The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone other than me. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully.
Disclaimer
Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
a) doesn’t have any training in this field,
b) most of what they know comes from Google,
That’s me I mean.
If you want a better informed opinion I suggest you head on over to the Aromantics website. They will sell you everything you need to make sun tan lotion including recipes you can download as a PDF. They have been in this game for years and are far more qualified then I am.
The following is an account of my own experiences which may help you in your own research.
It is so easy to make your own creams and lotion that once you start you will never look back. The advantages are huge; you get to control what goes on your skin, be way more eco-friendly and save a whole load of cash. You can make almost anything the cosmetic companies sell but without the palm oil, dodgy chemicals and weird colours. Though you can have all those too if you want.
Lotion and cream is basically a mix of oills,waxes or butters with water combined using an emulsifier. Lotions are thinner, cream more solid.
Do you really need to make a cream? Many times you can use an oil or butter neat. But sometimes they are just too oily.
Many commercial creams including E45 use mineral oil. That’s derived from the same gloopy black oil we use to make petrol.
ingredients
To make cream or lotion you will need
Oil, butters & waxes.
There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. Generally speaking the richer the oil the heavier the cream, the more water you put in the lighter the lotion. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. See my guide to oils here.
Water
There is much talk of using distilled water but I use tap.
Cooking thermometer
VERY useful .
Emulsifiers:
Water and fat do not naturally mix, you need to use an emulsifier.You have to add other ingredients to turn what is basically salad dressing into lovely thick cream. So in addition to oils and water you will need an emulsifier.
Notes On Emulsifiers
The most complex ingredient in cream is the emulsifier. The water and oils are simple enough but this is what makes them bind together.
There are a few completely natural emulsifiers but they do not give consistent results.
Most commercially used emulsifiers are manufactured. They are most often derived from coconut oil and palm oil. More recently, rapeseed has been used.
But some are produced from pig fats. Check what you buy.
I have tried a few with varied success BUT
A combination of VE Emulsifier, MF Emulsifier and Cetearyl Alcohol works every time and can be used to make a wide range of products from thick creams to thin lotions.
VE Emulsifier or Glyceryl Stearate is a vegetable-based emulsifier
Cetearyl Alcohol is a vegetable based emulsifying wax
MF Emulsifier or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate can be fermented from lactose (milk sugar)but more commonly comes from nondairy sources such as cornstarch, potatoes and molasses.
Palm Oil
Please note that all the above also may be derived from or include palm oil. Be sure to buy from a good practice supplier. For example there should be something this note on Aromantics VE emulsifier “The Palm oil that is used in both in MF/VE emulsifiers comes from suppliers that are either members of the Round Table of Sustainable Palm Oil or a subsidiary company or who are members of FEDIOL which supports sustainability. FEDIOL is a European industry federation based in Brussels”.
You can read more about palm oil here.
Preservatives
Optional?
Oil on its own does not go off – there is no water for bacterial to feed on. Once you have added water to oil then it can. Now your creams are vulnerable to bacteria. Preservatives will help “keep” your cream. I don’t use it as it can cause skin irritations. And I find cream without I less itchy on my skin. I have had a few pots of cream go mouldy but we are talking maybe 5 in the years I have been making my own creams. You can read up and buy preservatives here Aromantics
However there is a growing movement on the internet that insist the bacteria that could grow in your creams could be harmful if spread on the skin. Obviously bacteria can grow in your cream which is why preservatives are added. Without preservatives your cream might have a shorter shelf lie. As to wether it is harmful I cant find any actual research linking cream to infection but i suggest you research more.
For me being able to use moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin flare up is a worthwhile risk. However I do store it in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time to scoop some out.
Pots
to put your cream in.
Process
Heat the Fat Stage ingredients in a double boiler (or a metal pot on hot water) until above 75°C. Use a thermometer to check.
Boil the water add the MF emulsifier and other Water Stage ingredients to 75°C.
