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My homemade moisturizer tutorial is easy to follow with only four ingredients, apricot kernel oil, beeswax, rosewater (hydrosol) and cocoa butter. By picking high-power moisturizing oil and butter that provide plenty of nourishment, it delivers glowing skin and maximum hydration. This body cream is perfect if you have dry skin and need extra nourishment.
The texture is fondant, melts on the touch and is easy to apply. Plus it absorbs very well into the skin and does not leave a greasy feeling. You don’t need a lot of this DIY natural cream to moisturize your skin!
Homemade moisturizer ingredients
Carrier oils
Almond oil, apricot kernel oil or jojoba oil are natural oils that can be used to provide the base for this homemade moisturizer. These are all lightweight oils that absorb well into the skin.
In this recipe, I’ve used Apricot kernel oil which is made from apricot kernels and has similar health benefits to almond oil. It also has a high fatty acid content that reduces inflammation and locks in moisture.
Substitution carrier oil
You could substitute apricot kernel oil by almond oil or jojoba oil but the texture will slightly be different.
Almond oil is made from almonds. It has a high vitamin E content, which helps to prevent aging and to keep your skin cells healthy. It also helps protect against UV damage and a has a high fatty acid content that keeps skin moisturized.
Jojoba oil is pressed from the jojoba shrub and is another lightweight oil that is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids.
Emulsyfier
Beeswax is made from the honeycomb of bees. Its waxy properties enable it to form a protective barrier over the skin, which helps to keep the moisture where you want it! And, because it’s a natural humectant, it draws more moisture towards it. This helps to keep your homemade moisturizer last longer on your skin.
Butter
Cocoa butter is made from cocoa beans and is a richer, heavier oil that packs a lot of moisturizing and nourishing benefits. It is high in phytochemicals that have anti-aging properties, and it may even help to improve blood flow to the skin, giving you a natural glow!
If you prefer not to have a slight cocoa or chocolate smell, then use refined (deodorized) cocoa butter. I personally do not mind this sweet smell as it makes you want to eat your skin!
Hydrosol
Rosewater or rose hydrosol is distilled from rose petals. It relieves inflammation, a gentle antiseptic effect to clean the skin of bacteria, and an infusion of antioxidant vitamins and that produce clearer, brighter skin. Also, i love the subtle rose scent!
Bamboo Cream Jar Container
I found this really cute 100 ml bamboo cream jar container here in case you are wondering. It makes a great gift! Its easy to clean, reuse, and recycle.
Hand Mixer
I use this immersion stick blender with a stainless steel shaft which makes it easy to use. I’ve bought cheaper ones before but they would break on me after a few months. This one is pretty powerful and sturdy and has 2 speeds. Plus I love the color!
Why make a homemade moisturizer
The best way to making sure you are putting something clean and natural on your skin is to make it yourself.
Making your own moisturizer ensures that you can choose the highest quality ingredients and that you can make sure nothing unwanted is added in the process. Even organic certified products may contain preservatives and perfumes (also called fragrance), sadly. Companies add these ingredients in to make the product more appealing and last longer on shelves in the store so they can leave it in the market for 2 to 5 years.
You can even control for the type of container you use, avoiding plastics that may impart unwanted chemicals to your mixture.
Plus, buying the ingredients in bulk and producing your own moisturizer tends to be less expensive! When you buy a premade product you are also paying for shipping, transportation costs from its production source, and for marketing and everything else that gets the product to you, the consumer.
How to make your homemade moisturizer
To make a truly smooth moisturizer or body cream, you will need to use a process called emulsification. This may sound like a complex term, but its not that difficult to do! It really just means that you are taking molecules of different sizes and changing them into one uniform size. For instance, your light carrier oils and your cocoa butter have different molecule sizes.
To emulsify them, you simply need to mix them with an emulsifying agent, like beeswax. This helps to connect the molecules together. Cosmetic companies will often use synthetic or chemical emulsifying agents. To learn more about my top natural emulsifiers, please click here.
