Lotion is messy to make and clean up but oh so worth it!  This is the very recipe I have been using in my shop for years.  In a world of sodium laurel sulfate and other cancer causing ingredients at each turn, it is nice to have a really great lotion recipe at one’s fingertips.  This can be made in your farm kitchen without much difficulty.

You will need:

a large mouth quart sized canning jar

an immersion blender

1/2 pint or pint sized jars to transfer lotion to

saucepan

scale to measure beeswax

stir stick (a chop stick works great)

beeswax (preferably pastilles)

olive oil

water

essential oils of your choice

Directions:

In canning jar measure 1 1/2 cups of oil and 1 and an 1/8 ounces of beeswax.

Place in saucepan and pour water to reach half way up jar to create a double boiler.

Stir with chop stick every so often to fully incorporate and help melt wax.

Meanwhile measure out 1 1/2 cups of cool water.  Set aside.  Plug in immersion blender and be ready.

When wax is fully melted, remove from saucepan and add water.  Immediately blend thoroughly until emulsified.  While warm pour into desired jars and add essential oils.  12 drops per 4 ounces is a good measure.

Don’t use oils that are too hot like cinnamon.  A few favorite blends over the years have been 6 drops of lavender and 6 drops of rose.  8 drops of lime and 4 drops of mint.  8 drops of orange and 4 drops of ylang ylang.  Or whatever you desire!

This will keep for over a year without any preservatives.  It is a SPF 12 naturally and is safe for absolutely all skin types.   Tomorrow I will show you how to turn this humble lotion into powerful sunscreen!