You can never be too picky about what you put on your baby’s skin and for me, you can bet that commercial, chemical and preservative filled lotions don’t make the cut. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do until I found this homemade baby lotion recipe.
You wouldn’t feed those chemicals to your baby, so why would you put it on their skin? Skin – any skin, but especially baby skin – is very absorbent. If you rub it in, it’s going to make it’s way into the body.
And so, I make my own lotion. Incidentally, this is the same lotion I often use on myself. It’s an excellent facial moisturizer because it absorbs quickly, and you can adjust the ratios for your specific skin type. Oily skin? Use more aloe vera gel. Dry skin? Add more coconut oil. Acne problems? Add some tea tree oil.
As you can see, this homemade baby lotion recipe is very simple, and very easily customizable. It’s a great blend because coconut oil, as oils go, absorbs into the skin quickly, and the aloe vera gel helps it absorb much more quickly so that it doesn’t feel greasy at all.
There is some controversy about whether homemade lotions should be kept at room temperature for more than just a few weeks, so I’ll just say that I’ve kept mine out on the counter top for a couple months at a time with no issues at all. I do however usually add some sort of antibacterial essential oil to it, even if it’s just a few drops. If you do store it in the refrigerator, the texture will be closer to a lotion bar than a creamy lotion. (See picture below).
Lavender essential oil is an excellent addition to baby lotion – especially if your baby has a difficult time sleeping. Lavender is so relaxing – and it just happens to be one of those aforementioned anti-bacterial oils!
Homemade Baby Lotion Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup aloe vera gel
- Essential oil – several drops (optional)
Instructions:
- Gently heat coconut oil until just melted – but not hot. Pout into a blender or food processer (or use a cup and stick blender for easy clean up!) with cold aloe vera gel and essential oil, and blend until creamy and well emulsified.
- Scrape into a container with a tight fitting lid, and store either at room temperature, or in the refrigerator – whichever you prefer.
- That’s all there is to it!
Have you ever made your own lotion?
Notes: Since writing this, I’ve learned that keeping it at room temperature only works if your room in 75º or below – the melting point of coconut oil. So if you keep your house really warm, you will definitely want to store this in the refrigerator!
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
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Kimberlly Batura-Myers says
I cant wait to try this. I have a baby to go to and thought it would be a nice idea to make my own lotion, soaps ect. Thanks for sharing
McKenzie says
Is the aloe vera pure aloe vera or the aloe vera gel you buy for after sunburns? Thanks!
Elise says
I use pure aloe very gel – nothing added. I think there’s a link in the post to the exact stuff I have.
McKenzie says
Thanks so much! One last question (I am new to the DIY lotions), is it okay to heat the Coconut oil on a stovetop just to melting and then let it cool?
Elise says
Yep. Just use a pan on the stove top. The big thing is just keeping it as cool as possible so it will set up nicely. 🙂
Anne says
A few years ago I used to make my own lotion using just a blender. It really is so easy. I added lavender essential oil to mine. Thanks for sharing!
Nicki says
Hello I was just wondering how long this is good for after making it. Is the shelf life different when stored at room temp vs. being refrigerated? Thank you in advance for your help, can’t wait to try this recipe.
Elise says
How long you can keep homemade lotions at room temperature is a rather hotly deputed topic. However, I can tell you that I’ve kept it with no problems for over a month at a time.
It’s possible though, that I’ve lost touch with what the normal room temperature is. Ours is almost always below 72º- the melting point of coconut oil.
Tami says
I tried this tonight but it’s still really separated and not at all a smooth whip. Had it in the VitaMix for 5+ minutes. Any suggestions? I hate to throw it out. Thanks.
Elise says
So sorry it didn’t work! Let it cool off and start to solidify, and try again.
The big trick is to make sure your aloe very gel is cold to re-solidify the melted coconut oil as it blends.
linnea says
hi I am having the same issue but the aloe fell is with the coconut oil… what can I do?
Nancy Snyder says
This site is awesome. I am so glad I found it. Keep up the good work.
Leialoha says
This is a most amazing lotion! I made this for the first time tonight. When I fist mixed it, the oil and the aloe gel was still separated, kinda like cottage cheese! I put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes, took it out and beat it again, it turned out so creamy and smooth! I love it! Made 2 batches, one with lavender, Lavendin and ylang ylang. One with rose water and aloe gel to make the 1/2 cup portion, rose absolute oil, rose water oil, and rose hip seed oil. Very nice! I also added about 1/2 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil, just for a slight preservative! Have fun with this one, make sure it is cold when whipping!
Electa says
Kindly share what types of essential oils are antibacterial. Which one did you use please? I’m excited about trying this. Thanks for sharing.
