Friday, February 7, 2020
A few years ago, I got a big jar of Coconut Oil in the mail and it was just staring at me on the counter…waiting to be used. So, I decided it was time for me to try out this idea. This homemade coconut oil lotion recipe is really simple and only takes two ingredients. The recipe works great for arms and legs and a little goes a long way. We’ve been making this lotion for years now and it’s our favorite!
Homemade Coconut Oil Lotion Recipe
Have you ever looked at the lotions at the store and wished there was something simple that you could whip up at home?
There is! And today I’m going to show you exactly how to make your own homemade Coconut Oil Lotion recipe with just 2 very simple ingredients.
Before we get started I have to talk to you about the basics…
#Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is pretty amazing. Seriously! It’s incredible how one little thing can have so many amazing benefits. Here are some facts: (Click the image to make it more easily readable.)
Alright, let’s get back to lotion making…
Homemade Coconut Oil Lotion Recipe
What you need:
- 1 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (I buy mine at Tropical Traditions or Azure Standard)
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E (I just used a few capsules) (I buy mine at Amazon)
- Essential Oils (optional)
Here’s what you need, a mixer, the oil, the vitamin E, and a bowl! You could also use a stand mixer but I didn’t feel like cleaning mine. The hand mixer worked just fine! Note that I also used Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions. This one still retains a little of the coconut scent. I actually really liked that in this lotion! If you are looking for a good source of coconut oil I would recommend either the ones from Tropical Traditions (when they are on sale) or you can also find them at Azure.
If you do not want your lotion to be slightly coconut scented, use an Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil and not an Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
If you want to add essential oils as well for a beautiful scent or for their added helpful properties, I highly recommend Rocky Mountain Oils.
Lavender Essential Oil, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, or Geranium Essential Oil are my favorite additions to this recipe.
How to Make Homemade Coconut Oil Lotion
Measure out your coconut oil and add the vitamin E and essential oils. (If desired.)
This is my before shot. See how the oil is kind of lumpy and clumpy? That will change soon!
Begin whipping your coconut oil with your hand mixer (or stand mixer). This will remove all those clumps and lumps and allow the lotion to get really smooth. This picture was after about 2 minutes.
You will want to mix for a few minutes total to be sure that the entire mixture is perfectly smooth.
Here’s what it should look like after mixing the homemade coconut oil lotion.
I put my Coconut Oil Lotion recipe in a jar with a plastic screw on lid to store on my bathroom counter. Like I said above, a little goes a long way with this lotion! If you want to complete your homemade creams collection you will also want to check out my post on homemade Vaseline!
–Need more lotion recipes? Here are some great Easy Homemade Lotion Recipes you can try!
Perhaps you are looking to make something a little different than the basic Coconut Oil Lotion. I’ve got you covered! Here are a few of my favorite simple variations to this recipe.
Whipped Honey Coconut Oil Lotion:
- 1 cup Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E
- 1 tablespoon Raw Honey (softened)
Combine ingredients following the instructions for the basic coconut oil lotion outlined above. Add the honey along with the vitamin e oil.
Sweet Citrus Coconut Oil Lotion:
- 1 cup Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E
- 10 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Combine ingredients following the instructions for the basic coconut oil lotion outlined above. Add the orange essential oil along with the vitamin e oil.
Sleepytime Lavender Coconut Oil Lotion:
- 1 cup Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E
- 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Combine ingredients following the instructions for the basic coconut oil lotion outlined above. Add the lavender essential oil along with the vitamin e oil.
Peppermint Coconut Oil Lotion:
- 1 cup Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E
- 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Combine ingredients following the instructions for the basic coconut oil lotion outlined above. Add the peppermint essential oil along with the vitamin e oil. This lotion is especially nice when rubbed into your feet!
Tips and Tricks for Making and Using Coconut Oil Lotion
- Add a little beeswax to your coconut oil lotion to give it a little bit of a firmer feel and to help make it slightly less greasy. Be sure and add melted beeswax and add it when you add in your Vitamin E oil.
- I’ve found that I prefer this lotion on my arms and legs. I also like to use it on my face before I go to bed. It can be slightly greasy.
- The texture of this coconut oil lotion is very smooth and light. If you mixed it long enough it shouldn’t have any clumps and should be very silky.
- Coconut Oil will melt over 76 degrees so be sure and store your lotion in a cool, dry place. For this reason, I call this my winter lotion because I know it won’t melt in my home in the winter. In the summer I prefer Homemade Shea Butter Lotion or my Homemade Lotion Bars.
- As I mentioned above, you can always add various essential oils to this lotion as well. Do not use anything that will cause phototoxicity.
- I’ve found that the more that you use this Coconut Oil Lotion, the less greasy it tends to be on your skin. I’m not sure if the skin just begins to absorb it better but that’s what I’ve noticed!