I just got some silk peptide in my latest fun DIY type ingredients order, so I’m playing with it (of course). I’m also having lots of fun with emulsifying wax, so I just had to make a lovely, luxurious lotion with silk and all kinds of wonderful things.
Silk peptide is the mid point in silk meshes. There’s silk powder, which is the heaviest, then silk peptides, and then silk amino acids of the super fine variety. The larger the mesh, the higher the shimmer. The smaller the mesh, the higher the absorbency. I went with the peptide variety to try and get the best of both worlds.
This lotion is definitely luxurious enough to live up to its name. It’s smooth and highly moisturizing, with all kinds of fancy ingredients that make it sound just as luxurious as it feels.
Luxurious Silk Lotion
72g | 2.54oz distilled water
3g | 0.1oz vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
1 tsp silk peptides7g | 0.25oz complete emulsifying wax (not beeswax!)
3g | 0.1oz argan oil (USA / Canada)
10g | 0.35oz camellia seed oil
5g | 0.17oz jojoba oil (USA / Canada)2 drops vanilla essential oil
6 drops cardamom essential oilBroad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
Heat the distilled water, vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada), and silk peptide in a small saucepan over low heat until the glycerin dissolves.
Heat the oils and emulsifying wax in a small saucepan until the wax melts.
Remove each pan from the heat and let cool. As the oils cool, stir them. Once they start to thicken, slowly whisk in the water. Once all the water is whisked in, whisk in the essential oils and preservatives, and decant into a bottle with a pump top. Shake occasionally as it cools and enjoy the luxury!
New to lotion making? Watch my basic lotion how to video!
Hi there, does the water added to this not make for it to spoil or to mold? is there no need for a preservative? what would shelf life be do you think? This looks great and I have made one similar but omit the water for other oils, it is find for dry skin but if the Distilled water is an OK alternative I;d like to try it, I just am concerned of it spoiling!
Jessica—Yes, the water does introduce the possibility of the lotion spoiling. However, I find these lotions generally last for at least 2 months without preservatives (though I do add some vitamin E, which is great because not only is it good for your skin, but it’s an anti-oxidant and will help the lotion last longer). If you omit the water and just add more oils, you won’t have a lovely lotion that just soaks into your skin, you’ll have a sort of body butter/massage oil kind of thing, which is obviously fine, but not lotion at all. You could definitely use distilled or some sterilized (boiled) water, which may or may not extend the life of the lotion. What I’d recommend is 1) Make it in small batches & use it quickly and 2) Think of it as more of a food item than a body product!
Hi my lotion was gritty how long does it take for silk peptides to dissolve and why can’t bees wax be used thanks
Hello! Is silk peptide you use in here a powder or a liquid? If I substitute a liquid silk amino acid solution (like one u find at lotion crafter) how much should I use? Help is really appreciated 🙂
Annie—I use a powdered silk peptide (this one: http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/silk-peptide-p-556.html). According to the Lotion Crafter website, they recommend a usage from 1–2.5% of their liquid Silk Amino Acids. So, I would recommend using about 2g of the liquid silk amino acids for this recipe (which makes 100g total—just remove 2g of water). One teaspoon of the powder ends up being quite a lot of powder as it is so light, which is why I’m recommending something on the higher end of the recommended usage. Hope that helps!
I did a simple Google search for silky homemade lotion recipes & came across your site! I’m so glad I found it! I can’t wait to try this recipe & get more ideas for homemade body products 🙂
I recently became interested in making my own scrubs, body butters, etc. but know nothing about making them, so this site should really help! Thanks!
Awesome, welcome to the DIY body world 🙂 If you have any questions or requests, feel free to ask, I love ’em!
I am very interested in your web-site and would love to receive information.
Thanks, Carole
Hi Carole! I’m glad you like what you’re seeing 🙂 I have added you to the subscriber list, you should have received a confirmation e-mail that you’ll have to click a link in before you’ll start getting e-mails whenever I post. Thanks for reading!
What substitutes would you suggest for the argan and camellia oils?
