Learn how to make the simplest homemade moisturizer. Plus, the 5 best homemade face moisturizer recipes and the 8 best store-bought (natural) moisturizers to use on your face for glowing, moisturized skin.
Want to Save This Article?
Enter your email & I’ll send it straight to your inbox. And you’ll get new recipes & tips each week.
I love simplicity.
What’s the opposite of simplicity?
Complicated.
Who’s got time for complicated?
Certainly not this mom.
I take this simple philosophy when it comes to my kitchen. I try to keep things simple and stress-free while still nourishing my family with the very best real food. This year I decided this approach to simplicity needed to transfer to more than just my kitchen. After all, I do write a blog called Live Simply. Simply being a key word.
I’ve been busy applying my goal of getting back to simplicity in all areas of life. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I am on quite a kick with this new endeavor. If it goes on my body, I am determined there must be an effective, clean, and simple solution.
So far natural face cleansers, homemade foundation powder, natural shampoo and conditioner, homemade deodorant, and a luxurious body wash have been easy clean beauty swaps. Trust me there have been many failures. Body odor and greasy hair are no laughing matters.
Don’t worry.
I only share the products that leave me feeling civilized, clean, and amazing. No greasy hair here.
I’ve learned simplicity is usually the very best recipe one can find. Simplicity has been the name of the game for thousands of years, long before our modern age of complicated lists of ingredients which do more harm than good.
So, in the name of simplicity, I bring you a new tried-and-true beauty recipe, a homemade moisturizer for the body. One which will leave you smelling of sweet lavender while at the same time moisturizes and heals your skin. This homemade moisturizer consists of a mere three ingredients. Yes, you heard that right. Three ingredients. And the best part? This recipe takes only seconds to whip up. Simplicity has never been, well, simpler.
Simplifying simplicity.
And smelling good while doing it.
There are many different ways to make your own homemade face moisturizer. If you’re looking for a great moisturizer to use on your face, here are my favorite recipes.
If homemade isn’t your thing. Here are the best natural store-bought moisturizers. Learn about each of the 8 best natural moisturizers here.
Simple Homemade Moisturizer
Equipment
- 1 storage container with a lid (if using coconut oil) or dropper bottle (if using jojoba oil)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or jojoba oil
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil
- 6 drops lavender essential oil and/or essential tea tree oil
Instructions
- Combine the coconut oil or jojoba oil, vitamin E or tea tree oil, and lavender in a storage container. Now mix. That's it. If you're using this on your face, I recommend using jojoba oil (and a dropper bottle); not coconut oil-see notes below.
- Apply the moisturizer to the skin after cleansing and using a toner (here are the best natural face cleansers).
- Store at room temperature, for up to 6 months, between uses.
Notes
SKINCARE
Free Natural Skincare Starter Guide
How to create your own natural skincare with essential skincare swaps that nourish the skin and give you a healthy glow without toxins.
Hi there,
We recently featured your article on a blog post titled ‘top 10 Top 10 Best Homemade Moisturizers’
You can find it here: http://www.naturalandhealthyliving.com/top-10-natural-homemade-moisturizers/
Please share if it’s ok with you! I’ve also sent you an email about this via the contact page!
Thanks,
http://www.naturalandhealthyliving.com
Thanks so much, Natural Living. Looks great!
Hi Kristin, how long would this recipe before it expired?
Im trying to make one but im not sure if i can use it for a long time. Thanks!????
Hey Mary Ann, Thus will last about 12 months when it’s stored in an air-tight container.
I love mine. I followed your recipe exactly and use it twice daily on my face. I’ve been trying to combat the fierce coldness we have been experiencing up here in Northern MN. It has been very drying on my face, plain coconut oil hasn’t even been able to keep the dry, tight skin away but the addition of Vit E and lavender has helped immensely. If I’m outdoors for a long amount of time, usually clearing snow, I make sure to get some more on when I walk back through the door into the house. Thank you for the recipe. I’m trying the makeup powder next. I am extremely fair skinned also so I’ll start with what you use as a concoction. I can’t wait.
