Home-Made Organic Lotion: It's Fun and Easy – So Delight your Skin, Family and Friends

Home-Made Organic Lotion: It's Fun and Easy
There are many good reasons to make and use home-made lotions and creams. For the pragmatic among us, it's much less expensive than purchasing commercial lotions, even those of low quality. For the health conscious, lotions and creams you make yourself do not contain the preservatives and chemicals that can not only be harsh to the skin but are also absorbed into the body to negative effect. For the crafters, it's fun and gratifying. For the earth-minded, the peace and spiritual aspect of handling fresh herbs, oils and beeswax to create soothing, natural products for yourself and your family cannot be overstated.

Herbal Oil
The base for lotions, creams and salves begins with herbal oil. There are many organic oils available to choose from at your local health food store, including sweet almond, olive, grape seed, jojoba, apricot-kernel, sunflower and sesame oils. A small amount of Vitamin E oil, available in gel caps that you can pierce and squeeze out is a good addition to any lotion and it will extend the life of the lotion.

The choice of herbs is vast, but don't get overwhelmed. Start by determining what it is you want your lotion to do. Herbs that soften and heal skin include Aloe Vera, Calendula, Comfrey, Patchouli, Rose Petals, Jasmine, Marshmallow and Slippery Elm. For sore muscles, you can choose from among Calendula, Arnica, Chamomile, Lavender, Rosemary, Ginger, Eucalyptus, St. John's Wort and Wintergreen. Fresh organic herbs are preferable but often not always readily available. Dried organic herbs from a reputable source work very nicely.

An old herbal remedy “rule”, and one that seems to work, is that using herbs in odd numbered combinations are more effective than even numbered combinations. For example, in a skin healing and softening lotion, use a combination of Aloe Vera, Calendula and Comfrey rather than just two of them

To make the oil, finely chop the herbs and place in a lidded jar, covering them with the oil. Allow the mixture to sit for a week or more in a cool, dark place. Strain, pressing as much of the oil out of the herbs as you can, then store in a jar or bottle.

Herbal Lotion

To make a simple organic herbal lotion, combine ½ cup of your herbal oil with 2 tablespoons of shaved beeswax. Place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water to melt the wax completely. Remove to a blender (or use a whisk if a blender isn't available), and slowly add about 1/3 cup of pure, distilled water while blending. For a preferred consistency, increase or decrease the amount of water in subsequent batches.

A batch of lotion will stay fresh for about a month. Since it's so easy and inexpensive to do, play with different blends to create the perfect lotions for your body. For added fragrance, add a drop or two of your favorite essential oils, also available at most health food stores.