If you’re looking for a lightweight DIY moisturizing lotion that can hydrate without feeling heavy or greasy, this summer gel lotion is a lovely one to try.
Unlike those richer winter creams and body butters, I’ve designed this one to feel cooling, silky and fast absorbing on the skin. It combines some nice lightweight oils with humectants, aloe vera and a soft gel texture that leaves your skin feeling fresh, smooth and moisturized.
I’ve also kept the oils fairly low and I’ve balanced them with ingredients like squalane and panthenol, helping the lotion feel easy to wear during warmer weather.
Watch How To Make This
If you’re new to making your own lotions, it’s also worth starting with my original DIY lotion guide, where I cover the basics and how to make stable lotions before moving on to this one.
Benefits of This DIY Moisturizing Lotion
- A lightweight gel lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin.
- This recipe leaves skin feeling hydrated, soft, and refreshed without heaviness.
- Its perfect for warmer weather or humid climates.
- Contains aloe vera and panthenol for extra soothing hydration.
- Smooth, silky skin feel with no greasy after-feel.
- It’s suitable for most skin types including normal and combination skin.
- Naturally inspired formula with lightweight botanical oils.
- Easy to customize with different hydrosols or essential oils.
- Beginner friendly homemade moisturizing lotion recipe.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy via the links here I may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you, please read my affiliate disclosure.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 8 grams Glycerine, 1 grams Hydroxyethyl CellulosePlace the glycerin into one of the heatproof beakers and sprinkle in the Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) Mix until the HEC has fully dissolved.
- 156.5 grams Distilled Water, 2 grams D-Panthenol PowderStir the water into the gel slurry. Add the panthenol and stir until fully dissolved, then set aside.
- 4 grams Camellia Seed Oil, 4 grams Jojoba Oil, 5 grams Olive Squalane, 5 grams Montanov 2020, 6 grams Cetyl AlcoholIn a separate heatproof beaker, weigh the montanov 202, cetyl alcohol, camellia oil, jojoba oil and Squalane.
- Place both the beakers into a hot 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. They both need to be around 75c (167f)
- Once heated through remove the beakers from the heat and pour the water into the oils.
- Blend with a stick blender for around 1 minute to ensure the cream is fully emulsified, then change to a spatula and continue to stir by hand while the lotion is cooling. We need the lotion to cool to below 40c (104f).
- 10 grams Aloe Vera juice, 1 grams Vitamin E Oil, 2 grams Geogard ECT, 0.6 grams Grapefruit Essential Oil, 0.4 grams Lime Essential OilWhen the lotion has cooled to below 40c (104f) we can now add our cooldown ingredients. Add them one at a time stirring after each one ( Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, Essential Oils and finally the Preservative.
- 1 Pump BottleThis is a light fluid lotion so it is not suitable for a jar type container, we have found a pump or flip top lid bottle perfect for this.
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!
Substitutes
- Distilled Water, as always, replacing half or all of the distilled water with a hydrosol. Something like sweet orange would make a lovely addition.
- Glycerin, glycerin is all about hydration soits not easy to replace this. If you must I would increase the D panthenol powder by 1% and the water by another 4%
- Hydroxyethyl Cellulose,xanthan gum would be an obvious choice. Use it like for like.
- Panthenol, increasing the glycerin would be the easiest.
- Camellia Oil, grapeseed or meadowfoam
- Jojoba Oil, meadowfoam seed oil, sweet almond oil or camellia oil would all work well here.
- Squalane, EcoSilk (Isoamyl Laurate) or fractionated coconut oil would be good lightweight substitutes.
- Montanov 202, Olivem 1000, Ritamulse (Ecomulse) or another emulsifying wax suitable for lotions. Just be aware this may slightly change the thickness and skin feel.
- Cetyl Alcohol, cetearyl alcohol or stearic acid would both work well for adding body and stability to the lotion.
- Aloe Vera Liquid, cucumber hydrosol, distilled water, or a little extra panthenol solution would all make nice substitutes while still keeping the lotion refreshing and hydrating.
- Vitamin E, rosemary antioxidant extract (ROE) you could leave it out but the cream will have a shorter shelf life.
- Preservative Eco, i would go for something like saliguard PCG. if you go for something else you may need to adjust the usage rate.
- Essential oils we are using grapefruit and lime, but a floral would work just as well.
Final Thoughts
This DIY moisturizing lotion is feels super simple, but it’s actually quite luxurious once it’s on your skin.
The lightweight oils and silky gel texture make it feel cooling, fresh and comfortable without the heaviness you sometimes get with the richer creams. It’s great during the warmer summer months when skin still needs hydration but you don’t necessarily want thick body butters or rich balms.
This is also a very adaptable lotion recipe. You can swap the scent depending on the season, experiment with different hydrosols, or tweak the oils to suit your own preferences.
