Homemade Lotion with Frankincense and Lavender Oils - Dr. Axe
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Homemade Lotion with Frankincense, Lavender & Peppermint Oils

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Homemade lotion - Dr. Axe

Did you know that almost anything you put on your skin can seep right through and into your bloodstream? Yes, that includes parabens and other dangerous chemicals in skin products. So while many of you have taken the clean eating movement seriously (and that is fantastic!), many are forgetting about the products that they are slathering on their bodies.

Unfortunately, too many of these products are littered with chemicals and preservatives that head right into the bloodstream and travel throughout our bodies, wreaking havoc by causing inflammation and more.

But it doesn’t have to be that way with natural skin care, including my homemade lotion for your face and body. Aging is an indication of the time moving forward and while we cannot stop time, we may be able to help reduce the signs of it through our skin. This lotion is easy to make and will soothe the skin while offering a healthy glow soon after the first application.

How to Make Homemade Lotion

To make this amazing homemade lotion, you can use a double-boiler or a glass heat safe bowl — you can also use a glass measuring cup — that fits inside a pan. Put the benefit-rich olive oil, beeswax and shea butter in the container you have chosen for heating over medium heat and slowly melt while stirring. If you are using a glass container and saucepan, make sure the sauce pan has enough water in it to cover about half the glass bowl.

Olive oil has amazing moisturizing characteristics without being too greasy. Olive oil has been used since ancient times and it contains squalene, which is a phenolic compound that is filled with useful anti-aging antioxidants, hydrating qualities and may fight skin cancer.

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Beeswax is another amazing skin-healing ingredient, and it locks in moisture. Beeswax is filled with  softening and emollient rich vitamin A, which can help rebuild damaged skin cells. And being comedogenic, it won’t clog pores — keeping the skin moist and blackhead free.

Shea butter adds more richness to this hydrating skin-glowing lotion. With the ability to boost collagen, shea butter is a perfect ingredient to add to this blend.

Once these ingredients have melted and are well blended, remove from the heat. After allowing the mixture to cool, add the essential oils. Frankincense is my go-to when it comes to skin. Not only is it an anti-aging and wrinkle-fighting ingredient, it helps heal bacteria-containing blemishes.

Lavender partners right up with frankincense to help reduce acne-causing bacteria while providing useful relaxing benefits as well. And let’s not forget about peppermint oil, which travels with me wherever I go. While it can eliminate headaches in seconds by placing a drop on the forehead, it can eliminate aches from sore muscles and rejuvenate the skin. Peppermint essential oil is microbial, providing calming effects to inflamed skin such as a sunburn, eczema and psoriasis.

Now you can try it out to see how you want the texture. For a creamier texture, you can use an electric mixer or hand beater for a minute or two. Once all ingredients have been well blended to the desired consistency and has cooled, place in a container. I like to use a glass mason jar, but you can also use a BPA-free plastic bottle with a pump.

I like to keep my DIY lotion in the refrigerator during the warmer months to maintain consistency since the coconut oil can melt. You can decide what works best depending on where you live.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful chemical-free lotion that is gentle enough to use every day!

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Homemade lotion - Dr. Axe

Homemade Lotion Recipe

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  • Author: Dr. Josh Axe
  • Total Time: 20 min
  • Yield: 60 applications 1x
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Description

Here’s a homemade lotion for your hands, body and face. This DIY lotion is easy to make and will soothe the skin while offering a healthy glow soon after the first application.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoons beeswax
  • 1 tablespoon shea butter
  • 10 drops frankincense essential oil
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil
  • 5 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions

  1. Place the olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax in a glass bowl in a pan with warm water (or you can use a double-boiler).
  2. Heat the ingredients, while stirring, until they melt. Continue to stir until well blended.
  3. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the essential oil.
  4. Stir again until well blended.
  5. Check the consistency. For a thinner, creamier consistency, use a hand mixer (or electric mixer) for one or two minutes.
  6. Place in your favorite container. Dark glass is best for extending shelf life
  7. Apply, as needed, to the hands, face and body, avoiding the eyes.
  • Prep Time: 10 min

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64 Comments

  1. Balanced bites on

    Enjoy the vegan meal plan Dubai at Balanced Bites, United Arab Emirates. Delicious plant-based meals catered to your dietary requirements.