Because you are making our own moisturizer, you get to prevent this by using a natural one: beeswax! When you make your lotion, melt the beeswax down before combining well with your other ingredients.
As it cools down, the beeswax will naturally emulsify, producing a smooth, high-quality body cream!
Homemade moisturizer tutorial step by step
Step 1
Combine all the oils, cocoa butter & beeswax to your double boiler on low heat until they are melted.
Add the rose water, mix well.
Step 2
Once all the ingredients are melted, take your bowl out of the heat and put it in another recipient bowl filled with cold water, ideally with ice to speed up the emulsification process.
Start mixing with an electric hand blender like this one until you get a liquid cream consistency.
Step 3
To whip this butter and make it fondant, put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Then, use the hand blender to mix the cream again.
Add the essential oil if desired. it does help with preservation time.
Step 4
Add the essential oil if desired. it does help with preservation time.
Step 5
Pour in a glass jar container and use within 2 months.
Ingredients
- 1 tbs of organic rose water
- 4 tbs of organic cocoa butter
- 10 tbs of organic apricot kernel oil
- 1 tbs of organic beeswax pellets
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil optional
- Containers
- Glass Salve Containers- You can also find glass cream containers on amazon.com and amazon.ca
Instructions
- Combine all the oils, cocoa butter & beeswax to your double boiler (basically put an aluminum bowl or pyrex in a pan filled with water) on low heat until they are melted.
- Add the rose water, mix well.
- Once all the ingredients are melted, take your bowl out of the heat and put it in another recipient bowl filled with cold water, ideally with ice to speed up the emulsification process.
- Start mixing with an electric hand blender like this one until you get a liquid cream consistency.
- To whip this butter and make it fondant, put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Then, use the hand blender to mix the cream again.
- Add the essential oil if desired. it does help with preservation time.
- Pour in a glass jar container and use within 2 months.
- Yield: 100 ml cream jar.
Please let me know if you have any questions and how you like this DIY moisturizer tutorial recipe in the comments below!
I hope you have enjoyed my recipe, please share the love and rate ***** in the comments below!
I’m Eve, a DIY organic skincare recipe creator since 2010 that loves to make a big mess in the kitchen!
I’ve embarked on a journey to empower women to ditch all the chemical-filled commercial beauty products and to share how to make your own organic beauty recipes at home towards a healthier lifestyle.
Homemade face & body creams, body butter, lips balms, face masks, shampoos, and all-natural perfume will have no more secret for you!
I am self-taught, read many books, and spend many hours in the kitchen creating brand new homemade beauty recipes. All my recipes are unique and are tested on humans!
In 2016, I studied Aromatherapy and became certified by the School of Natural Health Sciences.
Hi! Thanks for the knowledge! I would like to add this natural preservative derived from fermentation of radishes ( Leucidal Liquid) at which stage should preservatives be added to the recepie?
Hello! I love this recipe but it always becomes solid after I’ve finished. Is there something I could try doing differently so it stays a cream?
Hi! I’m thinking about starting my own skincare line. I love this recipe so much and I would like to make it one of my products. Is that okay? Also, how long does this recipe last?
Author
Best of luck for new venture!
it last 2 months, you can also add a natural preservative like Grapefruit seed extract, use it 0.5 to 1% to preserve your products and make it last longer.
Thank you for that information!
I meant to do five stars but my mouse probably slipped and I didn’t notice.
how long does it last when the grapefruit seed extract is added.
thanks, Isobel.
What did I do wrong?
I made the recipe substituting Shea butter for Cocoa butter and found it to be rather greasy and I can’t get it to thicken. I also wonder if the quantities you have are correct. Is tbp – tablespoon? If so then the amount of almond oil alone is 100ml so the finished quantity cannot be 100g. I’m concerned I’ve mucked it up. Not ideal when I’ve used rather expensive ingredients. Thanks
Author
I cannot guarantee the results if you change the ingredients but to answer your question:
tbs = tablespoon
you are right, the total should be 400ml, not 100ml, I’ve updated the recipe!
