While usually I prefer lotion (especially in winter), there is something luxurious about slathering on body oil in the post shower steam and wrapping up in a fluffy robe. Body oil works best when applied to damp or even wet skin post shower or bath. It spreads easier so you use less and it sinks in better so you aren't a grease ball. The star of this show is the Avena Oat Oil I purchased from The Herbarie. You can use any oat extract or oil you want, but it has to be oil soluble. A water soluble extract won't fly in this formulation!
This body oil has actually been keeping me scaly-skin free for 24+ hours (which is my test of a good moisturizer!) The summer formula I make is about 1/3 each of sesame oil, hazelnut oil and isopropyl myristate for a much lighter and drier feel. That combo is usually too dry for my skin but I make it for some friends and they love it! But winter calls for some big guns. I added a full 4% Avena Oat Oil to give this a winter boost. I also used sweet almond oil and the light but powerful sesame oil. I kept the isopropyl myristate* from my summer formula because it cuts down on the greasy feel and contributes to the "dry oil" feel, but I lowered it since I didn't want this too dry! I also added Cyclomethicone to help the body oil spread across skin easily. It also "leaves no oily residue or build-up and imparts a soft silky feel to skin" according to the Lotioncrafter product description.
If you don't want to add certain ingredients or want to substitute some, have at it! However I have no idea what it will be like. This is a formulation that works super well for me and if you are prone to dry itchy skin in the winter, this might be worth a try for you. If your skin isn't super dry and ashy this might be too heavy for you. It's fun to tinker around with body oils to find something perfect for your own unique skin!**
Body oil is one of the easiest moisturizing options to make at home. You don't even need to heat or melt any oils. You don't need preservatives if you keep this in a sealed container since there is no water in it! Plus! You won't be putting your hands in it either! Just weigh the oils, combine and poof= luxury.
It's so cool how adding some oils to each other create this swirly awesomeness. A stir should combine them!
The avena oat oil is very orange, so your body oil will be too! I made over 8 ounces this time because I had tried and loved a 100g batch already! Please try a small batch in case you end up not liking it.
This time around I added a light 1% of some diluted Madagascar Vanilla essential oil. This stuff is SPEND-Y! Whew. So I only save it for projects where a little will go a long way. Remember if you use essential oils to be sure they are skin safe, your skin won't react badly and always, always use at the recommended level. Essential oils are either seen as innocuous or helpful by a lot of people, but they are powerful concentrations and need to be respected and treated like any other ingredient. Check the usage and stay within those rules.
I know, I know... no pretty glass bottle with adorable tag?! This will be by the shower used with slippery hands so I like LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) bottles with easy to use flip tops. No risk of broken glass and the squeezy-ness of the bottle makes pouring the right amount a snap. Plus I feel that polyethylene (low, medium or high density) provides a much better grip than glass or PET plastic bottles when wet. An added addition to this bottle is that it can withstand boiling temperatures and can be sterilized and used more than once, while PET plastic melts so must be discarded after one use. A glass bottle with a pump would be cute and functional too since you wouldn't need to pick it up!
It does give a pretty sheen when applied to dry skin, but I find it sinks in and distributes on wet skin without leaving anything but mega soft smooth skin behind! I hope you enjoy this body oil as much as I do!
*If you are thinking, "jeesh Molly why are you using isopropyl myristate and cyclomethicone?? Can't you just use pure oils, isn't that good enough??" Well yes you can of course! I, on the other hand, in my extensive ingredient list reading noticed body oils that promise a "dry" or "silky" feel often employ silicones and esters to achieve it. I happen to have these esters and silicones and I like what they bring to the finished product, so I use them.
A tip: Look at the back of a few oil products you like and see what's actually in there! Then tinker around with those ingredients until you find a blend that you like even better than the original. That's my method.
**If the idea of rubbing straight oil on your skin squicks you out, maybe a lotion bar?
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