Homemade Moisturizer Tutorial

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.

Please let me know if you have any questions and how you like this DIY moisturizer tutorial recipe in the comments below!