By: Kimberly Daun, Certified Aromatherapist
You can use most of this weeks new oils in this super simple lotion recipe. This makes 4 ounces and has a shelf life of 1 year with proper storage.
What you’ll need:
- 2 ounces Shea Butter
- 2 ounces Sunflower Carrier Oil
- 4 ounce bottle
What you’ll do:
- Measure ingredients.
- Mix together, no need to melt (I use a hand mixer)!
- Transfer lotion from the mixing bowl to bottle (I use a frosting bag).
Davana; for nervous tension and a racing mind (per ounce)
- 5 drops Davana
- 4 drops Frankincense Carteri
- 3 drops Marjoram Sweet
Jack Pine; for energy and a mood boost (per ounce)
- 6 drops Jack Pine
- 4 drops Lemon (Steam Distilled)
- 4 drops Laurel leaf
Fragonia; for relaxation (per ounce)
- 6 drops Fragonia
- 4 drops Chamomile Roman
- 2 drop Mandarin
Can I use Olive Oil in this recipe instead of sunflower oil? Would the olive oil cause it to be greasy???
We haven’t tried this recipe with Olive Oil, so we can’t say how it would change the end result. If you do give it a try, let us know how it turned out!
Is this pretty moisturizing? Is it safe for kids? I don’t plan on adding any oils to it. Just the 2 ingredients. 4yr old and 11m old
Since this recipe doesn’t have essential oils, it will always be safe for children of any age. Both Shea Butter and Sunflower Oil are highly moisturizing.
Hello, can i make this with solid coxonut oil and sunflower oil?
Solid coconut oil has a different consistency than shea butter, so it might not turn out the same. If you wanted to try it, you might have to adjust the ratio to keep it from being too runny.
Does it have to be crude shea butter?
Hi Colleen, you can absolutely substitute another butter for this recipe. Just keep in mind the consistency might change, so you might have to adjust the ratio to the Sunflower Oil.
Also, just curious re dilution you have here – suggestions of 12-14 drops per oz = 48-56 drops of EOs in this recipe…. that seems a bit high for everyday full body application where other recipes on PT site say no more than 1% per oz…. (ie 9 drops which means no more than total 36 in this recipe) so I’m confused. I tried this recipe with 48 drops lavender and it is very strong – seems too high, any advice?
Hi Amy! The answer to this is that…this is a very old blog post! We’ve since updated our safety standards as the industry continues to learn more and more about the use of essential oils. You’re correct, the lower dilution is the safer option.
I think this is such a great idea, however when I made it it turned out more of a liquid than the nice white lotion pictured. I used refined Shea butter and refined coconut oil plus lavender EO – any theories?
Hi Amy, if this consistency didn’t come out right, I’d recommend increasing the amount of Shea Butter and decreasing the coconut oil. Adjusting the ratio should help with your finished product.
I just got my PT Shea butter. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks PT blog for the diy recipes we can do at home. So much healthier than chemical based moisturizers!
I just made this and omg it is so greasy! What can I do to make it less greasy!?
I would recommend either trying a different carrier oil, like Fractionated Coconut Oil, or adjusting the ratio of Shea Butter to Sunflower Oil.
I got Sunflower oil just to try this recipe. What happens if you melt the shea butter and then mix as it cools?
Oh I’m so gonna have to try this tomorrow!!! I think I will add may Chang!
Easiest recipe for lotion. Love this and have used it many times.
I just made two bottles of this last night and I LOVE IT. Thank you for the recipe! The lotion is so silky smooth, and was especially nice on my feet and hands, which tend to be drier. I used the Near Perfection and Camellia Seed carriers with shea butter. I think I’ll try one with cocoa or mango butter next!
I would like to use his lotion for eczema in my hands. What oils would you recommend I use?
Brenda, a few great EOs to help support symptoms of eczema include Lavender, Geranium, Myrrh, and Helichrysum Italicum 🙂
This sounds easy! Wondering if it should be stored in a dark glass bottle if it has EOs in it, rather than clear plastic as pictured?
Diana, a dark bottle would be ideal, but as long as a clear bottle is kept in a cool, dark environment out of direct sunlight it should be just fine 🙂
So excited to find this recipe!! made some yesterday and added Fantastic Franks, Ylang Ylang and Soft Skin. I have been using it on my face at night, I really like the combination. Will try a new blend this weekend, maybe with the Feb OOTM, chocolate cherry cordial! Yum!!
I’ve tried this and being new, I’m glad it is easy to follow. It felt greasy at first but the lotion absorb into the skin shortly. Gonna make a second bathc soon. Thank you for the recipe and information.
Now this is my kind of recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
I cant wait to try these
Hi! Do I need to add a preservative to this if I just make it without EO’s… would it need it if I make it with EOs?
