Primally Inspired Real food, Natural Remedies, Holistic Living
Lavender is a calming scent and is often used as an alternative therapy for sleeping and anxiety medication. And this lavender calming lotion does just that – it calms me down and helps me fall into a deep slumber each night. This lotion is especially helpful to calm and relax little ones (it’s safe for babies and children). I think you’re going to love it, too.
Best part? This lotion takes no more than 10-15 minutes to make and I bet you have all the ingredients at home already. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Homemade Three Ingredient Calming Lotion
Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil (Find it HERE)
5 drops lavender essential oil (Find it HERE)
Directions:
Melt the coconut oil and beeswax together in a double boiler on your stove top. (I just use a measuring cup in a saucepan of water.)
Once melted, add lavender oil and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
Using an electric beater, whip the cooled lotion. This step may be unnecessary but I find that adding a little air to the lotion provides for a smoother consistency and a better mixture.
Your lotion is ready to go! Since there is no water added to this mixture, it should be shelf stable until the expiration date of the coconut oil that you used.
Thank you for tje recipe
Grest gift idea! Bridget
I make something similar and also add shea butter. 🙂
Great recipe. I can’t wait to try it. I’m going to add some all natural Shea butter I brought back from Ghana. Dee
How do you measure the wax. Do you melt it first or grate it up? I want to make it this weekend. Thanks for the recipe
The wax comes in 1oz bars, so it’s 1 bar for each recipe since 2Tbsp = 1oz.
Hi,
Is this lotion greasy or oily?
thanks!
this is not lotion. it is salve. lotion has water incorporated in it. it still would be a great salve
I made lotion with water in it and after a month it molded. It had viamin e oil, grapessed oil, coconut oil, green tea, oat water, beesewax and essential oils, I don’t know what went wrong do you have any advise. I even used distilled water. Tahnks
Hi Amanda
Your lotion went mouldy because you did not use a preservative. Vitamin e is not a preservative it’s an anti oxidant. You can get more information on safe preparation of body lotion at makingskincare.com.
it would be nice to have these measurements in weights… so much easier to measure bees wax by weighing it. … 🙂
Thanks!
I am allergic to coconut. Is there a good alternative I could use ?
Shea butter would be a great alternative!
Thank you!
I wonder can you add magniesum oil to this for pain relief?
Yes for sure! I love that idea and love magnesium oil, too – it’s changed my life 🙂
Hello Madam, this lavender lotion is used for body or only for the face as a moisturizer…
I use this lotion for the body, but you could certainly use it for the face, too! Personally, I’ve noticed the best results using Argan oil on my face. You can read more about why I choose to use argan oil for my face here: http://www.primallyinspired.com/friday-favorites-argan-oil-beauty-benefits-and-uses/
Does the beeswax keep them from hardening at room temp.? I don’t like using coconut oil as a moisturizer in the winter as it gets hard.
Thanks.
Thank you for the recipe Colleen, looking forward to making some lotion. You mentioned that lotion requires water, so how much water should I add and are there any other ingredients to add to it to give it the consistency of lotion?
Can you tell me how much this makes? What size container do you use to store it?
I made this a few weeks ago and it turned out like a brick. I was going to remelt it. What should I use so it’s a little softer at room temperature? Thanks.
Cat did you whip it? Coconut oil should stay nice and fluffy and a whipped consistency at cooler temperatures if you whip it well. You need to whip it really well (it takes about 10 minutes in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) when the coconut oil is in it’s solid form and it should stay whipped. If your coconut oil is melted, put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes until it’s solid and then whip it. Hope that helps!
can I replace the beeswax with cocoa butter (kind that is solid at room temp) ?? thank you
Yes!
oops, or would it be better to replace the coconut oil with cocoa butter since they are both solid at room temperature? I have cocoa butter on hand right now, that’s why I ask. Thank you
Can you replace the lavender essential oil with different essential oils, like citrus ones, for an energizing or uplifting lotion?
Yes, for sure!
Would this work if I replace the coconut oil with cocoa butter, since they are both solid at room temperature? I have cocoa butter on hand right now, that’s why I ask. Thank you
I’m in the process of making this right now and its still cooling. It smells awful! I put lavender and lemongrass essential oils in it and I can’t smell them! Please tell me once its cooled and whipped it’ll smell like the lavender and lemongrass?!
