UPDATE (7/24/11) – Make sure to check out my DIY lotion update – this time with no water!

Between diaper changes, garden work and working in the kitchen I find that I wash my hands many times a day. As a result I found that my hands were really dry all the time. In a search for a solution I came across hard lotion bars and found that I really liked how well they worked. They leave my hands almost waterproof, so that constant hand washing doesn’t dry me out. My main pet peeve is that for whole body use a lotion bar can be time-consuming to apply.

Looking though last weeks Simple Lives Thursday posts I came across this post from Prairie Sunrise about homemade bag balm. Her recipe is similar to my hard lotion bar recipe but she adds water at the end and mixes it to make more of a cream. I decided that this might be what I was looking for and that I needed to give it a try, adapting the recipe to my ingredients.

UPDATE – Take a look at the comments for Jennifer’s comment about adding water. She makes a good point in that adding water is adding a medium for bacteria, mold, and fungus, especially if you are dipping your hands into the lotion each time you use it. I wonder if adding tea tree oil or lavender oil would help keep things more sanitary? Hmmm. I do know that I will make my next batch without the water and let you all know how it goes. While you’re at it, click on the link for Jennifer’s blog – she has some great stuff there!

After using this cream for a few days I am a convert. I still love my hard lotion but this cream is the bees knees! It’s much easier to put on my impatient kids and is great for quick application after a shower. All the ingredients are food safe, so you can feel good knowing you aren’t absorbing any nasty chemicals.

I have noticed that after a few days the water tends to separate out. I’m not sure i this is because I mixed it by hand instead of using an immersion blender, but I do know that the water will mix back in if you give it a stir.

Ingredients

1.5 Tablespoons Shea Butter

1.5 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 teaspoons beeswax (I use pastilles to make measuring easier)

9 teaspoons water

Directions

1. Melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax together in a glass jar. I melted mine in the microwave in the glass pint jar that I intended to keep my lotion in to save on cleanup. I used 30 second increments until it was melted together.
2. Carefully remove the jar – it will be HOT – and let it cool for a minute or two on a hot pad on the counter.
3. As it cools a bit you can begin adding the water and stirring it with a fork or an immersion blender. I used a fork. The cream will solidify more as it cools. I placed my jar (once it cooled a bit) into a bowl of cold water with a small amount of ice to help it cool faster as I whipped the lotion together.
4. Use liberally!

This post is linked to the Homestead Barn Hop. Check it out!