanted to make your lotion for a while now, but haven’t ordered the emulsifying wax. Now it looks like I won’t have to! I tried your lip balm recipe and LOVE it! Thanks for sharing all you do!
Made this today and I think it will be a favorite. In fact, I plan on looking for attractive 1/2 pint jars and giving it as Christmas gifts. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent, thanks, i am going to try it! I just spent the day showing one of my Indian (from India) relatives how to make her own lotion, healing balm and lip balm. Reading on your site started all my potion madness…I love it. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve got a bunch of beeswax from a wild bees nest that had to be removed from someones attic – they only realised they had the nest when honey started dripping through the light fittings! it is clean wax, except its all mashed up and mixed with honey residue. can i use this? im desperate to find a use for it!
Penelope,
You can use that wax as honey is also very good for your skin, nourishing and softening. I’m thinking you may have to add extra wax to compensate for the honey, depending on how honey saturated it is. Also as an fyi, you can separate the two by just melting them in a double boiler – I believe the wax goes to the bottom and the honey floats on top, but it could be the other way…never can remember!
Regards,
Denise
you can also eat it. supposedly the honey right next to the comb (beeswax) is extra sweet!
Hey Carol, thank you so much for this post, I was fiddleling around with beeswax and could’nt get it right. now it worked perfectly! I posted the recipe om my blog in Dutch with credits and link to you ofcourse 😉 thanks for sharing!
Out of curiousity, have you figured out about how much it costs pint like you did with the other lotion?
*per* pint…oops:)
i am so psyched to try this. i LOVE your other recipe, with one exception: on my body it’s fab, but it seems to dry out my hands a bit. I’ve only made two jars of it thus far and have been trying diff oils each time, but someone thought maybe the emulsifying wax was causing the issue. so, next time our co-op does a MRH order, I’ll be getting these ingreds. Thanks!
I have been following your blog for a while and have tried a few of your recipes. I have to tell you they are fantastic!! My skin gets a lot of sun and wind exposure and I want to avoid looking like a leather couch. Your creations have inspired me to try make many more of my own cosmetics. Just wanted to tell you to keep up the good work. If you want to see why I would get so much sun and wind check out my blog http://www.mostlybymotorcycle.com
I love your recipe but I have been using cocoa butter and olive oil in equal parts as a lotion for my daughter. But I was wondering what I could use as an emulsifier? Without buying an emulsifying wax? We need a really thick cream for dry skin and eczema.
I use beeswax and coconut oil 3:1 ratio, (3oz oil to 1oz wax) as a chapstick in a tube and it doesn’t need emulsifying wax at all because there is no water in the recipe. The lotion recipe above is 6:1 ratio and doesn’t have water, so you don’t need emulsifying wax. The emulsifying wax is what makes water and oil blend and not seperate.
Really good recipe…My husband has DVT and is on anticoagulants, I have our organic diet (including what he absorbs) down to a science so I used corn oil instead of olive oil in his and all was fine. I added about a tblspn of aloe vera gel and a small squirt of local honey. For eo’s I used rosemary and a couple drops of lavender and made up the rest in a sandalwood fragrance. Instead of using a fork to stir, I just put the lid on it and shook it vigorously every 15 minutes.
This was my first go at it and it did not solidify at room temperature, or thicken to the consistency in your pic, but it’s thick and pourable so I was able to refill a recycled 4oz lotion bottle that has a flip top and this is working just perfect for him. I love it too as it leaves my hands and feet super soft. Its a little oily when applying, but it absorbs in the skin well. This is a keeper recipe for us.
My husband is going to stop by our organic market to see if they have emulsifying wax today so I can whip up your other hand lotion to compare which one we will like the most. Thanks so much (love your blog) and please stop by anytime for sewing tips and sewing tutorials or just to say hi.
Glad I stumbled upon your site..I made this lotion yesterday and loved it! I enjoy making my own products especially when the recipe is really easy to follow.
I used lavender oil and apricot oil instead of the olive oil. A little greasy at first, but once absorbed in my skin felt amazing and so soft.
I tried this and used a stick blender instead of the fork and substituted almond oil for the olive oil and I love it! Thanks so much for this recipe!
I just came across your website today, and was excited to finally see a Natural Lotion recipe made without water. I am definitely going to make this up this week, but I think I will try using Grapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, or Rice Bran Oil, as these three oils are lighter, and absorb into the skin pretty quick. Thank you for this recipe, and many blessings to you.
I made it with sunflower oil and didn’t like it as much…I just made up a batch with grapeseed oil that is in the fridge cooling down…I am hoping I like it since that oil is cheaper than olive oil
I just made this lotion and it’s extremely thick. I would call it a creme and not a lotion. I substituted oils and used a combination of olive, sunflower and grapeseed oils equals parts to make up 1 cup. I did this as sunflower and grapeseed oils are lighter hoping to make the lotion lighter. It’s still very thick and it’s quite greasy. I’d call this good for someone who has very dry, rough and tough hands. It doesn’t absorb into my skin. This would be a good lotion for a gardener, construction worker or a lawn care worker, farmer etc. But not for us ladies who work inside the home or in the office etc. I’m not saying it’s bad lotion it’s just not what I consider a lotion for me or my children. But for my husband yes he’s a lawncare worker. I wouldn’t make it again just not the type of lotion for me I want one that is absorbed into the skin and doesn’t sit on top of the skin all greasy and waxy feeling. Thank you.
I used the recipe as written and mine absorbs rather quickly. I haven’t had great luck with sunflower oil though–maybe that was the problem?
I made this and I found a new use for it. I didn’t put any fragrance in it. I use it on my wood cutting board and wood kitchen spoons. It works great!
Beeswax clean up is easy. Here’s how- Baking soda and dish detergent paste on a sponge. Or heat and wipe with a paper towel. I make all sorts of products and have a cleaing business. That’s what I use for soap scum, glue dust, etc. It sandblasts through like nothing other except for toxic chemicals that I won’t use. Thanks for your recipes!
I will check this out! I clean houses and there is nothing like show doors and soap scum everywhere!
Worked out just beautifully! Worked wonders on my eczema too! Thank you for the recipe:)
Kim – I’m so glad to hear it!!
Today I made my third batch of Hand lotion since June 2011. I gave so many little containers away and they all want more. I have experimented, starting with Olive oil, then Avocado oil, today I used Apricot oil. It says good for fine lines. I found the Avocado oil great, not to oily. I hope the Apricot oil will be just as great. Since June I have not used any other face cream but the handlotion recipe and my skin feels good. Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes. My next try will definately include the bees wax cream. can’t wait!!!
How did you find the apricot oil? I’m thinking of making some this week.
You’ll have to tell us how the apricot oil works…. I’d love the added fine line reducing 😉
I absolutely love this lotion recipe, but one day, I decided to do an experiment. Instead of using 1/2 cup of the coconut oil, I used 1/4 cup of coconut oil and 1/4 cup of Mango Butter, and instead of using the Olive Oil I used Avocado Oil. Then I added a bit of Mango fragrance oil, and it turned out wonderful. It smelled so good, and my hands feel so good. I am so glad that I found this recipe. It is totally awesome.
We have bees, so my bees wax is in chunks. I looked up the conversion of weight to volume here: http://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/weight-to-volume Four ounces of bees wax is equal to 0.498757 US cup measures or, in other words, a half cup.
Hi all and good morning to you all… I have a suggestion for those that are having to wipe their hands after applying the lotion. Add 2 tsp of cornstarch to the recipe when you add the Vit E oil and it will cut the greasy feeling and feel super silky. Enjoy!
Wow Wyld, I can’t wait to try your suggestions! Thanks!
Just made this last night- using the cornstarch (about 3 tsp)- worked great!! Thanks!
I made mine today and its very loose and greasy, but absorbs into my skin after a while. I like it though, but wish it was thicker. Is it too late for me to add the cornstarch since the lotion is already made?
tameka, you can remelt it and add the cornstarch. Add a tad more beeswax too to tighten it up.
I made mine and I think I messed up the bees wax conversion. It’s a little to oily so I’m going to try more beeswax and the corn starch. I guess I should have read all the posts first. Thank you for the tip. I really love how it smells. Like you you could eat it
Now I know why so many recipes have Vitamin E, which is an allergen, so I think I can leave it out.
Here’s a trick for measuring a volume (cup, 1/2 cup, etc.) of any solid item, learned from my aunt. Say you want 1/2 cup of the solid and have a 2 cup measuring cup. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water to the measuring cup, put in pieces of the solid and push them under water. When the water level reaches 2 cups when the pieces are under water, you have 1/2 cup of the solid.
yep, that’s what we learned in cooking class- how to measure room temp butter- use cold water so nothing melts in the process… 😀
Great job! Thanks!
I’m planning on making some pump bottles of this recipe for Christmas presents! 😀 Thank you so much for the recipe.
i am so incredibly grateful to you.
thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
we tried this yesterday (using calendula oil) and my daughter, who has severe ezcema, LOVES it.
i just blogged about it – i am THAT excited!
This recipe looks great, but I have a quick question. Do you know of any substitutes for the coconut oil? I’m horribly allergic to coconuts (which makes finding any kind of bath/body products a nightmare). I’ve been making my own body products for a few years now but have yet to find a lotion recipe that I’m truly satisfied with. Thanks for the great post!
Try Palm Oil – it’s solid like the coconut oil and equally as good. Otherwise, just use another liquid oil and add the cornstarch from a suggestion above.
OH NO!!!! I just received my order of emulsifying wax to make more of the original lotion!! I would have loved to use this receipt instead after reading a little bit more about emulsifying wax!!! I am too frugal not to use up my new order before starting something new…but I can’t wait to get started!!!
Thank you so much for your post, it gave me the confidence to try something I have always wanted to do – and I’m really happy about the results! YAY! Check out my notes:
http://lifesjewelsonstring.blogspot.com/2011/11/hand-made-hand-cream-review-and-how-to.html
Thank you for the recipe! I make my own herbal salves for my massage office and I have been using candelilla wax because it is vegan. I also love to put castor oil in everything…it is so thick! For the wax, I use 1oz by weight per 1 cup by volume of oil.
i am so glad i found your blog!! we have bees, make our own candles and sell raw honey, have goats and chickens, and a big garden here in NY. i am definitely going to make this lotion as a christmas gift! thank you for the idea!
Where in NY are you?
I’m going to give this as a Christmas gift! What is the shelf life?
I have had it last at least 3 and a half months…I have never had it go bad, but that’s the longest I have had it before it got used up
Thanks for your recipe. You made it so easy, mixing it all in the jar. I love it, and find that the oil feel dissipates quickly. I introduced it to my darling dil and she loves it too, she shared it on her blog and I plan to do the same. I used to make my lotions back in my teenage years haha–that was in the 70’s! Still have the books of potions, and a potpourri I made then!
Hi! I am new here and I want to thank you for posting this recipe (well, all of them!) I was making my own lotions, hand creams (I have dermatitis), facial wash, moisturizers and tonics, etc., back in the 90’s but I lost all of my recipes! I remembered the basic ingredients but not the proportions, and I have been searching for someone who uses them too! And you are the one!! All of my daughters are getting homemade creams/lotions this year for Christmas. I cant wait to get started again! Thank you!
As I was skimming through the replies I noticed a few people talk about how much this recipe makes, but I didn’t read over any good answers (I was skimming :))
I’d like to try this out for Christmas for all the moms and grandmas in my family- it sounds splendid!!
Thanks again for your post.
I got roughly a pint of semi-solid cream ( I would describe it as a ‘butter’ or a cream, not a lotion)
I made this with grapeseed oil. It turned out incredibly greasy, and it does not absorb well at all. Feels like I took Crisco and rubbed it into my hands :/
It’s great for my elbows, knees and feet though. Very moisturizing, and great for tough dry skin. And who cares if your feet, knees and elbows are greasy? Foot cream is usually greasy anyways.
The greenish color of the grapeseed oil made the end result a light minty green, and it was perfect for making it a mint scented cream for Christmas.
Will definitely be using this as a gift for Christmas (with a homemade foot soak too! 😀 ), but will most certainly label it as foot cream, not a hand lotion.
Hi I thought this would be an awesome christmas gift this year. I followed the recipe, the first time I weighed the beeswax, then melted with the coconut and olive oil. (I couldn’t find the pastilles so I cut off 4 oz from a slab). The lotion set up more as a solid consistency, like a ‘butter’. hmmm.. so the second batch, I first melted the beeswax, and then added it as 4 oz VOLUME (as in 1/2 cup) to the other ingredients. Same result! I really wanted more of a lotion, as I had a lovely antique bottle I planned to use.. what am I doing wrong?
BTW, aside from the texture, the recipe is *awesome*. It reminds me of another cream made by a company that shall remain nameless, but rhymes with Kurt’s Knees! *wink-wink*
Catherine, you didn’t do anything wrong, this is a rather thick lotion. Too thick for a pump bottle, unless you want to reduce the amount of beeswax. My other hand lotion recipe might be great in your antique bottle though!
