How to Make Lotion ~ A Photo Tutorial

My parents are visiting for a couple days and we're taking time off our usual routine (I'd like to know what our usual routine is exactly). Which means I could spend the morning in the kitchen whipping up, quite literally, body lotion and lip balm. Our supply was dwindling very low and I wanted to send some home with my parents.

I usually make my soap and body care products after supper, when all my other work of the day is done, which means I don't take photos of the process. Photographing under fluorescent kitchen lighting is just nasty. But today since I had natural light I thought I'd share it all with you so you can whip up a batch (or two) for yourself.

Recipe
A version of my basic recipe.

(Having trouble reading the ingredients in this photo? Click on photo, then click original beneath the photo to see larger version.)

Gather supplies

Sterilize
All your equipment and jars. Very easy to do, just put stuff in a pot of boiling water, remove from heat and drain water. Pour the drained hot water over a plate to set all your tools on once they are sterile. This step is not critical but helps deter bacterial growth.

Measure

Melt
While your oils are melting over low heat mix water with borax (in a separate bowl). Oils will melt in a couple minutes, remove from heat and add water/borax mixture. As you stir them together they will look something like this:

Whisk until well combined. Add your optional ingredients (see recipe photo above), whisk to combine.

Pour
Today's recipe is double the amount of the recipe above. It makes this many jars of lotion (as pictured below). I re-used the empty cocoa butter container that held the cocoa butter I used in the lotion.

One recipe will probably last a family for 6 months or more. Store extra jars in the fridge till needed.

I also made lip balm. But you'll have to see this post for the instructions.

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