Learn how to make this ultra-creamy DIY vanilla body lotion recipe. Non-greasy, fast-absorbing, and highly moisturizing, this body lotion recipe is truly decadent.
Anyone else remember the St. Ives Swiss Vanilla body lotion? It’s been off the market for decades now, but back in the 90s I was obsessed with this lotion!
My old boss turned me on to this particular lotion. I was 17 years old, a fresh high school graduate working in the housewares department at Sears (another defunct brand… dang, I’m aging myself here.) Marie kept a bottle in our employee storage room off the main floor.
She shared a bit with me one day, saying that I had to try it because it “smelled just like vanilla pudding.” One sampling was all it took, and I was hooked.
It was my go-to body lotion for years. Until the fateful day when it disappeared from store shelves without notice.
Those of you who have ever fallen head-over-heels in love with a skin care product only to have it unceremoniously yanked from production will understand my devastation.
Looking back, the lotion probably wasn’t all that amazing, ingredient-wise. This was pre-esthetics school for me, long before I actually gave a hoot about what was in my skin care.
All I cared about was that the lotion smelled good, and absorbed nicely.
Like all heart-broke souls, I eventually got over my breakup with St. Ives Swiss Vanilla body lotion. It hadn’t really crossed my mind until my daughter, and co-owner of Farm Girl Soap Co, suggested that we put a vanilla lotion on our shop shelves.
Man, did the memory of St. Ives come rushing back! Yessss, we did need a decadent, creamy vanilla lotion.
I wanted to upgrade the St. Ives experience though, with quality ingredients to nourish the skin. Sweet almond oil and mango butter fit the bill perfectly.
Want to learn why these ingredients are so amazing for your skin? Sign up to get my free e-book 10 Best Lotion Making Oils and Butters. You’ll learn more about how to make DIY lotion too.
I am in love again, and once you try this DIY vanilla body lotion recipe I think you will be too. And the best part is, I know this lotion is so much better for my skin and when it does disappear from my shelves I can easily make more!
You’ll find the DIY vanilla body lotion recipe below. If you’ve never made emulsified lotion before, make sure you read through the instructions once or twice to familiarize yourself with the process.
You might also consider signing up for my Handmade Body Lotion for Beginners Course. In this course you’ll learn how to craft your own professional-style body lotion, from scratch, using my super simple 5-step method. Plus, you’ll learn how to make your own custom body lotion creations. It’s so fun!
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Creamy DIY Vanilla Body Lotion Recipe
This body lotion recipe is thick and creamy yet absorbs quite nicely, leaving just a trace of moisturizing oils on the skin. The delectable vanilla scent is a bonus!
This recipe makes 8 ounces of body lotion, by weight. To ensure your lotion comes together properly, make sure to weigh out all ingredients rather than measuring by volume.
CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE
Needed Tools:
- Digital scale capable of measuring to .01 oz or 0.01 gram
- Two small stainless steel bowls
- Wide-mouth pint-size mason jar
- Small saucepan
- Silicone spatulas
- Immersion blender AKA stick blender (not a pitcher-style blender or hand mixer)
- Pipette (optional for measuring out small amounts of ingredients)
- Small jars to package your lotion
| Needed Ingredients | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Mango butter | 1.20 | 34.05 |
| Sweet almond oil | 0.40 | 11.35 |
| Emulsifying wax | 0.40 | 11.35 |
| Distilled water | 5.46 | 154.90 |
| Vegetable glycerin | 0.40 | 11.35 |
| Germall Plus preservative | 0.04 | 1.13 |
| Vitamin E | 0.02 | 0.57 |
| Creamy Vanilla fragrance oil | 0.08 | 2.27 |
PREP STEP: Prepare Your Supplies
Gather together all of your supplies and ingredients. Sanitize all of your tools, jars, spatulas, etc. by washing in very hot, soapy water and letting air dry, or running through the dishwasher on a hot setting. Spray with rubbing alcohol and let air dry thoroughly.
Note: Properly sanitizing your tools ensures that you don’t inadvertently introduce dangerous microbes into your lotion. If you start sanitary, you’ll end sanitary, so don’t skip this step!
STEP 1: Measure
Individually weigh out sweet almond oil, mango butter, distilled water, and emulsifying wax. Place the ingredients into the wide-mouth mason jar.
STEP 2: Heat and Melt
Place the jar into a small pot partially filled with water to make a water bath. Avoid placing the jar directly on the bottom of the pot; use a heat-safe trivet to keep the jar raised slightly. This will ensure your jar doesn’t break during heating.
Warm gently over low heat until mango butter and emulsifying wax is completely melted. Turn off the heat, and carefully remove jar from the pot. Place on a heat-safe surface. Please take care as your container will be hot.
STEP 3: Blend
With a stick blender, blend until your mixture is well emulsified and has thickened slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Tip: It’s not necessary to whip constantly, and you may burn out your stick blender if you do. Whip for 30 seconds or so, turn the blender off and stir, whip again, etc.
STEP 4: Cool
Set aside and allow the mixture to cool completely. This can take a few hours. Continue to blend with the stick blender occasionally to speed cooling and build a strong emulsion. Once the lotion becomes too thick to blend with the stick blender, it’s OK to leave it alone to cool.
STEP 5: Add Preservative and Heat-Sensitive Ingredients
When the lotion has cooled completely, weigh the heat-sensitive ingredients (glycerin, vitamin E, preservative, and vanilla fragrance oil) into the second small bowl. Add to the lotion and stir by hand vigorously and thoroughly to ensure everything is completely incorporated throughout the entire mixture.
PACKAGE IT UP!
Transfer the lotion into your jars or containers and affix the lids. Your lotion is ready to use immediately!
Shelf Life: Properly preserved handcrafted lotions have a shelf life of approximately 12 months. Label and use before this date.
Enjoy your handcrafted lotion!
Print this recipe out and add it to your formulating journal. Get the printable version here.
