Understanding Oil in Water Emulsions: The Secret Behind Perfect Body Lotions

How to make body lotion from scratch? Here’s your detailed guide

Crafting body lotion from scratch for personal use or developing a line for retail or small businesses needs understanding of the body lotion formulation process for delivering quality and consistency.

This blog will help you understand how oil in water emulsions work. We’ve also outlined the core ingredients of a body lotion formula and a professional method for producing smooth, stable, and effective lotions. This scalable formula helps create products that meet both consumer expectations and business standards.

At the core of most body lotions lies an oil in water emulsion. And it preparation gives lotions their lightweight, non-greasy texture. Alternatively, some richer creams use water in oil emulsion formulation, which creates a heavier product. Knowing the difference helps tailor your body lotion formulation to your target audience or client base. But what is oil in water emulsion? 

What is an Oil in Water Emulsion?

An oil in water emulsion is a type of mixture where oil droplets are dispersed throughout a continuous water phase. It is the most common type of emulsion used in skincare, especially for products like body lotions and creams. The oil in water emulsion preparation ensures that lotions feel lightweight, absorb quickly, and do not leave a greasy mess. After all who loves an oily body lotion that makes the skin look dull? 

In contrast, a water-in-oil emulsion formulation has water droplets suspended in oil. These emulsions are heavier and are often used for deeper moisturization. An oil in water emulsion is ideal especially when you’re focused on the making body lotion process for regular use in the winters when the skin is prone to get dry and itchy.

Body Lotion Making Process with Oil in Water Emulsion 

 Phase A – Water Phase

• Purified Water – 65.0%
• Glycerin – 3.0% (humectant; hydrates and softens skin)
• Disodium EDTA – 0.05% (chelating agent to improve stability)

Phase B – Oil Phase

• Emulsifying Wax (Olivem 1000 / BTMS) – 4.0% (forms stable emulsion)
• Cetyl Alcohol – 1.5% (gives creamy texture and glide)
• Shea Butter / Cocoa Butter – 3.0% (deep nourishment & emolliency)
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride or Coconut Oil – 4.0% (lightweight emollient)
• Sweet Almond / Jojoba Oil – 4.0% (carrier oils for softness and elasticity)

 Phase C – Cool Down Phase

• Aloe Vera Extract / Cucumber Extract / Green Tea Extract – 2.0% (soothing botanical actives)
• Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopheryl Acetate) – 0.5% (antioxidant and skin protector)
• Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5) – 0.5% (soothes and repairs skin)
• Preservative (e.g., Phenoxyethanol or DMDM) – 1.0%
• Fragrance / Essential Oil – 0.5%
• Citric Acid (0.5–1%) – q.s. to adjust pH to 5.0–5.5

 Process / Method:

• Heat Phase A and Phase B separately to ~70–75°C.
• Add Phase B into Phase A slowly, while blending using a high-shear or stick blender.
• Cool to 40°C, then add Phase C ingredients one by one with slow mixing.
• Check and adjust pH to ~5.2 if needed.
• Once cool, fill into bottles/jars.

So, what does adding these ingredients to your body lotion ensue?

Here’s a breakdown of the body lotion ingredients list for your body lotion formula.  

• Emulsifying Wax: An absolute must for oil in water emulsion preparation. This will be the bond between the oil and water to form a stable lotion.

• Cetyl Alcohol Uses: The creaminess of your body lotion? It will come from Cetyl Alcohol.

• Shea Butter: Every body lotion worth its cent swears by shea butter. It is perfect for shea butter body lotion formulations for dry skin.

• Cocoa Butter: Rich, nourishing, and that yummy warm scent comes from cocoa butter body lotion.

• Caprylic Triglyceride: Caprylic Triglyceride ensures fast absorption.

• Coconut Oil Body Lotion: Offers antibacterial properties and a tropical scent using organic coconut oil.

• Sweet Almond Oil: Add this for the benefits of almond oil for sweet almond oil body lotion recipes.

• Jojoba Oil: This is the closest way to replicate natural oils. It is a key ingredient for a soothing jojoba oil body lotion or using organic jojoba oil.

• Jojoba Essential Oil: Add hydrating benefits with jojoba essential oil for body lotion.  

Using natural butters and oils like shea butter, cocoa butter, organic coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil ensures that your lotion not only moisturizes but also nourishes deeply.

If you came searching for how to make body lotion at home from scratch, how to make water-based body lotion, or how to make organic body lotion at home, the same basic body lotion making process applies!

Looking for a more customized, fragrant body lotion? Try learning how to make body lotion with essential oils by blending oils like lavender, rose, or jojoba essential oil during the cool-down phase.

For those just getting started make sure to keep these steps in mind!

• Always work in a clean, sanitized environment.
• Use precise weighing scales for accuracy.
• Maintain recommended temperatures during phase blending.
• Adjust pH carefully for skin compatibility.
• Choose high-quality oils like organic coconut oil and organic jojoba oil for the best results.

Choose Hiya India for the best ingredients for your organic body lotion at home

When it comes to body lotion making formula and process, ingredient quality matters as much as the process you follow. At Hiya India, we believe in offering only the purest, sustainably sourced raw materials to help you create safe, effective, and luxurious skincare products.

All our butters like shea butter and cocoa butter, oils such as organic coconut oil, batana oil, sweet almond oil, and organic jojoba oil, and herbal extracts are 100% pure, organic, and ethically sourced. Our ingredients ensure that your body lotion formula is clean, potent, and skin-loving.

Hiya India partners directly with reliable suppliers to bring you high-quality chemicals, essential oils, and butters. Our uncompromising quality checks ensure that every batch you receive meets international safety and purity standards.

Explore our full range of organic butters, oils, and extracts to start creating your own luxurious skincare products today.