If your skin needs a little extra protection, this beeswax lotion recipe is a lovely one for you to try. It’s a rich, comforting moisturizer, designed to hydrate, soften and help lock in moisture, especially during the cooler months.
Beeswax brings something a little different to a lotion. Rather than just moisturizing, it helps create a barrier on the skin which can make a real difference when your skin feels dry or exposed to all those elements.
If you’re new to making your own lotions, it’s worth taking a look at our DIY body lotion guide, where we walk through the basics of emulsions and how to make a stable cream before moving on to more targeted recipes like this one.
Spotlight On The Benefits
- Nourishing beeswax lotion that will help protect & soften dry skin.
- Creates a light barrier to help lock in moisture and reduce dryness.
- Rich comforting texture that’s ideal for cooler months.
- Hydrates& conditions the skin without being heavy.
- Made with simple natural ingredients and no added fragrance oil.
- Suitable for everyday use, on normal to dry skin types.
- Leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and well cared for.
- A reliable DIY beeswax lotion recipe that’s easy to make and customize.
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 10 grams Glycerine, 0.6 grams Xanthan GumIn a clean heatproof beaker, make a slurry by mixing the xanthan gum and glycerin together. Mix until the xanthan gum has fully dissolved.
- 134 grams Distilled Water, 4 grams Organic HoneyAdd the distilled water and honey to the glycerin slurry. and give it another good stir.
- 8 grams Olivem 1000, 6 grams Beeswax, 4 grams Cetyl Alcohol, 19 grams Avocado Oil, 10 grams Jojoba OilIn a separate heatproof beaker place the olivem1000, beeswax, cetyl alcohol, avocado and jojoba oil.
- Place both beakers into the water bath. A water bath consists of a shallow pan with a couple of inches of gently simmering water. Leave the beakers in the water bath until the waxes have melted and the water has heated through.
- Once melted remove the beakers from the heat and combine by pouring the beaker holding the water into the beaker holding the melted oils.
- Using a spatula start to blend the mixture. Stir until the mixture has started to thicken and has fully mixed together, similar to runny cream. Then continue to stir on and off until the cream has cooled to below 40c ( 104f) which is around room temperature.
- 2 grams Vitamin E Oil, 0.4 grams Allantoin Powder, 2 grams Geogard ECTOnce at the required temperature add your cooldown ingredients.
- Cosmetic Jar 8ozTransfer to a clean sterile jar, ready for use.
New to DIY skincare?
If you’re enjoying making your own products, you might like Radiance, my free email course where I teach the foundations of DIY skincare step by step!About The Ingredients
This natural beeswax lotion is made with simple, skin-friendly ingredients and has no added fragrance oils, making it ideal for everyday use on normal to dry skin.
Glycerin
This is a humectant, which simply means it helps draw moisture into the skin and hold onto it. So instead of your lotion just sitting on the surface, glycerin helps keep your skin stay hydrated for longer.
In this formula we are using it at 6% which gives a really nice balance. It boosts your hydration without making the lotion feel too sticky or heavy. Especially since we have paired it with some lighter oils, like grapeseed and that silky touch from olive squalane.
Xanthan Gum
From a stability point of view, xanthan gum helps to “hold” the water phase, this reduces the chance of the lotion separating. It works alongside your emulsifier to create a more stable structure. However that’s not all it does, xanthan gum helps the finished lotion feel more cushioned and lighter, even when using such a small amount.
Honey
Honey has soothing properties, which makes it a great ingredient for dry or slightly sensitive skin. It helps leave the skin feeling calm, soft, and well cared for.
From our recipe point of view, honey works beautifully in simple recipes like this because it supports hydration without needing lots of extra ingredients.
Olivem 1000
Olivem 1000 is the ingredient that holds everything together in this lotion. Its a natural emulsifier that is derived from olive oil, which means it allows the water and oil phases to combine into a smooth, stable cream rather than separating. Without it, you’d simply have oil sitting on top of water.
