Make your own aftersun

5 Jan 30th, 2001

Advantages:
Cheap and effective

Disadvantages:
Erm .  .  .

Recommendable: Yes 

Detailed rating:

How gentle is it?

Fragrance

Value for Money

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ImogenW

About me: I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.

Member since:15.12.2000

Reviews:154

Members who trust:129

Review rated by 36 Ciao members on average: very helpful

This product has yet to be bettered not least because you can add almost anything to it. Need a rich face lotion? Chuck in some avocado oil. Hows about a great aftersun lotion? Read on for my secret recipe...

I have never understood why so many cheap lotions do just as good a job as the expensive ones. Maybe because at the end of the day they're basically all just combinations of oil and water with a bit of perfume chucked in, I don't know. I don't know what Johnson's Baby Lotion is made of either, but I know that it does the business. it is without fail my top choice, whether I'm dealing with post-shave legs, post night out make up or post sunbathe sunburn. But the best thing about it for me, speaking as an amateur aromatherapist and someone who's always been into concocting my own bathroom potions rather than shelling out for other people's, is that it blends so well with other products. It is better, for example, at absorbing essential oils than many of the base creams on the market which are supposedly designed for that very purpose. My flatmate, for example, bought a load of base cream from the normally infallible Neals Yard, but found that lighter oils tended to rise to the top no matter how much she blended. I have had no such problems with baby lotion.

Sooo, what can it do? Well, if you have very dry skin or need something a bit nourishing, try picking up some avocado oil, which is very rich and full of vitamin E, and blending a couple of tablespoons into your average bottle of baby lotion. The result will be a bit runnier and will take much longer for your skin to absorb but you'll love the results.

For those who are into aromatherapy and have essential oils kicking around, the possibilities are endless. Even for those that don't, try picking up a bottle of essential oil of lavender and adding 10-20 drops per 100 mils for dry or problem (eczma etc) skin. It works a treat. For something a bit more expensive, invest in some chamomile (roman) oil and add a bit of that too - it's fabulous for sunburn or scaly winter skin.

Which brings me nicely onto that promised recipe for post sunburn cream. Now, when I first dreamed this up I took a bottle with me on holiday to Malaysia and tested it by getting burned, applying this to some bits of me and not to others to see what happened. There was no question in my mind that the treated bits were less painful and healed faster. Sooo... how to make?

Well, you'll need the above ingredients, plus a bottle of pure Aloe Vera (available from the Body Shop) Excuse my measurements not being precise, but I can never be bothered to weigh/measure things. SO my recipe goes something like this:

Tip your baby lotion (standard bottle) into a bowl. Add a tablespoon of avocado oil, about 30 drops of chamomile oil and another 30 of lavender. Top off with a tablespoon of aloe vera and blend with a fork thoroughly. The aloe vera in particular will take a long time to blend. If it doesn't look right or you don't like the consistency, keep adding a bit of this or that until you like it - bearing in mind that the avocado oil in particular will stay on your skin and not be absorbed for ages. Pour back into the bottle or another if you prefer (something tinted to preserve the essential oils is best) and remember to pack on your next trip!

 
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Comments about this review
rmonty38

rmonty38

19.08.2002 11:53

This is indeed a very thorough opinion. I too agree that for something so cheap and simple it is truly effective in a whole array of skin care areas. I have tried many different products, most being more expensive but i am always pleased with the results of this lotion. The recipes or even tips for additions to the basic lotion are great. i will try them all out. This is a multi purpose product as you said ranging from after the shower moisturiser to after-sun lotion. i never go anywhere without it. As with Imogen i thouroughly recommend it

Nick.A

Nick.A

07.03.2001 03:23

Hi there I just read your Most Wanted thing and found it very interesting. By the way I hope you wern't around when the bomb was there! but yeah I really liked your writing about baby lotion/sun protection article; nice style of writing. I may try this out as I am going to Gran Canaria in two weeks time. I recently graduated with a degree in Media Production and like you I am into wanting to travel and not get tied down to any job. Keep up the good writing.

xanadu

xanadu

11.02.2001 10:49

Thanks for the great opinion. I always use baby lotion after sunbathing, and aloe vera if I happen to get burned. By mixing them both together I could have the best of both worlds. - Thanks

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£ 1.44 £ 2.19 £ 2.19
Postage & Packaging: refer to website
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This review of Johnsons Baby Lotion has been rated:

"very helpful" by (89%):
  1. caroline83
  2. bubblegum_princess
  3. rmonty38
and 29 other members

"helpful" by (8%):
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  2. JNatalie
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