Aloe Rose Anti-Aging Skin Cream

This all natural skin cream recipe features rose-infused aloe, rosehip seed oil, beeswax, and shea butter.

Aloe Rose Anti-Aging Skin Cream

Yesterday, I shared how to make an aloe and rose skin soothing gel that’s great for treating sunburn, rashes, bug bites, and more.

Today, we’re going to use some of that gel to make this deeply moisturizing face cream, that’s suitable for dry or mature skin.

If you don’t have fresh rose petals handy to infuse the aloe, that’s okay – you can just use plain aloe instead.

This cream contains jojoba oil (great for moisturizing skin and leaving it soft and supple) and rosehip seed oil (a potent wrinkle fighter used in anti-aging products). Shea butter lends its anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating properties while aloe helps keep your skin smooth and hydrated.

Stearic acid is a vegetable derived product I buy from Mountain Rose Herbs. Its purpose in the recipe is to help thicken the cream. I’ve also noticed that creams made with stearic acid stay fresh longer than ones I make without it. If you decide to omit this ingredient, I can’t be sure the recipe will work correctly.

Aloe Rose Anti-Aging Cream Ingredients

 Aloe Rose Anti-Aging Skin Cream

Step 1 

Combine the jojoba oil with shea butter, beeswax pastilles, and stearic acid in a heat proof jar or container. (Rosehip seed oil should be kept unheated, so don’t add that yet.) If you don’t want to use jojoba oil, you can also try: sunflower oil, olive oil, avocado oil, hemp oil, coconut oil, and so forth. Instead of shea butter, you can try mango or cocoa butter. You can buy all of these items from Mountain Rose Herbs, your favorite online supplier, or check your local health store for ingredients.

Step 2

Set the jar containing the oil, butter, beeswax, and stearic acid down into a small saucepan containing just a few inches of water, to form a makeshift double boiler of sorts. Set the pan on a medium-low burner and heat gently until the beeswax is melted. Shea butter can become grainy when overheated, so keep a close eye on progress and remove from heat as soon as melted.

Step 3

Pour the hot mixture into a small mixing bowl, stir in the rosehip seed oil, and then let cool to about room temperature.

If using a preservative, add at the recommended temperature. I’m currently a fan of using Leucidal SF Complete at 2 to 4% (I prefer to use closer to the full 4% amount, to be sure I have an effective amount). To figure the amount needed, add up the weight of the ingredients – which are 137 grams in this recipe – then multiply by 4% (.04) to determine that you should add 5.5 g to preserve your lotion.

Find out more about preservatives in my article: 10 Natural Preservatives for Homemade Skin Care


For an in-depth resource about making lotions and creams from scratch, plus loads of helpful information about the best oils, butters, essential oils, herbs, flowers, and other natural ingredients to use for your skin type and needs, be sure to check out my Handmade Lotions & Creams eBook Collection!

image for handmade lotions and creams ebook collection

Step 4

When it’s cool, drizzle the rose infused aloe (or plain aloe) into the thickened oil mixture, add your essential oils, and start stirring. You can whisk thoroughly with a fork until a gel like texture is achieved or use a hand mixer and beat for five to ten minutes until you obtain a thicker cream.

Step 5

Pour into jars. If you don’t want to use a preservative, the shelf life will be pretty short – around 1 week if stored in the refrigerator. Make in small batches and apply generously!

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55 Comments

  1. I really want to try this. Might need to do some shopping to get the ingredients. Thanks for another great recipe!

  2. Thanks again for your fantastic website…what an absolute treasure!!

  3. I love the info and your wonderful recipes. Thank you for taking the time to look into things.

  4. Recently discovered your gem of a blog and I’m loving it!
    I’ve been making a facial moisturizer for a little while that’s just the aloe, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and a few drops of frankincense. I shake vigorously and then re-shake every time I apply it for 3-4 days and magically it combines into a perfect lotion consistency without the emulsifier issue or wax needed. Just a thought :).

