Dry Winter Skin Lotion Recipe

Please note: This post is sponsored by MommyKnowsBest.com. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

 

The holiday season. The time of year when temperatures drop, heaters come on, the wind chills, and the daily battle to maintain healthily, moisturized skin begins.

Winter is always a trying time for skin. As dry indoor air often strips away the thin layer of oil that traps moisture in the skin during the colder parts of the year. Leaving skin itchy and tight. Like wearing an undersized turtleneck. And for those living with painful conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, this severe dry skin can be made all the worse each winter.

Whether you have eczema, psoriasis, or xerosis, otherwise known as severe dry skin, finding new ways to replace moisture stripped away from the skin from dry, cold air is a must! Which is why during the holiday season I love to break out this recipe for 1-Hour Winter Skin All-Natural Lotion Recipe. A recipe that is super nourishing, super versatile and super simple to make.

While I’ve bought so many lotions and creams in my life, including expensive organic blends, but I always come back to this recipe because it’s both simple to make and simply makes my dry winter skin feel better!

Why make your own lotion:

I also love making my own lotions because I’m able to keep out of my blend the harmful ingredients commonly found in many store-bought lotions including:

• Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): A food preservative and stabilizer that’s an endocrine disrupter and carcinogenic.
• DMDM Hydantoin: A formaldehyde-releasing preservative used in body lotions that’s an irritant for eyes and skin. And while there’s no evidence that DMDM hydantoin itself is a carcinogen, formaldehyde definitely is. 
• Artifical Fragrances: Including diethyl phthalate, endocrine disruptors that are toxic to organ systems and can potentially emit harmful VOCs, which pollute indoor air quality, cause reparatory allergies, and induce asthma symptoms at home.
• Parabens: Parabens, including butylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and ethylparaben, widely used in the cosmetic industry since the 1950’s. While they prevent bacteria and fungus from growing in cosmetics, they are known hormone disruptions and have been linked to the formation of malignant breast cancer tumors. 

The best part about making your lotion at home? Many of the lotion’s ingredients are products you more than likely ones you already have on hand or can affordably buy online. Making it frugal in and time-saving in nature. In fact, I buy most of the products I need to make my DIY lotion at one online site, Mommy Knows Best. It’s my one-stop-shop for holistic living products at home. 

I love to use products from MommyKnowsBest because they are a leading provider of safe, natural products for nursing mothers and moms who seek an affordable, holistic lifestyle at home, like myself. Something everyone can appreciate this time of year!

Mommy Knows Best carries the staples I use in this recipe including nourishing oils and xylitol powder. A naturally derived sugar, that in addition to helping promote healthy teeth and gums, helps skin retain its own natural moisture by way of a natural boost of hyaluronic acid, a natural lubricant that promoted collagen production.

I use all-natural soy wax flakes in this lotion. As soy also contains isoflavones, a type of plant-derived compound called phytoestrogen, that helps diminish wrinkles, reverse sun damage, and even tighten sagging skin. Making these vegan soy flakes the perfect base for DIY lotions!

I also like to purchase pre-grated wax flakes. After all, who wants to grate wax? Not me!

For my nourishing oils, I use jojoba and avocado oils. Jojoba oil is great because it naturally moisturizes skin by way of Vitamin E, Vitamin B Complex. It also helps fights skin-related fungi infections and promotes overall skin health. My favorite blend? Vie Naturelle Jojoba Oil, from Mommy Knows Best.

Avocado oil is great for hydrating the skin but is a naturally effective treatment for acne, eczema, and other forms of skin inflammation. Because of its skin-loving fatty acids, avocado oil is perfect for nourishing and pampering dry, itchy winter skin at home. My favorite blend comes from Vie Naturelle Avocado Oil. 

I also love to use essential oils in my lotion recipe. Adding them can turn your lotion from simply being moisturizing to a product that is nourishing and healing for your skin. An added bonus? Essential oils also make this lotion customizable. By adding a combination of holiday-inspired oils and jarring this lotion, you then have a DIY holiday gift idea too!

My favorite essential oil blend for winter:

• 10 Drops Bergomant Essential Oil
• 10 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 20 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Need a few essential oil blend ideas?

Aging skin: Rose, geranium, and lavender.
Energy: Lavender, lemon, bergamotnt, and grapefruit oils.
Issues with psoriasis or eczema: Helichrysum, frankincense, lavender, or chamomile oils.
Avoiding stretch marks: Helichrysum, lavender, patchouli, neroli, rose, geranium, or fir essential oil.
Holiday-inspired scents: Rosemary, clove, anise, or sweet orange oils.

So if you’re looking to help relieve your tightest, driest winter skin, here’s how to make it!

How to make 1-Hour All-Natural DIY Lotion at home:

Begin by measuring out your wax. You’ll need a full half cup. Make sure you are densely packing your measuring cup during this step. Adding less wax to your nourishing oils will result in a greaser more slippery lotion blend.

Now you’ll need to melt your wax flakes. You can heat your wax flakes over low heat in a saucepan or in a double boiler. For me, I opt for the microwave. This can be done by microwaving your flakes in 30-second increments until melted.

Once melted, add your wax to your vessel of choice. Quickly adding your xylitol to your wax. The residual heat of the wax flakes will melt your xylitol into your lotion.

You’ll then add your nourishing oils. I use equal parts jojoba and avocado oil. A few points to consider. Should you want a blend only for your face, add only jojoba oil. If you want a blend more for your body, especially for dryer areas such as knees, elbows, and legs, opt for a blend of only avocado oil. Make sure to stir in your oils into your wax and xylitol blend until well combined.

Now let your blend sit for 15 minutes, or until no longer transparent. After which, you will need to give it a stir. Then repeat this process every 15-minutes for the next hour. 

During the last round of stirring, add in your essential oils. A good rule of thumbs is to add 40 drops of essential oils, per 6-ounce jar, for citrus oils, and 10 drops per 6-ounce jar, for herbal oils.

In terms of storage, because of the fatty omega-rich nourishing oils, this lotion has the added benefit of being broad-spectrum preserved. Making this blend shelf-stable!

That’s it! How simple was that? Making your own lotion doesn’t get more simple than this! If you’d like to see my make this lotion live, you can check out my YouTube tutorial too! 

Friends, I hope you will consider trying your hand this at making lotion this cold weather season. Treat yourself to this all-natural blend. And when you’re ready to purchase the supplies to make this lotion at home, check out Mommy Knows Best for everything you’ll need to get started!

Looking for other natural, zero-waste skin DIY’s at home? Check out my other beauty posts and for more zero-waste goodness this season! 

Now I want to ask, do you make your own lotion products at home each winter? Or do you have tips for nourishing and healing dry, cracked winter skin at home? If so, I’d love to hear about them below!

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