Adjusting our sail: Super moisturizing DIY body lotion

We have been getting our new to us home ready for winter since July, so it is surreal to think the cold weather is finally here. After putting up insulation on the outside of the house (to preserve the 100+ year look on the inside), putting in new windows, spray foaming EVERYTHING, closing up the porch and getting a new gas burning stove, the last thing on my mind was my winter skin.

Since we just moved from a state that has a total of 2 winter-like days all year long, to the north... having a real fall with cold, windy weather and promises of colder, windier weather ahead is a little overwhelming. My skin hates it. Just hate. On top of my skin healing from stretching beyond its ability with our second baby, now I have to deal with the cold sucking the life out of it too. Not to mention I'm breastfeeding, which makes my skin even more dry...

My solution? To make something, of course. In this case I'm making some super moisturizing lotion.

This recipe is a slightly edited version of one by my best friends mom made me a few years ago. I LOVED it and have been using it for a few years. That is the other thing that makes this stuff wonderful. It last forever because you only have to use a tiny bit of it.

I'll explain each ingredient as we go through it. Each part has a special reason for being in the recipe.

So, lets strap this baby in her momma carrier and make some lotion.

What you need:

1 cup Shea butter

1 cup Coconut oil

6 tbsp Vitamin E oil

1/2 or 1/3 cup Arrow root powder

75-100 drops Essential oils of your choice

A container to put it in

mixing bowl and spoon or stand mixer/electric mixer

What you do:

So I bought this Shea butter. It is solid, as Shea butter is. It comes in a convenient 8 oz tub.

The first thing I did was stick it in the microwave and melt it so I could pour it into a mixing bowl. I took it slow-- 20 seconds at a time until it was melted and I stopped it if it began to pop. I really don't know if it would hurt it but all I had was the 8 oz so I took it safe and slow.

After melted you just dump it in the mixing bowl.

The Shea butter is the meat of this recipe. It is the main component for moisturizing your skin.

Next, you add the coconut oil. This should be liquid around 75 degrees F. If it isn't squishy or liquid you will have to melt this too. Same advice. Warm it up slow.

The coconut oil will keep the mixture liquid-ish once it is all said and done. It will also contribute to the moisturizing ability of the lotion.

The third componant is the vitamin E. Add it to the same bowl.

The vitamin E is to help preserve the lotion. It is a fat soluble antioxidant, therefore will help to preserve the lotion (coconut oil) from spoiling.

Next add the Arrow root powder.

The arrow root powder helps the lotion be less greasy. I prefer using arrow root powder over cornstarch because it will not be a GMO product (yet, as far as i know) and cornstarch is almost always from GMOed corn. Since we really don't know how GMOs effect us, I do my best to avoid them.

Finally you add your essential oils-- I've said this before in my diy laundry detergent post, but I will say it again. Essential oils are strong chemicals and need to be used with caution. see the laundry post for more info (at the bottom).