  5. Looks like a really great recipe and can’t wait to make up a batch! I have a question for you about rose water…I made my own last year and have some left over in the fridge, way back in the back :). Any thoughts if its still good enough to use to infuse the aloe?

    1. Hi Penny! Did you add a preservative to your rose water? My thought is that it might be past its prime at this point, but without being able to sniff and squint at it – I’m just not sure. :) Also, since the aloe in this is a good bit thicker than just water, you would end up with a more liquidy texture to your cream if you infused the aloe with something water based instead of just petals – you’d have to adjust the aloe amount lower, I’d think. Probably your best bet is to just make the recipe with plain aloe. :)

  6. Hi, I’m new to making this sort of stuff and I haven’t figured out a way to accurately measure out shea butter without having to melt it, I know it’s probably obvious and I am completely blind to it or maybe melting it is the only way? I really have no idea. I love your blog!

    1. Hi Sydney! What type are you buying? Some brands seem to be softer than others. I just sort of squish it into the measuring spoon or cup (unless making soap, then I weigh it.) It usually doesn’t have to be extra exact, so if it stays kind of a square shaped chunk and won’t fit in the spoon perfectly, you can still eyeball it and come out okay. :)

  7. hi thank you for the recipie. Can’t wait to try it out.
    Have a quick question though regarding the cocoa butter. Does it not give a tan tint to the body/face?
    In the south Asian community people like to brighten their skin while keeping the natural tan … However I’m just wondering if instead of Shea butter, cocoa butter is used, is it going to give brownish tint to the skin over a period of time?

    1. Hi Annie, That’s interesting! I haven’t heard of that use of cocoa butter before, so I’m not really sure about an answer for you. I’ve read that (my favorite butter) mango butter has a slight degree of sun protection, but if you want to avoid a tan completely, you could look into adding zinc oxide to the recipe.

  8. Hi Jan,

    Which rose essential oil do you use in this recipe? There are several kinds on the Mountain rose herbs website…

    thank you! :)

    1. Hi Bea! I use rose absolute, because the other ones are out of my price range. I usually stretch my rose absolute with a little palmarosa and/or geranium too, depending on how much I have on hand and what the product is. (Those two smell nice and rosy, but cost much less.)

  9. PS: how many drops of rose and lavender essential oïl (of each) do you add in this recipe? Being very new to this, i’d rather ask! thank you!

    1. Hi Bea! I start with just one or two drops of each, then stir and sniff. Depending on the brand of aloe you use or the type of shea butter, they may have a stronger smell that requires more essential oils. I like things only lightly scented though, so if you want a stronger smell, just add more essential oil, a drop or two at a time until it’s just right for you. :)

  10. I was wondering if you could just use the aloe right straight from the plant rather than buying a processed gel?

    1. Hi Melanie, You sure can! It will be a lot more perishable though, so definitely store in the refrigerator and keep a close eye out for spoilage.

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  12. I would like to use raspberry seed oil for its natural UV protection in this recipe, how much do you suggest I add?

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  16. Being that i live in south Louisiana, its so hot here and i would like to add phenonip to this recipe just to be on the safe side so it won’t go bad.
    How much of phenonip would i add?

    1. Hi Shana, That’s probably a good idea. I need to update all of my lotions and creams posts to reflect some preservative options and amounts.
      I haven’t used phenonip myself, but Lotion Crafter’s site says to use 0.5% to 1.0%.
      https://www.lotioncrafter.com/phenonip.html
      (I’m going to do a little math, but it’s not my strong point so double check it!)
      Ingredient weight is 137 grams total.
      1% of 137 grams = 1.37 grams
      You could round down to 1 gram of phenonip & that will still be over the 0.5% low range, so I think that should work!

  17. Thanks, i am not great with the math involved myself. Lol I usually follow a recipe to the T. I have been searching and searching for just the right lotions, cream and soaps.
    I love your site. You have so many great things. Keep up the good work.

