These homemade lotion bars with essential oils will soothe the most tired bodies. They are perfect to keep around to use on kids after sports games, after your gym workouts, to moisten dry skin, or anytime you’re just feeling a bit sore. My kids like to lay on the floor and have me rub this on the backs of their legs! This post contains affiliate links – we may earn a small commission with no extra cost to you. If you’re looking for a calming, nighttime solution, these lotion balls with lavender are perfect! Related: Mothers Day DIY Gifts

Homemade Soothing Lotion Bars With Essential Oils

We love making our own lotions – especially those with natural ingredients. Besides the simple ingredients, you only need a soap mold to make your own bar of soap. They make great gifts and are super simple to make. We’ve found that this natural alternative works better than a normal lotion and we can choose exactly which natural oils to use. This easy recipe is the perfect way to create a protective layer and keep the dry winter skin (we all hate cracked skin, don’t we?!) away during the cold winter months. The best part is that you can modify it to fix your needs. For example, if you need more moisture, you can add a few drops of sweet almond oil, olive oil, or vitamin E oil. Jojoba oil is a common ingredient in traditional lotion, so you can add some too. Follow this DIY lotion bars recipe for everyday use or just winter use! Ingredients:

1/4 cup Shea Butter
1/4 cup Beeswax
20 drops of essential oil (we prefer the ones from Young Living)
1/4 cup Coconut Oil

Directions:

Mix the ingredients in a double boiler, or create a makeshift one with a small pot of boiling water with a glass bowl on top (just be careful!).
Melt it together, stirring throughout.
When everything is melted (the beeswax always takes the longest), remove from heat, and add essential oils.
Pour them in a mold, let them set, and you’re all done!

Notes: You can use smaller molds if you prefer to, we just think muffin tins were a perfect size. It’s important to avoid direct sunlight as they might melt the solid lotion bars – it’s best to keep them at room temperature to maintain the quality of your lotion bars.

Image shows 6 Homemade Soothing Lotion Bars With Essential Oils in a jar over a blue table. Text reads "lotion bars with wingergreen & spearmint" from Kids Activities Blog. — You can mix different essential oils for this recipe.

PanAway essential oil is absolutely the most perfect oil for this! It’s a blend of wintergreen, clove, and peppermint. Combined together, these oils give a soothing, cooling feeling to your muscles. You can also add this in with an epsom salt bath, or even just rub the oil directly on your skin (I usually dilute it in coconut oil before applying straight to skin).

Yield: 6

Homemade Soothing Lotion Bars With Essential Oils

Make these homemade soothing lotion bars with essential oils for the cold winter days or any day that you need extra moisture.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Estimated Cost $5

Materials

1/4 cup Shea Butter
1/4 cup Beeswax
20 drops of essential oils
1/4 cup Coconut Oil

Tools

Double boiler or a small pot and a glass bowl

Instructions

Mix the ingredients in a double boiler, or create a makeshift one with a small pot of boiling water with a glass bowl on top (just be careful!).
Melt it together, stirring throughout.
When everything is melted (the beeswax always takes the longest), remove from heat, and add essential oils.
Pour them in a mold, let them set, and you’re all done!

How Do I Store My Homemade Soothing Lotion Bars With Essential Oils?

You can store these lotion bars in a plastic container, a mason jar (how cute would this be as a gift?), or even just a plastic baggie.

Why Use Essential Oils?

I began dabbling in essential oils for many reasons, but most importantly, as a mom, I questioned the products I surrounded myself and my family with. It’s crazy how many horrible things are in some of the products we use every day. I know that organic, natural products can be more expensive than conventional options, but that’s not always the case. That’s one of the cool things about essential oils–they’re so concentrated that you only need to use a tiny bit at a time, so a small bottle of oil lasts forever! When you look at it that way, over time, it’s actually cheaper to make your own cleaning supplies, aromatherapy products, and other personal items (like these homemade lotion bars) than it is to buy the chemical-laden versions in the stores. Essential oils have helped me with raising my little family. I will never turn back, and I love sharing what I’ve learned with everyone I can!