Storebought lip balms and lotions are generally filled with unhealthy ingredients that can be absorbed through our skin. Organic lotions are pricey and may still not have the best ingredients. For the last 10+ years, my family has been using homemade hard lotion and lip balm.
This recipe for homemade hard lotion and lip balm is made from coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. Hard lotion is a great all-over body moisturizer, and it is also wonderful to use on any very dry areas such as your feet and hands. (However, I don't use hard lotion on my face, as I prefer a lightweight moisturizer on my face.) I like to keep a bar of hard lotion by the kitchen sink since my hands get dry from so much time spent in the kitchen.
Hard lotion can even be used as a hairstyling paste! I discovered years ago that a small amount of homemade hard lotion works fantastically as a hair styling paste for short hair. When I have short hair, this hard lotion gives my hair a bit more texture and definition, without being sticky or stiff.
Hard Lotion, Lip Balm, and Hair Styling Paste
One part unrefined coconut oil (I typically use 4 ounces)
One part shea butter (I typically use 4 ounces)
One part beeswax (I typically use 4 ounces; if you know of any local honey producers, you can probably get the best price by buying this directly from beekeepers)
Optional: lavender essential oil, about 8-12 drops per 12 ounces of hard lotion
NOTE: You can make the lotion harder by adding more beeswax or softer by adding more coconut oil. In the winter, I sometimes like to add a bit more coconut oil since the lotion is harder in our cool house. In the summer I sometimes like to add a bit more beeswax so the lotion is not as soft in our warm house.
Using small crock pot (set on Warm) or double boiler over low heat, melt the beeswax.
Add the shea butter and allow to melt.
Add the coconut oil and allow to melt.
Stir well to combine. If desired, add lavender essential oil and stir a bit more.
For hard lotion, pour the melted ingredients into plastic containers or mini-muffin tins. Plastic containers work especially well since they have a bit of flexibility which is helpful when removing the hardened lotion in Step 8.
For lip balm, I generally use a spoon to fill up the lip balm tubes, filling them up while holding them over the crockpot to catch any spills. The liquid in the tubes will shrink down and become a bit concave as it cools; if you want your lip balms to look pretty and rounded on top, just add a few more drops of the melted mixture after the tubes of lip balm have cooled a bit.
Work quickly to clean up the pot and spoons while they are still warm. I find the best plan is to wipe them with a clean cloth or paper towel immediately. If you leave them to cool, the beeswax will be very hard to clean off!
Allow the melted lotion to harden at room temperature and then remove from the containers. I like to make enough to last for many months, so I just store the extra in the fridge until I'm ready to use it.
To apply the hard lotion, warm the lotion bar by rubbing it in your hands and then spread over your skin. For use as a hair styling paste, rub a little hard lotion onto your fingertips and apply to texturize short hair.
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