Hi,
This is a little more complicated than some of the other recipes I've posted. If you don't want to, or don't feel ready to try a recipe for lotion from scratch, I also make them from things such as Liquid Polymer and I can post a recipe or two that I've made using that, and one I'm going to make. Anyways, here's this one. (I remembered to list sources for stuff!!!!)
Lotion from Scratch, nice recipe :)
8 Tablespoons Shea Butter or Mango Butter (or butter or choice)
3 Tablespoons Almond Oil (you also may use Meadowfoam Seed Oil or another oil of choice)
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil (extra virgin)
3 rounded Tablespoons Emulsifying Wax (also called E-Wax and Polawax and is not a liquid)
3 Tablespoons Liquid Vegetable Glycerin
3 cups (24 ounces) Aloe Vera gel or juice.
Up to 1 Tablespoon of essential oil or oil blend of choice. (scented for personal preference, as some essential oils are much stronger than others, example - peppermint/strong, spearmint/less strong)
4 eight ounce clear bottles (or 8, 4 ounce bottles)
4 lotion pumps (or 8, 4 ounce pump caps)
Other Equipment you'll need:
A Thermometer (I've done it without, with good results)
A Stick Blender or my preference is a regular two beater, cake-type blender.
Heat Shea Butter to 200 degrees and turn off the heat. Leave it on the stove to sit for 15 minutes. If it looks like it will drop below 180, then give it more heat again. You want it to stay over 180 for 15 minutes. I actually tend to melt my butters in the oven as I melt, at times, a few pounds and then make up a lot of different essential oil blends at once - butters can always be reheated if you need to get the temperature up.
Remove from stove and add Emulsifying Wax. Stir until melted. Add the almond/or other oil and olive oils to the mix.
In a separate pot, mix together the aloe vera juice/gel and the vegetable glycerin. Stir until mixed. Heat to 120 degrees and remove from heat.
Make sure oils mixture is 120 degrees, heat if necessary but don't get it too hot.
(Translate, don't let it boil, just get it hot, not simmering either.)
Slowly pour aloe mixture in to the oils mixture. Whip with a stick/cake blender for about 1 minute. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes, but whip it again every 5-10 minutes.
Add the essential oil or oils. Color if you'd like, you may use soap colorants for this. Stir it all in and pour in to bottles. (I use a funnel, it's a lot easier) Be sure to leave room in the bottle for the lotion pump, as they take up extra room.
*If I want to just get my butters ready beforehand and am doing or working on something else, I set my oven temperature to the 200 degrees and once preheated, put the butter(s) in a glass bowl and place them in till they've melted and have been in there awhile, maybe 15-20 minutes - when I do this, I don't bother with the to check the temperature as I know what it is by the oven's. It works just as well, and for me, it saves time.*
Sources that I use if you need them:
Shea and Mango butter - www.floridasoapsupplies.com (shea, Florida, also some of the carrier oils)
Both butters - www.essentialwholesale.com (Oregon, also carrier oils)
Veggie Glycerin - Any local health food store, if you want to get it online, I use www.the-buying-group.com (Virginia?)
Bottles and E-wax - www.elementsbathandbody.com (Kentucky)
Aloe Juice/Gel - Walmart carrys both, or used to.
Olive Oil - Grocery Store, any.
Essential Oils, therapeutic grade: www.essentialoils.org (Indiana - forgot whether you have to have a wholesale account or not, if you do, try www.av-at.com - Maryland), or look for either Aura Cacia or Frontier brands in a local healthfood store or herbal store, they are tested as well and you can get them in the smaller sizes.
Questions? Please ask :)
mn - 2006
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Comments: 13
Ok, I did forget something - thank you Ashley! I forgot the 1% of preservative that you'd add with the essential oils... geez, but I "did" remember the sources! WITH the preservative in it, it'll last over a year.
For really dry skin, I use whipped shea - and I put it on at night, you know when your hands and feet get so dry that they're ready to bleed? Yup. Cover them with whipped shea, right before bed, then put white socks on hands and feet - in the morning you'll notice one heck of a difference, winter air is brutal on our skin.
Which you can buy at www.the-buying-group.com (LiquiPar Optima)
Anyways, for those of you who use a lot of aloe in the winter, there's a great product out, like a butter as it's half shea and half aloe, called.........Shealoe - I recently got 10lbs. of it and it's really nice! Best of both. You can make a whipped-type of cream from it, it's great for lip balms and can be used in all kinds of things. I probably shouldn't tell you about it here, huh? I'll write it up on another article!