My skin is really dry and cracks easily, it burns to have cream on my hands and arms, how would this feel on hands and arms?
Coconut oil is a great moisturizer. I don’t have dry skin, but it’s worth a try.
Hi, I have a combination skin..hope this will not make my face break into acne.
Hi ishita, I have combo skin and have found this “lotion” actually helps keep my break-outs minimal to none at all. Hope you like it 🙂
The homemade moisturizer with cococnut oil started to dry out my face. i think it needs some other oil added with it.
You can try adding more vitamin E to the recipe. Also, consuming coconut oil can help with the dryness.
Does the lavender and vitamin E help solidify the coconut oil? I ask because the picture shows something that looks more like refrigerated coconut oil then the clear liquid I am used to at room temperature.
Hi Arlie, The lavender and vitamin E are just for the skin benefits, they don’t help the texture of the coconut oil. Coconut oil at room temperature will be solid, when heated will be liquid. If your house is really warm you can place a cup of coconut oil in the fridge and then whip it in a mixer (for softness).
Hi, thanks for this post! I have a perhaps silly question because I have never tried making my own moisturizer nor worked with coconut oil. Do you leave the moisturizer on the skin or wash it off after a certain amount of time?
Thank you!
Not silly at all, Tanya :). For this moisturizer, just simply apply to cleansed skin and leave it on your skin. The coconut oil will feel oily at first, but will be absorbed into the skin.
I really enjoy your simplistic approach to life. This moisturizer has improved the health of my skin ten-fold. Thank your for your smart, easy to follow advice.
I have all the ingredients to make the home made moisturizer I can’t wait to try it……MK
I am having my daughter make these as Christmas gifts for her Aunts and Uncles. We are getting the oils from Young Living because they are 100% natural and food grade. I have found some of the other oils are not as pure. Just a thought. heres the website
https://www.youngliving.org/blondymk
After four months of research I decided Native American Nutritionals was the best source for essential oils. They are also food grade, and they share their gas chromatograph tests – Young Living does not. They are also quite a bit less expensive than YL. 15ml Sacred Frankincense from Oman is $65. I also love that they are not a MLM company.
Thank you for sharing. I’ve heard great things about their oils.
What can you use besides Vitamin E
I can leave it out and will still have a wonderful moisturizer or can add tea tree oil in place of the vitamin E.
Hi Kristine, Thanks for the really simple moisturizer recipe! I am looking for something I can make fresh which will reduce the likelihood I will have an allergic reaction. I have a question, I have a slight allergy to Lavender oil, can I use a different essential oil which would be compatible with E and coconut oil? Thanks!
Hi Ann, Sorry for the slow response as I’m on vacation. You can use any essential oil or just leave it out.
What does it do to your hair
?
I haven’t tried it in my hair.
i’m a bit confused then as to why the part that says “Avoid applying this wonderful moisturizer to your hair. Trust me.” for those who have a different hair texture than yours (and who may read your blog), you may want to refrain from adding info such as that; it can seem a bit misleading. i have naturally curly/coiled hair, and coconut oil and vit E are exactly what i use in my hair. i can see how it would be too oily for those with a certain hair type/texture, but for others it would work perfectly, and they may not know because you said don’t put it in your hair. on another note i am one who is considering phasing out certain parts of my face skin care, and thinking of using more homemade products. i’m a bit nervous about just oil as a moisturizer, as i typically have oily/combo skin, but we’ll see if it works. i figure why not, it’s about the only part of my body that i don’t use natural oils. i am wondering, did you mix yours in a blender or did you just stir? and if so did you melt the coconut oil first or not? have you ever made one with sunscreen?
Hi Aries, Thanks for the advice. I’m glad to hear coconut oil works for your hair. For this moisturizer recipe, you simply need to stir the ingredients together. The coconut oil should be soft, but does not need to be melted. I have a sunscreen recipe here: https://livesimply.me/2014/06/05/homemade-sunscreen-recipe/. Here’s another lotion recipe that may interest you: https://livesimply.me/2014/04/16/homemade-moisturizing-lotion-recipe-no-coconut-oil/
Coconut oil is a great moisturizer for hair when used as a mask. It can, however, leave your hair very greasy until it’s washed.
