Homemade Hand Cream with Almond & Milk
Show your hands some love with this homemade almond & milk hand cream. Hard–working hands need the rich rejuvenation of this nourishing hand cream. Sweet almond oil and vitamin E hydrate while beeswax conditions your hands to a soft, smooth feel. Enjoy this moisturizing effect on your elbows, knees and feet too.
This homemade recipe is a copycat of Burt’s Bees® Almond & Milk Hand Cream. This was hands–down (get it?) my favorite hand cream until 2007 when Burt Shavitz died (yes, there actually was once a Burt IRL). Then the small brand was bought out by behemoth Clorox Corporation, which then changed the formulation of this product. Most of the sustainable ingredients were switched to synthetic ones, and GMOs and artificial fragrances were added. That is the reason I now DIY my own hand cream. I will not apply such unsafe chemicals to my skin.
About the Ingredients
Almond oil is cold–pressed from the dried kernels of the almond tree. Almond oil is a medium–weight oil rich in oleic and linoleic acids. It also has proteins and vitamin D. It is also known for its ability to soften and recondition lips while helping reduce moisture loss. No wonder everyone’s nuts about it!
Black pepper and bay leaf essential oils contain eugenol and linalool, which act as preservatives. Black pepper essential oil also contains piperine, which provides a little sunscreen property as well. And if you enjoy this skin care recipe, check out our other DIY skin care recipes. Try our rosehip and lavender facial mask or our babchi seed oil face cream. You’ll like our homemade whipped rose body butter and our rose hyaluronic gel facial mask too.
If you’ve never made lotion before, it’s surprisingly easy. All you have to do is combine water, oils, and additives. Not ready to jump into lotion making quite yet? Body butter is a great option—learn the difference between lotion, cream and body butter here.
Equipment Prep
Sanitize your utensils by boiling them in distilled water and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, whisks, and any spoons or spatulas that come in contact with your mask. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible. If you’re a beginner, you might be unsure how to avoid bacterial and mold growth in your homemade self care products. Read our quick guide to cosmetic preservatives.
What You Will Need
- One 8 oz. glass jar with a tight–fitting lid
How to Make an Almond & Milk Hand Cream
Yield: 8 ounces
Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. (43 g) aloe vera leaf juice
- 0.1 oz. (3 g) vegetable glycerin
- 4 oz. (113 g) sweet almond oil
- 1 ½ Tbsp. (22 g) beeswax pastilles
- 0.5 oz. (15 g) Shea butter
- 0.15 oz. (4 g) panthenol
- 0.35 oz. (10 g) distilled water
- 0.04 oz. (1 g) sea salt (or preservative of choice, optional)
- ½ Tbsp. (nonfat) milk powder
- 1 tsp. kaolin clay
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- 0.07 oz. (2 g) honeysuckle flower extract (hydrosol)
- 0.1 oz. (3 g) vitamin E (tocopherol)
- 10 drops honeysuckle essential oil
- 3 drops black pepper (or bay leaf) essential oil, optional
Directions
- In a small container, mix together aloe vera leaf juice and vegetable glycerin. Whisk until well incorporated.
- Heat the beeswax and sweet almond oil until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add the Shea butter so it melts slowly with the residual heat.
- Then slowly pour the oil mixture into the water mixture and whisk for 60–90 seconds, making sure they’re fully emulsified. Set aside to cool.
- Combine distilled water, sea salt and panthenol. Mix until the salt and panthenol have fully dissolved. Then add milk powder, kaolin clay, almond extract, honeysuckle flower extract, and vitamin E. Finally, add honeysuckle essential oil and black pepper (or bay leaf) essential oil. Whisk to combine.
- Once the water/oil mixture has cooled to about 80°F, pour this last mixture into it and whisk until emulsified.
Storage
Pour the cream into jars. Allow it to cool for about 1–2 hours with the lid off to prevent condensation. Secure the lid and allow the cream to fully cool and thicken.
How to Use
Apply a small amount of homemade almond & milk hand cream to dry or rough hands and massage into skin. Also useful for elbows, knees and feet. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our newsletter to have more posts like this one delivered directly to your inbox. Cheers!
Sources:
Almond & Milk Hand Cream
https://www.burtsbees.com/product/almond-milk-hand-cream/