Ahhh...PINTEREST, that delightful online corkboard for organizing and displaying pictures of the things that inspire us, has quickly become one of the hottest social media sites around. Users can upload, save and sort images (pins), follow other users and repin from their boards or directly from the internet. Categories include Food & Drink, Travel, Gardening, Education, and my favorite: DIY & Crafts.
But does that DIY stuff really work? Do the recipes turn out like the pictures suggest? I decided to do a test...
One of the recurring pin themes I've noticed on PINTEREST is homemade body lotion recipes. As an avid do-it-yourselfer and moisturizer
While there was quite a selection to choose from, I elected to follow this guideline:
1 part Vitamin E Cream
1 part solid coconut oil
2 parts baby lotion
The process couldn't be much simpler: place the ingredients in a bowl and whip with a mixer until the mixture resembles fluffy, pink cake frosting. Store in airtight container (read: Mason Jar! )
Before we check out the results, let's take a look at the 'science' behind this recipe.
Vitamin E
According to THIS NBC news article, Vitamin E, applied topically, eases dryness by helping skin retain its natural moisture. It may neutralize damaging free radicals and reduce the unstable molecules present after exposure to cigarette smoke. For my lotion I used 4 oz of Vitamin E SkinCare Cream.
Coconut Oil
The benefits of coconut oil are being touted worldwide! An ARTICLE in the Farmer's Almanac explains that coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, which makes it beneficial as an antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial. As a moisturizer, coconut oil speeds healing of flaking, cracked skin, prevents wrinkles, and helps in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, and other chronic conditions. Coconut oil is a solid that quickly becomes liquid when subject to heat, and returns to a solid when cooled. I have used coconut oil as a moisturizer for skin and hair and I love it! For today's experiment I used 4 oz of pure coconut oil.
Baby Lotion
Baby lotion smells really good (that's personal opinion, not necessarily science)! I haven't done research on the individual components of baby lotion, but in my experience this mild lotion is appropriate for delicate skin. It absorbs quickly and hydrates well. The creamy formula helps stabilize the coconut oil in this recipe. I have used 8 oz of pink baby lotion in this trial.
So what about the results? Is this Homemade Moisturizing Lotion that's popping up all over PINTEREST really worth the effort?
On a 1-10 scale I rate it a 10!
Finding the ingredients: 10!
All of the ingredients were readily available in my local super center.
Cost of ingredients: 10!
Supplies to make 3 1-pint batches cost less than $14 and I had both coconut oil and baby lotion left over.
Preparation/process: 10!
Total time including measuring, mixing & packaging was 9 minutes, 13 seconds! I can live with that!
The finished product: 10!
Because the 16 oz of ingredients are whipped, there was enough finished product to fill a pint mason jar - and plenty left over to slather on! The lotion is thick, rich and creamy but goes on light as air. The skin is moist, with a soft sheen, but doesn't feel greasy. And the scent is delightful! I used the pink baby lotion this time around but I am sure I will try the others eventually.
Homemade Moisturizing Lotion Rates A 10!
This PIN is a WIN!
Have you made this lotion? Tweaked the recipe? I would love to read your comments and suggestions!
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