The two places I've lived for most of my life are Southern California and Colorado and if you've ever been to either of these states, you know that your skin needs loads of extra help because it is dry, dry, dry! This means in both summer and winter, some sort of moisturizer is a must.
You may have noticed that I use coconut oil for almost everything body related. But the first thing I used it for, other than for cooking, was lotion! I discovered this in college and have been waffling back and forth between natural lotion and coconut oil since. But now I'm committing to the option that doesn't come in a plastic bottle or take a multitude of ingredients to make: coconut oil.
Using coconut oil
So, if you want, you can just scoop coconut oil out of the jar it comes in and put it directly on your skin, I have done this many times and still do quite frequently. It smells nice and is super effective.
The following is basically making it into a scented mousse-type lotion and is about as simple as it gets for a homemade body product.
This shouldn't take you longer than 5 min!
Ingredients / Supplies
- Coconut Oil
- Essential oil of your choice (optional)
- I recommend lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, or whatever floats your boat
- 1 small jar, clean and dry
Instructions
- Scoop the appropriate amount of coconut oil for the jar you're going to put it in and place it in a bowl.
- Mix/whip the coconut oil with a fork until it has more of a mousse-like texture.
- Add about 3-6 drops of essential oil per 1 oz of coconut oil and whip again until fully mixed.
- My jar is about 4 oz and I add 15-20 drops to it.
- Put your awesomely scented and whipped coconut oil in your jar, and that's it!
To use: apply it the same way you would regular lotion! I use coconut oil both on my face and body.
Variations
Some people prefer the coconut oil to be a bit harder/more compact as opposed to the whipped texture like I do. If you are this way, or think you may be this way here is your solution:
Simply put the coconut oil in a small pot over low heat until it melts. Pour it into your jar (make sure its not too hot!) and then mix in your essential oils. The coconut oil will mold perfectly to the jar and come out less light and fluffy. Use the exact same way as above.