Thanks, think I will try that next…
Uh oh. I hope I’m reading this wrong. I’m making the recipe right now and it says to use 2 oz (not 4) if using solid beeswax. Catherine said she used 4….
i love this lotion
i have excema that seems to be caused by commercial skin products and i cant even moisturise with oil on its own as i still get itchy. this cream is the best thing i have ever tried for my skin. i am giving some to my mum to try for christmas.
I just tried this tonight. So simple to make! Thanks for posting.
Do you think I could substitute the olive oil for mineral oil??
Don’t know why you would want to. Mineral oil is a byproduct of crude oil extraction. So if you’re trying to make a healthy alternative for your skin, you would be defeating the purpose.
nice to have a ratio for a soft salve or butter.
but technically lotion needs water otherwise it is just oil/wax that sits on the skin. great for protection but does not absorb, as lotion does.
great photos!
Right you are! However, you could always use it as a salve. This is what this really is …it is a salve. So I added Eucalyptus oil, peppermint and rosemary…I made Vicks Vaporub
it works great! Then I made an arthritis salve with tumeric and arnica. The possibilities are endless. Great recipe I put it in round tins.
I agree, I made both and they are terrific, but they do not hydrate, any ideas?
balm/salve is oil + wax = does not not hydrate, just protective
lotion is oil + water = hydrates
hth!
depending on the oil, it will absorb into the skin and hydrate. Adding water to anything only destroys shelf life.
You do not need to hydrate your skin. It is hydrated from within. The lotion described here is *perfect*, however as a protective and natural skin softening *barrier* to keep the hydration *within* where it belongs!
Great explaination! A lot (most even) consumers think the topical product is “moisturizing” their skin – because that is what marketing experts tell them. In reality, most topical products sit on top of the skin and don’t even absorb into the upper most layers. I’m having a terrible time with dry, itchy skin this winter — because I am not drinking enough water. I love my new balm (I don’t consider this to be a lotion) but it works best after a bath because my skin is rehydrated from the water which does absorb into the upper layers — then the balm keeps it there instead of allowing it to evaporate.
Yes, exactly what recently happened to me… I actually thought I was getting some sort of skin “condition”, and saw my doctor, who “prescribed” an extra 2 liters of water to drink daily! That plus using this lotion/balm has made an incredible difference! I love it, and it’s so very easy to make!
Your recipe is awesome…. i made it today and really like it. I was just wondering what else i can do to make is a little more thicker. I’m really excited about making more and sharing with my friends & family.
Judy, glad to hear you like the lotion. To make it thicker, I’d add some more beeswax.
Thank you….that’s just what i did and it’s wonderful!!!!!!!! Wooohoooooo……i’m ready to get busy. Thanks again for such a great lotion. No more buying from the stores
I’ve made this recipe, but using half grape seed oil and half olive oil, a couple of times. My hubby works outside with his hands exposed to all weather, and I also put a large jar of this in his stocking.
I’m now making some for my Mom and my two sisters. I’m so glad I found this recipe. Easy and really rich! I’m a potter so my hands take a beating, and they need the moisture. Thanks!
I make home made body care products and I was very happy to find this recipe, I wanted a lotion recipe without the water. Am definetally going to be trying this! Thanks for doing the experimenting for me
I make a very basic moisturizer for my son who has eczema. Melt in a sauce pan over low heat 1 cup quality olive oil with one ounce quality bees wax. When completely melted pour in clean dry jars and use when cooled off. This simple recipe with only 2 ingredients has never irritated my sons skin even when having a bad out break. We have been using this for years as an alternative to the doctors recommending vaseline. I make large batches and have never had any go bad. For skin problems I think the key here is only two ingredients and quick and easy to make with long storage life.
I’ve made this one time so far and have distributed it to family and friends. I thought people would say it’s too oily, but the response about how healing this lotion is is more than I anticipated! I find that the people I know prefer using it specifically on excessively dry, chapped, or damaged skin, with noticeable healing effects almost immediately or within 24 hours. At the time I made it I only had about 2/3 of the amount of coconut oil needed, so I topped the cup off with unrefined sesame seed oil. I also only used half the olive oil and used almond oil for the other half. Finally, I dropped some sweet orange e.o. and clove e.o. for a gentle fragrance. People love this stuff! Thank you so much!
Just wanted to know which is better to use, essential oils, or fragrance oil when making lotions, or does it matter?? I find fragrance oils to be cheaper, but which do you think is better?
fragrance oils are cheap because they’re fake and synthetic and cause skin irritations and cancer. essential oils are pure and made from real life plants and oils.
Hi Judy, Fragrance oils are cheaper because they are totally synthetic. Not good for you at all, but a chemical fragrance. For anything you use on your skin you need essential oils (sometimes called pure oils) because they are extracted from plants and have nothing in them but the oil from the plant. Each plant has different properties, so helps with different conditions. Some essential oils can be dangerous as well so look into it well. Be especially careful if you are pregnant. I would recommend you buy or borrow a simple book about aromatherapy. It’s fantastic to use the amazing products that nature provides us.
Hey Linda!!!!! Thank you so much for the info…..I was leaning towards the essentials oils anyways so thank you for that. I will do be doing some research on aromatherapy.
Not all fragrance oils are synthetic.Some better companies offer essential oil blends and all natural fragrances.Vanilla is a great all natural choice.When you use essential oils be mindful of their medicinal properties.Rosemary is one I can think of right off hand. It is a blood thinner and in large amounts could affect people with high blood pressure.Also using essential oils while you are pregnant or nursing could be problematic.Be careful and of course have fun!
Hi, I have a question
can I add vanilla for scent or does it have to be an essential oil? Will it shorten the life span or will the alcohol damage the lotion?
thanx
Anna, I have no idea what would happen if you added vanilla! You can buy vanilla essential oil but it is very expensive. They put alcohol in store bought lotion, so I don’t think it would hurt…anyone else have any experience with this?
Thank you
I’m very exited to try your recipe. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I added grapefruit essential oil to my beeswax lotion, but all I can smell is beeswax… I added some more, but it was still the same. The mixture has also settled down to a greeny yellow and the oil doesn’t seem to dissipate at all when applied to the skin. What might have gone wrong? Is there any way I can get rid of the overpowering smell of beeswax?
Leanne, I recently added essential oil to my beeswax lotion, about 24 drops. I can still smell the beeswax, but it doesn’t overpower the oil. I like the smell of beeswax, so it doesn’t bother me. The lotion sometimes takes a few minutes to soak in, but I find it leaves my hands softer than other lotions.
I made your lotion pretty much exactly as you instructed (minus the Vitamin E) and absolutely love it! This is the best lotion I’ve ever used. I put it on my dry, scaly legs in the morning after my shower, and the skin was STILL soft and smooth when I went to bed at night!
I love your labels how do I make them myself?
Anna, I’m a designer by trade, I create the labels using Illustrator.
No wonder they are so beautiful
thank so much for sharing your trade. You don’t see that every day. And thank you for every thing on your site. It’s all amazing. I been downloading the free herbal course and e books. There’s so much to learn. I’m so excited 
Thanx again
My husband has been reading your blog and tonight made your lotion, and already loves it. Our 8 year old daughter has a dry, very itchy scalp. Can you recommend a home made recipe for that. She has very long hair and doesn’t want it to look greasy. I’ve read about heating up olive oil and applying that. Have you tried anything like that on your kids? Thanks,
Kristen
Napa, Ca
Hi Kristen, I’m glad to hear your husband loves the lotion! I wish I had a solution for your daughter’s scalp. I know a lot of other people suffer from that, but fortunately we don’t so I haven’t done much research on it. Good to hear from a local! Good luck on your search for a solution for her.
Thanks again for this recipe. It did actually work on my daughter’s scalp. My husband has severe psorisis and is loving this lotion. It really helps soothe his skin. We are making it using the wax from our own bees. (Hubby is a beekeeper). Another plus is that we really like the coconut scent.
I just read about how great shea butter is for hair and scalp. I use it it in my lip balms and lotion bars….so nourishing! Here is a link describing the benefits for hair and scalp.
http://www.dailyglow.com/articles/197/hair-care-treatments/shea-butter-for-hair-and-scalp.html
Hope it helps!
try adding tea tree oil. I had a very dry, itchy scalp and NOTHING I used worked. I put a few drops of tea tree oil into a travel sized body shop shampoo I had on hand (just to see if it would work) and after ONE use, my scalp was completely clear.
Kristen:
Try stop using shampoo. Check it out on the “net”. Alot of people are finding that shampoo is not necessary as it is stripping your hair of oil everytime you wash it. I am trying it out myself and so far so good. I have extremely dry skin all over and have had all my life.
By accident I found a simple body wash that I also shampoo with and makes my hair soft without greasiness. Just whisk together 2/3 cup liquid castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s), 1/4 cup raw unfiltered honey and 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil. Give it a good shake before you use it every time. The recipe also called for 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil which I didn’t have, and you can also add essential oils like lavender. You could substitute other oils for the sesame oils: jojoba, sesame, olive, almond.
I just made my first batch and it’s amazing!!!! Highly recommend it and now I have easy spur of the moment gifts too! Thanks so much!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I have tried and failed before this amazingly SIMPLE recipe!! It’s gorgeous, non greasy, absorbent, and silky smooth…I added lemon essential oil for that fresh pick me up smell.
xx
I absolutely ADORE this website…sooooo glad to have found you
I have enjoyed finding this site, the lovely recipe and all the comments!
My question is whether the coconut oil is the solid variety or have you used “fractionated” coconut oil? Fractionated is not solid at room temp. Has this been tried? I’m anxious to know for my own concoction! Thank you!
I’ve been using the solid coconut oil Laurie.
Well, that was not only an easy process, but with terrifically splendid results! I love this recipe (it truly feels luxurious on my skin!)and am looking forward to “tinkering” with the ingredients and essential oil combinations…thank you for sharing it with us!
I just finished making both this and the regular lotion recipes. The regular lotion recipe was seriously the easiest thing I’ve ever done! I hope it sets!!! The beeswax lotion is fantastic!!! Thanks so much for all your hard work
I am planning on making this in the morning…. do you think I can substitute shea butter for coconut oil? I live in a small town, and happen to have left over shea from another project, haven’t been able to find coconut oil locally yet….
What a great recipe!! I was wondering what the shelf like is?
~PA
How can I make the lotion more creamy?? I notice when i use the shea butter the lotion is harder and doesn’t feel much like lotion. Do I need to try a different oil. I find it to be the same with coconut oil & palm oil, but not as hard.
It’s pretty creamy when you use the ingredients listed. Both shea butter and palm oil harden when at room temperature which is then making your lotion harder.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is similar to one I use for lip balm(which I also use as a cuticle cream 😉 ), so I know my skin will just love it! Next I want to try the lotion…
Oh and…I was wondering about the ‘green mess’…or the ‘green colour’ that some folks mentioned. I think that has largely to do with the olive oil that you use. I may be wrong though…
Can anyone tell me what the self life of this lotion is? Does it need to be kept cool to preserve it?
I ordered the ingredients online and made this lotion after discovering your blog and this recipe!
Thank-you so much! It rocks!!!
I I work with polymer clays a lot and cook a lot and live in a dry climate and my hands were starting to take a beating.
This lotion is rich and hearty and exactly what my hands needed.
By the way, beeswax smells SO AMAZING. Like honey but not exactly. Glad I had an excuse to buy some!
Also, I love that this lotion is so…real. With ingredients I understand and can pronounce. It’s just lovely and I appreciate you sharing the recipe.
Oh, one note, I did sub in some almond oil for half the oilve oil.
Thanks again!!!
I’m so excited to try out this lotion! I’ve been looking at a few different ones and this one looks like a winner. I maining want to make some for my two girls (1 and 3) do you think this lotion is ok for little ones?
Anna, yes this lotion would be great for your little ones. I use it on my 1 year old daughter everyday!
Thank you! I’m so excited yo try it. Make some today
wish me luck!
I made your lotion and it is just lovely. I made it just as you said, adding 20 drops of lavender essential oil. The lavender combined with the scent of the coconut oil was very appealing. I also added 3 tsp of cornstarch, as one of your readers commented which cut the oiliness. It goes on a little greasy, but quickly soaks in and leaves your skin very silky. I made 7 containers and gave them to friends, who all raved about it. The only suggestion I would make is that you use an olive oil that is clear or yellow. The oil I used had a greenish color, so my lotion had that tint as well. Otherwise, it was fabulous. I also made your chapstick, which I also love. I really enjoy your blog and so look forward to your posts and photos!
I made a batch and really love it, but yes it is a bit greasy. I was thinking of adding a little bit of borax to the next batch, that should help it soak in.
thanks for sharing so freely!! Be Blessed!
Yikes! No borax! Try increasing the beeswax to 6 ounces (or 3/4 cup) and replacing the water with aloe gel (fresh or store-bought- organic, if you want). Borax is yucky. Most likely doing those two things would make the lotion less greasy [or hopefully not greasy,] but still here are some alternatives to borax… Organic Xanthan Gum [derived from corn] is an emulsifier and thickening agent you may be able to find in your grocery store, local health food store, or certainly online. Stearic acid is a natural substance used as a binding/ thickening agent, be certain you get the kind derived from vegetables. Lecithin [liquid or powder, organic] is derived from soy beans and is also an emulsifier and thickening agent, among other things.