To thickens, please follow the instruction carefully and put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then whip.
if you use the same proportion butter/oil/beeswax, it should work, even if you used shea butter instead of cocoa butter.
Hello, thanks for the recipe. I have a question about the beeswax. Some other blogger doesn’t suggest to use beeswax as an emulsifier, she always recommends only complete emulsifiers (as the water and oil can’t combine together). But I see in your recipe that it combines nicely :/ now I’m confused
Author
The proof is in the pudding…
i am not sure if it came out right…..was following/got to remove from freezer stage and started whipping it….when I stopped it started hardining, is this supposed to happen or should i have whipped it for longer ?It is in the post now, definitely didn’t ‘pour’ in, thicker….let me know if I am doing something wrong?
This recipe is lovely. I love it. However, this is my personal preference, I’d like to add a preservative to it. Can or will you recommend one and how much would I add? Again, it’s just my personal preference. Please send me an email. Thank you.
Take care,
Brenda
Author
Hi Brenda, read this blog post about preservatives. usually, use it at 0.5%, max 1% of the recipe.
Hey eve.i LOVE your recipes.as i have an extreme oily skin im looking for a hydrating cream.because my skin has enough of oil specially on T zone(forehead+nose+chin).so all i need is hydration.any siggestions?.tnx
Author
this is great for oily skin!
https://www.organic-beauty-recipes.com/diy-face-serum-recipe-anti-wrinkles-with-essential-oils/
I love your website!! I plan on making this and would like your opinion of which EO to use… my concern is both cellulite and to overall moisturize. I know grapefruit, rosemary, orange, lemon, and geranium would help but not sure the combo to use or just do all of them? Or if there is another oil you would recommend?
Also I usually just make my lotion/ blend with a actual mixer (don’t have a handheld) Can I just put the bowl in to the fridge and let it emulsify to blend it instead of the ie bath?
Thank you so much!! You rock!
Author
Hi Brittney, thanks for your kind words. 🙂
Avoid any lemon, orange or grapefruit essential oils if you are using it under the sun as they are photo-toxic and can burn your skin.
Geranium is great for the skin and against fine lines, just not more than 1 or 2% dilution.
I would keep rosemary essential oil for the scalp and to use as medicinal properties.
What kind of mixer you are using?
You need to mix while you cool down the cream.
cheers,
eve
Hi Eve.
Thank you for the recipe.
The ingredients list has natural emulsifier 5%, but I did not see its incorporation into the recipe. Is it just the bit of beeswax instead?
Author
Hi Monique, yes it’s just the beeswax that I use as an emulsifier, sorry it’s confusing, I will update the recipe!
Hi Eve, I live in the tropics. Will this survive without having to be refridgerated? As you can imagine, the fridge is already full without having to keep cream in it.
cheers
clare
Author
Hi Clare! lucky you are living under the tropics 🙂
unless you put it under the sun, it should stay solid. Increase the cocoa butter content if needed.
Because this has the water and oil can it be used as a cold cream?
If you don’t recommend that, can it be used as a face and neck cream?
Author
Hi mark! yes, it can be called a cold cream. I use it on my face and neck as extra moisturizer before going to bed, my skin feels so nice the next morning!
Hi, just wondering the shelf life of this cream?
I love all your recipes!
Thanks!
Author
Hi Meg, about 1 to 2 months. Since I did not use preservatives but used essential oils, just make sure you use clean hands when touching the cream.
The essential oil helps with preservation.
Hi mam! Can u share face gel receipes like fairness gel, wine gel etc
Author
good idea, I will put it on my to do list!
Hello,
Just wondering if this will grow bacteria or fungus because there is no preservatives?
Thank you
Author
you can add a few drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract as a natural preservative.