DIY lotion recipe.

Worked example

A 200 g batch at the published percentages is 76.5% distilled water (153.00 g), 10% glycerin (20.00 g), 3% Emulsifying Wax NF (6.00 g), 10% liquid oil (20.00 g) and 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus (1.00 g). The heated water phase is 173.00 g (water plus glycerin), the heated oil phase is 26.00 g (wax plus oil) and the cool-down phase is the 1.00 g of preservative. The five add to 200.00 g.

How it works

Each ingredient grams = batch grams x its percent / 100, and water is 100% minus the rest. The default percentages are the Humblebee & Me Super Simple Moisturizing Lotion. Its emulsifier is 30% of the oil by weight (3 g for 10 g); that ratio comes from this one recipe, so if you change the oil, change the emulsifier with it as a starting point and test. This is a starting point, not a standard.

That recipe heats the water and glycerin and the emulsifying wax and oil separately in a water bath, tops the water phase back up with hot distilled water to its starting weight, combines and blends with a stick blender, and adds the preservative only once the lotion is cool, because Liquid Germall Plus tolerates heat only up to 50 C (122 F). It also says to use a scale accurate to 0.01 g for the cool-down ingredients. Humblebee & Me says water means a broad-spectrum preservative is required, that antioxidants such as vitamin E and grapefruit seed extract are not preservatives, and that a product with water and no preservative is probably only good for a day or two.

Sources (opened 2026-10-08): Humblebee & Me, Super Simple Moisturizing Lotion; Humblebee & Me, FAQ; preservative ranges from Voyageur Soap & Candle, Geogard ECT and Optiphen Plus.

FAQ

How much emulsifying wax do I need in lotion?

The published recipe uses 3% Emulsifying Wax NF with 10% oil, so the wax is 30% of the oil weight. For 200 g that is 6.00 g of wax and 20.00 g of oil. Treat that ratio as a starting point.

Can I use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax in lotion?

No. Humblebee & Me says you cannot use beeswax, candelilla, carnauba or soy wax in place of an emulsifying wax.

Does homemade lotion need a preservative?

Yes if it contains water. Humblebee & Me says water means a broad-spectrum preservative is required, and that an unpreserved product with water is probably only good for a day or two.

When do I add the preservative?

In the cool-down phase, after the lotion has cooled below the preservative heat limit. Liquid Germall Plus tolerates up to 50 C (122 F); the same site says most preservatives go in below 40 C (104 F). Check your product.

Is vitamin E a preservative?

No. Humblebee & Me says antioxidants such as vitamin E, rosemary extract and grapefruit seed extract are not preservatives and will not extend the life of a product that contains water.