Also, to the honey-adding person… you should be able to add a teaspoon of honey, with this particular recipe [up to 20 ounces], and have it turn out great. Another honey supplement would be to boil some [organic] honey chamomile tea or honey flavored tea that would blend well with the coconut oil, and use that INSTEAD of the water.
By the way, I love your site! It’s such great info!!! Keep ’em coming!
Wow! I am in love. I just made a half-batch of this as all I had was an 8 ounce jam jar, plus I didn’t want a huge amount and then possibly not love it. I was too impatient to order pastilles and my health food store had a block of beeswax, so I carefully shaved off bits of it and measured by weight. I used lemongrass essential oil, only about 8 drops since I already loved the smell of the lotion before the drops went in and didn’t want to cover it up entirely. Besides being wonderful natural ingredients, you hardly need any at all! I love the texture as well. I really can’t say enough about how happy I am that this is so easy and so lovely. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
My lotion is cooling as I type this. I’ve been using it off of the fork, and I LOVE IT! Thank yoU!
I am waiting for mine to cool at the moment… I used bees wax, olive oil, mineral oil, castor oil, almond extract and ten 400 iu vitamin E capsules… I can’t wait to use it… My mom and aunts have used castor oil massaged over the joints to relieve aches for many years… I used olive oil when I was a teenager as a suntan oil… I have used mineral oil in lotions that were too thick to thin them down… I just love the smell of the almond extract… And I can never get too much vitamin E as dry as my skin is… I use a lot of lotion… Thanks for all of your hard work and sharing all of your creations with us!
I made this yesterday with ylang ylang and tangerine essential oils. Oh, my. Those fragrances combined with the subtle odor of the beeswax is downright decadent. And it was so easy! The lotion is a little oilier at first than I’m accustomed to, but absorbs quickly. This definitely goes into my “make again” file.
Thank you so much for this…I had a recipe where I had to use water and after a while it’s well lets just say yucky…
This is a great recipe, I can’t wait to try it! I have never made a lotion and I was scared of how fast water/oil lotions go rancid (4-6 weeks). Beeswax lotion, awesome! I would like to put it in a pump bottle and I was wondering exactly how much teaspoons I would take off of beeswax like you mentioned?
Also, without the lotion pump involved:
Just to double check, 1/2 cup beeswax is 2 oz?
So if I want to start with half a batch I would use 1 oz following your recipe?
Thanks so much!
Give it a try Stacey, with the 1oz of beeswax. I haven’t made it to go in a pump bottle before…should try that! Let me know how it goes.
I substituted 1/4 c jojoba oil and 1/4 c avocado oil for 1/2 c of the olive oil and added 2 tsp arrowroot. At first I was disappointed because it still seemed way to oily. I have since discovered that I was using WAY too much! It only takes about a nickel-sized dab or less on each hand. My hands are so soft now! THANKS for sharing this and the chapstick recipe too!!!
I just extremely love this recipe. It is so wonderful, but once again, I wanted to experiment a little bit with it. So I made a batch with a few changes, and it came up being very light and non greasy. I used 7 oz. of Grapeseed Oil, 1 oz. of Jojoba Oil, 2 oz. Coconut Oil, 2 oz. of Mango Butter, 2 oz. of Cocoa Butter, and 2 oz. of Beeswax. I could not hardly wait for it to cool down to try it out, but when I did, I was very happy with the result. It felt very smooth and did not feel greasy at all. Like I said before I love this recipe.
I love your recipes and the lotion is amazing. I like this one better than the other. The only problem I have with it is that it is kind of oily and I wish the color was more white than yellow. Any suggestions?
I think that the only way to make sure it is white is to only use white/clear oils. Olive oil is usually pretty green so…
I can’t imagine why the color would matter at all – there is very little true white in the natural world. But if this was really important to you, I’d find another color you like and find a beneficial herb that would make that color, and infuse the oils with the herbs before you used them. Using bleached, deoderized, processed ingredients really does defeat the purpose of making products from natural ingredients – because the processing makes those products no longer really natural any more.
I have also wanted to figure out how much the actual recipe makes because I want to now how to divide it. How much is there? thanks!
What would happen if I used all olive oil instead of adding the coconut oil?
I hate to cook so I have resisted putting my collection of essential oils to use in making cosmetics…but your beautiful website got me inspired! I didn’t want a lotion or cream that used water…so this recipe looks perfect. I did want to comment however on one thing you said in your post: “While I haven’t had a problem with my lotion going bad, at least visibly”. You cannot see strep, staph, MRSA or many viruses. By the time a cosmetic has gone bad enough to see the results — you have been spreading these potentially fatal bacteria all over your skin. Please take shelf life and safe preservation seriously, either when making your own or buying products from others. Fear of synthetic preservatives has created a climate where so many people think the real danger is in the preservative — in reality the REAL danger is in not formulating a product to have a safe shelf life, either by testing and adding an appropriate preservative in the lowest effective concentration or by formulating a product to be self-preserved (achieved a number of ways; pH, the use of essential oils, even glycerin); or refridgerating the product like any other item made with primarily food ingredients. But the only way to know for certain your product is safe, is to have the ingredients AND the finished product tested in a lab.
Sue,
Great info about the bacteria / viruses. We all need to be more aware. Thanks
I added a photo of my beeswax cream (mine really was more of a cream than a lotion). It turned out GREAT!
http://sueapitolikes.com/2012/homemade-beeswax-cream/
I was wondering what size of coconut oil I should use because the coconut oils at http://www.mountainroseherbs.com are larger portions than I need. I especially don’t want to spend $19.00 on something that I’m not going to use for 3 months. What should I do!
We get our coconut oil at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. We put some melted in the dogs food to help with winter itchy coat — he is so shiny! It is a jar no larger than a jar of peanut butter.
Gaby, I’ve bought coconut oil at Whole Foods before in small jars. Look for it there!
Hi Just starting out on making my own lotions, can you please forgive my ignorance and advise the measurements of the ingredients in english weights please Thankyou your web site is great
c is ????
t is ????
c = cup
t = teaspoon
I made this recipe today using Apricot Oil instead of Olive oil and omitted the vitamin E. I also added 1 tsp. of cornstarch. This is the best lotion I’ve ever had!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I have been making my own lotions and creams for years, but wanted to get away from using water as it shortens the shelf life. This is absolutely perfect!
Is there any way that I can ommit the coconut oil or instead of coconut oil use coconut flakes?
Thank you for the awesome lotion recipe! I made this last night (with jojoba oil instead of olive oil) and it’s seriously the best lotion I’ve ever used in my life — perfect for a super-dry Colorado winter! I used patchouli and lemon essential oils, which are a very nice combination with the beeswax.
For the person above who wanted to know how much this makes — my guesstimate is 13 to 14 ounces. I filled three 4-ounce containers and had another ounce or two left.
Looking forward to trying this out. I’m all about “easy” too, so I was thrilled to find your recipe.
Hi there, just wanted to update you; I made a batch for family and friends for Christmas, and they are already clamoring for refills! But best of all, I wanted to share with you that I made a couple of batches as a “craft” project with my clients last night and today (I work with adults with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bi-polar, etc) and they *loved* the fact that they made their own awesome hand/body cream!! The recipe is so easy to follow, and they were so proud of their success! Thanks for generously sharing your ‘recipe’!!
I just finished making a wax for my new wooden counter tops last night and I had a lot of beeswax left over, so I tried to make some lip balm and had huge success! I found your site this morning when searching for beeswax lotions… I’ll make it tomorrow if I can find all the ingredients at Whole Foods today! I have about 1.4 lbs of beeswax left and I’m just dying to see what kind of other awesome products I can make on my own
Thanks so much for ALL you share! Im so glad I founf this site. I am a massage therapist and always felt powerless in the best cream to buy and what is in it. I made a batch of your bees waz cream last night and im gonna start using it today on my clients! I also added some coco butter! I got all my product base off of organic-creations.com . they were alot cheaper than the mountain herb or whatever its called. They’re a small business based out of Oregon.there shipping takes about a week but thats because they cut from big block and everything is minimumily processed!!!! -Beth from Denver
Is this recipie half cup of coconut oil and half cup of beeswax. Or is it one or the other.
Could I use shea butter instead of coconut oil
Great used Shea instead of coconut because it is what I had. Lovely. Will have to try with coconut also.
When I used shea butter in my recipe, it made the end product gritty. I don’t know why or what I did wrong, but I don’t use shea butter anymore. No more grittiness problems!
AND…not or!
Thanks sue
I doubled the recipe and it looks like straight olive oil. I have it on the counter cooling, but I can’t see how this liquid is going to thicken into a lotion. Did I do something wrong?
Melted beeswax and melted coconut oil will look liquid and transparent like olive oil while they are still hot. But follow the instructions and keep stirring otherwise your product will separate into an oil layer and a solid wax layer!
Thanks for the answer earlier. Also, I have a 5lb block of wax. The recipe said 2oz of beeswax if using from a block. So I used a scale the measure that out. Is that what you meant?
I was totally psyched to make this… and then I realized I was out of mason jars and had nothing else that would do really. I’ll have to make a run out to the store tomorrow.
I’ve gathered all the ingredients for the lotion (and the lip balm). SO excited! We’re making them both for an activity at my 8 year old daughter’s birthday party on Saturday as party favors for the girls to take home [it’s a spa-themed party]. I made some custom labels…darling. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes!
I was wondering, could aloe vera be added to this recipe?
I just made my first batch and added 1T of pure aloe vera gel. It turned out great! The one thing i think is that it might spoil faster, so I am keeping 1/2 the batch in my fridge.
For those of you looking for a “creamy” consistency. After all was melted I did two different things: I poured half the batch into little tins and it set up like a “balm” and half batch I whipped with a hand mixer after it had cooled and thickened a bit and made it into a wonderful “creamy” consistency. Thanks for the initial recipe…it inspired me to go and create my own version!!
I just made this with only beeswax and olive oil and it was great! Next time I will try it with the coconut oil too. I added chammomile EO for fragrance, the smell perfectly compliments the lovely smell of beeswax.
Gosh. Some of the comments above are absolutely silly. Some of them seemed to be referring to an entirely different recipe?
I just completed this project and followed the recipe to a T and wouldn’t change a thing. I am so incredibly pleased with the results. I’m eager to make some more to share with my girlfriends at our next gathering. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us.
You are an alchemist.
Is it possible to substitute Jojoba oil for the olive oil?
Thanks so much! I’m a beginner! 😉
Yes, I think it will work great!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Although I use your regular lotion recipe for hand and body lotion, replacing most of the water with aloe vera and glycerin, I use this recipe (with a little more beeswax) to make a wonderful lip balm, salve, or “healing balm”, as I call it. It’s wonderful! Thank you again!
Yes jojoba oil can be substituted. Just keep in mind this will make the lotion about 10 times more expensive. I just recently used this recipie but Whole foods was out of coconut oil so I substituted shea butter. I had also researched different oils and wanted some properties besides olive so I used half olive oil and then the rest of the oil amount I split between sweet almond, jojoba, and vegetable glycerine.
I made this lotion and thought it was a little greasy but I still liked it. After using it for a few weeks, it seemed like my skin was getting more dry and flaky. Then I started getting really itchy. No rash or bumps, just dry itchy skin. Do you think I’m allergic to something in it?
I love this lotion and am on my third batch… My daughter and I both have issues with eczema and I am always looking for something to use instead of topical steroid cream… Drs. seem to think steroids are the only thing that
work topically and I hate using them. The last time I made this lotion, I enfused the coconut oil with dried calendula flowers (1/3 cup) and also enfused the olive oil with dried lavender (2/3 cup).. both calendula and lavender are good for skin. I put each oil in pint jars with the flowers and then into a pot with water so the water was at about the level of the oil/flower mixture. I let this simmer on the stove for about 6 hours before straining the flowers and proceeding with the recipe. I also used lavender essential oil and squeezed evening primrose oil capsules into the lotion instead of vitamin e. This lotion has been amazing for both my daughter and I. Thank you SO much for the recipe!!
An easy trick for those concerned about measuring the beeswax: Use displacement! Measure out the 1 cup of liquid oil in a 2 cup measuring cup, then add the beeswax until the oil rises to the 1.5 cup mark (you may need to push the beeswax down to make sure it’s submerged under the oil.) Do the same with the coconut oil if it’s cool enough that it’s solid too.
Thanks for the recipe! I’m making some to use as a pre-swim lotion. Wish me luck!
I’ve made a few variations of this now with fantastic results. I have been adding aloe gel, a bit of rosewater, and different EOs after it has cooled, and it gives it the dreamiest texture. I do not know how stable the emulsion is with the aloe gel and rosewater, but I guess I’ll find out eventually! I have only been making a teeny bit at a time because it’s so fun to experiment.
hands down this is the best lotion!!!
i did make some changed to it, added some grapeseed, olive, jojoba and coconut oil instead of just the olive oil.. i think its great! some have said its greesy, which yes it is, but if you use a small amount of it, its not so greesy & will last longer since you’re using less =)
thank you for positing these.. you are a saint!
http://soaperschoice.com/products_list.php Don’t know if you guys need a source for your products…….but I use these guys for some of my items!
