Learn to Make: Lotion from Scratch

Water - Lotion is made with up to 70% water. You’ll want to use distilled water. You can substitute some or all of the water with a hydrosol:

Hydrosols - Hydrosols are essential waters that consist of the leftover water from the steam distillation of the plant or herb. They can add a small amount of scent to your lotion.

Base Oils - You will want to choose oils that have a long shelf life. Different oils offer different results in lotion based on their properties. Some examples:

Lighter base oils for a face or oily-skin lotion:

Medium oils:

Heavier oils for a heavy body lotion:

Butters - Butters are great to use in lotion. They add protective barriers to the skin and help to add emolliency and thickness to the lotion. Butters can include shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter or any other natural cosmetic based butter or butter blend.

It is important to note that harder/brittle butters will make a thicker lotion and softer butters will make a thinner lotion. Some common butter choices include:

Cocoa Butter - Pure Cocoa Butter is thought to reduce skin dryness and improve elasticity.
Shea Butter - Pure Shea Butter is high in vitamin and mineral content, which is thought to benefit dry skin.
Mango Butter - Pure Mango Butter is thought to exhibit excellent moisturizing properties while countering the drying effects of bar soaps and cleansers.
Tucuma Butter - Tucuma Butter is considered to have high levels of Lauric, Myristic and Oleoic fatty acids, which are all thought to moisturize the skin and hair.

Emulsifiers - Oil and water don’t mix. You’ll need an emulsifier to emulsify your lotion. Some common ones include:

Emulsifying Wax - Soft & Silky - Provides a powdery, soft, silky feel to lotion formulas. Lotions made with this emulsifier tend to have a very light, whipped appearance.
Emulsifying Wax - Traditional - Provides a protective feel to lotion formulas. Lotions made with this emulsifier tend to have a heavy, cream-like appearance.

Thickener - Lotions can be made thin to put into bottles with pumps or made thick enough to put into containers, such as jars, and scooped out. The most common thickener is:

Stearic Acid - makes a thick cream. Also helps stabilize the emulsion.

Fragrance - You can fragrance lotions using fragrance oils, essential oils, or a combination of both. The typical usage rate for both is about 1% of the total lotion recipe, but double check IFRA guidelines to make sure you comply. Preservatives - Since lotion formulations include water, you’ll need a preservative to prevent contamination. This is not optional. Natural bacteria, mold & yeast thrive in water-based product environments if not preserved.

Pay careful attention to the formula pH, manufacturing temperatures and usage rate of your chosen preservative as they vary by product.

Most preservatives give a usage range. If you are bottling your lotion into containers that restrict anything from getting back into the container (such as a disc cap or lotion pump), you can use the lower amount. Use the higher amount when one of two things occur:

You use an open jar or container that allows for more contamination (especially from fingers dipping in).
You use harder-to-preserve ingredients such as botanical extracts, etc.

*Grapefruit seed extract, Rosemary Oleoresin and Vitamin E are not preservatives; they are antioxidants used to prevent rancidity in oil-based products. They should NOT be used in place of an actual preservative.

Some common preservatives include:

Sorbic Acid +2 PF - Highly effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial preservative that is effective at pH levels below 6.0.
- Paraben Free. Formaldehyde Free.
- Product Manufacturing Temperatures: No Higher than 176°F
- Formula pH: Best Below 6.0
- Effective Against: Bacteria, Mold, Yeast
- Usage Rate in Lotions/Creams: 0.75-1.5% added to cool down phase
Water Soluble PF - Excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial preservative, compatible with virtually all cosmetic ingredients. Good for water based formulas.
- Paraben Free.
- Product Manufacturing Temperatures: No Higher than 122ºF
- Formula pH: 3-8 Restrictions
- Effective Against: Bacteria, Mold, Yeast
- Usage Rate in Lotions/Creams: 0.1-.5% added to cool down phase
Water Soluble - Effective against Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria as well as yeast and mold. Recommended to preserve water-containing formulations with less than 25% fixed oils and/or butters.
- Contains Parabens.
- Manufacturing Temperatures: 140ºF
- Formula pH: No restrictions.
- Effective Against: Bacteria, Mold, Yeast
- Usage Rate in Lotions/Creams: 0.5-1% added to cool down phase
Water Soluble/O25 - Effective against Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria as well as yeast and mold. Developed for creams and lotions containing over 25% fixed oils and/or butters.
- Contains Parabens.
- Manufacturing Temperatures: 140ºF
- Formula pH: No restrictions.
- Effective Against: Bacteria, Mold, Yeast
- Usage Rate in Lotions/Creams: 0.5-1% added to cool down phase
Phenonip - This is a preservative that is intended to prevent bacteria, mold and fungal growth in products. It is insoluble in water so must be added to the oil phase when making lotion, prior to emulsifying with water.
- Contains Parabens.
- Product Manufacturing Temperatures: No restrictions
- Formula pH: 3.0-8.0
- Effective Against: Bacteria, Mold, Yeast
- Usage Rate in Lotions/Creams: 0.25-1% added to cool down phase

You can formulate your own lotion recipe by using the percentages below.

Water - 70%
Liquid Oil - 15%
Butter - 5%
Emulsifying Wax - 5%
Stearic Acid - 3%

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