These easy homemade lotion recipe makes tiny bars that are shaped into bon-bons you can hold in your hand. They smell like fresh baked vanilla cupcakes and are all-natural! It’s a win-win.
This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you creative projects. Read more in Policies and Disclosures.
Smelling Nice Without Toxic Chemicals
I love indulgent, wonderful smelling body care products.
I hate chemicals, additives and artificial ingredients that can be dangerous to my children and the environment.
These two ideals are often at war with one another as I shop aisles upon aisles of wonderful smelling body lotions. I’ve purchased MANY natural bath and body lotions over the years only to be disappointed because:
1 – I did not like the scent
or
2 – They were not as natural as they claimed.
Homemade Lotion Recipe: Lotion Bars
I researched how to make lotion and stumbled upon Wellness Mama’s lotion bar recipe. It’s a genius idea, natural lotion that you can hold in your hand! You rub the bar over your skin it melts and moisturizes.
It’s a great way for kids to apply lotion. Much less spilling!
I tweaked the original homemade lotion recipe and scent to please kids. The scent was dubbed Vanilla Cupcake by my daughter. It is a light sweet scent that is pleasant, but doesn’t make you smell like a bakery all day.
How to Make Lotion Bon Bons
A silicon brownie pop mold makes lotion bars that fit perfectly into a child’s hand. Use any size or shape of mold you desire or keep the lotion in a jar with a wide mouth (you need a wide mouth to get your hand & the lotion out).
Homemade Lotion Ingredients
1/3 cup white beeswax (pastilles or grated)
1/3 cup organic coconut oil
1/3 cup mango butter
1-2 tsp Vitamin E
20 drops vanilla essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
Homemade Lotion Directions
1. Combine beeswax, coconut oil and mango butter in a large mason jar.
2. Place jar in a saucepan filled with water (a fake double boiler), heat pan over medium heat (keeping water out of the lotion mixture). Stir until all ingredients are completely melted (the beeswax usually takes the longest).
3. Remove from heat and stir in vitamin e and essential oils. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into silicon mold.
5. Cool bars completely (about 1 hour in a 70 degree room) and remove from mold; store in a jar or other airtight container.
6. Storage: These lotion bars contain no preservatives, make them in small batches and use them up in a month or two.
Cost to Make vs Buy
You can purchase a similar natural lotion bar at Lush for $11.00 per 1.8 ounce bar (about $6.00 an ounce).
This recipe produces 9 ounces of lotion bonbons for $8.22 ($0.91 an ounce).
That’s a savings of $5.09 an ounce! I love frugal victories.
Cost Breakdown
Cost per 9 ounces (price will vary depending on ingredient cost):
- Vanilla Essential Oil $0.87
- Lavender Essential Oil $0 .25
- Organic White Beeswax (pastilles) $2.24
- White Raw Mango Butter $2.70
- Organic Coconut Oil $1.26
- Vitamin E Oil $0.90
More Natural Bath and Body Products
I love making natural DIY bath and body products. Here are some of my favorite recipes:
Like my natural bath and beauty tutorials? Sign up for my free newsletter below and never miss a thing!
Joe C
My girlfriend is almost out of her hand lotion, and I thought this would be a great gift. But how would she carry this/these around? She can’t just toss them in her purse can she? Any ideas? Maybe a quart sized freezer bag, maybe…?
Bren
I would not recommend them for a purse. They can melt in hot weather. I prefer my healing balm for purse transport.
Desiree
Do you have to use white beeswax? Or can you use regular yellow beeswax?
Bren
You can use yellow beeswax, your lotion will be a bit more yellowish.
Effie
Where can I find Mango Butter and organic white beeswax?
Bren
If you click on the link in the ingredient list above you can see the products I used in this recipe. Hope you enjoy the lotion!
Sarah
I’m alergic to mangos, what can I use to substitute?
Bren
Sarah, you can use shea butter or cocoa butter in place of the mango butter. They will change the smell a bit. Cocoa butter will give you chocolate smelling lotion.
Robyn W
Thank you for this post! These look great! May I ask what you use for vanilla essential oil? I’ve been looking around and find the variety confusing and have heard that some vanilla products can discolor to a dark brown. Thanks again!
Bren
Robyn, so glad you like the post! I used this (affiliate link) Vanilla Essential Oil. It was a bit brown but just looks like vanilla flecks in the lotion.
Cris
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla essential oil?
Bren
Cris, I have never tried using vanilla extact in this recipe. I do use almond extract in my Cupcake Lip Balm recipe, so the vanilla extract may work but just be a bit less scented.
mkk1974
First off, I love the Wellness Mama website! I have made at least two or three of of her “recipes”, my favourite ones are:
Whipped body lotion
Lip balm
Shampoo/body wash
It is so much fun making my own products and not worrying about toxins in my body. I have even incorporated my beauty products in my gift baskets!
Bren
I love her site too, thanks for commenting!
Debbie
I have tried all the lotion basr and yours sounds great.When you measure to you use liquids or solids. I have tried melting first and measuring solids but they don’t turn out right. They are either to hard or to soft. Thank you
Bren
I measure before melting.
Camille
Can I omit mango butter?
Bren
Camille, you could omit the mango butter but you will have to add a bit more beeswax to make the lotion bars solidify correctly. (Mango butter is more solid than coconut oil at room temperature so it helps the bars stay solid.)
If you want to use only coconut oil and beeswax I would use 1/3 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp beeswax, 1 tsp vitamin E oil, 13-14 drops vanilla essential oil, and 2-3 drops lavender essential oil. If the bars seem too solid or too soft you can remelt and add a bit more coconut oil to soften or beeswax to harden.
You can also substitute shea butter or cocoa butter for the mango butter. Adding cocoa butter will make them smell a bit chocolatey like my Chocolate Cupcake Lip Balm!
Hope this helps!
-Bren
Saskia
I made it with lavender, vanilla and added lemon. The smell is amazing!
Bren
That sounds yummy! I hope that making them was easy.
Jennifer Miller
I’m going to try these soon! What about using a small loaf pan and slicing into bars? Any other scents you’ve tried?
Bren
It would be easy to make these in a loaf pan. I recommend lining the pan with foil or plastic wrap to make the bars easier to remove. Let me know how they turn out!
Julie Horihan
How fun! Looking forward to more posts from you!
Seagrave
Can you create a recipe for an unscented version of these? 🙂
Bren
You can easily make an unscented version by leaving out the essential oils. The other ingredients have virtually no scent. Stay tuned I’ll be posting an oil olive lotion recipe!