Hemp Shines In Single-Oil Lotion

Sometimes it’s fun to put the spotlight on a single oil in a lotion. Every oil has unique benefits, and Hemp Seed Oil is no exception. Using it at a higher rate in a single-oil lotion lets those benefits shine through.

Hemp Seed Oil, refined and organic, stars in this quick and simple single-oil lotion.

Our Hemp Seed Oil is organic and is expeller pressed. We have chosen to offer the refined version of this oil to maximize shelf life.

In general, Hemp Seed Oil helps soften skin, offers all-day moisturizing, and is considered a dry, non-greasy oil. It has a high Vitamin E content and over 50% linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid, meaning one our body does not make, that is critical to maintaining normal barrier function in our skin. The skin acts as a natural barrier to outside compounds, but it also prevents water loss from inside, which is very important when it comes to keeping the skin from feeling dry.

Another fatty acid that hemp oil contains is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which acts as an anti-inflammatory while encouraging new skin cell growth.

Now that we know how incredible Hemp Seed Oil is all by itself, let’s put it into a lotion to spread that goodness all over!

RECIPE

Hemp Seed Oil Lotion

INSTRUCTIONS

In a beaker or measuring cup, combine water, oil, humectant, and emulsifying wax. Heat gently in the microwave in 30-second bursts until all ingredients are melted. (For the small test batch, this will probably not take more than one minute of heating to melt.) Alternatively, you may heat your ingredients in a double boiler on a stovetop.

Use a stick blender to combine the melted ingredients and create the emulsion. Allow the emulsion to sit until the temperature is below 120ºF (49ºC). At that point, add Vitamin E, preservative, and fragrance. Mix well, and bottle.

After melting the first few ingredients, the mixture got a hit with the mini stick blender to create the emulsion.

Using a mini stick blender to mix in the heat-sensitive ingredients after the emulsion had cooled.

NOTES

I used a minimal amount of emulsifier to keep the lotion pretty fluid. I chose to use Emulsifying Wax instead of Conditioning Emulsifier, because I think the Hemp Seed Oil already has enough conditioning properties and should make a lovely, powdery lotion all by itself.

(As I considered emulsifiers, I remembered I have a new one I need to try. Tune in tomorrow to see what happens when I substitute Cetyl Alcohol for the Emulsifying Wax in today’s formula.)

My 100-gram test batch filled four one-ounce sample bottles. This amount is perfect to pass around to get some feedback on the feel. I’m pleased that I went with only 0.3% of Blood Orange & Thyme fragrance oil. It’s the perfect amount of fragrance without being overpowering. Remember, fragrances intensify greatly in lotion, so it’s best to start out with less. (I’m inclined to forget this important fact, so I figure I’m probably not the only one!)

The resulting lotion is wonderful! It goes on with a bit of drag and soaps the tiniest bit before quickly disappearing into my skin. The feel left behind is velvety and not greasy at all. This is definitely a lotion you could use and quickly return to work without ending up with fingerprints all over everything. It also made my post-dishwashing hands feel wonderful! Hooray!