If you love that thick, gentle, ceramide-packed face lotion from the drugstore aisle (the one that sounds a lot like CeraVe) but you don’t love the price tag or the added chemicals, this homemade version is for you. This recipe creates a rich, hydrating moisturizer with ceramides and niacinamide to support your skin barrier— without alcohol, fillers, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.

This DIY “CeraVe-style knockoff” is:

Hydrating – glycerin + lightweight oils
Barrier-supportive – ceramides + niacinamide
Affordable – made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients
Customizable – adjust oils, thickness, and add-ons

Note: This is a homemade dupe inspired by a popular ceramide moisturizer. It is not the official formula and is not affiliated with their brand.

Ingredients for DIY CeraVe-Style Moisturizer

Water Phase

1/2 cup distilled water
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
1 teaspoon niacinamide powder (optional)

Oil Phase

2 tablespoons jojoba oil or sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon shea butter
1 tablespoon emulsifying wax
1/2 teaspoon cetyl alcohol (optional — helps match that CeraVe texture)

Cool-Down Phase

1/8 teaspoon vitamin E oil
1/4–1/2 teaspoon ceramide powder
Broad-spectrum preservative (like Optiphen) — use as directed

Equipment: Two heat-safe jars, saucepan, spoon or spatula, stick blender (preferred) or an electric hand mixer, clean jar for storage.

How to Make Your CeraVe-Style Moisturizer

Step 1: Water Phase

Combine distilled water and glycerin in a heat-safe jar.
Add niacinamide if using and stir lightly.
Place the jar in a saucepan of hot water and gently heat.

Step 2: Oil Phase

In a second jar, combine jojoba/sweet almond oil, shea butter, emulsifying wax, and cetyl alcohol.
Heat until everything melts and the mixture is fully liquid.

Step 3: Emulsify

Remove both jars from heat.
Slowly pour the oil phase into the water phase while stirring.
Blend with a stick blender or electric hand mixer for 1–3 minutes until creamy.

Step 4: Cool-Down Additions

Let the mixture cool until warm but not hot.
Add vitamin E and ceramide powder.
Add preservative and mix thoroughly.

Step 5: Jar and Store

Pour the moisturizer into a clean jar or pump bottle.
Let it cool completely — it will thicken as it cools.
Label with the date and ingredients.

How to Use

Apply a small amount to clean, dry skin. Use morning and night, or anytime your skin needs extra hydration. This formula absorbs quickly and leaves the skin soft, hydrated, and smooth without heavy residue.

Storage & Shelf Life

With preservative: 2–3 months in a cool, dry place.
Without preservative: Refrigerate and use within 5–7 days.

Safety Notes

Patch test before use.
Check for personal allergies to oils or additives.
For external use only.

This DIY CeraVe-style moisturizer is a budget-friendly way to get that beloved drugstore-lotion feel using ingredients you control — simple, clean, nourishing, and perfect for everyday use. A more natural alternative to the popular Cerave-style moisturizer.

Safety Note: I am NOT a medical professional. Please research ingredients, check for allergies, and confirm pet safety. Use gently and at your discretion.

All Natural, Easily Made, Lipbalm

Eight dollars. For a tube of wax and oil. I say, absolutely not. Somebody needs to teach the people how to make their own.

So here we are.

When you SEE how simple it is to make your own and when you feel alchol-free lipbalm, you'll never waste your money again! You're literally paying these companies to DRY YOUR LIPS OUT! They ALL contain one form of alcohol or another and THIS is what keeps you in the loop of "Chapstick addiction".

This works better, lasts longer, and costs pennies to make. And the best part?
It’s only three ingredients. NO CHEMICALS!!! Just three natural ingredients! That’s it. Seriously.

Ingredients You Need

1. Candelilla Wax

This is a vegan alternative to beeswax. It’s much harder and more brittle than beeswax, which is why it makes such a long-lasting, smooth lip balm.
(If you want to use beeswax instead, use about half the amount — beeswax is softer.)

2. Shea Butter

This gives your lip balm that creamy, silky feeling.

3. Coconut Oil

Makes it softer, more spreadable, and keeps your lips moisturized.

Measurements:

1 tablespoon candelilla wax
1 tablespoon shea butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil

How to Make It (Step-by-Step)

1. Melt the Wax First

Candelilla wax takes longer to melt than anything else. If it doesn’t fully melt, you’ll get tiny hard pieces in your lip balm — nobody wants that. Melt it completely before adding anything else.

2. Add the Shea Butter & Coconut Oil

When the wax is fully melted, add the shea butter and coconut oil. Let everything dissolve until it’s completely smooth.

3. Turn Off the Heat & Let It Sit 10 Minutes

This is the trick that makes your balm smooth. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so all the tiny micro bits melt evenly.

4. Keep Water Out!!

If you used a double boiler (homemade or real), wipe the bottom of your container before pouring. Any water in your balm can cause mold or rancidity.

5. Pour Into Empty Lip Balm Tubes

You can buy packs of empty chapstick tubes online. Pour carefully — if you spill, it wipes up easily.

6. Let Them Cool Completely

Do not put caps on until they are fully solid. Once cooled, cap them and they’re ready to use.

Optional Add-Ins (If You Want to Get Fancy)

A drop or two of peppermint essential oil
Vanilla extract (Real- not imitation because it contains water)
A tiny bit of honey (very very tiny)
Mica powder for tinted balm
Vitamin E oil as a preservative

Cost Breakdown

One batch makes several tubes, your ingredients last months, and each tube costs around 10–20 cents. No chemicals, no alchol, no fillers, no nonsense.

Final Thoughts

This is one of the easiest, most foolproof DIY recipes you’ll ever make. It’s cheap, fast, and works better than anything from the store. Once you make your own, you’ll never go back to $8 lip balm again.