DIY Natural Beauty and Skin Care

Best DIY Diaper Cream to Kick Diaper Rash Fast

This is the best homemade diaper cream, made with healing and soothing ingredients like shea butter, zinc oxide, and coconut oil. Infused with essential oils or calendula, this cream works to keep diaper-rash away, or heal a bad diaper rash quickly. Click to learn how to make this easy, natural cream that’s also safe for cloth diapers!

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Luxurious Easy Homemade Lotion: no-heat method!

Homemade Lotion DIY recipe that is easy to make! It's non greasy, great for dry skin, eczema, and sensitive skin, body or face. This recipe mainly uses shea butter and aloe vera with no coconut oil.

Easy homemade lotion
that is non greasy and great for sensitive skin

Cracked dry skin from over washing? This recipe for homemade lotion is perfect for use on hands, body and face. It can be used on sensitive skin, and works wonders for those with acne, scarring, or eczema. This easy DIY lotion is made with shea butter and aloe vera, and is without beeswax, heating, coconut oil, or emulsifying. Perfect for use on face and body!

Outstanding Homemade Lotion: easy no-heat method!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, but you will not be charged a penny extra! And mama, I never recommend products I don’t love or believe in)

Do you want to make your own lotion, but just don’t want the hassle of heating things in a double broiler or using emulsifying wax? This easy lotion is for YOU!

I’ve always dealt with very dry and sensitive skin. It has been a journey to find a lotion that doesn’t cause irritation, break me out, or leave me greasy.

Consequently, when you’re a frugal crunchy mama, it is really hard to find a cost-effective and HEALTHY option in stores.

If you are in a similar place as me, this DIY lotion needs to make it onto your to-do list. It has been the answer to my lotion quest.

Making your own skin care products lets you tweak it perfectly for your own skin needs

My skin is pretty sensitive and I have random allergies and intolerances, so being able to add different essential oils just for me (or not) makes the world of difference.

For instance, I found a great natural store bought lotion that was perfect in every way except for the use of grapefruit essential oil. Guess what I’m allergic to? Yeah. Grapefruit.

Related post: The absolute best DIY diaper cream

When I first tried to make my own lotion, I just couldn’t find a recipe I loved. Everything I tried just felt heavy and oily on my skin.

And I just hate a thick, greasy lotion. With every homemade lotion I tried, greasy is just what happened. Probably because, well, homemade lotions are pretty much oil-based and oils are…oily…

AKA greasy.

Bleh.

I was so close to buying emulsifying wax because apparently you can add water to oils when you do that, which makes homemade lotions less greasy (from what I read).

However, I wasn’t really looking forward to the mess it looked like it was to make.

Plus, adding water without enough preservatives to a lotion can cause a mold issue.

Here’s why this homemade lotion is the bees knees

BUT THEN I found a recipe that used aloe vera gel and shea butter—two of my favorite things that I practically always have on hand—and I decided to give it a go before embarking down the emulsion path.

The result is seriously amazing.

You’ll LOVE this lotion!

It’s extremely easy to whip up (quite literally, you just whip).

There’s no heating involved. No emulsifying. Just whipping (so a kitchen mixer is definitely going to be your best friend here).

Can you believe it?!

I almost didn’t.

This lotion helps to heal and soothe your skin, even if you have really dry and sensitive skin like me.

Cracked dry skin from over washing? You can use this on those poor dry hands for some much needed relief.

It is gentle enough to use on your face, but is also wonderful at moisturizing all over.

You can even use it in your hair to calm frizzies and help define waves a little bit.

Multi-purpose items are my FAVORITE! Seriously. Who doesn’t like having things that can do more than one job? If I can use something for a couple purposes, it makes me really happy.

So let’s talk about the awesome and simple ingredients in this homemade lotion…

Shea butter

This is a great natural butter that has a low (some argue non) comedogenic rating, meaning it won’t clog pores (which is pretty important when you’re slathering your pores in something!).

Shea butter also…

Is high in vitamin E, which makes it ideal for those of us who have scarring
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Helps with collagen production, which softens and strengthens skin
Has a natural SPF of 6

Aloe Vera Gel

It’s important to note that this recipe calls for the gel, not juice. Aloe vera juice contains too much water for the recipe to work.