Elise says
Lavender is one of my favorite, especially for babies. Others are Peppermint, Tea Tree, rosemary, and eucalyptus. There are others of course, but those come to mind. 🙂
marlene says
be careful with the aloe vera…it is turning out that a lot of people
are allergic to it. Just a warning.
Jessie says
I made this, but it doesn’t stay creamy. The coconut oil firms back up. Is there something that I May Be Doing Wrong?
Elise says
Possibly a temperature issue? If it’s too cold, the oil may harden.
Aht says
you have to add emulsifier.1%
Barbara Leary says
Can you use any unscented cream with oils. My husband hates the smell of coconut oil. Thanks
Elise says
You can use expeller pressed coconut oil, which doesn’t have an odor.
Jess says
You can use lots of different kinds of oils. I like Grapeseed because it absorbs quickly and is cheap and readily available.
Here’s a handy reference I like to use
https://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/absorption-ratings.html
Shelby McAuliffe says
Hello 🙂
I was very excited to try this recipe as my baby has very dry skin and I am trying to steer clear of store bought lotions. I have been doing a lot of research on ingredients that are found in store-bought baby products, and the more I read, the more cautious I become. Anyways, I ordered the aloe vera gel that you suggest only to be very disappointed to find that the first ingredient on the label was CARAGEENAN. While the effects of this ingredient are controversial, the possibilities are reread enough to make me want to limit my baby”s exposure to it. Wondering if there is a ether option to use as a replacement?
Shelby McAuliffe says
My phone was acting up while typing this response, it’s supposed to say *another option
Jess says
Doesn’t Aloe Vera gel contain water?
If it does contain water then the recipe should be used quickly and refrigerated or preserved with something like Germal or similar product.
Sheri says
Does this work if stored in a pump bottle? Or would it be to thick?
Elise says
If it’s warm enough it would probably work very well in a pump bottle. 🙂
Meg says
Would this recipe work in a pump bottle, or is it too thick for the pump & should be kept in a “scoopable” container? Thanks!
Elise says
It really depends on the temperature of the room if you use coconut oil. If you use MCT oil, then yes, it will be very runny.
Lily says
Hi Elise,
I’m new to making DYI homemade skincare and very excited to try this recipe & your other recipes. I have aloe vera plants in my back yard & wondering if I can the gel from the fresh plant vs store bought which most likely has preservatives. Also, what is the shelf-life of these lotions?
Thank you,
Lily
Elise says
Hi Lily, you can try pressing the gel out of your aloe vera leaves. It may be thinner, but that’s the best stuff! 🙂
The lotion should last several weeks in your refrigerator, or a week on your countertop IF there are antibacterial essential oils, or grapefruit seed extract in it.
Maggie Bourdeau says
Thank you for this recipe!! Question- does anyone notice a bad smell after having the lotion on for a couple hours? It’s strange like it’s going bad on my skin…it’s the coconut oil, not the essential oil that I’ve figured out. Does anybody know why?
Theodora says
Hello! Great recipe! Is there anyway to add panthenol b5 on the creme for extra moisture?will be safe for the baby
Amanda says
So I know this post is kind of old, but I found it recently and really wanted to try it. Unfortunately I’m having a hard time getting it to emulsify. My first attempt, I thought maybe I got the coconut oil too warm, so I put the mixture in the refrigerator for a few minutes… Of course life distracted me, so by time I got back it was a mess… Liquid on bottom, hardish whipped coconut oil on top. After reading through the other comments I decided to warm it up a little to melt the coconut oil and try again. As it was cooling/firming up again I would come back and mix it every 5-10 minutes. When I thought it was finally all mixed and good to go (a little on the thin side, but completely Incorporated and creamy) I went back to the other project I was working on. Next time I walked by, it was separated just like the first attempt…???? what am I doing wrong?
Rebekah says
Didn’t work for me. I added the cold gel to the warm coconut oil, looked for 10 seconds like it would emulsify then it suddenly separated and thickened. I cooled it all off, tried again. Warmed it all up, tried it again. Just beat it for 2 minutes in stand mixer and it’s coated all the way up the bowl with nothing left in the bottom to mix. I would not make this again without an emulsifier.
Carmela Zenner says
I made this recipe with mostly fresh aloe vera scraped from my plant’s leaves. And it turned out foamy & slimy and stayed that way. It is stored in my basement bathroom so I know the temps don’t get above 70 degrees. I want to use it as a face lotion, what do you suggest I add to thicken it and maybe make it less oily but also still be healthy? Also I didn’t really think about whether I should have added grapefruit seed extract to it for longevity?
Simone says
Hello! I was wondering if you use already made aloe Vera gel or fresh inner flesh of the plant?
Elise says
I typically buy it.
Marion Moore says
Hi,
I made your Baby lotion and I love it.
It smell of lovely Lavender.
Thanks
Marion
X
Vanessa says
Can you switch the coconut oil out with something else? Maybe Jojoba oil or almond oil.