  18. Hello
    I made the reciepe.it turns out a very nice and creamy but too greasy for my taste.Actually all creams wich i tried with beeswax were greasy. Anyway i am going to use it as i made to jars arround 50 grams each

  19. This recipe looks perfect for me!! Before I spent the $$ on ingredients, how long will this last WITH the NataPres included (NOT stored in the fridge)? THANK YOU for all your amazing lovely recipes! :D

    1. Hi Sarah! So far, my tests with NataPres shows that it’s lasting 3+ months. (I haven’t been using it much longer than that to know for sure yet.) I used microbial test kits to determine which natural preservatives gave me the best results and that is one that’s performing best. I feel it will last a few more months, at least. For a more cost effective option, I’m having excellent luck with Leucidal Liquid SF as well, also available from Lotion Crafter. It has performed just as well in tests and due to the cost factor, I’ve decided to mostly switch to that one. Thanks for your question – I’ll go in and update my posts to reflect that! :)

      1. Help! I made a batch of this one month ago and after 2 or 3 weeks there started growing fuzzy mold all over it :( I used the leucidal liquid sf at 4% as directed. Any idea what happened?

        1. Yikes! I haven’t had that happen yet with Leucidal Liquid SF – I’m sorry that it happened to you! A few questions to help us brainstorm a bit – what type of aloe did you use? Does it have its own set of preservatives in it? If so, what’s listed on the label? Did you add the Leucidal Liquid SF after the lotion had cooled below 104 degrees F? Where did you store your lotion? Someplace like a bathroom that gets high humidity and fluctuating heat might cause some problems. I’d love to hear more information and maybe we can pinpoint the culprit.

          1. You are incredible- thank you so much for your help!!

            1) I used “Real Aloe Gelly” ingredients: Real Aloe Vera (organic), Purified Water, Irish Moss, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

            2) Yes I’m *nearly* positive I took the temp and added it at below under 104 degrees

            3) It was stored in the bathroom, on the counter (covered) in a metal tin.

            Any ideas? If I re-do the recipe, what should I try differently first?

            Again, thank you!! I so love this cream!

            1. Hi Sarah, That’s great information – thanks! The Aloe sounds good, the potassium sorbate in it should help minimize mold. Temperature’s good too. Storing lotions/creams in the bathroom (mold loves the high humidity & fluctuating heat) can lead to a shorter lifespan and since it has aloe (a water based ingredient), then it might end up rusting or reacting with a metal tin. Do you have a glass jar you can keep it in instead? Or even plastic, as that is preferable to metal. If you make it again (or another lotion recipe), try running your jar and utensils through the sanitize cycle of your dishwasher or dip them in boiling water to sterilize first. You could also try a little extra preservative or try combining it with another one. Try to keep your lotion jar tightly closed when not in use and you could also scoop it out with a clean spoon instead of your fingers. A pump or squeeze bottle might help even further. Homemade lotions sure can be finicky sometimes! But they are so lovely to use! :)

              1. I got a cute glass jar and am totally trying again tonight! Thanks a million for all your help. I’ll report back! :D

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    1. Hi Marina!
      Is this the same cream that you made in early September or a new batch? Beeswax based creams can be SO finicky and they can sometimes separate much sooner than those made with emulsifying wax.

      Once it separates, some people stir it back together before each use. I don’t always have the best of luck with that method, but you could try to drain off the extra water, stir it really well and then use it up fairly quickly.

      While I do love the richness of these types of beeswax-based creams for my dry skin, you might be a lot happier with ones that use emulsifying wax instead. (Or a blend of beeswax and emulsifying wax.) They are a lot less fussy to make and maintain!

  23. If I were to use emulsifying wax instead of the beeswax, how much would you recommend? And how much does this specific recipe yield? I’m looking into containers :) Thanks!

