How to Make Herbal Creams & Lotions

Quick Recipe Card

Property	Details
Type	Emulsified herbal preparations
Time	45 minutes active (plus infusion time)
Yield	About 1 cup (8 oz) — enough for a family of four for several weeks
Shelf Life	1–2 weeks refrigerated (no preservative) or 3–6 months (with preservative)
Storage	Clean glass jars, cool and dark

What You’ll Learn

Making your own herbal creams and lotions isn’t much harder than making homemade mayonnaise. You’re just blending oil and water together with a little help from beeswax or emulsifying wax. The result? Rich creams for dry skin or light lotions for daily use — at a fraction of store prices.

The difference between cream and lotion? It’s mostly about thickness. Creams have more oil and butter (about 2 parts oil to 1 part water). Lotions flip that ratio for something lighter that absorbs faster.

What You’ll Need

Basic Kitchen Tools

Double boiler setup ad — Just a heat-proof bowl or jar sitting in a pot of simmering water
Stick blender ad — Makes the job much easier (a whisk works but takes elbow grease)
Two heat-proof jars or measuring cups ad — For warming your oil and water phases
Clean glass jars ad — For storing your finished cream (amber glass is nice but not necessary)
Kitchen thermometer ad — Helpful but not essential

Nice-to-Have Tools

These make the process easier but aren’t required:

Mini electric milk frother ad ($10–15) — Great for small batches
Infrared thermometer ad ($20–30) — Takes the guesswork out of temperature
Small kitchen scale ad — For consistent results batch to batch

Ingredients

Oil Phase:

½ cup herbal-infused oil (see our infused oils guide)
1–3 teaspoons beeswax (for thickness)
1–2 tablespoons solid butter (shea, cocoa, or coconut oil)
1 teaspoon emulsifying wax (optional but helps stability)

Water Phase:

½ cup distilled water, herbal tea (see our guides for hot infusions and cold infusions), or hydrosol
1 teaspoon honey or glycerin (optional, for extra moisture)

Additives (add when cool):

½ teaspoon vitamin E oil (helps prevent rancidity)
5–10 drops essential oils (optional, for scent)
Natural preservative (see section below)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Your Herbal Bases

For the oil: Fill a jar about one-third full with dried herbs. Pour oil over them until it sits about an inch above the herbs. Let this steep 4–6 weeks in a sunny window, or speed it up by warming gently in your double boiler for 2–3 hours. Strain through cheesecloth before using. (See our guide to oil infusions.)

For the water: Make a strong herbal tea using 2–3 tablespoons dried herbs per cup of boiling water. Steep 20 minutes, strain, and cool. (See our guide to hot herbal infusions)

Fresh vs. Dried: Stick with dried herbs for oil infusions — fresh ones can make your oil go rancid. If you must use fresh, wilt them overnight first to reduce moisture. For the water phase, fresh is fine since you’ll use it right away.

2. Set Up Your Double Boiler

Put an inch or two of water in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Place your jars or bowls on top — they shouldn’t touch the water.

3. Warm Both Phases

Put your oil phase ingredients (infused oil, beeswax, butters) in one jar. Put your water phase (tea or hydrosol) in another. Warm both until the oils and waxes are completely melted and both phases feel about the same temperature — warm but not hot (around 120°F if you’re measuring).

4. Blend Them Together

Here’s where the magic happens. Remove both jars from heat. While running your stick blender (or whisking like crazy), slowly pour the water phase into the oil phase. It’ll turn from clear to creamy white — just like making mayo. Keep blending for about a minute until it’s smooth and uniform.

Troubleshooting: If it separates, you poured too fast or the temperatures were too different. Just rewarm both phases and try again.

5. Cool and Add the Good Stuff

Let your cream cool to about body temperature (below 110°F). Now stir in your vitamin E, essential oils, and preservative if using. Mix well — the cream will thicken more as it cools.

6. Jar It Up

Pour or spoon into your clean storage jars while it’s still pourable. Label with the date and ingredients. Let cool completely before putting the lid on.

Natural Preservatives: Your Options

Without a preservative, your cream will last 1–2 weeks in the fridge. That’s fine if you make tiny batches, but most folks want something that lasts longer. Here are your choices:

Natural Preservative Options

Vitamin E Oil

Pros: Easy to find, inexpensive
Cons: Only prevents oil rancidity, doesn’t stop bacteria or mold
Use: ½ teaspoon per cup of cream

Rosemary Extract (ROE)

Pros: Natural antioxidant, extends oil life
Cons: Like vitamin E, doesn’t prevent bacterial growth
Use: 0.5% of total recipe weight

Leucidal Liquid (from radish root ferment)

Pros: Broad spectrum, naturally derived
Cons: Can be hard to find, needs pH 4–7 to work
Use: 2–4% of total weight

Geogard ECT or Optiphen Plus

Pros: Reliable broad spectrum, widely available
Cons: More processed than other options
Use: Follow manufacturer’s directions (usually 0.5–1.5%)

What About Alcohol?

You might wonder about using alcohol since it preserves tinctures so well. Here’s the thing — to preserve a cream, you’d need at least 20% alcohol. That much alcohol turns your lovely moisturizing cream into something harsh and drying, like aftershave. It can also break your emulsion, making everything separate. Save the alcohol for tinctures and stick with the options above for creams.

My advice? For beginners, either make fresh weekly batches (no preservative needed) or use Leucidal Liquid for a good balance of natural and effective.

Storage and Shelf Life

Without preservative: Keep refrigerated, use within 1–2 weeks. Make just ½ cup at a time.

With preservative: Store in a cool, dark place for 3–6 months. Bathroom counters are fine if the jar has a good seal.

Signs it’s gone bad: Off smell, color change, visible mold, or separation that won’t remix. When in doubt, toss it out.

Smart tip: Use a clean spoon or cosmetic spatula to scoop out cream — fingers introduce bacteria.

Three Starter Recipes

Calendula Everyday Lotion

Light and healing, perfect for the whole family

½ cup calendula-infused olive oil
½ cup calendula tea (cooled)
2 tsp emulsifying wax
1 tsp beeswax
1 tbsp shea butter
½ tsp vitamin E oil
5 drops lavender essential oil

Follow the basic method above. This makes about 1 cup.

Rich Chamomile Night Cream

Thick and soothing for dry or sensitive skin

½ cup chamomile-infused sweet almond oil
¼ cup chamomile tea
3 tsp beeswax
2 tbsp cocoa butter
½ tsp vitamin E oil
Preservative of choice

Makes about ¾ cup of thick, rich cream.

Simple Plantain Healing Balm

No water = no preservative needed

½ cup plantain and comfrey infused oil
2 tbsp beeswax
1 tbsp each: shea butter, cocoa butter
1 tsp vitamin E oil

Melt everything together, pour into jars. Lasts months without refrigeration.

Safety Notes

Always start with clean tools and containers
Label everything with ingredients and date
Do a patch test before slathering any new cream all over
Keep water-based creams away from broken skin unless you’ve used a preservative
Store out of reach of children

Final Thoughts

Once you get the rhythm — melt, blend, cool, jar — you’ll be making custom creams in less time than a trip to the store. Start simple with one herb you know well. Calendula or chamomile are perfect first choices.

The beauty of homemade? You control everything. Too thick? Use less wax next time. Want it richer? Add more butter. It’s your cream, made your way, for pennies on the dollar.

Next up: See our guide to herbal salves & balms for an even simpler, no-water option that lasts for months.

All Preparation Method Guides