This is THE BEST LOTION EVER!!! We’ve been using it for a few weeks now – it smells amazing and the whole family’s skin looks gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing. Can’t wait to try your deodorant recipe next!
Eve
Made this and followed to a T-it turned out just as it should! My only complaint that it seemed to take forever to soak in. Sooooo then I decided to start messing with it a bit. I melted it all back down, added another 1/2 cup of Coconut oil and probably 2 TBS corn starch. Put it all in the bowl of my Kitchenaid and let it begin to set up, once it started to thicken I let it whip for a good 20 minutes. It’s a nice, creamy yellow color now and less greasy
I put some in the fridge–I think it will be awesome on a sunburn 
PS with this method I ended up with about 16 oz of lotion!!
I made this today and need some help. For some reason, I can never follow a recipe like it’s written. Here is what I used: approximately 1/2 oz. (1/8 cup ?) of beeswax, scant 1/4 cup honey, 1/8 cup avocado oil, 1/8 cup grapeseed oil, 1/4 cup almond oil, and scant cup of coconut oil topping it off with almond oil. I wanted more of a lotion consistency, which it is that, except it feels waxy, almost sticky when I put it on. What do I need to add to this? Thank you for your help!!
I have not tried honey yet in one of my lotions, but I think that the honey is supposed to be about 1% of your total lotion volume. Maybe that’s the problem?
The problem is that you didn’t follow the recipe at all. You’ve made something completely different. If you *do* follow the recipe, you’ll get an awesome lotion.
The particular oils that you use don’t matter nearly as much as as getting the proper oil/wax ratio correct. I see that in your experiment you got that pretty close.
So I would just try it with way less honey, more like a drizzle!
Besides putting the honey in it, I tried to keep the oil/wax ratio the same. It works pretty good right after I’ve had a shower and my body is warm. Any other time is it waxy/sticky feeling. Not sticky like candy, but like wax. Does anyone have any recommendations of what I can add to make it less waxy/sticky? I don’t want to toss it out. I think it can be saved with the right thing added to it. Thanks everyone for you help and comments!!
You could try adding cornstarch. You could also just add more of the other ingredients to balance out the honey. Good luck!
You could also try whipping it in a KitchenAid or blender to change up the texture…
Thank you for the recipe. I have made it twice now and wouldn’t change a thing. As a bonus use, I actually mix this lotion with some baking soda to form a paste (just with my fingers) and apply to my underarms for a deodorant. It works amazingly well, even after working in the sun all day!
Great idea! I’m going to try it as I can’t get enough of this lotion!
Just wondering if any has tried adding Zinc Oxide powder to make this a sunscreen? I got this water-resistant sunscreen recipe from Wabi Sabi but it uses water in the barrier cream so I was wondering if I’d just be able to use AsonomaGarden’s waterless lotion recipe for the base. I am only interested in making waterless lotions so I can avoid preservatives.
http://www.wabisabibaby.com/blog/2008/water-resistant-sunscreen-recipe/
I,ve made a face cream with coconout oil,sesame oil,beeswax and water.but when i mix beeswax and oil misture wth oil it was seperated.i stir for a long time but it won’t mix.what the reason.pls help.can someone tell me a method to avoid that problem.i’ve done twice but the result is same.plsssss help me.
Has anyone tried adding goat milk to this recipe? I make and sell goat milk soap and have so many customers asking me for goat milk lotion. I can’t seem to make one I like yet. Its always too greasy, too thick or sticky. I hate the thought of adding preservatives, but maybe I can keep it refrigerated? Goat milk is so good for the skin and I’d love to figure out how to incorporate it into this great recipe! Guess I’ll play with it a little and let you know how it goes:) thanks for the awesome recipes!
@ Ishara, I read in a book that if you put the oil/beeswax blend in the blender first, turn it on, and pour the water slowly in, you shouldn’t have a problem with it seperating. Make sure you have melted the beeswax and oils together, then pour into blender. Let it cool down to room temp. It will start getting hard, so don’t let it get too hard before you start the blender and pouring the water.
Hello! I apologize if I have missed it being mentioned already but what is the shelf life of this product? Cheers! Colette
This is great! Thanks. Always always on the lookout for new ways to make lotions…
Just made this- I can’t wait to try it when it is totally cooled off. I have been using your deodorant recipe for about a week now and TOTALLY love it. I am so glad I found your blog. I haven’t dared the No Poo yet, but perhaps I will soon!
I can’t seem to get your Kimchee link to work though…..any way you could post that again? My husband and boys love that stuff and we have cabbages getting ready in the garden.
Thanks
Hi Karen, thanks for letting me know the kimchi link was broken, I fixed it but here is the link: http://www.asonomagarden.com/2009/01/30/an-intro-into-fermentation-how-to-make-kimchi/
Hi. I just tried to make the lotion. The result came out look like your picture. However, When I apply it on my skin, I did not feel smooth on skin. what did I do wrong? Please help me! Thank you.
tram, without seeing how you made it, I can’t know what went wrong. i’m sorry to hear that your lotion isn’t smooth!
Hi, I was wondering if I could use vegtable oil instead of olive oil? With is exspensive as olive oil is any more my mom refuses to buy it but I really love this recipe so I’m hoping vegatable oil would work to.
Ari, yes it will work. Give it a try.
Thank you for this cream recipe, I have had eczema my entire life, I’m in my 40’s; this last year my skin has been ultra-sensitive and the eczema is out of control. I tried your recipe and it worked great! Made about a dozen jars with various oils and now use Avocado oil instead of olive oil, plus 20 drops of camphor oil for the itch. Thank you again, it has made a world of difference for me.
This looks great, but will it leave your skin all waxy? I recently made lotion bars and though they were very cool, it left my skin very waxy and weird. If it doesn’t, I’d love to try it!!
This is my first visit to your blog. A friend had told me it was really hard to make lotion so I just decided to never do it. Well I decided to search again on the net to see what I could find. I found you and I found your recipe. I have already ordered the products that you recommend in the recipe(wax pellets and essential oil). I was wondering if there was a reason you recommended the company you did? It was somewhat expensive to ship to my house so I’m just wondering if you recommend them for quality? or would anywhere else be ok? Thank you for sharing this and I really hope this turns out!
Cindi, I recommend them because I think they are a great company, with great quality products and they always have everything I need, but feel free to find your ingredients locally if you can.
Will be trying this recipe this evening. I was just wondering if i can add goats milk to the lotion. I have goats and have heard all the great things about using goats milk on the skin. If i can add some how much should i add and at what point in the recipe ?
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Just made a quarter of this recipe, was a nice amount for a trial. Because I’m an enthusiastic person (read as: impatient) I used half the oil in the creation, then as it was cooling I added the other half whilst briskly whisking as the room temp oil helped bring the temp down. Not quiet at cold yet, but a lovely ‘gooey’ consistency. Those who find it greasy, as another said above, use less! I’m surprised at how economical this recipe is. As a prolific preserver, I poured boiling water in my jar first to kill off any nasties that might otherwise have become part of the mix.
I love, love love this! All I changed was to add a little honey to mine. It is wonderful and smells amazing! Thank you so much!
There is a simple way to measure beeswax chunks for your recipe. If, for example you need a half cup of beeswax, fill your measuring cup with a half a cup of water. Put the bits of beeswax in it, and submerge them. Keep putting bits in until the water level reaches one cup. Dump the water out, and you have a half cup of beeswax. We do that for butter when cooking, rather than try to measure it out with spoons.
Oh my goodness, Christine, this is brilliant! I bought a huge block of beeswax when I first started this DIY adventure, not knowing I’d have to break it up with a hammer and then deal with measuring it. Thanks for the tip!
Eve
Great tip! But make sure you dry your beeswax well before making the lotion, as you don’t want to get water into the mix.
Using the oil from the recipie instead of water is a better way to do it.
I’m glad you like that tip, Eve–was from my late Grandmother, who, strangely enough, rarely measured anything. Laci–that is a great idea too, to use the oil from the recipe instead of water.
I had a block of beeswax and tried cutting it with a knife. Then I tried to wash the knife. Then I decided to try and cut the block again. Voila! Warm knife cuts beeswax easier! Go figure.
This is a lovely post! Is it possible to leave out the coconut oil and just use olive oil or is it important to have two types of oils?
Are you allergic to coconut oil? It has so many health benefits and is lighter than olive oil. I would guess that your lotion would be very heavy with just olive oil.
HI Marisa, thanks for the tip! I substituted coconut oil with almond oil as that is what I found at my local herbalist. All the best, T.
I just made this with a few adjustments, wanted a little castor oil and Shea butter in there too. I can’t wait for it to cool and try it out!
I would really like to know how it turns out…I’ve always wanted to try using shea butter in formulas myself and haven’t made it happen (mostly because I’ve no experience working with it and don’t know what to expect). And what is the benefit of castor oil? how does it “feel” in body products? Thanks for any updates!
The only ingredient that I added to the recipe was 2 tsp cornstarch. I have been using it for over a week and feel that my skin is becoming dry (not noticable dry) and itchy. Could it be the cornstarch causing this reaction? I thought cornstarch was good for itchy skin conditions?
Um, well, yes, the cornstarch would dry you out. Wondering why you added it?
How much does this one recipe make
My order from Mountain Rose Herbs arrived today. I was surprised to find that the coconut oil is completely liquid, not at all like the coconut oil you have in your picture. I thought maybe it was due to the heat outside and sitting on the delivery truck all day. However, it’s been sitting in my air-conditioned house for 4 hours now and it still looks the same. I’m worried this is going to make my lotion very runny. Any thoughts?
Jackie, don’t worry, it will turn out just fine! It takes a good cold spell to get it to solidify. Be grateful that you don’t have to microwave it to get it to pour into your measuring cup! Let me know how the lotion making goes!
This is great! I made it following the directions except I halved it and I didn’t put an Vit E in. It was indeed very easy and a lovely lotion. It is a little heavy but does soak in fairly quickly and your hands stay feeling soft a long time. I also used it to make a homemade sunscreen by adding Zinc Oxide powder (NOT nano), according to this chart: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Sunscreen/step4/SPF-Table/
I wanted a strong sunscreen so I added 2 T zinc to 1/2 cup of lotion which is about 25%.
I made this lotion yesterday night and it turned out very greasy. I am going to try adding half cup olive oil next time. Why do you need to add coconut oil and olive oil?
Rose, I just like coconut oil and olive oil for my skin, but try any combo or amounts of things that work for you. This is just a basic recipe that you can tailor to your desires.
I like the feel of sweet almond oil. so, when I make this recipe, I use 1/2 each olive oil and sweet almond oil. It suits me…oh! with essential oil of lavender as my scent!
Thanks. I might try skipping the coconut oil next time, because I have to keep it in the fridge and if I don’t, it turns very soupy and I think that’s because of the coconut oil, since you have to keep coconut oil at a certain tempature.
This also works like chapstick and makes your lips very glossy! I use this as lip gloss. I’m going to make lipstick with this!
I made another batch with orange scent and it turned out really well and has a nice soft scent. Next time I’m going to make one with a peppermint scent.
Mine is cooling as I type. I’m so excited for this to work out!! My oldest has severe eczema and I don’t want to use anything with chemicals in it (even the highly recommended Cetaphil and Eucerin – all bad). I have been using just coconut oil and less frequent baths but she’s getting older and needs nightly baths and the coconut oil alone is not cutting it.
I made a batch of lotion last night that called for an emulsifying wax but I could not find it anywhere and read that beeswax is a good substitution. Well, it wasn’t. And it also called for water – another bad element to the disaster last night. It didn’t work out and I had to clean *several* containers with that horrid beeswax mixture on them. I am so thankful that this only calls to use one container – and it STAYS in it. I’m hoping I can come back in a bit to tell you how wonderful it came out :o)
I hope it turns out for you Morgan. I have subbed beeswax for emulsifying wax on mistake and it is a horrible mess to clean up! Good luck!
It’s PERFECT!!!! Such a great humectant lotion recipe
I can’t wait to use it on my daughter after her bath tonight – my hands feel absolutely ahhhhmazing. And, very little of it goes a long way. I will be posting this recipe on my blog and linking back to you. Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe!! You rock!
Great to hear Morgan!!
Also works wonders when my son gets diaper rash…I use it regularly on him as a barrier cream, but it also clears things up if he gets the occasional flare up. This stuff is gold!
Good to know! Mine are out of diapers but I can pass along the info to friends. I used it on my daughter’s chapped lips and it has cleared up the dryness within a day. Awesome stuff here!
Morgan, so does this help get rid of some of the eczema? How does this help it? I want to know because one of my good friends has eczema and I want to let her know about it
Oh my goodness, this lotion is a godsend for my daughter’s eczema. I have tried numerous products, including prescription creams, and nothing ever really worked. Within 3 days, I kid you not, her eczema had disappeared! I apply it to her legs (the worst afflicted area, very rashy-red, bleeding, scabbing, etc.) once daily, after her bath. And then she gets it on her back (scaly eczema, not rashy-red kind) a few times a week. I cannot believe how little I have to use as well. This stuff is golden!
