Stay Moisturized Naturally & Inexpensively
Staying moisturized in the winter time is a must. For those of you that have eczema, roscea or other skin issues, you are aware that using all-natural products to protect from further skin irritations is the way to go. I think saving money where one can is the way to go, especially around the holidays when you can actually make an all-natural homemade lotion as a gift that comes across as more thoughtful since you made it yourself.
Natural lotions that are not highly fragranced do not irritate the skin. (Photo: Better Mind Body Soull)
The reason making your own homemade location gives you more bang for you buck is because of the quantity you can make. You will never run out if you make a big batch with ingredients that you probably already have in your home. My skin is forever getting irritated when I use the highly-fragranced lotions I get throughout the year. Out of sheer boredom and in avoiding work anxiety, I decided to make my own lotion. I looked up a recipe online, and I’ve used it ever since. I made some batches and am using them as gifts for an upcoming event.
This lotion is great because it smells like cocoa, which is a natural scent that isn’t too much, but still slightly addictive because who doesn’t love to smell like somewhat of an aphrodisiac? Chocolate is a great scent for a lotion because it mixes nicely with cocoa butter and the scent lasts lightly on the skin throughout your day.
The recipe is below. If you are making them as gifts, you can find cute glass bottles to package it in and tie ribbons around them with a vintage-looking card attached around the neck of the bottle with a cute quote or phrase on it. These were a hit with my aunt’s book club, so the possibilities of who would also love these homemade, natural body lotions are endless.
Homemade lotions make cute gifts because thought went into putting it together, and it is homemade. (Photo: Lisa Valdez)
Recipe
I cup of shea butter
1 cup of cocoa butter
1/4 cup of coconut oil
This recipe is on the oily side, which feels really good when you apply it. But if your skin is already oily, then you should add 1/4 cup of beeswax to the mixture, which will make it just the right amount of oily for you.
The coconut oil and cocoa butter prevent your skin from getting irritated and also help with fine lines and wrinkles. It serves as a natural SPF as well. Shea butter helps improve skin elasticity and also helps with wound and scar healing, so basically this lotion is liquid gold in the beauty department along with being a good option for winter lotion and for your wallet.
You will need to create a double broiler. You do this by putting water in a big pot and bringing it to a boil, then getting a smaller pot and putting the cocoa butter in that one. Put the smaller pot with the cocoa butter inside the bigger one. Let the cocoa butter melt for 5 minutes. Then put the rest of the ingredients into a blender with the melted cocoa butter and blend. Refrigerate the lotion overnight then package it. It will be a bit hard the next day, but squish it between your fingers to soften it and rub on your body as you please.
Born and raised in the DMV, Emma Blancovich has a big appreciation for discovering things to do around town, such as new restaurants to try and supporting the local music scene by attending live shows. During the week she is an editor for trade associations, but on the weekends you can find her hiking up trails with the latest fitness gadgets then getting ready for a night out using the latest beauty and health products.
