These are the best natural ingredients for dry skin to make a lotion, soap, body butter, or other DIY beauty product.  

This winter has been absolutely brutal on my skin.  It hasn't been this dry in years.  A few weeks ago, it was so dry that I had scabs on my arms and legs from scratching so much.

After a few restless nights, I started doing some heavy research on carrier oils, butters, essential oils, and herbs for dry skin.  I have my go to oils and butters, but this time I wasn't messing around.  

I wanted the best natural lotion ingredients for dry skin so I could make a kick butt lotion that would get rid of my dry skin and fast.

This is a list of the best natural lotion ingredients for dry skin, including carrier oils, butters, essential oils, and herbs.

Of course, you won't use all of these.  But you can combine one or more ingredients to add to your lotion or other DIY skin care product.  

THE BEST NATURAL LOTION INGREDIENTS FOR DRY SKIN

Before we get into what ingredients are best for dry skin, let's talk about making lotions.  

Lotions aren't extremely hard to make, but they do take some special ingredients like an emulsifier and a preservative.  Since there's a water phase and an oil phase, you do have to use a preservative.  

I used to make my own lotion, but then I found a base that I really loved.  About 13 or so years ago, I went to the store that sells and owns the Crafty Bubbles line and tried their lotion.  

Most lotion bases let you add one ounce of a carrier oil or butter per gallon of lotion.  That one ounce is spread among 16 bottles of lotion.  And some don't let you add any additives to the lotion at all.

If you add more than what is recommended, then you risk disturbing the balance of preservative to product.  That's not something I want to mess with in someone else's recipe.

The Crafty Bubbles lotion lets you add 1 ounce of an additive per 7 ounces, so each 8-ounce bottle of lotion has 1 ounce of extra goodness in it.

I used to sell their lotion like crazy. People would order it and come back and buy four more bottles.  I made it as part of the gift sets for my son's therapists last Christmas, and they raved about it.  

It's not available on Amazon or in stores, but you can order it from their website.  Just call or email them to order.  

These best natural lotion ingredients for dry skin can also be used in other recipes.  You can add them to body butters, sugar scrubs, or other recipes if you have dry skin.

DIY RECIPES FOR DRY SKIN

• Lavender Chamomile Tub Tea for Dry Skin
• Bath Melt Recipe with Emulsifier
• Lavender Chamomile Milk Bath Recipe
• Hot Chocolate Milk Bath Salts Recipe

BEST CARRIER OILS FOR DRY SKIN

SUNFLOWER SEED OIL

Sunflower seed oil is a lightweight oil that is great for dry skin.  In a study, participants applied sunflower oil daily for four weeks.  They found that their skin was more moisturized and the barrier of the skin was still healthy.  

Sunflower seed oil is high in linoleic acid, so it helps maintain a healthy skin barrier and decrease water loss fro the skin.  It's also said to be naturally anti-inflammatory, which is important when you have dry or irritated skin.  

COCONUT OIL

Is there anything coconut oil can't do?  In a study, coconut oil was proven to moisturize the skin and increase levels of lipids in the skin.

Coconut oil is also naturally antibacterial, so it can help prevent a secondary infection from scratching the skin open.  

It's important to note that some people actually get dry skin after using coconut oil.  No one is really sure why, but it could be that your skin thinks that it's moisturized and produces less sebum, which causes your skin to get dry.  

HEMP SEED OIL 

Hemp seed oil is a wonderful carrier oil for dry skin.  It's high in phytonutrients and omega fatty acids.  

I used hemp soon oil in my dry skin lotion because it has ceramides.  Ceramides are fats (lipids) that help the skin barrier retain moisture.  They also help hold healthy cells together for smoother, more hydrated skin.  

CAMELLIA SEED OIL

Camellia seed oil is a very rich carrier oil.  It helps relieve dryness and is high in antioxidants.  This oil is a great emollient to help moisturize the skin.  

