Skincare is not just for women, and this post proves it. Today, I am going to show you how to make aloe vera lotion for men that feels refreshing, absorbs quickly, and has a clean, masculine scent.
There are so many floral and sweet-smelling body lotion recipes out there, but sometimes it is nice to create something a little more down to earth. This lotion has a subtle, rugged aroma and a light texture that hydrates without feeling greasy.
To be honest, I know plenty of men who are not too concerned about how their skincare smells, but for those who appreciate a fresh, masculine fragrance, this recipe is a winner. It is simple to make, great for daily use, and leaves the skin feeling smooth and revitalized.
What’s In This Aloe Vera Lotion
Let’s have a look at what’s in this oh-so-manly aloe vera lotion recipe.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is well known for soothing inflamed or wounded skin by hydrating and repairing tissue which helps the skin heal quicker.
Aloe vera has so many good qualities, its antibacterial and antifungal properties make it a great natural ingredient for calming and improving acne or eczema-prone skin. It’s also a good choice for adding to anti-aging creams and lotions, so in this cream, it’s a good all-rounder.
Aloe Vera can be in gel form or water. I’m using the gel form in this recipe because I have some to hand, but I’d happily use the aloe water as a substitute.
If you are unable to obtain Aloe Vera, you can leave it out and top it up with some distilled water.
Avocado Oil
This is one of my favorite oils and one which I always have to hand. It’s one of those oils that can be used straight from the bottle to moisten and soften the skin. It’s good for all skin types, has a medium penetration rate, and holds a very good shelf life.
The unrefined Avocado oil is green in color and goes cloudy or solid when it’s been kept in the fridge, and holds a slight odor. Refined avocado oil looks and smells nicer (light yellowish color) but has fewer therapeutic values.
Sweet Almond Oil
Another good all-round oil that suits all skins. Sweet almond oil is packed full of vitamin A and E that can help regenerate new skin cells and restore elasticity.
This is such a well-priced oil that can be used to enhance many skincare products. If you have an allergy to nuts, peach kernel is a good substitute as it holds very similar properties.
Vitamin E
I’m adding this for extra wow, but it is optional. If you choose not to use it, simply increase the sweet almond by 1%.
Cocoa Butter
I always like to include good cosmetic butters in my everyday moisturizer. Cocoa butter is a hard butter that is easily absorbed into warm skin. It is rich in antioxidants and can often be found in anti-aging creams.
Essential oils
Apart from giving this DIY aloe vera lotion a masculine scent, the essential oils have also been chosen for their skin-enhancing benefits.
Sandalwood is a good anti-aging and anti-inflammatory oil, and of course, it smells wonderful.
Cedarwood can help to combat dry skin and has a rich and woody aroma.
Bergamot has a light citrus scent that brings a bit of freshness to the aloe vera lotion. It’s great for acne and blemishes.
Bergamot can be phototoxic, meaning it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun. If you are going to be using this lotion in the sun, you should substitute it for a safer oil such as sweet orange which is not phototoxic.
Ready-made Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil Blends
Essential oils can be expensive when you first start and there are some lovely scented ready blended essential oil mixes available at very good prices.
If you prefer to use a designer-style fragrance oil rather than essential oils, that’s also ok, but remember that fragrance oils are not natural and have no cosmetic or therapeutic benefits for your skin beyond imparting an aroma.
Preservative
As this cream contains water and oil, it’s prone to mold and bacteria and will only last a few days without a preservative. If you are worried about keeping the aloe vera lotion natural, there are some good preservatives that are widely accepted in natural skincare.
Not sure which one to choose? Why not take a look at our preservative page.
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 125 g Distilled Water, 20 g Aloe Vera Gel, 10 g GlycerinePour the water, aloe vera, and glycerine into a heat-proof container. Give it a good stir to help the glycerine and aloe vera dissolve into the water.
- 12 g Avocado Oil, 12 g Emulsifying Wax NF, 4 g Cocoa Butter, 12 g Sweet Almond OilIn a separate heat-proof container, place the cocoa butter, emulsifying wax, sweet almond oil, and avocado oil.
- Make up a bain-marie by adding a few inches of water into a sauce pan, and bring it up to a light simmer. When the water is just simmering, sit both the water and oil containers into the water.
- Leave the containers in the simmering water until the oils have melted and the water has heated through. This will usually take around 20 mins.
- Once the oils have fully melted, remove both containers from the water. Pour the container holding the water, aloe vera, and glycerine into the container with the oils.
- Stir the cream in intervals, stirring for two minutes then leaving to stand for one. Continue with the intervals until the cream has thickened and cooled below 104f (40c). If at any point it looks like the cream is starting to separate, vigorous stirring should bring it back together.
- 1 g Vitamin E Oil, 2 g PreservativeWhen the cream is below 104f (40c) it's time to stir in the vitamin E and preservative
- .5 g Bergamot Essential Oil, .5 g Cedarwood Essential Oil, .5 g Sandalwood Essential OilAdd the essential oils and stir well to make sure they are fully disbursed within the cream.
- 1 Pump BottleYour cream should now be ready to pop into a bottle or container. I find it easier to get it into the bottle whilst it's still warmish, as well as using a funnel. I then leave the lid off until the cream has completely cooled. After putting the lid on, just for good measure, I give the cream a shake.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know How It Was!Final Thoughts
You’ll notice that this aloe vera lotion recipe isn’t that dissimilar from many of my diy lotion recipes. Men’s skin isn’t that different from women’s. After all, we’re all human.
My main goal was to make a homemade aloe vera cream that wasn’t all that complicated with a masculine scent. But that’s hard when you want to find essential oils that are also great for skin. I feel like my research paid off, if I do say so myself!
But if you’re interested in making your own skincare products, take a look at my other beauty recipes. You’re sure to find something that will tempt you to make your own homemade things.
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Can i swap oil in this recipe? id like to do jojoba in place of the oils and coco butter? If i do the same amount in grams will that work?
Hi Bethany,
Yes, you can substitute the oils and cocoa butter in this recipe. This is the fun thing about formulating your own products; you can adapt most recipes to suit your individual needs. It’s also a great way to use up any oils you have on hand or what’s available to you. The important thing in this recipe is not to mess too much with the amount of emulsifying wax, or the ratio of oil to water.
Have fun Angela X
Hello Angela,
I love this recipe, especially that you have this portion converter and provide info in ml and oz! thanks! I wanted to ask if it is possible to use freshly taken from a leaf aloe vera gel?
Hi Angela,I wanted to know if you can use sunflower lecithin in place of an emulsifying wax in this recipe.
Hi Indigo,
Yes, I don’t see why not. I would say that while lecithin emulsions are absolutely lovely and completely natural, they are difficult to achieve and take some more time and practice to get right.