CBD-infused bath and body care products are popping up on store shelves everywhere. The beauty and skincare aisle now contains familiar products, like lip balms, lotions, and moisturizers infused with CBD (cannabidiol).
If you like to make your body care products at home, you can get in on the CBD game. Making your own CBD lotion is simple. Start by figuring out what kind of lotion you’d like to make; the rest is simple from there.
What Is CBD Lotion?
CBD-infused lotions are topical CBD products. They work to nourish, moisturize, and protect your skin exactly like a regular lotion would. They simply have the added benefit of topical CBD from cannabis or hemp.
There are many different CBD topical products on the market. CBD salves are often made with beeswax, thicker than lotions, and often used to soothe sore muscles. CBD creams are similar to lotions and are thinner for easier application. You can find DIY salve recipes online too!
What Does CBD Lotion Do?
In some cases, CBD lotion soothes feelings of physical tension and discomfort. CBD lotion can incorporate ingredients chosen for their potential benefits. CBD lotions, creams, and salves can soothe achy muscles or moisturize dry skin.
It all depends on the ingredients you choose. In short, CBD topicals can do whatever you want them to do.
The CBD in your lotion will always work the same way. Your skin is full of cannabinoid receptors, and CBD can work with those cannabinoid receptors to support skin health. CBD has naturally soothing properties that may help to calm your skin.
CBD lotion doesn’t work the same way CBD oil or CBD gummies do. CBD that you ingest reaches your internal endocannabinoid system and promotes holistic wellness from inside the body. CBD you swallow can support a calm mood and help you get good quality shut-eye.
You’re definitely not supposed to eat lotion, no matter how natural the ingredients are. You should use CBD lotion in conjunction with ingestibles like CBD gummies to maximize the benefits of CBD for your body.
How To Use CBD Lotion
You can apply CBD lotion at any time and use it just like regular lotion. You want the ingredients to penetrate your skin when you use CBD lotion.
The best way to do that is to wash away the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that naturally sit on the surface of your skin. They act as a barrier that will keep the ingredients from sinking in.
After you’ve had your shower (or at least washed the area with warm water and mild soap), massage your CBD lotion into the affected area. The benefits of massage are twofold. The first benefit is that the act of massage works the lotion into your skin, encouraging it to absorb. The second benefit is that massage helps to support natural circulation.
Step 1: Choose What Kind of Lotion You Want To Make
Have you ever looked at the lotion aisle and felt completely overwhelmed by all of your options? That’s because lotion can do a lot of things, depending on the ingredients. People choose lotion according to their skincare concerns.
When making a DIY CBD lotion recipe, you’ll want to make a general skin smoothing lotion, a calming lotion, or a relieving lotion. That’s the best way to utilize CBD’s special properties in lotion form.
A little bit of these ingredients will go a long way. Use one ounce of additional ingredients for every eight ounces of lotion you make. You’ll need less than five drops of strong ingredients like essential oils for eight ounces of lotion.
Once you put something into your lotion, you can’t quite take it out. Start with a tiny amount. You can always add more and mix it up again if you want.
Go slow until you find your goldilocks amount. You’ll know when it’s just right.
Skin-Smoothing Lotion
If your only goal is to moisturize your dry skin, you can add skin-healthy nourishing oil mixtures to your lotion formula. Oils containing vitamins and healthy fats help create a barrier that draws in moisture and locks it in place, keeping your skin soft all day long. Pick an oil or two that appeals to you.
- Vitamin E oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Jojoba oil
- Olive oil
Skin-Calming Lotion
If you’re looking for a way to soothe occasional redness or feelings of minor discomfort in the skin, choose a few of these ingredients. Ingredients like colloidal oatmeal are excellent for soothing sensitive skin. Ingredients like aloe vera gently hydrate parched skin.
- Colloidal oatmeal powder
- Chamomile
- Green tea extract
- Niacinamide
- Sea buckthorn oil
- Licorice extract
- Lavender essential oil
- Aloe vera gel
Relieving Lotion
Relieving ingredients like arnica montana and menthol can produce a cooling sensation on the skin. Capsicum and clove produce a warming sensation.
Both sensations work well to distract from the sensation of muscle soreness. Choose which sensation feels best for you. Use relieving lotion after a workout to ease discomfort.
Relieving ingredients require the most caution when you use them. The tiniest amounts of these ingredients will go a long way.
Add the ingredients you choose two drops at a time, especially the essential oil of your choice. Mix it, check it, and only add more if you need to.