(also, I apologize for not getting back to respond right away!!)
In the future pouring boiling water over your beeswaxy/greasy containers before you wash makes it easier to clean
DUH!! Why on earth didn’t I think of that!!? LOL! Well hopefully there won’t be a next time. It took forever and a day to clean it with just hot (as I could stand it) tap water. Thanks for the tip!!
Hi, Frances,
I like to add nice smelling scents to mine so I add extracts, the ones that you find in the baking isle. Because extracts aren’t just for baking, and they turn out well when I use it for the lotion. This is cheaper than using essential oils that can cost up to twenty dollars. If you don’t want to use extract to scent your lotion, you can make your own fragance oil by putting 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup of flowers or herbs in a bag and taking a rolling pin and rolling it around the bag and then put cheese cloth or a coffee filter on a jar and pour the contents through (if using coffee filters, it may take a while for it to go through) and then you have your own fragrance and it’s very simple to make. It’s okay if the extract smells too strong once you’ve put it in the lotion, because it will have a softer scent on your skin. Once scent I really enjoy is using orange extract because when you put it on your skin, it has a nice soft scent.
I also cut down on the coconut oil a little bit because the coconut oil is what can make it soupy sometimes, since coconut oil has to be at a certain temperature to stay solid. And I put my lotion in the fridge for a little while if it gets too soupy.
If you have any more questions or would like any recipes feel free to ask me anytime!
-Rose
Made it today and love it! I did less beeswax as you advised so it’d pump in my lotion bottle and it does! Thank you!
What do you think of adding Shea butter to it? I’m new to making stuff like this. I’d like my lotion to be a little creamier.
I’m so glad to hear. Sure try shea butter. It will make it firmer, so start out using 2 Tbs first and see if you like that consistency.
Can you use extra virgin olive oil instead of olive oil?
Thank you for this recipe, it was very easy to make. I added a bit of honey and jojoba oil in lieu of the whole amount of coconut oil and used lavander, camomile and calendula essential oils. It is doing wonders for my exzema and I am also using it as lip balm. Just Great!
UPDATE
My eczema is gone after using this ointment for 3 days!
I have had a severe case of eczema for the past 9 months and nothing worked. I was prescribed several different cortisone medications which only helped for the week I was using them.
Thanks again for this recipe!
After it’s gone do you still have to continue to apply this to your eczema?
I find that it has to be used regularly or else the eczema comes back. But with it being this easy to make, with simple ingredients, I’ll make this for the rest of my life, haha.
That’s great to hear Frances!!
Hi Rose
It also makes my hands soft so I’m going to keep using it. I’ve also been using it as lip balm and as a foot cream. It’s great! I made this first batch with raw beeswax and although I’m sure it’s good for my skin because it contains traces of propolis which is a natural antibiotic, I’m not too fond of it’s scent so I’ll see if I can get a purified beeswax that doesn’t smell as strong for my next batch.
What’s your experience with this ointment?
Thanks Asonomagarden!
Hi, Frances I told you earlier to let me know if you wanted any recipes, well, the recipes that I meant were beauty products; such as mascara, lip balm, liquid soap, bubble baths, shampoo, etc. Here are two websites you should check out; http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com and http://www.hardlotion.com……although Jillee doesn’t just have beauty product recipes, she does have some useful tips. If you do want food recipes or any other kinds, feel free to ask!
Thank you Rose!
You’re quite welcome, Frances. Anytime.
hi, I am from Nova Scotia, Canada, I just found your website. I have tried making a lotion or cream like this, and have had a few problems. I would like to try your recipe but in Canada we have a different measuring system. I know, we’re like that here, different… anyway, has anyone, or can you give me the recipe in liters, milliliters, and grams?
I would think this would be easy to convert the proportions are simple. 1 to .5 to .5 So then one cup could convert to say 10 grams and 1/2 cup could be 5 grams. The exact amount wouldn’t matter as much as the proportions. I made this recipie but made only half of the original recipie. We love it for Deep moisture lotion and lip balm.
thanks, that makes good sense.
I am going to make my second batch of lotion today. I have to Thank You for this wonderful recipe. I used almond oil instead of olive oil and it has helped so much. I was getting rashes with every lotion I had been trying lately. Seems after menopause I have had more allergy problems.
This has taken away they problem of dry and cracked cuticles and feet.
I LOVE the smell of the lotion, did not have to add any fragrance at all.
I do take a paper towel to wipe off excess, but this lotion lasts til the next day that I shower and even after I swim in the pool, and believe me, I have very dry skin.
I also have started using the baking soda and cider vinegar rinse for my hair. Can’t go more than a couple of days of without washing during this hot summer, but it is working well.
I look forward to following more of your wonderful ideas.
Just found this sight. I made a lotion like this 20 years ago. I used similar porportions of beeswax and olive oil. I infused calendula flowers when heating the oil and wax, then strained the liquid through cheesecloth. It soothed many a baby’s bum and the cracked hands of one who works outside or has exzema. Fresh herbs are great to add. Just have a look at which herbs are good for a condition and add these. For example, chickweed is good for cuts, itching and irritation of skin. Just make sure you do your homework on which plants are safe to use. I always added vitamin E as a preservative and healer and stored in the fridge in the summertime. Many ranch women loved this cream and moms of bubs.
Can you whip this for a creamer lotion?
You would need to add a tad more oil.
I made this lotion with a few substitutions/ additions and it turned out so clumpy, when I just used it, it looks like my skin is peeling from sun burn. Any idea what went wrong? I used almond oil instead of olive oil, added shea butter and aloe vera gel. I also ran it through the blender to smooth it a bit. Should I try to warm it again, or is there something I can add?
How much oil did you use?
This might be a silly question (I’ve only just started making my own products) but could you use fractionated coconut oil for this?
Hi, Laura,
I tryed this by splitting it in half and it turned out fine.
I just made this recipe, although I made a few adjustments. I am a seasoned salve maker, and this makes a good addition to my salve recipe collection. However, it’s not lotion. But it is a good recipe, and I love that so many people are adjusting it to find solutions that work for them.
I have read many posts that talk about skin issues. I would suggest Calendula flowers for this problem.
Take a large sealer jar, throw a handful of dried calendula (or more if you’re using fresh) in, and pour your choice of oil (olive is my choice) on top, enough to cover flowers, place a tight lid on and let steep in a warm spot. Give it a shake once in a while and steep for a few weeks. The result is a calendula infused oil. Calendula is regenerative and anti-inflammatory. It also promotes healing of wounds and burns, as well as softens and soothes dry, chapped skin. Trying using this oil in this recipe 😀
Just a friendly suggestion.
Could you please tell me how you could tell it’s not lotion? Just curious!
I think this recipe is a body butter. Lotions all seem to have water in them.
Ohhhhh, awesome! This is the first “not solid” thing I’ve made using beeswax, and it turned out beautifully. It was fun to make, and so simple. I used safflower oil instead of olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil for that heavenly smell, and added some lavender and spearmint essential oils. Smells great, and makes my skin baby soft. Too cool, thank you!
I love this lotion, but I’ve noticed it’s pretty greasy and doesn’t absorb as quickly as the commercial brands. Is there anything I can add to the recipe that will make the lotion absorb into the skin more easily?
Maybe you are using too much? It absorbs nicely on me and my family. But we use very little because it’s so rich.
You should only use a little bit because it goes a long way. Depending on how much you use, it can get greasy.
I’m making the recipe right now so I’ll stop back in soon to share my results. I’m making a half batch with the ingredients suggested. My only additions are going to be a bit of jojoba oil and honey, also tea tree as the essential oil as hubby will be using it too=)
All done! It turned out better than I could have hoped. It has a nice creamy consistency and doesn’t have a greasy feeling.
I ended up using the recipe as written, just adding a splash of jojoba oil and honey in addition. The essential oils I chose were tea tree and peppermint. I was trying to come up with something hubby could use if needed, and not feel like the scent was too girly. The scent is actually quite wonderful and hubby gave it a thumbs up.
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. I’m trying to convert our entire home to all organic, no chemicals, no plastic…and at times I’ve run into stumbling blocks when trying to find alternatives. A good lotion was one of those stumbling blocks until now. I’m very grateful=)
I made this lotion and love it! I made it a little thick, like cold cream the first time and used as an all over body lotion at bedtime, including lips and patting my face. The extra I stored in the fridge. Decided to take the extra and make into a pump lotion by adding more olive oil and coconut oil. Also added a tad of corn starch. Hopefully it will work well! But more importantly, this website and the comments have taught me it’s ok to experiment and find what works for me. Now, I am experiementing with home made shampoo, laundry detergent, fabric softener, deodorant and more. Thanks!
I love this recipe! I never was able to get it to pump from a bottle, but I didn’t need that anyhow. This was my starting point in my lotion making adventures and I think the most important step that you got right (almost all other recipes skip) is that it needs to be stirred as it cools. Thank you for inspiring me!
It would be OK to add the essential oils and vit e when the lotion is still melted, depending on the flash points of the oils. A flash point is the temperature an oil goes ‘poof’ into the air and out of your lotion. Stay below the flashpoint and you’re ok. No more messies.
Here’s a chart with oils and their FP’s.
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/pdfs/essentialoilchart.pdf
These guys have the best stuff with free shipping, too! LOVING!!!
I made this lotion over the weekend, my first try at home cosmetics of any sort, and i love it! I made a half batch, because i only had a small jar, used half as much beeswax as i should have (mainly because i had a big chunk and it was a lot harder to grate than I thought it would be) but added more coconut oil to compensate, since it’s solid at room temp, at least in my house in Maine it is. The resulting lotion is of vaseline consistency, which is perfect, i use it mainly on my very dry legs. I had been using straight olive oil as a moisturizer over the summer, even on my face, but as it’s gotten colder I needed something thicker, and this is perfect (not on the face though). The only issue is Hubby hates the smell, so i’ll have to find other essential oils next time (I used mostly lavender this time, with a bit of lemongrass, I like it!)
Next I try your eczema cream!
Hi, iplan on making this for my boyfriend as a gift. His hands get dry and cracked, allegedly to the point of bleeding during the winter time. I’d like to make this for him, but since I have not ever done it before, I don’t know which essential oils I should use. He’d like to have something that produces a woodsy scent and has super sensitive skin. Any ideas?
Hi Nancy,
You could use pine, rosemary, sandalwood, cypress, oakmoss, patchouli, and citrus oils are very well favored by men. Some of these are woodsy, as you said
I made this last week – it’s gorgeous, so thank you! Mine was rather thicker and I wouldn’t describe it as ‘lotion’, but it’s perfect as a dry skin cream for feet and elbows! I didn’t measure too accurately, and missed out the Vitamin E oil, so that’s probably what the difference was. I wrote about mine here…
http://acheerfullivingadventure.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/beeswax-lotion/
Can this recipe be put into molds and used for moisture bars?
Yes, but if you do so, it will need to be kept in the fridge, because it stays lotion like..
Oh ok. Trying to find one for moisture bars.
Hi Kassie,
I know of a lotion bar recipe…here’s the website where you can find it… http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com Then, type in the sidebar, ‘lotion bar’ …..it should be the second article that says, ‘how to make your own lotion bars!’
Thanks a ton
I added a couple chunks of cacao butter too, it added a richness that I really like… thanks for this lovely recipe!
If you are worried about the greasyness, put it on while you are in the shower. then it seals in the water on the surface of the skin.let it sit for a minute or two,then towel dry.
thanks for this fantastic, lovely recipe. I have just made it with calendula infused sweet almond oil, instead of the olive oil. This as I’m going to use it on my baby who has excema…. I was wondering if you think I could subsitute part of the coconut oil (half or less?) with shea butter? Shea butter has amazing emollient and healing proprties I thought might help with the excema. Would it work in the lotion do you think? Thanks again- I’m not a great blog reader, but am totally in love with yours!!!
katja, yes do try substituting in the shea butter. I have made this lotion using the exact recipe and then also adding in 2-3 TB of shea butter. It’s lovely!
I have replaced all the coconut oil with Shea butter because Whole foods was out of it at the time I went to buy it. It turned out lovely.
I just found your site today, and made the beeswax recipe with very thick results. I bought beeswax granules at Whole Foods in their bulk spice section. Do you think that has the same properties as the stuff you buy in the bars? This was pure white. Also, does this need a preservative, like I read in other lotion recipes? Does lotion really need a preservative anyway? That seems to defeat the purpose of “natural”. Thanks.
Simple Sister
Vitamin E acts as a natural preservative that’s also good for the skin. I personally left it out because I didn’t have any and it’s a bit expensive. If you can afford it, it will really extend the shelf life of the lotion. Also because this lotion doesn’t contain water, it should last a lot longer than other lotions even without the vitamin E.
I adore your recipe. I’ve made it several times and it turns out perfect every time. I am using organic sesame oil infused with my own wildcrafted herbs as the base oil, instead of olive oil. It works great and is more absorbent with less residue on the skin (the sesame oil, that is).