One of the reasons we really like using Olivem 1000 is the nice skin feel it creates. It gives a soft, light, slightly silky finish that feels more elegant than many traditional emulsifying waxes, making the lotion feel a bit more high end without adding extra complexity.
Beeswax
We are using unrefined yellow bees wax. We are only adding 3% so the color of the lotion will not be affected by this, but you still get all of the lovely benefits it brings. One of its main roles is to help create a light protective barrier on the skin. This barrier helps to lock in moisture and reduce water loss, leaving the skin feeling soft and well protected without feeling overly heavy.
It’s also known for soothing properties, which makes it perfect for dry or slightly irritated skin.
Beeswax also adds structure to the lotion, giving it a bit more body and helping it feel richer and more comforting on the skin. Even at low levels, it can make a noticeable difference to the texture, making it feel more nourishing and substantial.
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol that helps give your cream more body and structure, making it feel thicker and more stable. It also has some lovely skin benefits, helping to condition and soften the skin.
It adds a nice slip to the cream when applying, allowing it to glide over the skin more easily and giving the finished product a more luxurious feel.
Avocado Oil
We have chosen avocado as our main oil to prevent the lotion from feeling too waxy or draggy from the bees wax. The Avocado gives the lotion a more cushioned feel when you apply it. plus It’s packed with fatty acids and vitamins, which help to soften and condition the skin, making it especially useful in a body lotion that is designed for everyday hydration. It leaves the skin feeling well moisturised and cared for, rather than just sitting on the surface.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is one of those oils that we love adding because it just makes a lotion feel that little bit nicer on the skin.
In this recipe, it really helps balance things out. We’ve got avocado oil bringing richness and beeswax adding a bit of structure, so without something lighter, the lotion could feel a little too heavy. Jojoba steps in and keeps everything feeling soft and easy to apply.
What’s lovely about jojoba oil is how well it absorbs. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave that greasy layer behind.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps to care for both your skin and your formula. It’s packed with antioxidants which can help support and protect the skin, leaving it feeling soft and nourished. It also helps slow down the oxidation of your oils, which means your lotion stays fresher for longer and is less likely to go rancid too quickly.
Allantoin
Allantoin is a gentle, skin soothing ingredient that helps calm irritation. Even at such a low amount (0.2%) it can help support the skin’s natural repair process, boost hydration, and leave the skin feeling softer, smoother, and more comfortable.
Substitutes
- Glycerin, you could add a different humectant such as, D panthenol powder at 1%, or aloe vera juice like for like.
- Xanthan Gum, There are two reasons for adding the gum,the first to help lighten the lotion and the second to help with stability, however if this is for personal use or is going to be used within the next couple of months then you can leave it out.
- Distilled Water, all or half could be substituted for a hydrosol
- Honey, we would replace it with more glycerin
- Olivem 1000, Ritamulse would be our go to, or polawax at 5%
- Beeswax, this is a bees wax lotion so we wont give any subs here
- Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol would be the obvious choice.
- Avocado Oil, sunflower or sweet Almond
- Jojoba Oil, sunflower or sweet Almond
- Vitamin E, this keeps the oils in the cream fresh. You could leave it out and use the cream within a couple of months or use rosemary extract.
- Allantoin, We would go for D panthenol or add a little more glycerin
- Preservative Eco, any broad spectrum preservative. Check usage rate and adapt if need be.
Final Thoughts
This beeswax lotion recipe is a great option when your skin needs a little more than lightweight everyday creams.
The combination of beeswax, avocado oil and jojoba oil creates a lotion that feels rich and is easy to apply and absorb. It’s particularly useful during colder months, when skin starts to lose moisture more quickly, and it needs an extra layer of care.
Because this recipe/formula is simple it’s also easy to adapt. You can swap oils out, introduce your own hydrosols, and you can adjust the texture slightly to suit you.
A comforting, dependable natural beeswax lotion that helps keep your skin soft and protected throughout the day.
