Vintage Homemade Hand Lotion

by Andi

A few months ago, I was at a baby shower at my the house of one of my cute neighbors up the street. Like at every lively party, the conversation turned to hand lotion and we all started talking about what brand was our favorite. A few of the ladies shared what their favorite was, but when the host of the shower walked in and heard what we were talking about, she quickly ran out of the room without saying anything. We all looked at each other and kind of laughed, wondering silently what would cause such a quick departure. She returned a few seconds later with an old looking jar and started telling us excitedly about her recipe for what she called the "world's best hand lotion." She went on to explain that her grandmother made up this recipe over 40 years ago and that it was hands-down (no pun intended!) the best lotion ever.

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She shared the secret family recipe with us while we passed the jar around and smothered it all over our skin. I was really impressed with how it felt. The next day, I went to my favorite store (my neighborhood Walmart!) wondering if I would be able to find everything I needed to make it myself.  Surprisingly, I found everything I needed right in the beauty department. I went home, whipped up a batch, and fell in love with it. I filled little jars with the lotion and stuck them everywhere- in my purse, diaper bag, bathroom, night stand, and by the computer. During the past few months, I have found myself using it constantly.  My skin feels so soft! I want to share the recipe and directions with you all.

Here's what you'll need:

• Baby lotion: A regular sized bottle.  I have always loved this stuff and have used it since high school.  I'm obsessed with the light, creamy texture and the lovely smell.
• Vitamin E: This was the ingredient I wasn't sure I was going to be able to find because I'd never used it before, but it was right in the lotion section.  Vitamin E in cream form?  I didn't even know such a thing existed.
• Vaseline: Bargain brand would be fine too, but I went all out and bought the real stuff.  I'm fancy like that.

It's kind of random, but I decided to mix all of the ingredients together in my stand mixer with the whisk attachment.  I didn't really know how else to get ingredients well combined. I started by squeezing the entire bottle of baby lotion into the mixing bowl.

Next, I scooped out the vaseline with one of my baby's spoons.  Those things are handier than you might think!

Lastly, I emptied the jar of Vitamin E into the mixer. Pretty simple, right?

Look at all of that good stuff!   Just looking at it makes my skin feel dry.  I need it!

Turn on your trusty mixer and whip it!  Whip it good!

I found these small bottles in the travel section and thought they'd be perfect to fill with the lotion.  They're a nice, portable size to fit inside a purse or diaper bag.  I also found some small tupperware with screw on lids that would be a nice size for the bathroom cupboard.

I tried finding a funnel to help me fill the jars, but I couldn't find one with a small enough spout to fit inside the mouth of the bottles.  I guess I could have driven around town trying to find one, but I have two little boys and the thought of doing that with them in tow didn't sound very fun to me.  So I came up with Plan B, which was to fill a Ziploc bag with the lotion, snip a corner off, and just squeeze the lotion into the bottles.

This plan worked perfectly.  The lotion effortlessly slid right into the bottles.

Just kidding!  It was a disaster!  I was frantically trying to tap the lotion down into the bottles while it spilled out the top.  When I was finished, it was all over the place.

No harm done!  I just washed the bottles off.  But seriously, fill them with a funnel if you can.  It would make your life a lot easier.

I also decided to just re-use the Vitamin E container and fill it with the lotion.  Why not?

To give the bottles a little color and make them look cute and boutique-ish, I decorated them with a little washi tape and some string I found in my junk drawer.

Wouldn't these make fun gifts?  I love how they turned out!  This lotion couldn't be easier, more affordable, or more practical.  I promise you'll love how soft it will make your skin feel.  It's thicker than regular baby lotion because of the other ingredients and you can definitely use it all over your body.  I've been using it on my legs, heels, elbows, and even my face for months now, and it's awesome.  Let me know what you think of it once you've made it!