I am using the wildcrafted salves/ointments on my bodywork clients – right now yarrow and juniper berry – and they love it. It is great for myofascial and deep tissue work as it has just the right “give” for that. And, as a number of them have requested, I sell them 2 0z jars when they ask. The recipe goes a very long way and I usually fill about 7 2 oz jars with the recipe.
Thank you so much for this – no muss, no fuss and turns out a wonderfully consistent product. I also just make a plain lotion for myself with it using sesame oil, coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin E.
Yummy.
Really wonderful!!!!
I love how easy the beeswax lotion was to make but I’m just wondering how to do it that it’s not so greasy. I have purchased beeswax lotion for years and loved it as it was so healthy for my skin, cleared psoriasis, etc. So when I found your recipe I was excited to be able to make my own. But I find it very greasy. I tried to cut down on the oil and add more beeswax but then it got too thick and more paste like rather than lotion. So please help me find a way to have this amazing lotion without so much grease. Would using shea butter or cocoa butter help in reducing the grease if I replaced some oil with this?
HELP PLEASE
THanks!
I wonder if you are thinking greasy, but it’s just the nature of the lotion? I too wondered if it was greasy, but once applied, even though it leaves a sort of ‘sheen’ to my skin, it’s not greasy… I can put a tissue on my skin, and there is no greasy residue that would appear if there was grease…
Angel, Try using Safflower or Grapeseed oil in place of the olive oil. Olive oil is very good for the skin, but it is thick. I’ve found recently that safflower and grapeseed (both easy to find at the grocery store) make a lighter lotion.
can you make this with avocado oil? I am trying this for the first time, the beeswax cream I used to use on my skin (first aid cream) is no longer availabe, so I am going to make my own. I got the cocnut oil last night–I am currently slathered in it; including my hair
Thanks!
This looks like a fabulous recipe. I think I will make a lot of it and put it in jars with great labels and give out as Christmas gifts. Beeswax is wonderful the hands and feet, neither of which have any oil glands, and consequently, get very dry. Thanks again for posting. Your detailed instructions and photos are much appreciated.
Would this work for a diaper rash ointment?
It very well could work! You should try and let me know how it works!
yep – It’s working as a diaper rash ointment for us!
Hi there,
I tried this recipe today, and although it’s really nice, I do find it a little too greasy – any ideas on how to make it less greasy? I tried another small batch where I used less olive oil (half the amount), which helped a little but still pretty greasy.
Thanks!
Angie
Try adding more beeswax and less coconut oil
Angie, Try using grapeseed or safflower oil instead, they are lighter oils. Coconut oil is fairly greasy on it’s own but is so great for the skin. Try using half the amount of lotion on your hands and see if that helps. A little goes a long way!
I made this and it came out well, but it is very greasy… I will try again with less bees wax and with no coconut oil… does anyone know what the safest emulsifier is?
you don’t need an emulsifier. you only need an emulsifier if you’re mixing water and oil in order to keep them from separating in the jar. because this recipe uses only oil or wax, it won’t separate, thus an emulsifier is unnecessary.
I made this yesterday because I’m planning on giving people at work gift baskets with handmade beauty items (soaps, scrubs, lotions, etc) for Christmas. I cut the recipe in half because there’s only two people in my household: me and my husband, and I’m not even sure if he’ll use the lotion (he might think it’s too girly :P) except in the winter when he gets dry skin.
I chose this recipe out of all the other ones on the internet because it seemed very straight-forward and easy; I already had all the ingredients; and there was little clean-up. I changed the recipe slightly. I cut the recipe in half, so I put 1/2 cup olive oil in a measuring cup, then filled it up to measure 3/4 cups with about 1/4 cup coconut oil and the rest I made up with shea butter and cocoa butter. I used around 25-30g of beeswax (I couldn’t find my scale! I only know the approximate weight because I cut my 100g block in half, then in half again. The recipe said to use 2oz. I used half that. 28g = 1 oz).
it is a tad greasy but seems to absorb into my skin quick enough. I considered going out and buying grapeseed oil because of the comments on how greasy the lotion is, but I really couldn’t be bothered going out to get it. I know the coconut oil (and shea butter) seems to make it greasy, so next time I might replace the coconut oil with jojoba, grapeseed, or sweet almond oil. but honestly it doesn’t bother me too much. it’ll be great in the winter because it seems super moisturizing. But here in Australia, it’s starting to get very hot so I don’t know how much I’ll get to use it until April!
Anyone have any ideas on the shelf life of this? both with and without the vitamin E?
I have made this lotion three times before, and whipped up the fourth batch tonight. I have always loved it and followed your recipe exactly. Nothing else beats winter dry skin like this recipe. My problem is that it has always ended up a little thick and sometimes had harder pieces of the lotion embedded in the mix (no matter how much I mixed it with the fork). No harm from them at all, but I always felt I was doing something wrong. Today, I mixed it up with just a touch more of the cocnut oil than the recipe called for. I added some lavendar, which blends beautifully with the coconut scent. But this time I built the mixture in the stainless steel bowl for my Kitchenaid mixer and, as it cooled, periodically mixed it with the whisk attachment. What a smooth lotion! And not nearly so thick as my previous batches. It had much more of a lotion consistency. And to me the cleanup challenge has always been the straight beeswax and the hot lotion. As it cools it’s definitely easier to clean, so it wasn’t too hard at all to get rid of the mess. Thanks for a great recipe. I love it and it’s better than anything I have bought.
Great idea to put it in the kitchenaid Jennifer! Thanks for the tip!
My husband would have a fit if I used our kitchenaid for only the second time to mix up a “non-edible”. But thanks for the tip I have been wondering if beating it with a whisk (like your eczema lotion) would work with this as it is pretty thick, so I will try that next time!
Hello, can anyone give a good essential oil to use in this lotion? Besides just Lavender oil.
Thanks,
Yoli
I enjoy using Bergamot & Lemongrass together, or Rosemary & Peppermint together.
I used tuberose (2 parts), magnolia (1 part), and vanilla (1 part). Smells lovely and is noticeable without being too strong.
Paula, thanks so much. Can you please tell me how many drops each?
Thanks again,
Yoli
I really don’t know exactly how many drops each I use. I just add about 2 to 3 drops at a time, until I like the strength of the fragrance. A little goes a long way, so be careful not to overdue it. And everyone’s sense of smell is different. Let your nose be your guide. If you are blending two Essential Oils together, I usually add the softer one first, until I like it, and then add only a drop or two of the bolder one, until I like the smell of the blend. Once again don’t overdue it. Peppermint is much bolder than Rosemary. So, I usually add the Rosemary first, and then just a drop or two of the Peppermint. Not much at all. Then if I am using the other blend, I add Bergamot first, as it is softer than Lemongrass, and then a drop or two of the Lemongrass. I always add much less of the bolder Essential Oil than the softer one. Blending two Essential Oil together is something you just have to work with. Sometimes, I just go ahead and just use a plain old nice Fragrance Oil. Try blending some Vanilla with your Lavender. It’s a nice blend. I wish you the best with your creations
I will give that a try Paula, thanks so much. The Vanilla you are using, is it an essential oil or Vanilla extract? I can’t seem to find Vanilla essential oil without it mixed with jojoba oil.
I can’t wait to try this, I was making a lotion with emulsifying wax and water, comes out nice. I hope this recipe can go in to a glass lotion bottle.
I do not use a Vanilla Essential Oil. I use a Vanilla Fragrance Oil, but Pure Vanilla Extract would work well also. Just experiment in blending it with the Lavender. Not too much Vanilla though, or you would smell the Lavender coming through.
LOL. I made a mistake in my last posting. I should have wrote, NOT TOO MUCH VANILLA THOUGH, OR YOU WILL NOT SMELL THE LAVENDER COMING THROUGH.
Hi Paula, thanks again. Another question: Can you use Extra Virgin Olive oil or does it have to be regular olive oil?
I can answer this one! Regular olive oil will give you a lighter lotion while Extra Virgin will give you a richer, slightly green in hue lotion. Both work fine, it’s a matter of budget and personal choice.
I do not use Olive Oil at all in any of my skin care products. I use half Sweet Almond Oil, and half Grapeseed Oil, in place of the Olive Oil. Olive Oil is very oily to me, but most ladies love the Olive Oil for this recipe.
hi,love this heaps!! just wondering can i use soy bean oil??
I honestly don’t know much about soy bean oil. But it’s worth giving it a try.
Wow! Now to order supplies and make it! Hope it’s good on my hand eczema. Just love all your wonderful concoctions – thank you – just wish you had a Pinterest button not just twitter/facebook
I made a batch of this with grapeseed and almond oil without the vitamin e, and it turned out fine if just a tad greasy (excess oil can just be blotted off so no big deal). I’d like to make this again along with the lip balm for friends and use a natural preservative, but almost all the vitamin E I’ve come across contains wheat and/or soy. Does anyone know of an alternative preservative or gluten and soy free Vitamin E oil I can use?
Just had to try this.
I had almost run out of hand cream. OK so this a balm. So easy to make and I love the coconut oil in it. I made up a second small batch still using the olive and coconut oils and replaced a little of the olive with apricot kernal and added 20 drops, yes 20 drops of Frankensence essential oil.
Love it. Thanks so much for sharing this formula.
Hi! First of all, thank you so much for this, I’ve wanted to make my own lotions for some time now. Also, when you say coconut oil, you mean OIL right, not the thick butter, but the LIQUID oil? Hope to hear from you soon. Greetings, Ali from Costa Rica
Ali, yes the oil, not the butter. Thank you for your comment!
I was wondering if we have to store it in a glass container. Can I just store it in a plastic one since that is all I have. Thank you. Can’t wait to try!
I just experimented for the first time and landed with a bit hardened beeswax. I think I need to add more olive oil :/ But it works great! Thanks again!
Goodness, this is really a versatile base. I was looking for a way to use a heavy concentration of castor oil and this worked. I used the castor oil in place of the olive oil, and added a bit of argan oil. When I put it on, it feels like silk.
I wanted to share my story with this lotion. I made this a few months ago using beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, and small amounts of cocoa and shea butters. I used about 5 drops of tea tree oil and 15 drops of lavender oil. I bought vitamin E later and mixed it in. You can see I left a comment around November or December.
Anyway I began to develop a sort of rash in a place that you don’t really want a rash (my right breast). this particular body part has always had problems particularly in the winter when it’s dry. but this time, it was bad and it wouldn’t go away. It was itchy and painful. I know it wasn’t my soap or shampoo because I don’t use either! I use homemade soap on other parts, but not my body. I went to the doctor and got a prescription for a cream. I applied it 3 times a day for a week. it helped with the itch and pain but did not fully clear it up. I applied it 2-3 times daily for another two weeks and it still didn’t clear fully.
Because when this same sort of thing happened in the past (however it was much more minor than this), it helped to moisturize it, I tried olive oil and coconut oil with tea tree oil (in case it was an infection). This didn’t help much. Then it occurred to me to try the lotion. I used it 2 times a day with the cream and it really started to help. then I stopped using the cream and just used the lotion. a few weeks later (now), it has generally fully cleared. I think the skin was so dry that it was left open to infection and irritation. I think the lotion was able to moisturize my skin and lock in that moisture so my skin could repair itself. The tea tree and lavender oil probably helped disinfect and calm the skin so it didn’t itch or get irritated (which made my scratch it more which it made it even more irritated!).
Thank you for posting this recipe. Obviously it has helped me a lot and I would recommend it to anyone who has eczema, psoriasis, or if your skin gets really dry in the winter, like mine does.
That’s great to hear Sylvia! I’m so glad it helped, I can’t imagine having a rash there, how painful!
Someone mentioned using cornstarch to remove the greasy feeling. I tried it and it works, but adding it at room temp leaves small clumps. Can it be added in the melting phase or while the mixture is still hot?
When I tried adding it I added it right after I took the melted oils off the heat. I didn’t get any clumps that way.
ive made something like this before and put it ina plastic jar and it went rock hard over night. should it go into a glass in stead? im wanting to try this one tonight so hopeing to hear back from somebody soon!
keara, I don’t think it matters if you put it in plastic or glass. Give this recipe a try and make sure to give it a good stir with a fork every once in a while as it cools down. It won’t be rock hard!
It probably has something to do with the ratio of beeswax to oil. Some recipes are made to be a lotion bar which would be solid until your body heat warmed it. This recipe is very emollient like a body butter but be careful to keep the correct ratio of wax to oil.
Because we keep out house cool, our lotion gets solid but warms up and rubs in with body heat once we dig some out with our fingers.
I’ve made 3 batches of this stuff and I love it! I’m currently using a batch scented with lemon oil and clove oil for winter. I also added a little squeeze of local honey. It cleared up the red rash I used to get on the back of my hands during the winter and keeps my hands, arms and legs moisturized all year long. When I first started using it, it was a little oily/greasy, but that was because I was using the amount I’d use for commercial lotion. The secret is to only apply a tiny amount. A little goes a long way! Thanks for providing this simple, healthy recipe to help keep my skin happy!
i tried it this morning and was thrilled that it turned out to be so easy. had been looking for something like this for my daughter to use.
thank you for sharing.
