Table of Contents
Updated November 2026
This homemade lavender hand cream takes just three ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax, and lavender essential oil. Beeswax leaves a light layer on your skin that helps hold moisture in, coconut oil softens, and lavender adds a soft floral scent, so dry, chapped hands and cuticles feel softer.
Below you'll find the recipe, a gentler version for kids, a bigger-batch chart, a whipped jasmine and rosehip hand cream, and storage tips. For everything lavender, see my full lavender essential oil guide. Jump to the recipe.
When I first started making homemade products, hand and body creams were something I avoided making. They just seemed too involved. I finally got up enough nerve to try one and guess what... it was easier than I thought.
If you've never made an essential oil hand cream before, I challenge you to give this recipe a go. You won't be disappointed! Plus, get the free printable labels at the bottom of the post.
What Each Ingredient Brings
Coconut oil and beeswax are the base of this simple homemade lavender hand cream, and each one has a job:
- Coconut oil melts on contact with warm skin and leaves hands feeling soft.
- Beeswax firms the cream so it stays put in the jar, and it leaves a light layer on your skin that helps hold moisture in.
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is steam distilled from the purple flower spikes. It's mostly linalool and linalyl acetate, which give it that soft, floral, calming scent.
It's a nice one to keep by the sink in the cold winter months, when hands and cuticles get dry. Learn more about the types of lavender essential oil.
This recipe makes one 2 oz jar, a nice trial size. If you love it, the chart below makes a bigger batch.
Homemade lavender hand cream makes a sweet gift, too. Your friends will never know how easy it was to make, shh... that's our secret :)
A Few Safety Basics
• Keep essential oils away from babies under 2, including diffusing in a room they're in.
• Always dilute oils before they touch skin, and patch test a new blend on your inner forearm for 24 to 48 hours.
• Check the age on each recipe. Kids 2 to 4 use only six starter oils at 0.5%, after checking with your pediatrician. Kids 5 to 11 stay at 0.5 to 1%.
• If you're pregnant, check with your doctor or midwife first. For the first 16 weeks I use only six oils, and only in a diffuser or inhaler: lavender, sweet orange, lemon, ginger, cedarwood (Virginian), and frankincense. After that, skin blends stay at 0.5 to 1%.
• Store jars where pets and little hands can't reach.
• Never put oils on pets, and diffuse with a door open so they can leave. Cats are especially sensitive; see my essential oil pet safety guide.
• Never swallow essential oils. If someone does, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Homemade Lavender Hand Cream Recipe
Lavender Hand Cream
Hand cream · Ages 12+ · 2%
A firm, soft-scented balm for dry hands and cuticles.
- 24 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil (affiliate link)
- 1 Tbsp beeswax pellets (affiliate link)
- 1 2 oz glass jar
Directions:
- Put the beeswax and coconut oil in a glass measuring cup, and set it in a pan with about 2 inches of simmering water. Stir now and then until it's melted.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Stir in the lavender.
- Pour it into the jar and let it firm up before using. Label it with the name, the date, and "2%."
Note: Coconut oil melts around 76°F, so the cream softens in a warm room and firms up in the fridge.
Little Hands Cream
Hand cream · Ages 5+ · 1%
The same soft lavender cream, made gentle for kids.
- 12 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp beeswax pellets
- 1 2 oz glass jar
Directions: Make it the same way as the grown-up cream. Rub a little on your child's hands yourself, and keep the jar out of reach.
Note: Label it with your child's name and the dilution. See my kid safe essential oils list for more.
Not sure about the math? My dilution chart and calculator does it for you.
Make a Bigger Batch
| Jar | Coconut oil | Beeswax | Lavender |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 oz | 3 Tbsp | 1 Tbsp | 24 drops |
| 4 oz | 6 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp | 48 drops |
| 8 oz | ¾ cup | ¼ cup | 96 drops |
Making a bigger batch of Little Hands Cream? Use half the lavender drops shown above.
Whipped Jasmine and Rosehip Hand Cream
Want a softer, no-heat cream with a richer floral scent? This one whips shea butter with rosehip seed oil, and a spoonful of arrowroot helps it sink in faster. Read more about the carriers in my rosehip oil guide and 10 shea butter uses.
Jasmine Rosehip Hand Cream
Hand cream · Ages 12+ · About 1.2%
A rich, sweet floral cream for dry, rough hands in cooler months.
- 1/4 cup shea butter
- 2 Tbsp rosehip seed oil
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
- 10 drops jasmine absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum)
- 6 drops clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
- 6 drops cedarwood Himalayan (Cedrus deodara)
- 4 oz glass jar
Directions:
- Whip the shea butter and rosehip oil with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes, until soft and creamy.
- Add the arrowroot powder and essential oils, and whip again until fluffy.
- Spoon into a clean, dry jar. Label it with the name, the date, and "1.2%."
Note: If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, leave out the clary sage. Jasmine absolute is strong, so it stays at about 0.5% here, under its 0.7% limit. Rosehip goes rancid faster than most oils, so make small batches and use it within a couple of months. Shea comes from a tree nut, so check with your doctor if you have a nut allergy.
No jasmine? Use 6 drops of geranium or lavender instead. My essential oil substitution chart has more swaps.
How to Use and Store Your Hand Cream
Rub a small amount of your homemade lavender hand cream onto your hands and cuticles. Use a clean spatula to scoop it out so you don't get germs in your cream.
Keep the lid on when you're not using it, and store the jar in a cool place away from sun and heat. It lasts up to 6 months. If you're not using the jar every day, the refrigerator keeps it fresh longer.
Free Printable: Lavender Hand and Cuticle Cream Labels
No email required! I hope you love these labels, and if you do, please share this page on Pinterest so others can enjoy them too.
Get these Lavender Hand Cream Labels!
Share on Pinterest
More Lavender Skin Care Ideas
- Lavender Diffuser Blends and Essential Oil Guide
- How to Whip Shea Butter Without Heat
- Can You Mix Lavender Oil with Aloe Vera Gel?
Ready to make your own blends? My Aromatherapy Supply Kits have the bottles and jars you need, and my free essential oil guides are full of recipe ideas.
Ultimate Essential Oil Recipes Guide - DIY Blends
$ 9.99
DIY Essential Oil Recipes Ultimate Guide - Download/Printable Using essential oils for natural health and wellness can be really amazing. In this Ultimate DIY Recipes Guide you will learn simple ways to make homemade recipe with essential oils. I love… Read More