I remember breaking off pieces from my Nana’s live aloe plants in Arizona whenever I’d get cuts or burns. It was immediately soothing. But if you don’t have your own aloe plant to harvest, check out my favorite aloe vera gel

Aloe Vera gel…

Has healing properties that reach the deeper epithelial level of the skin
Provides a barrier for the skin that is moisturizing but not greasy feeling
Treats acne and scarring since it contains hormones that are champions at reducing inflammation and stimulating new cell growth
Is high in antioxidants, vitamin c, and vitamin e which all help with skin elasticity and slowing down the appearance of aging

Grapeseed Oil

This is an extremely light oil and also has a very low comedogenic rating. It’s also multi-purpose in my home since I love to use this oil in my kitchen for baking since it has a subtle flavor. In this lotion, it adds another layer of nourishing properties.

Grapeseed oil also…

Is high in vitamin e, which evens skin tone and helps remove scarring
Can accelerate the healing of acne by reducing inflammation and redness, and by helping cells regenerate to replace damaged skin
Absorbs quickly and easily, meaning it doesn’t leave you greasy

Now that we’ve talked about the why, let’s get to this easy recipe!

Whip it up quick.

Easy homemade lotion that is non greasy! With only 3 soothing ingredients, this is a favorite. Click for directions to make your own

Outstanding Homemade Lotion: easy no-heat, no emulsifiers method

Yield: 5 oz

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

A luxurious, creamy, effective homemade lotion with all-natural ingredients. Easy no heat, no emulsifying method.

Materials

Instructions

In the bowl of a kitchen mixer, fitted with a whipping attachment, add the shea butter and whip until creamy, scraping down the bowl frequently with a silicone spatula.
Add in the liquid oil and whip it on low for about 1 minute until it is well blended, stopping to scrape the side of the bowl at least twice.
Optional: Add in any desired essential oils and whip again
Add in the aloe vera gel in intervals--a little bit at a time! Whip it on high, stop to scrape, whip it again, then repeat, adding a little bit more aloe vera gel. Continue until all of the aloe vera gel is added and the lotion reaches a fluffy consistency
Scoop lotion into a jar. Keep extra lotion that cannot get used within 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Enjoy naturally smooth, moisturized skin!

Notes

*You MUST clean all of your equipment and containers very well before use to avoid mold and bacteria growth. I keep rubbing alcohol in a fine mist bottle and spray the bowl, attachment, jar, measuring utensils. and spatula before making my lotion.
*This moisturizing lotion does not use a stabilizer since there is some in the aloe vera gel I use, and I keep the extra in the fridge until needed. If you use fresh aloe gel, I'd suggest looking into a naturally derived preservative like this one
*If you experience a greasy feeling, rub the lotion in more to your skin. A little really does go a loooooong way! Wait five minutes until your skin absorbs what it needs, and then gently wipe off any excess. If that doesn’t solve it, add a tablespoon of aloe vera gel at a time until the lotion becomes less greasy, whipping and scraping lotion frequently.

Check out my favorite kitchen tools that will make all this DIY lotion stuff a breeze

A really quick cleaning tip (don’t worry about the mess!):

Boil water while you whip up this lotion (you can use a pot or check out this super nifty electric kettle I’m totally in love with). Put the dirty mixing bowl and attachment in the sink and pour the boiling water over it. All the left over oils and butter will come off, making clean up a breeze.

Homemade Natural Deodorant

In this post I’m going to teach you how to make a DIY natural deodorant that actually WORKS! It’s really easy to make, not requiring you to melt a single thing or work with hot liquids.

Things are about to get a little personal here. We’re keepin’ it real today.

Let’s talk body stink for a minute.

As a mom of three little kiddos, AND being pregnant with number four, I sweat without even trying. And then there are times I actually try to sweat, like, you know, with exercise and such. And then I sweat even while I’m sleeping (maybe it’s the sweatshirt, sweatpants, fuzzy blanket, socks, and quilt…maybe).

I’m a mess.

I used to use a pretty top-notch anti-perspirant to keep things under control, but then I found out about some potential negative side effects from using aluminum based deodorants.

My beautiful sister in law first brought my attention to it back in college (she’s married to my husband’s twin, and we were roommates in college. We’re adorable like that).

She had cancer as a kid, and was very aware of some of the possible links between the aluminum found in the majority of deodorants and cancer, so she didn’t use the normal stuff. I had never even known there was another option!

So my journey to figure out a natural deodorant that worked for me began.

AND it’s been a reallllllllly long one!

Seriously.

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, but you will not be charged a penny extra! And mama, I never recommend products I don’t love or believe in. I so appreciate your support)

I have been looking and experimenting for the best natural deodorant for over 10 years now.

Some of the store-bought natural deodorants would work for a few days, but then would just seem to lose their potency.