What is the shelf life of this lotion?
Jessica, this will last between 6-12 months.
I know this is an old post but I recently found your recipe and loved it. I used grapeseed oil instead of olive. The scent with the coconut oil is strong so no essential oil is necessary. I’ve recently started a collaborative blog about living sustainably: http://renewandsustain.wordpress.com/. I was hoping to share your recipe on my blog with heavy credits to you. I don’t know blog etiquette so I thought I’d ask beforehand. Is that okay to use your recipe? Thanks for sharing it. I hope to never go back to store-bought lotion!
I am new to making my own products, but have had wonderful success with my homemade toner and moisturizer!! My next project I want to attempt is making lotion.
I notice that all the recipes I find that are all natural lotions are put in a Ball Jar or Mason Jar. Is there a reason for it? Are the lotions too thick to go through the pump? Is there a chemical reaction with the plastic? (I experienced that with my homemade athlete’s foot gel – it took care of the athlete’s foot but ate the plastic jar!) I was wondering if the lotion, especially the beeswax lotion could possibly be put in a plastic pump bottle? I bought about three of them at the health food store in hopes of making some lotions. Just wondering before I make this. Thank you so much.
Julie, you can put my easy lotion recipe in a pump but this beeswax lotion is too thick. Usually you see them in a glass canning jar because people have them on hand, they are easy to get a scoop of lotion out of and some people try and avoid plastic when they can. However I have my basic lotion recipe (the one with emulsifying wax) in a pump and it works great!
Thank you so much! I agree with trying to stay away from plastic, but sometimes with a large family I am in a hurry and need just a pump of lotion. Plus with arthritis I’m not the best with opening jars all the time (some days are better than others). Anyway, I will try it and see how it goes. I’ve tried every lotion on the market and nothing so far has been able to keep my hands from drying out so bad, except the homemade facial moisturizer I made this year. I just remembered that I have a glass pump bottle from a previous lotion gift – when that is empty I will use that one! Thanks so much for your help.
Just wanted to let you know I made your Easy Beeswax Lotion with just a little less beeswax in it and added a smidge of Jojoba oil in the end. I did put it in my pump jar and the remainder of the lotion is still in the Ball jar I made it in (how convenient! I love that.) Anyway, it worked well in the pump for me and saves me having to open jars too often. However, on a night when it got really cold I had a hard time the next day getting it to pump until it warmed up a little. But, I have a GREAT lotion now thanks to you and my hands have never been so soft!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
I’m now looking for a remedy for my son’s psoriasis. He’s coming home from college for the weekend so I’m going to have him use this lotion and see how that works. Do you have any suggestions that I could use to help him? He also has it on his scalp and T-gel shampoo is not working like it used to so I was thinking of making him a homemade soap with liquid castile soap and essential oils. Still researching, but if you know off hand I would appreciate any help you could give us. He’s tired of the expensive dermatologist prescriptions that do not work. Thanks again!
Hi, I’m new to this. It was only recently that I decided that I don’t want to put chemical products onto my body. I’d like to try out your lotion. It looks fantastic and so easy!
I’ll mostly be using this in the morning. So I would just like to know, does it leave a greasy film? And does it easily absorb into the skin?
I’d also like to know… Is this safe for sensitive skin? I want to use it as a facial moisturizer too but my skin is very dry and sensitive.
Also, instead of essential oils for scent, will it work if I infuse lavender into my oils?
Do you have a recipe for a hard salve, the type that would be put in a tin?
75% solid oils (shea & coconut, I use 50% shea, 25% coconut) and 25% liquid oils(such as almond oil). Heat until melted together, whip when it starts to cool (about 20 minutes)
I have been looking at this recipe for a few weeks and finally ordered everything I needed. I made it today and I am very pleased! It took about half hour to melt the beeswax (I used slightly less than 1/2c) and I used half the amount of olive oil and some almond and jojoba oil…my essential oil was lavender. I am very happy with the outcome…I like how thick it is and have no issues with how heavy it is…thank you so much for this recipe! I will be sharing with my friends
I have made 2 batches of this, one with corn starch and one without. I like the one without better. No gritty feel to it. Also, the first batch had these tiny pellets of hardened wax in it, but with the 2nd, I mixed everything in a pyrex measuring cup over a double boiler and used an old fashion egg beater while it was cooling. Smooth as silk. Soak egg beater in hot, soapy water before putting in dishwasher. It’s worth the extra trouble.
thnx fr the recipe. loved it, by far the easiest and effective one i have seen online and the best part is no washing up of blender or whip or anything.
though i used apricot oil coconut oil and added about 4 heaped spoons of shea butter. reduced the beeswax a bi so as to maintain the lotiony texture.
initially tried adding shea butter to your recipe but it turned into a lip balm type thick texture. so remelted it a bit and added more apricot oil til i got the texture right
As I wait for my first batch of this lotion to cool on the counter, a couple of questions occur to me: First, I sterilized the glass canning jar, glass measuring cup, stirring spoon, and metal thongs that I used to make the lotion. Was that necessary or am I overdoing it? Second,
I was wondering if anyone can recommend a 2-3 oz. glass cosmetic jar. I currently plan on putting a portion of the lotion in a pre-used 2 oz. lotion bottle that I washed out and sterilized. That way I can keep the bulk of the lotion in the canning jar in which I made the lotion and keep that jar in the refrigerator. I looked on-line for small cosmetic jars but nothing is jumping out at me. Thanks!
I make this in my 2cup glass measuring cup then. I like to use sterilized 1/4 pint jelly jars I pour it into them while it is still hot.
2 oz., 4 oz., 6 oz., etc. glass jar with ribbed white lid. LOVE them for personal care products.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005Y6H7NS/ref=biss_dp_sa1
Reblogged this on GoneHippie.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I tried it out in March and made four 1/2 pint jars. I replaced 1/2 the EVOO with organic sweet almond oil. I made these for an auction for a co-worker who suddenly passed away. I am a labor nurse at a very busy Family Birth Center in Vancouver, WA. I made a “tester” so people could try it out before bidding, and everyone loved it! (One of the jars went for $20!) I referred them all to your amazing blog, and two of my wonderful co-workers are already trying out some of your lovely recipes. Thank you so much for sharing with us! I enjoy reading your blog very much!
Thank you so much! I just tried it today and it is wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing! I just bought a tube of natural lotion for 15.00 and it lasted 3 days. I was desperate to find another option! I had a severe allergic reaction and my hands and feet are so cracked I can hardly walk! This has been going on for a year and it is incredibly painful! If this works it will be a miracle cure! . Thanks so much for helping people! I will let you know if this was the cure I needed! Thank you again!
What would be a good substitute for coconut oil? I would love to make this recipe now with the ingredients i have here at home, but have ran out of the coconut oil. Any suggestions? :/
I have used Shea butter instead of coconut oil turns out great. I think coco butter would also work.
I tried this and I loved it!
I switched the amounts of the coconut oil and the olive oil, however because I wanted all the benefits of the coconut, and it got rather clumpy. Do you think this is because I used too much coconut oil or could it be that I didn’t stir it well enough? Thanks so much for posting this!
This is the most amazing lotion I have ever used! And it soooo easy to make! I am getting my friends hooked on it, too! Thank you!
I love your basic lotion recipe and have been making it for a couple years now, but I wanted to have a lotion that I don’t need to keep in the fridge so I made this recipe today and I loooove it. I used all coconut oil cause I ran out of olive oil. I scented it with lemon and bergamot essential oils. It’s amazing!!
This recipe is brilliant! My kids and I have sensitive skin that gets really mad about a lot of things. I’m also just generally creeped out by the preservatives and other funny business in most commercially prepared moisturizers. So, I often use straight coconut oil to moisturize them and me. It works pretty well in the summer, but in the winter our house is cool enough that the coconut oil is pretty hard. And of course if things get too warm in summer I’m working with liquid oil. Anyway, I made a batch of this tonight but substituted grape seed oil for the olive oil (because I wanted to use up the grape seed oil that we already had lying around). It’s soooooooo easy to make and I adore the texture. I’m (obviously) used to working with oily moisturizers–so that part doesn’t bother me a bit–I actually kind of like it–I extra extra love that this is more of a regular lotion-like texture than coconut oil–so easy to work with and I won’t have to worry about it turning totally liquid or getting super solid on me. I like the smell too! I didn’t add essential oil so it mostly smells like beeswax with a touch of coconut. Yum!.
I just made my third batch of this stuff. This time I made a double batch. My kids have super sensitive skin and their skin LOVES this stuff. My skin does too. My heels are softer than they’ve been in years. And I could not possibly be more in love with the scent of this stuff.
Your massage cream recipe is fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing!
Just made some by using some melted wax off of a beeswax candle I had, I also used walnut oil (i didnt have anything else) I threw a handful of fresh mint leaves from the garden in and let it soak for an hour or so. I then heated to a rolling boil and took it off the heat and left over night. I strained the leaves and got a nice mint scented oil which I used in the recipe. That’s all I used and it turned out fine, a little oily, so I might add some cornstarch later. I may also make stronger mint scented oil later as the finished cream smells mainly of beeswax (which I love) but very little of my mint.
Has anyone tried using Soy Wax in place of the Beeswax in this recipe? I really like this recipe, but find the beeswax is a bit harsh on my hands. I know that Soy Wax is a softer wax, but may be easier on my hands. Maybe, I could use Cocoa Butter in place of the Beeswax, since it is a hard butter.
I purchased the e-booklet and have tried the lotion recipe using lavender hydrosol in place of the water called for. And, it did smell wonderful and is a terrific consistency. But, after a few days in the jar, it began to seperate. I finally pored out the hydrosol and it finally stopped seperating. So, is there something I could do to prevent this from happening? what if I reduced the amount of fluid? any thoughts or past experience that could help me? And thanks for the help!
Hi Laurie. I haven’t had this happen to me before, but you can always pour it all back into the blender or food processor and mix it together again. Next time try and blend it together for just a few seconds longer and see if that helps.
At which stage can I incorporate oil-soluble powdered coenzyme Q10? (Q10 degrades when exposed to heat, right?) Without Q10, all I do is heat up the beeswax and stir into a combination of natural oils. If I let the beeswax cool first, it wont mix into the oils well.
Thanks!
Does this beeswax lotion still require a preservative or no because it doesn’t contain water? How long is the shelf life? Does it still need to be kept out of direct light, dark bottles, etc?
Thanks for the simple recipe!!
Im excited about making this bees wax lotion, but i had a concern, im allergic to coconut when i ingest it, it makes me throw up, would it hurt me if i put it on my skin? I absolutly love the smell of coconut. What else could i add in the place of this? Thank you
Pamela schantz
Pamela, you can try putting a little coconut oil straight on your skin to see if you have a reaction. But if you want to avoid it completely you may want to substitute it for shea butter.
Love this recipe—-I actually used olive oil infused with rosemary, and 1/4 cup of coconut oil and 1/4 cup of shea butter. Im an ethnic woman so I used this lotion recipe for my hair and it is WONDERFUL!! –thank you for posting it!
What can I replace the coconut with?
Perhaps a silly question: Would 2 oz (weight) of grated bees wax be the same as 2 oz (weight) of Pastilles? I have made the recipe four or five times grating the bees wax and am know trying it with the equal weight of Pastilles and it is definitely taking longer to thicken so am wondering if I should be using more when using Pastilles. Fantastic product and so happy that you shared it!!
I have added avocado oil. Its a bit light then the olive oil
Steve
C|K
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have a question…what kind of olive oil did you use? extra virgin…anything specific? Thank you!
Fantastic I will try and make it. Just a question how long is the shelf life ? Many thanks. Randy Lincolnshire
Hey Randy, We have made a number of batches and have had no issues with shelf life. Due to the fact there is no water in it the shelf life should not be a problem. We love the product and have found it very useful on eczema, callouses and even extremely chapped lips. The people we have given it too rave about it as well. Good luck.
Thank you for taking the time to come back to me with usual information. I will let you know how I get on when I start to make the Lotion. I notice there are other versions of a Beeswax Lotion type product already on the shop shelves, of course many come with lots of nasty ingredients mixed in yuk ! I am amazed they still manage to make these sound healthy. I suppose the magic of Marketing and packaging, a shame some of us still get fooled.
Have a great week. Randy.
Likely hand crafted soaps! Our hand crafted soap is made using a cold process where all ingredients are mixed at low temperature. This process ensures all the natural goodness from the base oil and essential oil is retained, which is better for your skin.
Thanks for Posting ! first time I have found a genuine post related to Chemical Free Moisturizers
Justice is now you’re on hand! Use to make you very nice-looking! It is very simple way. Using these natural products and make you very attractive. Apply these natural products and make you fairness and healthy. These natural products change your life style.
Since I just made lip balm I had all the ingredients on hand. I used half almond oil and half olive oil. Made it in the jar, added the vitamin E at the end and even though I was a little freaked out when it started to thicken, it never separated. It’s exactly as you said it would be. I think it’s very rich so a little dab will do ya! Thanks! BTW, I didn’t add essential oil…my lotion smells so wonderul, a combination of honey and almonds and I like that natural scent!
