If you happened to miss my astonishing, skin-care epiphany, please start here.
If you don’t feel like reading another post by yours truly, or don’t have time for my 1000 word rampages, or would just like to get to the net-net. Here’s the bottom line:
I am eating my soap. I am eating my face moisturizer. I am eating my body lotion.
Since I am eating it. I would like for it to be good for me.
Go here to see how to make your own face moisturizer, and here to see what the heck I do about soap.
This post is going to cover making your own body lotion. There is nothing wrong with using my face moisturizer recipe on your entire epidermis. It would be, in fact, great.
It also may get expensive. By making a separate moisturizer for my body, I don’t go through the face product so fast (since I only use it on my face) and I save a little money. The body moisturizer that I am about to show you is a more cost effective way to avoid chapped, dry winter skin. It is also a great way to have silky, smooth, glowing skin in the summer.
The main ingredient, which can be used as the only ingredient is Coconut Oil. There are hundreds of uses for Coconut Oil. It is a superfood at its best and can be used for more than just food! Thankfully, there are dozens of blogs out there praising the many uses of Coconut Oil so I don’t have to.
Here’s one of my favorite from wellnessmama.
I only have a couple of thoughts to add. The first is to make sure the Coconut Oil you use is as raw as you can find. The goal is to get Coconut Oil that is all natural, untreated and unheated. Some products out there have had the goodness and nutrition processed out of them.
If your coconut oil expires in 10 years there is a chance it has been processed in order to increase the shelf-life. If your coconut oil does not smell like coconuts, there is also a chance it has been processed to remove the odor.
For maximum nutrition and benefits, you want this year’s coconuts that smell like coconuts. The Coconut Oil I am using is 100% certified organic, extra-virgin. It expires this year and smells like the beach. Yum! It is perfect for cooking or smearing all over your body.
This is one of those simple projects that really needs no explanation. This is also another one of those things where I need to see it. If I see something – I get it. So, for all the visual learners out there…… let’s make some body lotion.
There are 2 ingredients and the second one is optional:
- Coconut Oil
- Lime Essential Oil (optional)
You can use any essential oil you love to add fragrance to the coconut oil.
The options are endless and just about anything smells great with a little coconut in the background. I especially like the lime for its fresh clean quality. It is even better with a little coconut bouquet.
Melt the coconut oil. I heated a little sauce pan of water on my stove & set the jar of coconut oil into the hot water. In a few minutes I had melted coconut oil. Once the oil is melted, add 20 drops of lime essential oil (or any oil you love) and stir.
Let this sit overnight and in the morning you will may have a coconut/lime moisturizing paste. Since coconut oil solidifies below 76 degrees; if the inside of your home is below 76 you’ll have a paste. If the inside of your home is above 76 degrees you will still have a liquid in the morning. Either way, just grab a dollop in your palm & moisturize as needed. A little goes a long way.
Why I love this:
- It melts in your hands and is easily to apply
- It smells fresh and clean
- It not only moisturizes my skin – it makes me healthier
- If I have any blemishes, cuts, scrapes, tick bites, mosquito bites, rashes, or other skin issue – this lotion will help heal and soothe any problem areas
- After applying your skin will glow
Before you run off to smear coconut oil all over your body and your face too; let me tell you why I don’t use coconut oil on my face.
When I was searching for the perfect facial moisturizer a few years back, I tried several recipes that used coconut oil. I found that the coconut oil clogged my pores and caused problems. It was a little too heavy for my face.
One of the main problems I had was the solidifying below 76 degrees issue. My face is exposed to whatever temperatures are present where-ever I happen to be (indoors or outside). This wasn’t a problem as long as the temperature “where-ever” was above 76 degrees. If it happened to be cold where I was- the coconut oil would solidify…… on my face……. in my pores….. Ugh.
My youngest daughter and I were dipping pretzels in chocolate last week. To keep the chocolate smooth and velvety while we dipped I wanted to add a little coconut oil. I sent the small child off to gather the coconut oil which regularly travels between the kitchen and bathrooms in our home for various uses. I wasn’t sure where the coconut oil was currently residing.
She came back to the kitchen with my Coconut/Lime body paste. She had the lid off, the spoon out and was scooping out a nice hunk to plop into the fondue pot. I stopped her just in the nick of time. Whew! We almost had Coconut/Lime, Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels for snack-time. Ick.
It may have been unappetizing, but it would have been perfectly healthy to eat the Coconut/Lime, Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels.
Which is wonderful, since by smearing it all over ourselves, we are in essence, eating it……. after all.
🙂
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XO,
Candi