    Reply
  2. Susan Kawlewski on

    I’m anxious to get all of the ingredients and make this lotion. I know the body lotion I get from Bath and Body Works has Shea butter and I haven’t had an outbreak of eczema in almost two years.

    Reply
  5. Heather randall on

    Very interesting stuff to know. I have been using this essential oil for years. But l did not know it also had other benefits that it also does for the body & hair. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Janet Randle on

      Very interesting, I did make this lotion and feels great on my dry skin and smells good. Thank you Dr Axe for sharing.

      Reply
  12. Rosie on

    I knew frankincense was good to mix with face cream or moisturizer but I didn’t know how much to add, this recipe is very useful to me, I’m grateful you posted the recipe so I can use it with confidence.

    Reply
  15. Claire on

    Hi, the page on orange essential oil doesn’t have a comment function so I’m asking here.

    I’ve got a natural face cream containing sweet orange oil (I don’t know if this is essential oil or not) and I’m wondering if the warning about staying out of direct sunlight for 12 hours after using on the skin applies to lotions, creams, balms etc which contain citrus essential oils. I burn really easily so want to take all precautions if this is the case.

    Reply
    • Nicole Alvarado on

      Never expose your face to the sun you don’t need wrinkles keep your face cover I am 49 years old and I don’t have that much wrinkles because I never expose my face to the sun I can show you my picture if you like if you respond to my message

      Reply
  19. Daniel on

    I’ve been on a number of pages on this site that reference “Homemade Frankincense and Myrrh Lotion” that link to a recipe, but the recipe in the link does not contain Myrrh. Is there a Frankincense and Myrrh Lotion recipe on the site? I have been able to locate it using the link and search. Thanks

    Reply
    • Nicole Alvarado on

      You can add inside of the lotion as many different essential oils you like you can add neroli mirrh frankíciense and much more the point is one spoon of base oil and 15 drops of essential oil for each you can make a big galón and use it as much as you like it depends how many essential oils you like to put inside double the ingrediente

      Reply
  20. Michele on

    How long does this last? I have been reading if you don’t use a preservative, when making your lotion, the lotion would only last a week or it can get contaminated…

    Reply
    • Nicole Alvarado on

      If you store it in dark glass bottle in dark place is not gone be contaminated don’t use in plastic containers and warm place remember oils can turn in fire sometimes I keep them in refrigerator is nice to have a massage in warm weather with something cold or just warm it up a bit in put it in a small cup inside of other pot with water and warm it for 10 min if you have a oil warmer much better some people prefers a warm massage oil when you apply to your skin

      Reply
  25. Janet on

    I made this recipe and I like it. However, after a couple of weeks the lotion developed a grainy texture. I still use it, but I would like to correct the problem when I make another batch. How can I keep the lotion from becoming grainy?

    Reply
  27. Vicki on

    Can you recommend a brand or place what type of beeswax white or yellow? Shea butter refined or unrefined. Its all very confusing.

    Reply
  28. Sam on

    Is there a vegan alternative to the beeswax that offers the same benefit? Thank you in advance as well as for this recipe! Can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth on

      Ive made mine without beeswax. The only difference is that it isn’t temperature stable. It will melt above 75 degrees F. But it works fine, I just added a little more Shea butter tonoffset the consistency

      Reply
    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      Hi Nadia, do you have more olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter? You can add more of these ingredients to help offset adding too much rose essential oil. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  33. Lind on

    Are the essential oils necessary to preserve this hand lotion recipe? Can I leave them out for an “unscented” lotion? Thank you!

    Reply
  34. Lind on

    Hi! I’m wondering if the essentials oils in this recipe are necessary as a preservative, or can I use my favorite essential oils? Thank you!

    Reply
  39. JIM GENTIKOGLOU on

    hi dr axe

    i’ve tried to purchase the numa essential oils from internet but have no luck.
    do you ship them to australia melbourne
    need them due my wife is fighting secondary cancer in her lymph nodes in her left supraclavicular node and the left subpectoral adenopathy
    do you have any suggestions in what I can do for my wife in either essential oils or dietary program or anything that will help her.
    finding it really distressing in the advice of one practitioner is so different to another, i would really appreciate your expert guidance

    Reply

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