I made this last night, and I love it. I doubled the essential oil ( I used lemongrass essential oil) because I have gotten rid of all my perfume and wanted to smell extra good. I cut the olive oil in half since I wanted to avoid smelling like salad dressing and the consistency is perfect. Thanks for sharing this!!
Is this recipe safe for babies? Im trying to find a good recipe for her baby when its born. I added honey a lanolin to this recipe this time:)
Why does mine get so hard?
Are you storing it in a cool place or at room temperature? The coconut oil will make it quite hard if stored in a cool location. I find that using bee’s wax pastille’s used more (weight wise) than if grating off of a solid block. You may want to adjust the amount of bee’s was down a tad if it is too hard at room temperature.
I also like to whip my beeswax lotion it makes it a smoother consistency. As it starts to cool I put it in my kitchenaid and blend until it looks like frosting then scrape it into jars.
Oh, I love the addition of the Vitamin E Oil. I’ve always had good results from using that type of oil on cuts where I might end up with a scar. Curious if this might have the same effect while keeping my skin soft at the same time. We’ll see!
I am extremely allergic to coconut. What would you recommend in place of the coconut oil?
Stephy, you could try shea butter in it’s place!
Coco butter or Shea butter work great in this recipe
i have a question and i hope anyone can answer me about making lotion with beeswax. when i started to melt the wax and then removed it from the heat when it melted, it right away got solid and it ruined my lotion making. how do i get the wax to stay melted? i seen videos from women doing their lotions and their wax would stay melted and not harden or anything. what am i doing wrong?
You either didn’t put enough oils in or you put them in at the wrong time. Keep the ratio of beeswax/liquid-oils/hard oils the same as the recipe. All the oil except essential oil goes in while you heat the beeswax. I hope this helps. We love this lotion at our house.
thanks for your respond. i will try to add more oil. here is a question though, how does adding a lot of oil make the wax stay melted and not go back to solid?
The oils and wax combine and become a cream
ok thank you. i will try to make some and if i have anymore questions i will ask again
I have been making this recipe for about a year and love what it does for my skin. What i don’t like is the oily smell, kind of like shortening that lingers no matter what essential oils I use. Does anyone have any suggestions?
You may want to experiment with other oils instead of olive, I often use sunflower for its low scent, or try grape seed, jojoba, sweet almond. Always make sure they are fresh and store the lotion in a cool place so the oil doesn’t oxidase as quickly. That’s what you’re smelling is oxidized oil. You can also use rosemary essential oil as a preservative or vitamin E.
Thank you Candy. I will try other oils. Toni Ledford
Hi, do you think that it would work if I added some ground colloidal oatmeal to this for my eczema? Or would it turn out gloopy? Has anyone tried this please?
I’ve done it, and it worked just fine. Make sure you stir it every so often as it cools because the oatmeal wants to settle out while it’s still a liquid. Or you could stir in the oatmeal once the mixture has cooled. (I did the former)
so i finally got the lotion to be decent to use. the only thing that i don’t like is that the lotion is oily. i added the same length of sweet almond oil, beeswax, shea butter, and a little bit of vitamin e oil. it melted all of that down and then sat in down in a container. later i tried it out and it left my skin oily. is there a way to make my lotion non oily? is there something i did wrong? help will be much appreciated.
I love this recipe but I find that it gets a bit lumpy during the whipping process. Although the lumps melt easily with the warmth of my hands, is there a way to prevent this?
I am so in love with this recipe. I’m not sure how many times I’ve made it, but I’m about to make it again. My 15 month old son has suuuuuuch sensitive skin, and sometimes has problems with eczema. If I apply this stuff to him daily though, he never seems to get eczema.
I use it on my three year old daughter after she has a bath, and on me too. We all love it! And our skin loves it too! Oh! And I was having a bit of a problem with dry cracked heals and nothing seemed to help, but this! I like my heals again!
Can I add raw honey to this recipe?
I am really grateful to you for this great content. I love all the natural recipes. I got a lot of inspiration from your tips. I use sheaf sample butter as a sealant, hut it also works pretty well as a style.
I made a similar beeswax cream recently and really like it. A lot! Since I don’t really care for thick, hard, totally greasy creams, I added some aloe gel and some distilled water and a pinch of cornstarch to my recipe. This cuts down on the greasiness a bit. But…most of the ingredients are oils so it’s going to be oily! lol As you know, since my recipe has water you need to add a preservative if you plan on keeping it more than a few days. I buy a small bottle of liquid Germall Plus for my homemade products and all you need to use is a small drop or two in your recipe, depending on how much product you’re making of course. I have not had any issue with the oils and water separating either but the amount of water I’m using is actually not that much. So far, a week later, my product is still fully intact.
I have made this recipe with olive oil, avocado oil & coconut oil and with 100% coconut oil and I must say, both are lovely, but I think the 100% coconut oil with the beeswax scent is downright heavenly. I also typed up and organized most of the variations I saw here if anyone is interested in them all in one document rather than scrolling through all the comments: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByNo0knYDwScVWsxa0hDZUwwVlE/edit?usp=sharing. I also found several sources for clear glass jars with white ribbed lids to use for on-the-go storage (purse, backpack, etc.) that I have been very happy with. Thank you for such an easy, enjoyable recipe! I don’t think I will ever make any other lotion recipe I love this one SO MUCH!
I think my skin is well moisturized but since I’m 40+ – I also needed to start using a better moisturizer. I tried the one you recommended, but my dermatologist recommended the Somaluxe Moisturizer – and he was right – its EXCELLENT for dry skin. It’s non-greasy and if you have very dry skin and you need the extra moisturizer, I think you’ll the Somaluxe Moisturizer. Your make-up glides over it, and many others suggest using it on elbows and other troubled spots. . ..
Hi Flora2, No offense, but you sound as if you’re selling this Somaluxe product.
I am turning 40 exactly 1 month from today and am VERY concerned about my skin’s health, moisture and radiance. I have been since an adult friend introduced me to a skin care “regimen” when I was about 13 or 14… gently wash (these days I use honey or Rose’s witch hazel), tone, moisturize and apply a weekly mud mask of Bentonite clay that I mixed with water.
As I got older, I began studying natural health care, skin care, aromatherapy, etc, on my own. I’ve been making my own face, body & hair moisturizers & oils, shampoo, conditioner, deep-conditioning hot oil oil treatment for my hair, leave-in hair oil, facial, lip and body scrubs, sunscreen, scents, signature perfume (and it is certainly signature, tailored to my chemistry and will go to the grave with me, but I do make perfumes for other people that are fit for them), etc., for years. Since long before these handy little blogs began popping up, and I had to rely upon actual books. To make my concoctions, I use the fundamentals of natural beauty supply-making (beeswax pastilles, organic oils, rosewater, essential oils, and so on), aromatherapy, essential oils and Pagan spirituality.
I respect your decision to use what your doctor has assigned to you, but not all of Somaluxe’s ingredients are good for you or your skin. Glyceryl Stearate is a very mild irritant and can cause allergic reactions. It is also often made of animal fat, not just vegetable oils. Cetyl alcohol comes from the remainders of the petroleum industry or from plants, specifically Palms (palm oil-palmityl alcohol), a plant that is being “harvested to the tremendous destruction of the rainforests. Even the Girl Scouts have called for palm oil’s use to be discontinued in their cookies because of how detrimental it is.
This is one of those products that is definitely worth investigating before you drop a dime on it. I’m assuming that not everyone here cares about animal rights and suffering or the environment, I think enough of us do that it is worth bringing up the point that this Lady Soma brand makes NO MENTION of doing anything to promote, aid or even refrain from engaging in the destruction of the environment, testing their products on animals or using animals “products” in their formulas. Revolting. Additionally, they claim to “support” the Breast Cancer Research Foundation but they don’t say how. They could, technically, donate less than 1/2% of their annual proceeds and still make that claim. Companies do it all the time.If they gave a serious amount, even 1 or 2%, I would think they’d claim that like the thousands of other companies that put their money where their mouth is.
Before I spend my money on things, and certainly before I promote them to any audience, I like to have my conscience backing me up, not just some drug-pushing dermatologist. But that’s just me.
Good luck with your Somaluxe.
Wow, this looks great! I love making my own natural beauty products!
Nice and interesting
Thank you for this recipe! I would like to use this in a pump bottle since I am a body worker. Do you happen to know how much less beeswax I should use to get a pumpable consistency?
I would recommend adding anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup jojoba oil
When you add cornstarch to reduce the greasiness, does it shorten the shelf life of the product?
Thank you for this recipe! I started beekeeping in the spring and really wanted to use my beeswax, and this recipe works very well. Great fragrance even without the essential oils!
I love it. I literally just finished making the lotion and I’m so surprised how easy it actually was.
I only came across your recipe this year, and it is fabulous! I didn’t include the vitamin E or essential oils and I love it the way it is. So simple. So effective. Cleared up my horribly dry winter hands very quickly. I use it on my face, hands and body
My husband started beekeeping and I got my first crop of beeswax this week. I looked online forever at lotion recipes and finally chose this one. I’m glad I did! It turned out perfect. Thanks so much! I used grapeseed oil and safflower oil for the olive oil. I added tea tree and lavender essential oils.
love this! love this! I substituted the olive oil for half grapeseed and half jojoba oil with about 10 drops of squalene oil, from olives. My olive oil had gone rancid-
It turned out amazing. Thank you so much for going through the trial and error of making this not only fantastic but also easy.
Thank you for the recipe. I live in the tropics (Australia) so the lotion is not quite setting, its more like a thick custard – thinking maybe i should double the amount of beeswax? I source my beeswax directly from hives I care for (off cuts and trims while maintaining, i hate to waste them), i basically just chill the cleaned honeycomb in the fridge and jam it into the measuring cup ensuring there is not too much air. Is that maybe where i am going wrong? any input is much appreciated.
on the positive side, i made a 1/2 batch and it smells and feels amazing on the skin! I chilled it in the fridge which helped the consistency (and cools the skin in summer). I suffer from dry skin (yes, even with high humidity) as does my family members and i think i will be making up a load of different batches! for gramma (87yrs young, her skin cracks and bleeds from dryness poor thing) i was thinking chamomile essential oil – any other suggestions would be great
For myself I used olive oil, coconut oil (as instructed) and instead of essential oil i scraped the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla pod and steeped the pod in the oil/wax while it melted… i used the full 5 caps of vit e oil as i have stretch marks, burns and scars that i want to minimise the appearance of (this may contribute to the runniness? i thought by leaving out the essential oil i had some wiggle room here). The mix of coconut, vanilla and the hint of honey from the raw wax is delicious to say the least!!! the smell of vanilla is an aphrodisiac too – so perfect for a valentines day massage 😉
thanks again
I was going to make this today but was wondering…do I use Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil? I bought the extra virgin but am now wondering which one to use?
Chris, you can use either. I like using regular olive oil because it’s lighter in both color and scent, but if you have extra virgin on hand, by all means, use it!
Could I substitute the olive oil with Apricot Kernal Oil?
I needed a petroleum jelly alternative for my daughter’s eczema. I cut the recipe in half, and it was plenty. I was looking for a homemade version of Waxelene; it did not disappoint. Thanks!
I’ve been using this recipe for a long time now–I’m pretty sure for years. And I can see from the comments that I made this almost exactly one year ago–one year and three days ago to be exact. I’m still in love with it! I’m an unhappy camper if I have to use any lotion other than this one.
Oh that’s so great to hear! Thank you for taking the time to come back and post another comment, I appreciate it!
For my hands, I have been using the Beeswax Butter Balm (from Made from Earth). I absolutely LOVE this stuff! Everything I’ve ever tried from Made from Earth is amazing. Its a balm, and works really well on my extremely dry hands, winters are bad here in Michigan and this does the trick.
All of their products use high quality ingredients and real essential oils, and I have been using the Beeswax Butter Balm both on my hands and on my lips. So addicted
Just made this the other day, as winter gets closer here in VA my sons skin gets very very dry and I need to slather stuff on in like crazy so his skin does not crack. I hated the thought of always but the store bought ones on him because I had to do it so much and those are filled with crazy ingredients! I put this on him last night before bed, wonderful! I feel so much better putting this on him, thanks for the great recipe, its a keeper for sure!
thank you so much . i tried it , and the result is a beautiful cream
I’ve been using this beeswax lotion recipe for over a year and I just want to say THANK YOU. I have moderate but extremely persistent and itchy eczema. I’ve done a lot by changing my soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, toothpaste, etc. (steering clear of SLS which seems to make my skin drier–your mileage may vary), but it still wasn’t enough. I added lavender and tea tree essential oils in equal amounts as the essential oils in the recipe here. I use this lotion twice a day and it WORKS. There’s no other way to say that my life and my daily struggles with eczema have been turned around completely because of this. You’ve given me real relief when I wasn’t sure if I’d find any. Thank you so much.
-L
This lotion is just what I am looking for! I am trying to eliminate all conventional body products and with my dry skin, I need a nice soothing lotion! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Much love,
Heather