Take off heat. Now pour the Fat Stage into the Water Stage in a slow steady stream before they drop below 75°C.
Mix well – I use a hand blender.
Allow to cool. Whisk occasionally to achieve a nice creamy consistency. As the mixture cools it becomes thicker and more creamy. It will reach its thickest consistency when it has cooled down to room temperature.
When the temperature is below 40°C you can add active ingredients
perfumes or essential oils and other magical things to make you look years younger.
You can also add specialist ingredients to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Put the Cream into jars and label.
Take Care
That everything you use is clean, very clean.
Make sure you have enough pots to store your cream in.
That you label it – and date it. Believe me you will forget!
Recipes & Kits
Here are some sample recipes.
Supermarket Cream (My recipe)
You can buy all these ingredient from the supermarket. I cut the olive oil with the lighter almond oil because I find it rather heavy.
Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!
Fat Stage
- 20g Cetyl Alcohol
- 70ml Almond Oil Tesco’s or Asian Shop
- 30ml Olive Oil
- 20g coconut oil Tescos or Asian Shop
- Water Stage
- 800ml water
- 40g MF emulsifier
- Fancy Aromatics RecipeTo be honest I think this recipe has way to many ingredients but I like this company, I have used their products many times and think that this will probably make a nice cream. It is also useful to have a recipe that lists by percentages.You can experiment and use different oils, or even less oils. Just make sure the percentages stay the same. For example you can cut the thistle oil and use 10% Apricot Kernal Oil.
By percentage
Fat Stage (above 75°C)
2% Cocoa Butter
3% Macadamia Nut Oil
7% Apricot Kernel Oil
3% Thistle Oil
2.5% VE Emulsifier
2% Cetearyl AlcoholWater Stage (above 75°C)
4.5% MF Emulsifier
69% Boiling Spring Water
2% GlycerineThird Stage (below 40°C)
1% Preservative 12 or Eco
1% Vitamin E Simulated Natural
2% NFF Complex
1% Essential Oils of your choice
Rich Tropical Delights Cream (My recipe)
Much easier far fewer ingredients. I cut the olive oil with Almond because I find it rather heavy.
Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!Fat Stage
- 25 g VE Emulsifier
- 20g Cetyl Alcohol
- 70ml Almond Oil
- 30ml Coconut Oil
- 20g Shea butter
- 10g Cocoa butter
- Water Stage
- 800ml water
- 40g MF emulsifier
- Design Your Own
You can adapt the mix of oils for the above recipes based on your personal preference.
If you want to design you own cream from scratch, follow these guidelines…
style=”font-size: medium;”>Emulsifiers 5-8% - Oils 12-20%
- Water, Additives, and Botanicals to 100 %.
Trouble Shoot
Cream too thick? You cannot add more water once the mixture has cooled. This ruins the cream – it will not rub in. You will need to make a thinner lotion and mix your creams to achieve the desired consistency. You can add more oil and mix well. This of course makes your cream more oily.
Lotions
If you want a thinner cream add more water at the water stage.
Kits
If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.
Anti Aging, Sun Tan Lotion & Fake Bake
You can add specialist ingredients to your base to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Buy
Aromantics is a good and ethical supplier of ingredients but expensive. I buy a lot of stuff in bulk from other suppliers. Ebay is a good source. Prices vary so do shop around.
I store my creams in old jars but for display I have bought some glass jars with metal lids.
Plastic Spoiler
Most plastic base ingredients come in plastic bags but I get huge amounts cream out of one small bag of ingredients so I consider it a worthwhile compromise.
Making Personal Care Products
Its quicker then trying to choose between a hundred different shampoos and it’s really simple, fun to do, so much cheaper and I get to control what goes on my body, where it comes from and what environmental impact it has.
Lots more info here on toothpaste and other products
and making other stuff – here.
Making creams while travelling
You cannot carry a years supply of home made cream in your rucksack so here are some ideas about making your own home made creams in hotel bedrooms.