Who knew that making your own body lotion could be so easy? Using only three ingredients, you can whip up and customize your own lotion. Start with a base ingredient—something like cocoa butter, shea butter, or coconut oil; we used unrefined and organic shea butter. This vegetable fat is extracted from the nuts of African karite trees, a species that grows from Guinea and Senegal to Uganda and South Sudan. It is rich in vitamins A, E and fatty acids, and is super moisturizing as well as beneficial to acne-prone skin. Once you have a base ingredient, add oil, such as argan, almond, olive, tea tree, or jojoba. The oil helps to emulsify the base and make it creamier and supple. The third ingredient is an essential oil, which is optional. This is used to scent the lotion and can also add other benefits, depending on the type of oil. A warning about essential oils: never use them undiluted, in eyes or mucus membranes. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier.)