You could use more jojoba, otherwise grapeseed oil or safflower oil are both good choices as they absorb quickly 🙂
Question – will the emulsifying wax from New Directions work here? It says you have to use it in combination with another emulsifying agent.
http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/emulsifying-wax-o-sls-free-p-1491.html
or is this the right one? – http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/self-emulsifying-wax-n-sls-free-p-616.html
The only e-wax I’ve tried from NDA is Polawax, so I’d go with that one since I know it works 🙂 How silly is it that they call something an emulsifying wax when it needs another emulsifier? Argh. How needlessly confusing!
I KNOW! I was like wait…then what’s the point?! Thank you!
My favourite part is how they don’t tell you what other emulsifier you should use. Gahhh lol.
I am confused on this emulsifying wax. I bought mine from Natures Garden. Can I use this instead of the polawax?
If you have their Emulsifying Wax NF, that will work instead 🙂 Make sure to look these things up in my encyclopedia to learn more!
Hi!
I am new to your site, and new to making lotions lol. I want to use mango butter in this recipe, does that mean I need less carrier oils? And how much mango butter would I need? And what is the vegetable glycerin for? Thanks so much!!!
Hi Selene! You could start by replacing the jojoba oil with an equal amount of mango butter 🙂 The vegetable glycerin is a water-based humectant, and it boosts the moisturizing properties of the lotion. Thanks for reading!
Ok today was my first time making lotion. How’d it go? It was a complete fail! So the first time there was chunky pieces in it, the other two it was watery. This is a lot harder than I thought! lol
Uh oh! Both of those problems are pretty big ‘uns. Did you make any changes? Are you using real emulsifying wax (not beeswax)? If so, are you certain it’s a complete emulsifying wax? It sounds like you didn’t heat your first one through enough if there were chunks. The second one may just need a day or two to set up, some emulsifying waxes need a few days to thicken.
Hi! I’m new to soap making and lotion making and I adore your site! I love the natural ingredients you use! I have a question though. I notice you don’t “heat and hold” your oil/water phases at 160 degrees for 20 mins – have you found that unnecessary? Most chemist lotion makers say you have to do that, but they also say you shouldnt make lotions with tea… so Id really love your opinion since you have so much experience. I have optiphen as a preservative and plan on using distilled water.
Hi Lynnie! Truthfully, I have never, ever done a heat & hold with, well, anything I make. I make things in small amounts so I can finish them quickly, and if they spoil, there isn’t much to toss. Sometimes I add preservatives, sometimes I don’t (I always do if the water base is infused with tea or herbs as that really accelerates spoilage). I usually just use tap water. I guess I’m not that fussed, haha 😛
Marie, you are sheer inspiration– from your recipes to your Titanic gowns! My daughter & I are just beginning our DIY exploration. How do you know when to use a preservative other than green tea or when adding leaves and flowers (and which?), vs. emulsifiers like emulseemulse, solubilizers, and/or antioxidants like rosemary extract?
Hi Dee! I chat about preservatives vs. anti oxidants and different emulsifiers in the FAQ 🙂 Please know that green tea is not, in any way, a preservative though!
hi, tried this and mine is still liquid and wont thicken. i used emulsifiante no. 3 and it has worked with all your other lotions except this one, is it because it has no solid oils in it.
Try giving it a few days 🙂 Some emulsifying waxes take a few days to thicken up.
Marie,
I just purchased the silk peptides from New Directions. I was just wondering if you thought that it stinks also? Once mixed with other ingredients, does the aroma wane a bit? I hope.
They do definitely have a scent, though I don’t find it particularly offensive. I’ve never had it come through in a final product, though 🙂
I recently found your site and just love it!!! I have made lotions using beeswax but have never tried working with silk peptides or Emulsifing Wax. I am wondering if this would be a good face lotion? (I am hoping for a non-greasy, light lotion that will absorb quickly?) Thank you so much!!!
Hey Shannon! Welcome to my blog, thanks for reading 🙂 I’d probably recommend this lotion for facial use instead, but there’s really no reason beyond personal preference that you couldn’t use this one on your face. The notion that various products can only be used for certain body parts is mostly a product of marketing—I wrote an FAQ on it here 🙂
The essential oil is for scent purposes only? Any reason not to substitute other essential oils?
