I have made a lot of lotions and lip chaps in the last five years. And thus, I have failed. A lot. So to help you create perfect, diy lotions I wanted to prevent some of your stumbles with this Do's & Don'ts list!

Making your own beauty products is awesome. Not only are you using real, pure ingredients so there are less chemicals on your skin and more chances to customize, but it's fun too! However, there are a few practices you should make note of.

What you SHOULD do

Do make sure you use the same equipment (jar, whisk, spoons etc) for melting and mixing your lotions and chaps every single time. I promise you, the oils and butters never really come off. So using your good measuring cup will kind of ruin it.

Do be careful not to always add essential oils in your melting/mixing jar. Your scents will eventually combine. Instead, try and pour the mixture into it's holding container and then add your oils. The exception to this is with lip chaps as you need to move quickly.

Do make sure you have your holding containers (be they jars, bottles or lip chap containers) ready the second you remove from heat. The mixtures solidify very quickly and you want have time to run around and get everything ready

Do make sure you always label your products! I always think I'll remember what it is but two months later I forget. Always throw a label on it.

What you SHOULDN'T do

Do not use a small jar and a large pot as your double boiler. You want to make sure NO water gets into your mixture as it causes it to mold.

Do not wash out the jar you used to heat the ingredients in. The water will stick to the oil and you will have the same issue as above. Instead, just wipe it out as best as possible with paper towel. Try to do this while it's warm as again, it solidifies quickly.

Do not place your lip chap containers on the counter to pour. Naturally you spill everywhere and it takes forever to get the oil off the counter. Instead, line a cutting board with paper towel.

Do not "guesstimate" the ingredients (I do this far too often!) it causes your creations to turn out finny. Either they don't solidify or they're gritty or something else but it's much better to actually measure.

Don't buy blocks of beeswax. You'll never cut it. Instead always buy it in cubes or pellets.

Don't put tight clothes on or lay on the bed immediately after applying lotion. Because they're homemade they're naturally greasy and it stains your clothes/bedding. Instead, give the oils a few minutes to absorb into your skin.

Well there you go! A few (funny) lessons that I have learned along the way of trial and error. Hopefully this list saves you some stumbles and frustration. Making your own homemade products is both rewarding and amazing but it's even better when the process goes smoothly!

Ps. Check out my favorite lotion & lip chap recipes!

What's your biggest lotion fail?