This body lotion recipe contains fine and summer-friendly ingredients that make your tan lasting longer, soothe sunburned skin, nourish, regenerate and moisturize the skin.
It has a thick and firm texture that makes the application even more pleasant and leaves the skin soft, glowing and protected.

In summer it’s essential to keep the skin soft and moisturized to avoid dry areas. Your tan will be more intense, radiant and visible if the skin is well nourished, moisturized and protected. Don’t forget to scrub at least once a week as well!

The formula of this summer body lotion contains moisturizing allantoin and glycerin and a mix of softening oils and butters.
Shea, cocoa and avocado butters are particularly good for dry skin and the latter one gives a silky touch to the lotion.
Carrot and walnut oil prepare the skin for tanning and help intensify the color. Walnut oil contains juglone, which is a naphthoquinone that interacts with epidermis and hair keratin and promotes pigmentation. Carrot oil contains beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. The antioxidant properties of carrot make the skin more hydrated and resistant to sun exposure.
Both of them are known to have a light natural sunscreen but you should NOT use them for sun protection. Use a tested sunscreen instead.

After sun exposure, the skin needs to be regenerated and soothed to alleviate any redness. For this reason, my summer lotion recipe includes  actives with soothing propertives: mallow fluid extract, bisabolol and allantoin. If you do not have mallow extract, you can also use chamomile or calendula.

In summertime it’s better to use lotions that are not too greasy.  Apricot kernel, argan and jojoba oils absorb quickly without leaving the skin greasy and the beeswax helps to potentiate this quality.

Summer body lotion ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need for this body lotion recipe:

Water phase

• Distilled water: 52.6 g
• Glycerin: 5 g
• Allantoin: 0.3 g
• Xanthan gum: 0.2 g

Oil phase

• Jojoba oil: 2 g
• Argan oil: 3.5 g
• Apricot kernel oil: 3.5 g
• Avocado oil: 4 g
• Tocopherol (Vitamin E): 1 g
• Cocoa butter: 4 g
• Olivem 1000: 6 g
• Beeswax: 0.8 g

Oil phase 1

• Shea butter: 3 g

Cooling down phase

• Carrot oil: 3 g
• Walnut hull oil: 4 g
• Bisabolol: 0.5 g
• Mallow extract: 5 g
• Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid preservative: 0.6 g
• Summer natural fragrance: 1 g

Summer body lotion recipe

• Pour the allantoin into the boiling water and stir until it dissolves.
  
  
• Put the glycerin and the xanthan gum in a heat-resistant glass beacker and add the water and allantoin solution blending with a mini immersion blender.
  
  
• Heat the oil and water phases in a double boiler (in separate beakers) until the wax and emulsifier melt.
  
  
• Add the shea butter to the oil phase. This is done at the end because the shea might form lumps.
  
  
• Combine the two phases and whisk for 2 minutes without incorporating air.
  
  
• Then place the lotion in a cold-water bath and stir with a silicone spatula until it reaches about 38 degrees. Spatulas helps to avoid the formation of bubbles to achieve a better consistency.
  
  
• Finally, pour in the ingredients of the cooling down phase one by one, mixing well with each addition.
  
  
• Measure the pH, which should be between 5 and 5.5 (if too high, lower it with lactic acid).
  
  
• I hope you enjoyed my DIY Summer lotion recipe!
  
  

If you are not familiar about how to make a lotion, click here.