It really is great for hair and skin. I once made the mistake of not washing it out. I was a newbie, lol. Big mistake :).
Wonderful recipe – very silky and nourishing for skin. May I suggest adding carrot seed oil, sea buckthorn and tamanu oils for their regenerative and repairing properties. Also excellent for stretch marks. Essential fatty acids help penetrate the skins upper layers and take beneficial nutrients deeper into skin…this recipe is lovely, I’m going to make it with yang gland and neroli oils for scent.
Great suggestions. Thank you!
Approximately how much does this recipe yield? I would like to make 12-4oz jars as Christmas gifts. Any help you can provide will be much appreciated 🙂 Thanks!!
I get a little less than a 1/2 pint mason jar worth when I make it. Great Christmas gift idea! I gave away small little jars of this last year and everyone loved it!
This is really great at removing eye makeup as well!
Great idea Kelly! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can you use this moisturizer under your make up?
What if you are allergic to lavendar…?
You can skip the lavender and still reap incredible benefits from the coconut oil. You can also add a bit of tea tree oil if you’d like something a bit healing like lavender.
would a citrus (lemon) essential oil work, instead of lavender? This is going to be my first attempt at homemade anything, and excited to try it.
Lemon or other citrus oil would work wonderfully! Lemon is wonderful for the skin!
Lovely smell, but use of citrus essential oils on the skin can cause photosensitivity (basically if you go out in the sun whilst wearing them on the skin, you could burn badly and much easier), so do use caution with these. I did it and the resulting sunburn was very painful and it took a good week and a large tube of aloe vera to help heal it up, plus I couldn’t go swimming in the sun for the rest of the holiday, and had to use a hat/sunshade/blouses covering my arms in the sun until my skin had healed.
Roman Chamomile is a great alternative to Lavender for healing and it smells wonderful 🙂 Geranium, frankincense and sandalwood (2-3 drops of any of them) would be great too for anti ageing/blemish relief.
Those are wonderful substitutes. Thanks for sharing, Stacey.
I have used this recipe too without the Lavender. My skin was still a bit dry…soft though. I added some unrefined avocado oil (great for dry or aging skin) and that did the trick! Just a tip for those with dry skin:)
Just wondering how much avocado oil do you add?
Hi Patty, I don’t add avocado oil, but if you decide to add it, I would just use 1-2 tsp.
I use straight coconut oil every night for my face so, I love this idea! I have to try this! Love those little spoons in the picture!
Where do you buy your lavender oil? And, once made, you keep this moisturizer at room temp? 🙂
I usually purchase it on amazon or through my local health food store. I keep it at room temperature so it is the perfect consistency!
Thanks!
Hi , i would like ask using your coconut oil moosturizer…how many minutes will you leave that on skin and am i gonna wash it after?thank you. Hope to have a reply from you…I’m from Phils.
Hey ImeeP, This is a recipe that’s meant to be left on the skin.
I love your site and your products! The coconut oil moisturizer has changed my life. I live in a high desert climate and have dry, sensitive skin to boot. I started using it on my face and it actually decreased my pore size in addition to making my skin so much softer. I started using it every night on my cracked heels and after a few weeks my feet were back to normal.
You might not believe this, but I also have very dry, coarse hair. When I’m done moisturizing my face, I take a little more, rub it into my hands, and then run my hands through my hair! Makes my hair so much more manageable!
Thank you!
Hey Stacey St. Amand, Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the moisturizer on your face and hair–love it!
I just made the homemade moisturizer with bergamont oil. I added 10 drops of the EO but the lotion only smells like the coconut oil. Suggestions?
Hey Charli, Some coconut oil brands have a stronger smell than others. My guess is the coconut oil just has a strong scent. You could try adding a couple more drops of essential oil, but I’m not sure the scent will be fully masked.
How do you keep your moisturizer solid in warmer climates?
Hey Phyllis, Unfortunately, there’s really no way to keep the moisturizer solid in warmer climates, unless you’re running the air conditioning. Coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer when it’s melted, it performs the same way on the skin.