- Arnica montana
- Menthol (or peppermint)
- Capsicum (from hot peppers)
- Lavender essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
- Clove essential oil
Step 2: Choose a Base for Your Lotion
Without a proper base, your lotion will be body oil. That’s okay, too. You can use a neutral carrier oil, like hemp seed oil, to act as a base for your ingredients. If you want a thick, creamy lotion you can spread on and rub in, you have a few choices for a lotion base.
Premade Lotion Base
Plenty of body care supply companies make pre-made lotion bases. Many of them are fragrance-free, dye-free, and suitable for sensitive skin. They may come infused with skin-nourishing ingredients you would have otherwise added yourself.
There’s no shame in taking a high-quality shortcut to get to the end step, especially if you don’t usually make your body care products.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is an excellent base for body-butter-style lotion. Raw shea butter has a very firm texture, but after you mix in your oil-based ingredients, it will be much easier to spread. You can scoop it out of the container and warm it up with your hands before you apply it.
Coconut Oil Moisturizer
You can combine equal parts of coconut oil with shea butter or cocoa butter to create a thick, creamy moisturizer. This formula is excellent for protecting your skin and deeply hydrating it.
Shea butter has a neutral smell, whereas cocoa butter smells like chocolate. Keep that in mind when mixing up your lotion if you’re particular about how it will smell.
Lightweight Lotion
If you don’t like lotions with thick textures, combine equal parts of skin-healthy carrier oil like jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, or hemp seed oil with pure aloe vera. The aloe vera slightly thickens the oil, giving the mixture a lightweight gel texture.
How To Make CBD Lotion
Making CBD lotion is as easy as making soup. You don’t need to be a kitchen wizard or a DIY body care wizard to whip up a batch of CBD lotion you’ll love.
1. Set the Stage
Heat is the key to perfectly blending all of your ingredients, especially if you’re using ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil that need to be melted before mixing. Set a small saucepan on the stove, and turn the heat low.
Low heat will ensure your lotion does not burn. Let the pot get warm before you start adding your ingredients. You can also use a double-boiler.
2. Prepare Your Base
Weigh out your base ingredients. Most people use about six to eight ounces of lotion base. If you have a lot of additive oils, go lower. If you’re keeping things simple, go higher.
Put your premade lotion base, or the ingredients for your base, into a pot. Slowly stir them until they completely melt and become thin in their consistency. Don’t let them begin to simmer or boil.
If they do more than liquefy, turn the burner off. The residual heat will be enough to keep the ingredients in a liquid state.
3. Add Your Extra Ingredients
Add your other ingredients, like essential oils or skin healthy oils, in small increments, one at a time. Mix thoroughly between each ingredient. Remember to start conservatively, especially with very potent ingredients like essential oils.
4. Blend in Your CBD Oil
The last ingredient you add should be your CBD oil or tincture. Add between 50 and 150 mg of CBD per ounce of lotion base.
If you’re using CBD to support normal skin health, 50 mg should be sufficient. If you’re making a relieving lotion, try using 150 mg of CBD per ounce. Stir very well.
You can also decarboxylate your own hemp flower, but it can complicate an easy process.
5. Store and Use
Once all of your ingredients are melted and blended, it’s time to transfer your lotion into a container. A dark glass bottle with a pump is great for thinner CBD lotions. A dark glass jar with a screw top works perfectly for thicker formulas or body butter.
Dark glass does an excellent job of preserving ingredients like essential oils or CBD, which are very sensitive to light. Amber or violet glass will protect your lotion, keeping it potent until you’ve finished the entire container.
None of the ingredients in your lotion are perishable, but they may decline in quality over time. Try to use it up within a month.
It’s normal for ingredients to separate with time. Oils sometimes pull away from other ingredients. If you notice separation, vigorously shake the bottle or use a spoon to stir up the jar.
Pure Relief, Inside and Out
CBD lotion is a great way to support the health of your skin or provide topical relief. If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of buying all the ingredients and doing the work yourself, our CBD roll-on is a convenient ready-to-go solution for relief when you need it.
Combine CBD roll-on with CBD gummies for relief inside and out. Our CBD gummies are infused with 25 mg CBD per piece. Chew a gummy, massage in your CBD lotion, and take a load off your feet.
Sources:
Massage: Get in touch with its many benefits | Mayo Clinic
Oatmeal in dermatology: A brief review | Indian Journal of Dermatology