I have been making and using your luxury face serum. It is amazing! My mom and sister-in-law request it so I double up the recipe and share.
Thanks!
Go ahead and play, they are really just for scent 🙂 Happy making!
Hi there,
I’m trying to replicate the Silk & Cashmere hand lotion from bath and body works (which I absolutely love), and I was wondering if the silk peptide might do the trick. Do you think I can also add cocoa butter to this recipe? I appreciate your thoughts on this.
Thanks:)
I looked at the ingredients for that lotion and it’s really nothing special; “Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Petrolatum, Isododecane, Fragrance, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Methicone, Cetaryl Alcohol, Steareth-21, Glycerin, Shea Butter, Aloe Leaf Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Wool, …”
Given the 1% line is around “fragrance”, this lotion is pretty much entirely water, silicones, and petrolatum (vaseline). Those ingredients will give it the feel you likely are trying to re-create, and there’s no way you’re going to get that same feel with natural ingredients. Those ingredients have levels of slip and occlusion completely unmatched by anything natural. The shea butter, silk, and other nice sounding ingredients in the lotion are likely used in absolutely minuscule amounts for label appeal.
So, basically… you’re probably going to be making a tribute lotion, not a replica, in which case you can pretty much do whatever you want haha, but you aren’t going to be replicating the store bought thing.
Thanks for your quick response Marie! You’re so right about the ingredient list. I guess I was just hopeful there was a natural way of producing something similar. I’ll keep testing different ingredients and let you know about my results! I will not be denied!!! Hahaha! ;P
Regards,
Ericka
Have fun—the good times and learning are all buried in the experimenting 😀
I actually love this lotion too, but mainly for the scent. Any suggestions on good essential oil combinations that we can use to fragrance our lotion with?
Marie, this was the first lotion I ever made – just yesterday! I couldn’t believe how beautiful it turned out, and how easy it was!
Thank you for making this project so much less intimidating. Never did I think I would ever try making lotion. I followed the instructions on your intro to lotion making video, and everything worked like a charm. All of the effort you put into this blog is greatly appreciated!
I used grapeseed and apricot kernel oil instead of argan and camellia seed oil, along with BTMS-50 for the emulsifying wax.
I’m looking forward to making another batch soon!
Yay! I am so thrilled 😀 Hearing that I’ve helped somebody make something they never thought they could just makes my day! Thanks so much for watching, reading, and DIYing with me!
Hi Marie!
I love your website and have fallen in love with your recipes, however I am a bit confused about silk. I bought silk amino acids from LotionCrafter a while back, but I’m not completely sure how to use it properly. All of the recipes that I’ve seen from this website use silk peptides instead of silk amino acids. I did see your little post about the different silks, but I still don’t know how to use silk amino acids in a recipe. I’m so sorry to use your time, but if you could tell me how to substitute the silks that would be great 🙂
As long as what you have has been hydrolyzed (so it’s water soluble), use it 1:1 🙂 If it hasn’t been hydrolyzed you can’t really use it at all because it won’t dissolve, but that’s all on the “hydrolyzed” part and nothing do with peptides vs. amino acids.
Thanks! I got my answer, just one little thing now if it is the unhydrolyzed version. what can I do with it?
Hi Thanks for your sharing but have not tried any silk powder.
Is it true that the more purified or refined silk powder is, the properties is less effective?
The method to process silk powder for cosmetic … is it harmful long term use and non-toxic?
Can you comment on the silk powder the largest grain size? Cant find much info on people using this type.
Thanks for your help.
Good morning!
If you take a gander on HumbleBee&Me Encyclopedia entry on silk, Marie has spoken about the various types of silk to purchase for making DIY formulas, and even offers some suggestions on where to buy from. I’ve never come across anything that suggests that silk powder could potentially cause problems if used long term.
Hi Marie,
I love your videos. you have a great way of explaining the processes! Thanks.
I wanted to ask I ordered silk peptides, I got silk peptides extract powder (Can si tai) from Chinese herbs. How do I add them to my hair conditioner formula???
In the heated water phase or cool down phase?
Is this lotion for the body or for the face?
Yes 😛 Please watch this video to learn more 🙂