Lotion

I've wanted to make my own lotion for a long time. I have had allergic reactions to sooooo many lotions. And, I have allergic reactions to sunscreen, which seems to be included in 90% of facial lotions. Then, I have to factor in a list of ingredients that can't be used in combination with my prescription acne/retinol gel. Ug - there's no commercial products left to try once I weed out all of those contenders!

So, I raided my cabinets to see what I could make on my own. I had shea butter, aloe vera gel, glycerin and honey. The honey is important, as it's naturally antibacterial so it should inhibit germ growth and it's wonderful for healing skin imperfections. The healing portion will be helpful on my hands, as they crack so much due to frequent hand washing as a hospital employee!

I combined 1/8 cup of aloe vera gel, 1/8 cup honey and 1 Tbs glycerin in the mixing container that came with my stick blender. I melted 1/2 cup of shea butter and poured it in. Using the stick blender, everything began to blend, but quickly hardened due to the nature of the shea butter. I added about 1/4 cup of distilled water to the mixture to give it a creamy texture. It all came together quite nicely. I poured out some of the concoction into a repurposed Yankee Candle jar and labeled it for face use (it's unscented). I then added several drops of jasmine and sandalwood essential oils and blended again. This scented lotion will be for body use, though I'm lazy about moisturizing anything other than my hands. I filled another Yankee Candle jar (the smallest they make) and still had enough for another container. I put that into a food container and put it in the fridge, so it'd keep well.

I've already used quite a bit on my hands, just wiping bits off of the containers. It's amazing and my skin feels wonderful! Now, my stick blender on the other hand . . . it'll take several washings to get fully clean!