    1. Hi Molly! You would have to completely reconfigure the recipe for emulsifying wax. Beeswax-based creams have higher amounts of oils and butters and less liquid. With the emulsifying wax, you use a higher ratio of water and a lot less oil, so they don’t interchange.
      What you could do, is take a recipe like this one:
      https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/basil-anti-aging-face-cream/
      and just adapt it so part of the water is aloe (or rose-infused aloe) instead, and also swap out some of the oils. You could take that basic basil cream recipe and make it up all sorts of fun ways by tweaking the oil and liquid types.
      In just a few days, I’ll also be posting a recipe for a rosehip & gingeng skin cream that will use emulsifying wax, so stay tuned for that one too! :)

    2. Hi again Molly – I’m sorry I forgot to answer the second question! This particular recipe will make almost 5 ounces (by weight), so should fill probably 3 of the 2-oz glass jars shown – which I buy from specialtybottle.com. (Those don’t actually hold 2 ounces by weight, but by volume, so it’s a little tricky how they measure those!)

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  25. Won’t Vitamin E help preserve naturally? Or Rosemary oil extract? Could I use those?

  26. I just made this face cream with a few changes and it came out so awesome. I used Evening Primrose Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter. I replaced the Stearic Acid with Emulsifying Wax so that the aloe and the oils would actually emulsify and stay that way. I still put in a little Beeswax for more thickening and for it’s occlusive properties. As for the aloe I used a mixture of aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice. I added some Tocopherol (Vitamin E) for my antioxidant and Liquid Germall Plus for the preservative. And I used Rose Absolute and a couple drops of Bergaptene-free Bergamot Essential Oil. So yes, I changed quite a bit actually but the basic formula is yours and I really like this cream. It makes my face feel silky smooth. :)

  27. Hi Jan,
    I am so in love with your website! I have learned so much about preservatives, thanks for that! My question is (and I read through all the comments before commenting…hehe) I have noticed in some lotion recipes you use an emulsifier and/or stearic acid, I am wondering why you have used these things? Also, I have a recipe that doesn’t have either of these in it but it separates when sitting for awhile so how do I know which on of those things to use and how much to use in a particular recipe?

    1. Hi Stephanie!

      So happy you like the website! :)

      I first learned to make lotions and creams using beeswax and borax – which pair together to make an effective emulsifier. After several readers asked about avoiding borax, I experimented around and found that I liked creams & lotions made with beeswax and stearic acid. (Stearic acid is just a thickener for lotions & creams.) Neither of those is technically a stand-alone emulsifier or combine to make one (on the molecular level anyway), so you’re reliant on getting a good mechanical emulsion by mixing at just the right temperatures and amount – which is easier said than done! And eventually, those bonds are going to break down and separate. So, it’s a little trickier making beeswax-based creams.

      I experimented with vegetable emulsifying wax NF and fell in love with just how much easier it is to make a lotion or cream and have it stay together. You can also incorporate a lot more water to get a lighter, non-greasy product. Vegetable emulsifying wax starts out a vegetable source (usually), but then gets highly processed, so some people don’t like to use it. I only get the kind from Mountain Rose Herbs, because I want to be sure it’s vegetable sourced instead of petroleum sourced. Emulsifying wax is similar, but not quite as processed, as soy wax – so depending on your personal definition of natural, you could use emulsifying wax NF and never worry about separating. If you want to stick with beeswax, you could add borax to it as an emulsifier to help with the separation issue. It’s been a few years since I used it, so I don’t quite recall the amount you’d need for that.

      If you want to use emulsifying wax, it would probably be easier to start over with a new recipe, because the proportions are so different. If you look here: https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/diy-body-care/
      under “Face, Body & Hand Creams” and also under “Lotions”, I have some recipes with e-wax NF – you could see the basic structure of them and sub out any oils, liquids at will to create your own recipe.

      Happy lotion making! :)

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