Others never worked, but I was just hoping it was my body adjusting to the natural deodorant…but it was never my body adjusting. They just sucked.

So I started making my own. I used one I made with great success for about 2 weeks before my armpits actually started breaking out in a rash. My husband has been a trooper and has tried to switch to natural products with me, and he even broke out in a rash from it. His skin isn’t sensitive like mine, either.

Not. Good.

I finally found a store-bought natural option that really worked great for me, this Thai salt spray deodorant, but I just hated spending that much money on salt water (like, a whole $5 haha okay, I’m a cheapskate…or shall we say, frugal. Yes, that. Frugal sounds so much better).

DIY skincare is totally my thing, and I desperately wanted to be able to home-make something that worked.

Obviously you know the end of this story, because, well, I’m writing a recipe of a homemade natural deodorant right now. SO I FOUND THE ANSWER to all my sweaty, stinky, wanna-home-make problems!

This homemade natural deodorant is almost TOO easy. It seriously only has 2 main ingredients plus essential oils. Toss is in a jar (these are my favorite) Shake, shake. Boom.

Need a baking soda free deodorant? Check out this simple 2-ingredient deodorant HERE.

The only kinda weird thing about it is that this natural deodorant is powder. I’ve never used a powder before, so it was a mental adjustment. You will want to apply it with a big makeup brush (Elf sells really inexpensive brushes that are perfect for this) before you get dressed. This powder doesn’t turn your shirt pits white after you apply, but the powder can be a touch messy if you’re trying to work around clothing.

A natural deodorant, homemade deodorant that works!

While I’m moisturizing my body in the morning, I just put my moisturizer under my armpits as well. Then I apply the powder deodorant on top, making sure I cover the area well.

Is it just me?

When I went “glamping” with my sister last weekend, she needed to borrow some of my natural deodorant (it’s ok, I borrowed her toothpaste. We all need each other). It was great to test this out on someone else’s skin before sharing this natural deodorant recipe with all of you!

I got a text that night after we had parted ways that she NEEDED this recipe for the DIY deodorant! She couldn’t believe how well it worked for her!

Um, enter ecstatic dance here!

I love it when things I’m excited about work for other people, too.

So if you want a healthier de-stinkifying option, but just haven’t found your natural deodorant soul-mate yet, give this natural deodorant a try!

And you might have everything you need in your cabinet already!

The best homemade deodorant I've found! It lasts all day, is cost-effective, and is ridiculously easy to make.

Homemade Natural Deodorant

What You Need

Small jar
Powder Brush
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
10-15 drops tea tree essential oil
10-15 drops lavender essential oil

Directions

Combine baking soda, arrowroot powder, and essential oils to a small jar and tighten lid
Shake thoroughly
That’s literally all you do

Note: shake before each use and apply powder all over armpit with an inexpensive powder brush. I also recommend applying it after a lotion like this one.

Want more homemade, natural products? Check out this post on a DIY natural sunscreen that has a bug-repellent bonus!

I’d love to know if you have found a DIY deodorant that works for you! Leave your comments below!

Natural Homemade Sunscreen Recipe That’s Healthy for Your Family’s Skin!

Natural Homemade Sunscreen
+ added bug repellent ingredients

Learn how to make an easy, natural, homemade sunscreen to keep you and your kids safe this summer! Shea butter, zinc oxide, and essential oils are the stars of this natural homemade sunscreen recipe.

Beautiful summer time! The days are getting pretty darn hot here in the Pacific Northwest, and even with some very overcast days, I have to remember to bring that sunscreen with me everywhere.

Apart from it actually working, this natural sunscreen is EASY to whip together.

Literally.

You throw it all in a kitchen mixer and whip it.

Don’t have a stand-alone mixer? Use whatever beater you’ve got.

There is NO heating. No double-boiler. No refrigerating. And it’s seriously done in less than 5 minutes. And I even have a clean-up tip at the end of this post for added easy-peasiness.

Zero excuses.

Why I started making our own natural sunscreen

One word: hives.

My first born son broke out in hives all over his poor little body at three months old.

As per our pediatrician’s recommendations, we stopped using our laundry detergent, various lotions, and soaps.

Related post: DIY Laundry Detergent (cloth diaper safe)

That experience made me sorta kinda super paranoid about everything I did put on his skin.

I started reading labels and paying very close attention to ingredients. And come summer time, I was all over checking out various sunscreens, not wanting to have another hives flare up.

And know what I found?

Sunscreen is scary, man. Really, the list of ingredients on most of the store bought brands is terrifying (I’ll tell you some reasons why in a minute).

