Do you love using coconut oil to moisturize yourself or your baby, but yet loathe the consistency, and wish it could be easier to apply? You’re going to love this easy recipe, and your skin will be sure to thank you!
{Photo Credit: The Memoirs of Megan}
Coconut Oil is all the rage these days. People are using it, and cooking with it like crazy. It works amazing as a body moisturizer, and has been proven to help remedy extreme dry skin, psoriasis, and eczema. However, it’s texture can sometimes be a bit tricky to apply, especially on a wiggly baby or toddler. It left us wishing there was an easier way to apply coconut oil, rather than softening it and dripping the oil everywhere, or trying to scrape it out of its original container, without the risk of ruining a new manicure.
Vitamin E oil has been used forever to treat extreme dry skin, and help repair cracked or broken skin. It also provides the needed amount of extra oil to keep the coconut oil in a whipped consistency and not reverting back to its hardened beginnings.
Aloe Vera is also a natural ingredient which has been proven to help soothe skin, and help repair broken skin as well as sunburn.
{Photo Credit: The Memoirs of Megan}
How to make the lotion:
- 1 cup of hardened coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vitamin E oil
- 1-2 tablespoons aloe vera gel or 2-3 squeezed leaves *Optional*
- *Optional* essential oil for scent (try a lemon and lime combo- smells so yummy!)
{Photo Credit: The Memoirs of Megan}
Combine all three ingredients in a bowl, and mix with a wire whisk on high for approximately 7 minutes, or until it becomes a nice whipped texture.
Place your whipped lotion in an air tight jar or canister. It will remain the whipped texture, even in cold conditions, as long as it is stored properly.
This lotion works as a great homemade present, and you can really get creative with essential oils for scent.
{Photo Credit: The Memoirs of Megan}
What is your favorite way to use coconut oil?
I have been trying to experiment more with making my own lotion/moisturizer and this seems easy enough to make. Thanks for sharing! My question is though, how long will this keep before expiring?
Hi Rae! Honestly, we go through this so quickly, I have never wondered about the shelf life. After doing some research, both coconut oil and vitamin e oil have a very long shelf life and do not get rancid easily (2 yrs+)
However, the optional aloe vera gel can spoil within 6-9 months, so if you are thinking that you are not able to use it that quickly, I would suggest skipping the aloe.
Hope that helps!
I would do this adorable lotion for my chmistry projects 🙂
GREAT USING THIS FOR SCIENCE FAIRRRR
my question is I have made it step by step and when I go to put and rub in my hands it turns to oil and not a cream base. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong or if I should add something? thank you
Hi Kristin!
It is not intended to be a cream base or consistency. It’s made 100% of oils. It is designed to have a whipped texture, opposed to the hardened out-of-the-jar consistency that coconut oil has normally. For a cream-based recipe, I’d suggest looking into this one which utilizes bees wax as well: https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/natural-beauty-fashion/stories/make-your-own-natural-body-lotion
Hope this helps!
🙂
Hi Megan. Thank you very much for getting back to me. I will try the other lotion as well. Which one would be better to use and not so expensive. Bees wax or emulsifying wax?
Thanks again
Kristin,
I honestly don’t know. I’m allergic to bees, and cannot use anything with bees wax personally, so I’ve never experimented. 🙂
Hi Megan. Thank you for all your help. I have tried both and really like them. 🙂 Thanks again
I have a couple of smaller lotion bottles that are soft enough to squeeze but have tops that can still screw off. I mix melted coconut oil and my favorite body lotion together (usually about half and half) and and pour it into those bottles and shake to mix. Unfortunately even by doing that It’s still is too hard to squeeze out but I toss the bottle in the bottom of my bathtub as I am showering and it melts it perfectly. Just shake to mix, squeeze it out and apply. I have used unscented lotion and added essential oils too.
I’m confused abt the air tight statement. Can you elaborate on storage?
Cici,
I used a regular lotion dispenser (an old hand lotion bottle) and it returned to it’s hardened state. After switching to a mason jar with a lid, it remained a whipped texture.
Thank you for the great and easy recipe. I am going to use the fresh alo vera gel. How long does the cream last if I use the fresh feel. I just do nor want to make too much and the cream would go off because of the gel. Thsnk you .
Elli,
Check the bottle on your aloe vera gel. Mine says it has a shelf life of 6 months.
Hi Megan ,
I have many aloe vera plants in the garden. I want to use them . I am we wondering how long the cresm we ould last if I use the fresh aloe vera gel ? Thank you
Elli,
I also use fresh plants. I cannot speak scientifically on this one, but I’d venture to guess somewhere around the same shelf life as the bottled gel- around 6 months.
If you’re concerned about it going rancid, try making small batches at first so you’re not wasting anything. Hope this helps!
Thanks for this!
Is this face moisturizer best applied at night or during day time or both?I live in country where it’s hot n humid so I would like some suggestions please….
Is this face moisturizer best applied at night or during day time or both?I live in country where it’s hot n humid so I would like some suggestions please…n must it be stored in the fridge if I use fresh aloe leaves?
You can apply it whenever you’d like. 🙂 It’s best to not store in the fridge, because the coconut oil could harden. Make sure it’s stored in an air-tight container.
thank you for your help…=)
thank you for your help!!! =)
Hi Megan,
i was wondering if i could substitute the vitamin E oil with olive oil?
Sabrina,
You know, I’m not exactly sure! Vitamin E oil is great at healing skin, which is why it’s commonly used. I would assume that olive oil would work as well? If you give it a try, report back and let us know your findings! 🙂
So what if I wanted to make a more liquid lotion by adding a lot more aloe?
Say basically reversing the amounts of coconut and aloe.
1 cup aloe, 2 tbs coconut oil.
Kelly,
I haven’t tried that. Want to give it a go and report back? 🙂