Easy Beeswax Lotion Recipe- {One Pan Method}
Making a simple basic lotion with beeswax is really quite easy. This natural wax is a common ingredient in many health and beauty recipes. Making your own natural beauty products is one way to ensure the integrity of the ingredient list. Try this beeswax lotion recipe and create your own product for soothing dry skin.
Homemade Lotion Recipe With Beeswax
If you enjoy making your own products, you may save money over purchasing ready made commercial items. And because the cost is less, you can experiment with different recipes, fragrances etc.
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This is especially important when you have family members with allergies. If you have an allergy to one particular ingredient, it is easy to substitute another.
Of course there are many ways to pamper your skin with beauty products. Liquid lotions and creams, lotion bars or even beeswax lip balm can be made right there in your kitchen.
Why Use Beeswax in Lotion?
Beeswax is a beneficial addition in lotion because it is a natural humectant. It forms a protective layer over your skin. Beeswax skin care products protect the skin and seal in moisture.
That is why it is such an important ingredient in the cosmetic industry. A common part of many commercial products – even makeup – beeswax can be used for hair care as well.
Of course no recipe could contain only wax, the end product would not spread over your skin. In our recipe, combing beeswax with other moisturizing oils, produces a soft, silky product that glides well.
How Much Beeswax Can You Use in a Lotion Recipe?
When you are making homemade lotion, the ratio of beeswax compared to the other ingredients will be quite small.
This is due to the fact that although beeswax has a relatively low melting point – it is a solid. Beeswax melts at about 147° F.
Experiment to find the viscosity that you prefer. If your lotion is too runny – try again with a bit more beeswax-and of course less wax should be used if the end product is to hard.
Finding the Best Lotion Recipes
You will find many DIY lotion recipes out there. It can be very overwhelming. Each one is very similar, but the exact ingredients vary just a bit. Why so many variations?
Well, there are a lot of opinions on exactly how a homemade lotion should feel. A recipe that one person thinks is luxurious may feel heavy or greasy to someone else.
Plan to experiment a bit with any recipe until you get the consistency you desire. That is one of the beauties of working with these natural ingredients. They are very forgiving. Start with a small batch for the first trial – just in case you need to tweak it a bit.
How to Make a Lotion
The defining characteristic of lotion is that it is a light weight product that absorbs into the skin quickly. This is because lotion generally has a higher water content than other moisturizers. Hand creams, face moisturizing creams and body butter tend to be heavier.
In most cases, a lotion is a combination of water and oil with an emulsifier. The product “rubs in” quickly. While quick absorption is a great thing, there is a downside to homemade lotions.
Products with higher water content are more likely to spoil. If you choose a recipe for lotion that contains water, adding a preservative is more important to ensure long lasting freshness.
But, this lotion recipe uses beeswax, and has no water. It will keep longer without spoiling than some homemade recipes. Keep that in mind when you are creating your favorite blend.
Best Oils for Making DIY Lotion
In this recipe, we are using a combination of coconut and sweet almond oil. However, you can substitute other oils for either of these if you wish. Common oils used include: Avocado Oil, Sunflower Oil, Jojoba Oil and Olive Oil.
Using Scent or Fragrance
When choosing a scent for your lotion, be sure to use skin-safe products. Many essential oils are suited for lotion recipes – check the label.
You can also buy fragrance oils that are designed for bath and beauty products if you prefer. And, of course, it is perfectly okay to use none and have an unscented lotion.
Storage
When choosing containers for your beeswax lotion, you have many options. Plastic containers or glass jars with a wide mouth and not too deep are suitable.
The texture will be firmer than petroleum jelly but not as hard as a lotion bar. It is a heavy product and you should only need to use a small amount. But, it is not as heavy as my beeswax balm for cracked heels.
Once completely cooled, our product is ready to use. Be advised, this mix is too thick to pump through a regular lotion bottle. It is a wonderful hand lotion for dry skin. Try it on elbows and knees too.
Store in a sealed container. Because it has no water, it will last for several months without spoiling. This is a good shelf life for a homemade lotion product.
If you enjoy making your own natural products, you should consider giving beeswax lotion a try. Be willing to experiment until you find the best “feel” for you. I recommend starting out with a small batch until you find the best ingredient combination.
If you like the idea of natural beeswax lotion, you will certainly flip over this Whipped Beeswax Body Butter. Both products make great homemade gifts.
Another simple product to keep on hand is a type of natural “vaseline”. Yes, you can make your own petroleum jelly with beeswax and a little oil.
DIY Beeswax Lotion Recipe
Tools
- small bowls
Supplies
- 46 grams coconut oil
- 20 grams beeswax
- 92 grams Sweet Almond Oil
- 5 gras shea butter
- 1/2 tsp vitamin E oil
- 1/2 tsp Essential Oil (I used Lavender) optional
Instructions
- Melting beeswax and adding oils. Using a double boiler, melt the beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter. This is best done in a double boiler or boiler insert instead of the microwave.We want to slowly melt all the materials. The beeswax will be slowest to melt. Do not leave unattended – stir occasionally.
- Stir in Remaining Oils: Once the beeswax is melted, it is time to add the sweet almond oil. Again, let the oils warm for a few minutes and stir well.Once everything is combined, remove the top pot from the double boiler set up. Now you can add the vitamin E oil and any essential oil that you wish.Essential oils are strong. Read the manufactures instructions for the amounts that are safe to use for skin products.For this recipe, I use only a small amount of Lavender essential oil (approx 1/2 tsp) – you may choose a different oil. In general these are often used in skin care: Lavender, rose, frankincense, geranium, tea tree, ylang-ylang, and patchouli
- Pour into your container. [This recipe makes a small jar but you can double the amounts for more. Just keep in mind that homemade lotion without extra preservatives should be used within a shorter time.]After a quick stir, we are ready to pour the finished product into storage containers.If you are using plastic containers that may not be able to stand up to the heat – allow your mix to cool for a few minutes. After cooling for an hour or so – your beeswax lotion is finished.