I would say no, because there is no water in the recipe. Preservatives are only needed when making anything with water based products or using water.
I do not have davana for the first recipe, what oils would be similar in property so I can replace?
I can’t wait to try this!
Using this ratio of shea butter and either jojoba oil or sweet almond, what would be a safe amount (how many drops) of essential o. for kids? (I have lavender, citrus fresh, lemon, and tangerine)
I would use 5-9 drops of your eos for every ounce of the lotion, which would be a 0.5-1% dilution amount. I would make sure that you are using non-phototoxic citrus oils 🙂 thanks!
So if I end up with 4 oz (2oz of shea butter and 2oz of jojoba oil), I need to add 5 to 9 drops of EO multiplied by 4?
Also do I just add the EO to the final product and mix it or do I have to mix it with jojoba oil first and then mix all these with shea butter?
Hi, for the ingredients, are you using ounces by weight or by volume (liquid ounces)? Thanks!
Weight
Can anyone tell me how this feels on the skin? Does it absorb well or feel a bit greasy?
I just put mine on my hands a few minutes ago so I can speak from experience! It does go on looking/feeling a bit oily, however after only a few minutes (3) it absorbs and the site of application no longer has a greasy look or feel. I like to use it right out of the shower, by the time I’ve applied the lotion and I’m ready to put my clothes on it has already absorbed really well. This is my favorite, most frequently made lotion. Please come back and let us know what you think!
Both times I’ve made this its turned out like cake batter. That can’t possibly be right. I tried adding more shea butter to it but its still very battery. What could be going on?
If you live in a warm environment that can come into play, I would recommend adding a little bit of Shea butter at a time until you get your desired consistency.
Not a warm climate at all. But I finally found out today that the scale I bought is a complete piece of garbage.
Made this today, using grapeseed oil. I increased the shea butter to 4 oz. to create more of a thicker body cream. I also added a few more drops of davana. I didn’t have a pastry bag, so I cut the corner of a ziploc bag.
Sounds great!
Hello !
What amount of grape seed oil did you use
To the 4 oz of shea butter
Did you melt together /cool / then whip ?
Thankyou
Could I use cocoa butter instead of shea butter?
The consistency will be a bit different since Cocoa is a harder butter. I would recommend reducing the amount of cocoa butter you use to keep it from getting too hard.
I have now made this twice and both times it looked so light and smooth after I whipped it but when I go to use it it is grainy. What am I doing wrong? Today I used 2 oz. Crude Shea and 1 oz Sunflower oil because last time I used 2 oz of each and thought maybe that was made it grainy. Thank you
I haven’t had this experience, in fact I stopped melting because I kept making it grainy. There was a discussion this week on the Facebook group Safe Essential Oil Recipes on this very topic. It seems to be the general consensus that you should slowly melt the shea and make sure the carrier oil is the same temperature. I’m going to experiment a bit today melting at different temperatures. Hope this helps!
I just read in a lotion blog that you should melt the oils, then QUICKLY cool them in the fridge and then you can take them out and whip them. This is supposed to prevent graininess. I haven’t tried it yet, but plan to.
My Shea butter is refined.. will that still work?
Yes absolutely!
Refined is supposed to be less grainy…
I recommend you change “Lemon” to “Steam Distilled Lemon”. The link takes me to the sun-safe lemon, but when I simply looked at the recipe, I wasn’t thinking and added the regular cold-pressed lemon to my lotion. I’ll be careful about when/where I use it. I LOVE the texture of this lotion and I hope it works in a pump!! Thanks!
4 drops of lemon per ounce still falls under sun-safe dilution. HTH
I’ve worried about using some of the citrus oils because of the potential sun hazard. Is there a reference sheet for sun-safe dilution? I’d love to know what amounts are still considered okay to use.
I think I know the answer to this but am asking anyway. 🙂 The recipe makes 4 oz but the examples for adding the EOs give # of drops per ounce. So we need to multiply time 4, right? Just wondering why the total # of drops given weren’t for the recipe for a 4 oz bottle. Thanks!
Yes you are correct, simply multiply by 4. People often scale the recipe to different sizes so listing the essential oils by ounce just simplifies for scaling purposes.
Is there a substitute for the Shea butter?(allergy)
I would recommend using Mango butter as a great alternative.
Can this be used as an every day body lotion?
Absolutely, I would simply keep the dilution at 1% (9 drops per ounce) of your essential oils if you’re going to be using it daily. This will help reduce the risk of issues related to sensitization.
Can you use Avacado oil instead of sunflower oil?
Although the properties may vary slightly you can certainly substitute for the carrier oil of your choice.