There are DIY moisturizers for every skin type and skill level. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect recipe, this post can help. It goes over the difference between lotion and body butter. It also includes recipes to help you get started.
Lotion is created by combining oil and water with an emulsifier. Body butter is a simple mixture of butter and oil that’s whipped until fluffy.
Lotion
A typical recipe is 70-80% distilled water, 3-5% stearic acid, 3-6% emulsifying wax, and the rest is oil and butter. Those ingredients are heated and combined with a stick blender.
At its core, lotion is fairly simple. However, all the options can complicate the process. There are several emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers to choose from, and you can use alternative liquids in place of distilled water. The oils and butters you choose will affect the texture of the recipe. You can also include specialized additives like glycerin, honeyquat, and DL-Panthenol. Learn more about formulating lotion recipes in this post.
Another factor to consider is the potential for mold growth. That can happen with any water-based recipe if it’s not handled properly. Before making lotion, you’ll need to disinfect all your tools in a 5% bleach and distilled water solution. That includes spoons, bottles, bowls – anything that will come in contact with the ingredients. Then, wipe the tools dry with clean paper towels.
You’ll need to add a preservative at 0.5-1.5% of the total weight of the lotion. Optiphen and Phenonip are both good options. They help prevent mold and bacteria and extend the shelf life of the lotion. Learn more about preservatives in this post.
No matter what ingredients you choose for your lotion, the water gives it a lightweight consistency that absorbs quickly into the skin. That makes it great for both the body and face, and it also works for multiple skin types. If your skin is oily, you can add more water and use lightweight oils like rosehip and lingonberry seed. For dry skin, try a moisturizing butter like shea.
If you’re ready to give lotion a try, check out these recipes:
- Oat and Cashmere Lotion
- Orchid Lotion
- Lavender and Honeyquat Lotion
- Sultry Jasmine Lotion
- Sunshine Lotion
- Rose and Aloe In-Shower Lotion
- Oil-Free Lavender Lotion
- Lavender and Aloe Lotion
- Lotion from Scratch
Body butter
If your skin is very dry or sensitive, body butter is a great option. It couldn’t be simpler to make – just add butter to a bowl and whip until it’s fluffy. You can choose any one you like. For a lighter feeling on the skin, try avocado or lavender butter. More moisturizing options include shea or turmeric shea butter. You can also use harder butters like cocoa, you’ll just need to melt them before whipping. Learn more about butters in this post.
We like to add a lightweight oil like avocado, cucumber seed, or argan to the recipe. It softens the butter and helps it glide onto the skin easily. We recommend about 2 ounces per pound to start. If you prefer a more a balm-like texture, you can also add beeswax. Start with 1 teaspoon of melted beeswax per pound and go from there.
Because body butter doesn’t contain water and likely won’t get any splashed in during use, it doesn’t need an emulsifier or a preservative. You can disinfect your tools if you want to be extra safe or if you plan to sell it.
Body butter has a heavier, more hydrating feeling than lotion. It’s great for dry patches like elbows, hands, and feet. However, it may be too heavy for the face.
Body butter can feel greasy on the skin. Arrowroot powder helps – it cuts the oily texture and helps the recipe absorb more quickly. It also gives it a light and fluffy consistency. Start with 1 teaspoon of arrowroot per pound of butter and test it on the skin. If you want more, add in 1 teaspoon increments until you like the way it feels.
Here are some recipes to try:
Hi! Tfs all these ahhhhhhhmazing recipes. I would like to use mango butter & jojoba oil to make a bb. Any suggestions on ratios or if you have a recipe already can you direct me where to find it please? Thanks so much
I have a question about the argan leave in conditioner. I couldn’t find the place for questions under it. Can I sub nettle extract for the carrot extract. My son loves that conditioner.hes out and needs some. I have s huge bottle of nettle extract and no carrot. If I cou l.j d use up the nettle that would be great. Thanks
You can use any extract you like, and you can swap it straight in at the same ratio, so feel free to omit carrot extract and add in nettle extract instead.
How can I add cocoa butter to aloe lotion base to make cocoa butter lotion
Hello,
Can I add color to my body butter’s without it affecting or turning the skin? Also, is it possible to add an absorbent exfoliate to butters, not having to wash or rinse the area. I’m trying to solve 2 problems in one jar. Shine and smoothness.