So we completely stayed away.

What we did instead

We tried a couple natural, organic products, but they were SO sticky and SO very thick.

And expensive. Like, you got the tiniest tube and it cost triple what a giant, family size bottle of regular sunscreen would cost.

I researched homemade recipes like crazy and ended up trying some really bad ones. Some that just were so white it made us look like we were dying and some that made us (ok, ME) breakout (thanks, coconut oil).

Not helpful. But we finally landed on this recipe that has been a collaboration of things tried and true.

I know everyone’s skin is different, but this works really well for us.

So why make your own if you don’t have skin sensitivities?

Like I mentioned above, the ingredients in many sunscreen products are just plain bad. And some may even be deadly.

Some studies have shown that people who use sunscreen are at a high risk of skin cancer…the exact thing you’re trying to prevent by wearing it.

Why is this?

According to Dr. David Jockers,

“All of these compounds [ingredients found in most sunscreen] are extremely toxic to our skin and the rest of the body. These toxins create large quantities of free radicals which promote oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a powerful carcinogen that causes genetic mutations. These compounds mimic the effects of estrogen in the body which leads to hormonal changes and the increase of cancer cell development.”

I would definitely urge you to do your own research on it. I’m not a doctor or an expert, but there are doctors and experts who have some great content available about the potential harm in regular sunscreen.

So after that pep talk, aren’t you ready to get started on this homemade natural sunscreen recipe?!

The ingredients used in this DIY sunscreen

This natural sunscreen includes ingredients that have naturally occurring SPF (sun protection factor)! all have their own form of SPF. I love that. It’s natural protection that even has benefits for your skin.

Shea butter: SPF 4-6

Jojoba oil: SPF 4

Carrot seed oil: SPF 35-40

Zinc oxide: SPF 10-20

For an added bug repellent boost, you can add lavender, lemon eucalyptus, and tea tree oil to this recipe.

Especially since sunscreen=outdoors, and outdoors=bugs.

That’s usually the math.

Lavender, lemon eucalyptus, and tea tree oil are natural pest deterrents. Bugs just don’t like those oils. BINGO!

My two favorite brands for essential oils are Zongle Therapeutics and Plant Therapy.

Not all essential oils are safe for children, and many shouldn’t be used on children under the age of two. Including lavender, lemon eucalyptus, and tea tree oil. If you want to use this sunscreen safely on your infant, you’ll need to leave out the essential oils.

Just a note on these ingredients

I know that these ingredients are not common household items in every home. Heck, I didn’t own ANY of these ingredients prior to my son’s hive experience.

All of these ingredients can be used for more than just this recipe.

Shea butter with jojoba oil is perfect for this kid-friendly body lotion.
Plain ol’ shea butter is a simple frizzy-hair tamer. Just rub a pea size amount in your palms and apply to the ends of dry hair.
Zinc Oxide can also be used in homemade diaper cream or a charcoal face mask for it’s antibacterial properties.
Lavender, carrot seed, and tea tree oil can be used in a face serum.

Don’t be scared! It might sound a little crunchy, but crunchy is trendy right now anyway.

Ingredients for Natural Homemade Sunscreen

½ cup shea butter
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
1 teaspoon carrot seed oil
1 tablespoon zinc oxide
15-20 drops your choice of essential oil (optional)

NOTE:

I do not advise using citrus essential oils like lemon or orange as they can make your skin sensitive to the sun
For added bug repellent, use lavender and tea tree oil for your essential oils in this recipe. I recommend 12 drops lavender and 8 drops tea tree oil. You can also use lemon eucalyptus in place of half of the lavender.

How to Make Your Natural Sunscreen

Put shea butter in the bowl of a mixer and turn it on medium for a few seconds until it breaks apart. If your shea butter is quite solid, follow the tip for you below.
Add the jojoba oil, carrot seed oil, and essential oils and whip on high for one minute, scraping the side of the bowl down as needed.
Stir in the zinc oxide and then whip it once more until all of the powder is fully incorporated.
Scoop sunscreen lotion into a container of your choice.
Now go enjoy your summer!

Quick Clean-Up Tip

While making this natural sunscreen, put a pot of water on to boil. I like to use my electric kettle.

Once you’re done putting the sunscreen away in a cute container, put the beater and spatula in the mixing bowl and put it in the kitchen sink.

Now pour your boiling water into the bowl and stir it around until the butter and oils are melted.

Dump it out and wash as normal (I always wash it in the dishwasher after making skin care products. It helps de-grease it more and makes me feel better).