How to Make Lotion

level:

Beginner

time:

30 minutes

result:

1 bottle of lotion 297 g (10.5 oz)

Hands showing how to use scented lotion as a DIY project.

Looking for a simple way to create skin-loving body care at home? The Stephenson Aloe and Shea Unscented Lotion Base makes it easy. This organic-derived base is packed with nourishing ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, coconut oil, and sunflower oil for a soft, velvety finish that absorbs quickly without feeling greasy.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to customize the base with your favorite fragrance oils to create boutique-quality lotions in just a few simple steps. No complicated formulation or guesswork required—just heat, blend, and bottle.

Whether you’re an indie maker expanding your offerings or a DIYer treating yourself to spa-worthy skincare, this versatile lotion base is the perfect starting point for creating nourishing, customizable products your customers (and your skin) will love.

Additional items needed:

Bath-safe bottle
Large glass bowl
Double boiler
Glass or fragrance-safe container
Paper towels
Funnel
Syringe or pipette
Standing mixer (optional)

Before you begin:

Make sure your tools and workspace are clean. We like to wipe everything down with isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel, but you can also use soap and water or a 5% bleach solution. To make clean up even easier, you can use a protective mat like the Black Silicone Work Surface Mat.

Directions:

Step 1: Sterilize your containers

To keep your lotion fresh and safe, always start with clean, sterilized containers. Spray your bottles and caps with rubbing alcohol and allow them to fully dry. This step can also be done the day before.

Spraying rubbing alcohol into an empty lotion bottle.

Empty lotion bottle and cap drying on paper towel.

Step 2: Measure your base

The bottle we’re using here holds 297 g (10.5 oz) by weight. We'll be measuring all materials by weight for accuracy.

Place a glass bowl on a scale and press “tare”, this will set the scale to 0 and only measure what is poured into the bowl.

Pouring diffuser base into a funnel pouring pitcher on a scale.

Diffuser base in a funnel pouring pitcher on a scale reading 4.5 ounces.

Carefully pour 297 g (10.5 oz) of lotion base into the bowl. A tool like a syringe can help with accuracy.

Step 3: Measure your fragrance

We recommend using no more than a 0.5% fragrance load with the lotion base. Once you know how much base you’ll be using, use this equation to calculate how much fragrance to add:

(amount of base) x (% of fragrance) = amount of fragrance to use

For a bottle that holds 297 g (10.5 oz) of base, it will look like this:

297 x 0.005 = 1.4 g of fragrance oil

We're going to round down here. Place a glass container on a tared out scale and pour out 1 g of the Yuzu Blossom fragrance oil.

Diffuser base and fragrance mixture in a pouring pitcher on a scale reading 6 ounces.

Pouring fragrance into a pouring pitcher with diffuser base in it on a scale.

When working with smaller amounts of fragrance, a pipette can be handy for adding or removing oil.

Finger pointing to fluid ounce measurement of mixture in a pouring pitcher.

Hand stirring mixture with a spatula in pouring pitcher.

Step 4: Heat and mix

Place the glass bowl with the lotion base on a double boiler and heat to 100°F. Pour in the fragrance oil and stir with a spatula for about 15-30 mins or until the mixture is fully combined.

Pouring mixture into diffuser bottle using a silver funnel.

Pouring mixture from pouring pitcher into reed diffuser bottle.

You can remove the bowl from the heat to make stirring easier. For larger batches or to save time, you can also use a standing mixer.

Pro Tip!

If you'll be using a cosmetic dye or mica, you could add that here as well!

Step 5: Fill the bottles

Transfer the mixture from the bowl to a funnel pouring pitcher. If you’ll be labeling your products, you’re required to list the fluid oz and ml on the label. So take note of the fluid measurements here.

Hand twisting gold collar onto diffuser bottle.

Hand placing 6 reeds into diffuser bottle with gold collar.

You can pour directly from the funnel pouring pitcher but, you could also use a funnel or syringe if you’d like.

Hand placing clear stopper into neck of reed diffuser bottle.

Hand tilting diffuser bottle with collar and stopper to show that it will not leak.

Pour the mixture into the bottle until it’s full to the fill line, then tightly secure the cap.

Step 6: Finishing touches

Your lotion is ready to enjoy! For an extra finishing touch (especially if you’re gifting or selling) consider adding custom labels or branding. Labels not only elevate the look of your product, but also provide important details like fragrance, volume, and directions, giving your bubble bath a polished, professional feel.

For more information on how to properly label liquid for US compliance, check out this article here.

Placing warning label on bottom of diffuser bottle.

Placing a decorative label on the front of a finished reed diffuser.

Pro Tip!

Looking for the perfect labels? Check out our partners over at Avery WePrint!

Did you make it?

Show off your lotion and other handmade creations with the CandleScience community by tagging us @CandleScience and using the #CandleScientist hashtag on Facebook and Instagram. We may feature you in our Stories or on our website!