You can add color to a body butter without it tinting the skin. You will want to test for a usage rate though because if you use too much colorant it can turn the skin that color as well until it’s washed off. Also keep in mind powdered colorant may settle to the bottom of your body butter over time depending on how thick it is.
To help cut the grease or shine in the body butter you can use something like Arrowroot Powder.
Arrowroot Powder: https://www.brambleberry.com/Arrowroot-Powder-P3706.aspx
Thanks Terah!
Can I use goat milk in place of the distilled water in your recipe for Making Lotion from Scratch? If so, is there anything additional I need to add or change as far as the recipe? Thanks!
We do not recommend using any milk in lotion. The preservatives in lotion protect against mold / bacteria but they will not protect against milk rancidity.
If you do make a goat milk lotion it would last as long as milk would sitting out on the shelf. Your lotion will last longer if stored in the fridge but will still go bad at the same rate the milk would spoil.
I received a rose scented soap for a gift. My guess is cold pressed. It actually has different shades of pink soap roses on the top. Do you carry that? Her rose scent is so strong I can use the slice of soap as a room freshner. that is stronger than essential oil or the other rose scent. What is she using?
My guess is she is using a lot of fragrance which is why it is so strong. Typically Rose Essential Oil is pretty expensive so I wouldn’t think that would be something that is given as a gift.
Thanks for explaining the difference!
Hi,
I’m about to start making some goodies as Christmas presents but i’m wondering if I can disinfect my bottles/containers in the bleach solution or is it better to wipe them with rubbing alcohol? Also, is it ok to use Clorox bleach and filtered water instead of distilled water?
Thank you so much,
Tiffany xx
Using a 5% bleach solution to disinfect your bottles is best, then allow them to fully dry. We usually recommend using distilled water for disinfecting as well as in the recipe.
Hi, your recipes are awesome! I live in Italy and arrowroot is almost impossible to find. Is there any substitute I can use? Tapioca? Rice? Thanks for your time!
Tapioca powder makes an excellent replacement for arrowroot powder.
Ok , I agree on that I like your soaps . And you haven’t added anything on here. Could you make a giant CupCake Soap ??? and add how to make it on here ???
Chocolate Peppermint Soap Cupcakes: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/chocolate-peppermint-soap-cupcakes-tutorial/
Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lemon-cold-process-soap-cupcakes/
Sparkling Champagne Soap Cupcakes: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/sparkling-champagne-soap-cupcakes-on-soap-queen-tv/
Hi! I still like my body butters to contain a little bit of water to make them more hydrating, as I find anhydrous body butters a bit oclusive if applied to skin that’s already dry. Is it possible to make a body butter including a little amount of liquid?
Body butters are made without water – what you’re making is more of a cream, which is totally fine. The catch is that adding water also means that you’ll need to include a preservative.
Do you have any recommended projects/recipes for a cream? Body butters are usually too heavy for me, but in the winter I’d like something a bit more moisturizing that the typical lotion (70-80% water). Are there general rules for how much emulsifier is needed as the fat to water ratio is varied?
It sounds like you may like this Orchid Lotion. It’s thicker than a traditional lotion but still has a water content, unlike body butter, to keep it lighter.
Orchid Lotion DIY: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/orchid-lotion-diy/
You want to use 3-6% emulsifying wax. This post on How to Create Homemade Lotion Recipes as a great table of ranges for ingredient amounts:
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/how-to-create-homemade-lotion-recipes/
Terah,
Thank you so much for the info! If I wanted to try for a 50%water/50% fat combination, does that 3-6% emulsifying wax still apply? Or will I reach a breaking point where they just won’t combine properly?
For lotions we normally recommend using at least 70% distilled water so I’m not 100% sure how that ratio will perform with less water. I would still probably start with that 3-6% range and make a smaller batch of lotion to test it out and make sure you like the results.
Hi,
I’m afraid that this question is rather off-topic, but I couldn’t find a related post that had open comments. I am making some blushes for Christmas presents and using mica as the main colourant. I have used mica before, but only recently found out that it can be inhaled, as the particles are so fine. I was wondering what protection is needed to prevent unnecessary inhalation of the mica particles. A mask? Having the windows open?
Thanks so much!
Hi! I would personally go with a face mask. You can get them easily from a store with a pharmacy in it. I use them daily for my breathing issues. I recommend the mask verses opening a window as the mica is VERY light weight..if there happens to be a breeze, it will send it flying, or ‘poof’ it out of the container! Better safe than sorry- Good luck and have FUN!
Cool, thank you so much!