Camellia seed oil is a more expensive carrier oil, but you can combine it with another carrier oil and still get the benefits.  

CHIA SEED OIL

Chia seed oil is a relatively unknown carrier oil, but it's a great one to use.  In a study, patients used chia seed oil topically.  It helped boost skin hydration, prevented water loss, and improved the skin's barrier.

Chia seed oil is a heavier oil, so keep that in mind.  It doesn't soak into the skin quickly.  You could mix it with a lighter oil for the benefits of both oils.

I used chia seed oil in my gingerbread whipped emulsified scrub for dry skin.  

CASTOR OIL

If you had tummy problems as a child, you may have had a bad experience with castor oil.  I promise it works better as a topical moisturizer.

Castor oil is high in fatty acids, so it is absorbed into the skin quickly.  The linoleic acid in it forms a barrier on top of the skin that prevents moisture loss.

Learn more about carrier oils and their benefits for skin in my book Carrier Oils.

BEST BODY BUTTERS FOR DRY SKIN

MANGO BUTTER

Mango butter is a natural emollient, so it softens the skin.  It's high in vitamins A, C, and E to nourish your skin.  It has more fatty acids than shea butter and cocoa butter do, so it is a better moisturizer.  

SHEA BUTTER

Shea butter is usually my go to butter for dry skin.  It's a natural emollient to soften the skin and it's also naturally anti-inflammatory.

The fatty acids in it help boost collagen production and skin elasticity.  It's great for scars or stretch marks, but it's also great for dry skin.  

COCOA BUTTER

Cocoa butter helps create a natural barrier on top of your skin to trap moisture against your skin.  It's high in antioxidants to help improve skin health.  

It's high in vitamin E to nourish and moisturize your skin.  

BACURI BUTTER

Perhaps not as well known, bacuri butter is an excellent butter for dry skin.  This creamy butter is a natural emollient to soften your skin.

The high palmitic acid content can help moisturize your skin.  

BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR DRY SKIN

• Lavender essential oil is great for soothing rough or irritated skin.
• Helichrysum essential oil is very moisturizing.
• Frankincense promotes skin cell regeneration.
• Carrot seed oil is moisturizing and full of antioxidants.
• Chamomile essential oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and promotes healing.

BEST HERBS FOR DRY SKIN

The best way to use herbs in your DIY skin care products is to infuse them in an oil.  I do this regularly so I can get the benefits of both the herb and the oil.

Learn how to infuse oils with herbs. 

Don't be afraid to infuse more than one herb at a time.  I often use lavender and chamomile together.

COMFREY

Comfrey helps promote cellular turnover so your skin can heal.  It can also protect your skin from new damage. 

PLANTAIN

Plantain is said to help the skin heal quickly.

LAVENDER

Lavender is said to promote healing.  It's also anti-fungal to prevent a secondary infection.

DANDELION

Some people see weeds, but I see an amazing skin moisturizer.  Dandelions are high in antioxidants to promote cellular turnover and healing.

CALENDULA

Calendula is a great herb for irritated skin because it's so gentle.  It's said to help the skin heal, which is important when you have dry skin.

CHAMOMILE

Chamomile is excellent for irritated skin.  It is an emollient to moisturize the skin and it's naturally anti-inflammatory.

OTHER TIPS FOR DRY SKIN

EXFOLIATE

Get rid of the dead skin cells on top of your skin so whatever of the best natural lotion ingredients for dry skin you do use can penetrate the skin easier.  You can use a simple sugar scrub like this one or an emulsifed scrub like this peppermint mocha scrub.

MOISTURIZE AFTER THE SHOWER

Apply your lotion just after you get out of the shower while your skin is still damp.  This helps lock i the moisture.

USE A HUMIDIFIER

One of the things that made the most difference for me is to use a cool mist humidifier in my bedroom and in the living room.

These are, I think, the best natural lotion ingredients for dry skin.  You can use them in an actual lotion like I do, or you can make a body butter or use them in other DIY skin care recipes.