A good lotion can help soothe dry skin and make your skin soft and supple, eve during winter. Here’s a simple Shea lotion you can try for nurturing your skin this winter.
Shea Butter is one of the best ingredients for skin care and suits all skin types. Let’s take a look at how to use it to prepare this lotion. Shall we?
Ingredients
Shea Butter – 12 Tbsp.
Sweet Almond Oil – 6 Tbsp.
Lavender Essential Oil – 25 Drops
Jojoba Oil – 6 Tbsp.
Instructions
Melt the Shea Butter in your double boiler.
When fully melted remove from heat.
Add in Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil and the Lavender Essential Oil one after te other.
Stir to combine.
Refrigerate for a few minutes – the mixture should solidify slightly.
Blend on medium high using your hand blender till the mixture becomes creamy and fluffy.
Transfer to a sterilized jar.
Done!
Tips to Tweak the Recipe
You can choose the carrier oil according to your skin type – Jojoba Oil works for all skin types, though good for combination or oily skin. Pumpkin Seed Oil and Grapeseed Oil are good for oily skin too.
Avocado, Wheat Germ and Sweet Almond Oils are good for ageing skin or oily skin.
Coconut Oil and Olive Oil are ideal for normal skin.
Avocado, Wheat Germ, Olive or even Sesame Oils are good for dry or damaged skin.
You can use any essential oil of your choice – Lavender, Myrrh, Chamomile, Geranium, Frankincense, etc. You can choose according to your requirement or preference. Examples:
Tea Tree EO, Lemon EO – Oily or acne prone skin
Lavender, Chamomile – Sensitive Skin
Frankincense, Myrrh – Ageing Skin
Helichrysum, Vanilla – Dry Skin
Ylang Ylang – Normal Skin
You can also skip the essential oils if you prefer.
You can use a hydrosol for a more lotion feel – you will need an emulsifier in this case. Beeswax can be used instead of an emulsifier, but a true emulsifier works better. Candelilla Wax, Emulsifying Wax, Lecithin, Stearic Acid, etc. are emulsifiers.
Hydrosols you can consider are Aloe Vera Gel or Extract, Lavender Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Green Tea or Floral Teas, Herbal Extracts like Neem, etc. You might need a natural preservative and go with smaller batches in most cases when using hydrosols.
You can use Cocoa Butter instead of Shea Butter if you have dry or ageing skin and aren’t prone to acne or pimples.
Shelf Life
You can use this for 3 – 6 months if not more, as all the ingredients are oils.
However, if you use hydrosols prepare a smaller batch and use a natural preservative. You might need to refrigerate depending on the ingredients you add.
How to Use the Lotion
Apply it on your skin and massage gently to help penetrate your skin.
Applying right after shower when your skin is slightly damp gives best results.
Don’t have time for DIY recipes? Try Aya Naturals products for skin and face care. The products are all-natural, organic and prepared using high quality ingredients from the Holy Land of Israel. Can’t get better than this, right?
