Winter weather is a common cause of dry skin. The decrease in humidity levels and increase in time spent indoors can lead to itchiness, painful cracks, dermatitis, and eczema. Moisturizing with body lotion is especially important this time of year, which is why I made essential oil lotion bars to distribute dermatological relief alongside of holiday cheer.
Essential-oil lotion bars are shockingly simple, requiring only 4 ingredients:
One recipe yields five, 2-by-2-inch lotion bars.
Ingredients
Other materials that you will need:
- Kitchen Scale
- Saucepan
- Sheet Pan
- Silicon Spatula
- Silicon or Aluminum Foil Molds
- Leaves, Needles, Berries, Flowers, for Decoration
Directions:
- Decorate molds with leaves, berries, flowers, etc.
- Place molds on a sheet pan. Do this step in advance to prep for pouring the hot liquid.
- Measure the coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter and add to a saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on a burner on medium-low heat and stir ingredients until melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Add the essential oil drops. I used Thieves, Orange and Peppermint essential oils for the first batch (20 drops per oil) and Lavender & Lemon essential oils for the second batch (30 drops per oil).
- Pour the liquid mixture into the molds and be sure that the liquid fully covers the added decorations.
- Let the lotion bars cool in the fridge or outdoors for 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove bars from the molds.
- Wrap in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
To use, gently rub on skin.
With beautiful results and a quick turnaround, this is an immediately gratifying project. Plus, you get the benefits of essential oils. According to Dr. Axe, general health benefits include: balanced hormones, boosted immunity, supported digestion, boosted energy levels, improved brain function, reduced emotional stress and anxiety, alleviated aches and pains, boosted skin and hair health, reduced toxicity, relieved headaches and migraines, and restful sleep.
From aromatherapy to cleaning products to naturopathic care, essential oils have become increasingly mainstream. Because of the newfound popularity, it is increasingly harder to navigate which brands are reliable. Essential Oil Haven offers a review on how to distinguish trustworthy products in the 10 Best Essential Oils.
Personally, I am a member and distributor of Young Living Essential Oils. I value their Seed-to-Seal promise–a commitment to providing pure, potent essential oils in an environmentally sustainable manner. This is one of the brands that I feel comfortable to ingest as well as to use topically or with a diffuser.
The five following essential oils were used to make these lotion bars because of their benefits:
- Thieves essential oil is powerfully fragrant and rich in a combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata and Rosemary. Thieves essential oil has potent antiseptic, disinfectant and antibacterial properties.
- Orange essential oil is derived from cold-pressing the outer peel. Orange essential oil is an immunity enhancer, natural antibacterial, a natural remedy for lowering blood pressure, an anti-inflammatory and skin treatment.
- Peppermint essential oil is also an antimicrobial and antiviral, and is one of the oldest European herbs used for medicinal purposes. Peppermint essential oil relieves muscle and joint pain, assists with sinus care and other respiratory benefits, alleviates headaches, relieves itchiness and boosts skin treatment.
- Lavender essential oil is arguably the most versatile essential oil. Known for its calming effects, Lavender essential oil also supports brain function, helps heal burns and cuts, reduces the appearance of blemishes, supports aging skin and promotes healthy hair.
- Lemon essential oil is derived by cold-pressing the lemon peel. Refreshing and purifying, Lemon essential oil relieves nausea, improves digestion, nourishes skin, stimulates lymphatic drainage, and works as an antimicrobial agent….
In pairing together essential oil blends that are cold/flu fighting, natural skin treatments and soothing scents, these lotion bars are a perfect winter gift. The only challenge that you may encounter is convincing your friends and family that the bar is in fact, not soap.
Lyndsay Dawson Mynatt is a dedicated forager, outdoor enthusiast, and blogger for MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Her published articles include: Build a DIY Cider Press and 5-Minute, 5-Ingredient Mayonnaise. Follow her adventures at A Faithful Journey, and read all of Lyndsay’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts.
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