Body lotion I actually reach for
Back when I was still studying, I used to make natural cosmetics, among others, body butters. Those are basically well-mixed oils and plant butters, like shea butter, with the addition of active ingredients and scents. Even though they provided good care, they took ages to absorb. I'm honestly a bit impatient and lazy for that. That's what led me to upgrade my skills and learn how to make a proper body lotion, one that would fulfill my rigorous list of needs without feeling either heavy or too light.
Lotion is basically an emulsion, just like mayonnaise, where you combine oil, water, and an emulsifier to keep everything stable. So I made a body mayo, in a way :)
Since I wanted to get the optimal texture, not too greasy and not too watery, I chose lightweight oils with high nourishing properties. Jojoba and argan absorb quickly compared to heavier oils, so the lotion sinks in fast while still giving skin real nourishment, rather than sitting on the surface the way a heavier butter would.
Why lavender water
Flower waters from essential oil distillation are commonly used in Croatia as part of herbal cosmetic traditions, so lavender water felt like a natural choice for the base. Lavender water is also gentle enough for sensitive skin, since it's much milder than the essential oil itself, and it's used as a base ingredient in cosmetic formulations more broadly, not just as an add-on. Combined with glycerin, it also helps carry moisture and the other active ingredients further into the skin, rather than just sitting on the surface. It gave me two things at once: a proper water base for real hydration, and lavender's own calming reputation folded in from the start. That is why I decided to use lavender water as a base and make my lotion different from other body lotions on the market.
What's actually in it
The lotion also combines organic olive oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, and argan oil. Olive oil and shea butter are rich, deeply nourishing ingredients, while jojoba and argan bring lighter hydration and help the lotion absorb quickly rather than sitting heavy on the skin. The lavender water base carries calendula and chamomile extract, two powerful skin-calming ingredients, along with panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, and allantoin. Both panthenol and allantoin are known for their moisturizing and calming properties, which is part of why I included them alongside the calendula and chamomile. The whole formula is put together with sensitive skin in mind.
That said, everyone's skin is different, and sensitivity can vary from one ingredient to the next, even with ingredients generally considered gentle. If you have specific sensitivities, it's always worth checking the full ingredient list first.
To bring the oil and water together, I use BTMS50 and olive wax. They're not just there to hold the mixture stable, both are also known for giving lotion a silky, conditioning after-feel on skin, so they're doing more work than a plain emulsifier would.
Different scents, same base
The base recipe stays the same across versions. What changes is the essential oil blend, which I've tried to tie back to the same scent families as some of my soaps. Mandarin Neroli and Orange Patchouli come in a large size in tin packaging, while Rosemary Cedarwood, Clary Sage Cedarwood, and Patchouli Amyris come in a smaller size with a bottle pump.
Why it matters to me
I made this body lotion formula because I needed it myself. Sensitive, dry, itchy skin in winter, and a tendency toward eczema- the same reasons Soypa exists in the first place. I wanted something that absorbs relatively fast, with carefully selected ingredients from plants, and is calming enough that I'd reach for it daily rather than let it sit in a drawer.