Homemade Lotion

I use a lot of lotion. I have chronically dry skin that is not helped by the dry, Northern California/Sacramento Valley climate in which I live. Over the past ten years I’ve become more concerned about what I put in and on my body as well as the waste that is created by an empty bottle of lotion. I had found lotions without a lot of the bad stuff: dyes, perfumes, and unpronounceable chemicals. This, of course, came at a price. The healthier the lotion, the more it seemed to cost. So…for some time I’ve been wanting to make my own lotion. I finally did it a couple of weeks ago. With the help of Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Bodycare for Every Body by Dina Falconi, I whipped up a super emolliant body cream.

It was quite the chemistry experiment, using a mix of oils, butters, distilled water, glycerin, beeswax, and lecithin. I bought my ingredients from three different sources: Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op, Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies, and Mountain Rose Herbs.

I’m quite happy with the results although I plan to play with the ingredients a bit for the next batch. My daughter’s very sensitive skin isn’t as pleased with the results as mine has been. For starters, I think I’ll try substituting borage oil for the peanut oil. I would also like to make a foot cream, a lip balm, and half a dozen other concoctions.

It remains to be seen how much money I’m actually saving. There was an initial investment, but it seems that many of the ingredients will last for some time. And I had many of the essential oils on hand (they’re so good in homeopathic cold and flu remedies), which helped.

The true test in continuing to experiment with homemade lotions will be time. Finding the time, that is. And adding lotion making to everything else we make from scratch (bread, yogurt, granola…). It’s nice to know, however, that I’m not adding another plastic container to the recycling.