Ok, this is more of a hard cream. I whipped it for over ten minutes just to make sure. Still semi hard. I feel water is necessary to make this a “lotion”. It’s ok, though. They are going to be lavender shaving cream gifts. Put them in 8oz wide mouth mason jars with labels on the lids. Super cute! PS I used more lavender drops, too.
Love your comment, Kelly: “You see, I’m a wanna be homesteader. I want tons of lush veggie gardens and chickens and goats and all that fun stuff.” Me too! I recently added rabbits to the list.
Ooooo yes! Rabbits, too!! 🙂
I want to make this only adding breastmilk also. Have you ever made any lotion by adding breast milk? I’m not sure if it then needs refrigerated. Thanks!
This would be a great relaxing nigh time rub for babies. All natural and with the calming effects of lavender. Thanks for sharing
Could you increase the amount of bees wax in this recipe in order to create lotion bars? or would it be a better idea to add something like soy wax to help solidify this recipe? If either of these would work to make this into lotion bars how much additional bees wax or soy wax would you need to add to the recipe to achieve the desired affect?
I would use caution with using lavender on children who have not gone through puberty. According the Medline Plus, a website for the National Institute for Health,
“Applying products to the skin that contain lavender oil might not be safe for young boys who have not yet reached puberty. Lavender oil seems to have hormone effects that could disrupt the normal hormones in a boy’s body. In some cases, this has resulted in boys developing abnormal breast growth called gynecomastia. The safety of these products when used by young girls is not known.”
I know two young ladies whose mother used lavender on them regularly from the time they were infants. Both young ladies began to develop breasts at the age of 6. Their doctor told them it was because of the regular use of lavender.
Please use caution in the use of lavender on children!
So happy I read you article about lavender in boys! I was going to make this to calm my youngest down before bed. What other oils would be safe but same effect?
I would like to make this recipe but all magnesium oil to it also. How many drops of oil would you recommend?
oops…add
Kim, do you mean how many drops of lavender or magnesium oil?
That jar is so cute!!!
Do you happen to know where I could find it?
Can you use a normal whisk thanx
yes, but it will take a much longer time.
Why is mine solid
Hi! I’m just starting to “naturalize” my care products. =) I tried using coconut oil alone as a body moisturizer but it was drying for me. =( What can I use as a substitute for coconut oil?
I love this recipe! I added a teaspoon on Jojoba oil also, which acts as a “carrier”…it helps absorb things into your skin. Mine also got hard after sitting for a while in a cool spot but in contact with skin, it melts right down. I also cut the beeswax quantity in half since too much makes it waxy. Instead of lavender, I used Rosewood oil…amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
One vital ingredient missing is vitamin e (an antioxidant). It’s important when using essential oils to add an antioxidant as without it once your skin becomes exposed to sunlight it accelerates radiation & premature aging of the skin.
I make my own lotion all the time and it cured my red scaly elbows and great for the face also and great sun protection too. I need to try out this recipe and finish using up my beeswax pallets.
Kelly, Have you ever looked into Young Living Essential Oils? Not only are they 100% but are grown on Young Living owned farms, distilled by YL, and are guaranteed from seed to seal. I know some oils don’t have to be 100% in the bottle to be labeled 100%. I love your site and have been following you, thanks for the information you put out there!
Made this today but x4 and added frankincense as well as lavender. Smells awesome! Great recipe!
awesome, Mary! Love your addition of frankincense!
Love DIY products with essential oils! I make a body butter with them. Lavender is my favorite!
is there a way to make this stay soft? mine just got really hard, i was wondering before i put my order in with bulkapothecary.com/categories/massage-oil-lotion.html if i should get anything special to keep it better. i dont know please help me. thanks
Hi Anne! Did you whip it and it’s still staying hard? If so, it sounds like you may need to use less beeswax. Try halving the beeswax.
What oil can I use instead of coconut, I am allergic to coconut.
Jojoba would be great! Or sweet almond 🙂
Thanks for the amazing recipe! do you know how much this makes?
This is a great recipe, thank you for sharing, it is super easy. Lavender is my favorite essential oil, so many benefits. I use beeswax pellets because they are easier to deal with measuring and such. I like coconut oil but it melts too easy so the beeswax helps keep it at a better consistency.
Love DIY products with essential oils!