8 Recipes for Homemade Natural Moisturizers for Face and Body

Easy Ultra Light Moisturizer

This light lotion is great to have on hand near the kitchen or bathroom sink to keep hands moisturized after washing. This moisturizer will be similar to the kind you buy at the grocery store or drug store in a big pump bottle—and this will refill one of those bottles well (it's a pumpable consistency).

Creating a lotion requires emulsification, so be sure to follow the instructions closely.

Ingredients

• 1 cup floral hydrosol (lavender or rose are the least expensive and most common)
• 3/4 cup jojoba oil (or sweet almond oil)
• 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons cocoa butter
• 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel

Steps

1. Whip the aloe vera gel and hydrosol together with a fork in a medium-large bowl. Set aside in a warm spot.
2. Heat the beeswax, cocoa butter, and jojoba oil in the microwave or double boiler until they are totally melted. Stir to combine as they melt. When melted, remove from heat.
3. Gently pour beeswax and oil mixture into a blender. Let cool in the blender until it's room temperature.
4. Blend at the lowest setting for 10 seconds, then start adding the aloe vera and hydrosol mixture very, very slowly while the blender is on low. This is the tricky emulsification process. It should take at least five minutes but closer to 10 to pour all of the hydrosol mixture in. You should see them combining.
5. Keep going until it's the consistency you want it to be.
6. Store in a reusable container; a pump bottle will work well.

Stored in a cool place, your lotion will keep for up to three weeks.

Basic Lotion Moisturizer

This is a simple, basic moisturizer recipe suitable for most skin types. It can be used on the body and face. The emulsification process is key, so take your time, go slowly, and follow the directions below.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup aloe vera gel
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1/2 cup beeswax (grated or pellets)
• 1/2 cup jojoba oil (or sweet almond oil)
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• 15 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

Steps

1. Combine aloe vera gel, water, and vitamin E oil in a medium-large bowl. Warm them up by microwaving them together or heating them gently in a double boiler. The mixture should feel warmer than room temperature but not be hot. Set aside.
2. Heat the beeswax and jojoba oil in the microwave or double boiler until they are totally melted. Stir to combine as they melt. When melted, remove from heat.
3. Gently pour the beeswax and oil mixture into a blender. Let it cool in the blender until it comes to room temperature.
4. Blend at the lowest setting for 10 seconds, then start adding the aloe vera and water mixture very, very slowly while the blender is on low. It should take you close to 10 minutes to pour all of the aloe vera mixture in to properly emulsify your lotion and get the ingredients to combine fully.
5. Keep going until it's the consistency you want it to be. Add your essential oils last.
6. Store in a reusable container.

Your lotion will keep for two to three weeks when stored in a cool place.

Soothing Liquid Moisturizer for Irritated Skin

This oil-based moisturizer featuring chamomile oil is ideal for dry, irritated, itchy, or blotchy skin.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup argan oil
• 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
• 10 drops of carrot seed oil
• 5 drops of chamomile essential oil

Steps

1. Mix argan and sweet almond oil in the container you are going to use for storage.
2. Add carrot seed oil, then chamomile essential oil.
3. Mix all the ingredients.
4. Use on your face or any area of skin that needs TLC.

This oil moisturizer should be stored in a dark place or a dark container away from heat. Since the mixture will keep for up to six weeks, you might want to consider halving the recipe if you're only going to use it for your face.

Pink Rose-Hibiscus Soothing Moisturizer

Hibiscus flower has long been used in natural beauty applications because of its skin-hydrating properties. It's also easy to procure and inexpensive, and lends a lovely pink color to this moisturizer. The combination with soothing rose makes this a serious skin treat.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup argan oil
• 2 tablespoons organic hibiscus tea
• A small handful of organic rose petals (optional)
• 4 drops of rose essential oil

Steps

1. Melt coconut oil in a double boiler until it's very warm. Add argan oil.
2. While you are waiting for the coconut oil to melt down, finely chop or pulverize the hibiscus petals.
3. Add the hibiscus powder to the warm coconut oil and argan oil mixture and let infuse for at least two hours or overnight.
4. Strain the hibiscus fragments out using a cheesecloth; strain directly into the container you will be storing your moisturizer in.
5. Add a few drops of rose essential oil and mix well.

Day Moisturizer for Dry Skin

This is a rich, liquid moisturizer for dry facial skin, but it could work as an enriching all-over body moisturizer, too.

Some people can experience irritation with ylang-ylang, so a spot test is recommended (note that ylang-ylang should always be mixed with a carrier oil, even for a skin test).

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons sweet almond oil or jojoba oil
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon sea buckthorn oil
• 10 drops of essential oil

Steps

1. Mix oils well in your bottle or container of choice.
2. Apply a light coat and gently massage into your skin. This is a rich oil, so start with a little bit and add more to determine how much your skin needs.
3. Be sure to shake before each use to recombine oils that might separate between applications.

Decadent Enriching Moisturizer and Massage Oil

This thick and rich oil is ideal for the body but will likely be too heavy for most facial skin.

The combination of essential oils means the scent matches the intensity of the moisturizer—but you can leave them out, change them up, or halve them if it's too much scent for you.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons argan oil
• 4 tablespoons jojoba or sweet almond oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
• 5 drops of sandalwood essential oil
• 5 drops of rose essential oil
• 5 drops of bergamot essential oil

Steps

1. Mix oils well in your container of choice.
2. Apply a light coat and gently massage into your skin. This is a rich oil, so start with a small amount and add a few drops at a time as your skin absorbs the oil.
3. Be sure to shake before each use.

Super Simple Moisturizing Body Bar

Moisturizing bars are great for travel, camping, or people who don't want to worry about using up a lot of moisturizer in a few weeks before it goes bad. Made in different shapes, they also make adorable gifts!

These bars are meant to be solid until rubbed on skin, when they will melt just enough from the heat of your body to give you a usable amount of moisturizer.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons shea butter
• 4.5 tablespoons chopped beeswax pellets

Steps

1. In a double boiler or microwave, heat all ingredients together. Stir well.
2. Pour into molds or containers. You can make them any size or shape you like, from palm-sized to candy-bar-sized.
3. Allow to fully cool before popping them out of the molds.
4. Keep it in a tin or wrap the bottom in cloth and leave the top application part sticking out so you can grab the bar by the cloth and not get any on your hands.
5. Store unused bars or pieces in a sealed bag or glass container in the fridge to preserve until ready for use.

Extra-Rich Moisturizer for Aging Skin

This extra-rich oil combination can be used to moisturize the face, neck, and chest, especially if you have very dry skin.

Rosehip oil and marula oil are both shown to have anti-aging effects. The essential oils and carrot seed oil mix well together to provide hydration benefits.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons argan oil
• 1 tablespoon marula oil
• 1 tablespoon rosehip oil
• 12 drops of carrot seed oil
• 5 drops of rose essential oil
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil

Steps

1. Mix oils well in your container of choice.
2. Apply to your skin, gently massaging it in using upward-smoothing motions, starting at the jawline and working your way up the face—but avoid the eye area.
3. Be sure to shake before each use to recombine oils that might separate between applications.