Body yogurt is like an emulsion, something between body cream and lotion. It has a slightly denser texture than lotion, but it effectively nourishes and protects your skin.

 In this post, I want to share two vanilla body yogurt recipes with you – a simplified version and a slightly more advanced one for those who love experimenting with skincare products. Both body yogurts moisturize your skin beautifully, but the more complex version has a better sensory profile and additional skin benefits.

Both of these body yogurts smell divine with a natural vanilla aroma (which is much more complex and multi-dimensional than vanilla fragrance oils). Using them is a true pleasure!

Vanilla Macerate

The vanilla scent in our body yogurts comes from a macerate – oil infused with vanilla pods. You can find a recipe for vanilla-infused butter in our school’s blog (in general, vanilla macerate is versatile, and you can use it for various DIY skincare products, from lip balms to hair masks).

For maceration, it’s better to use stable oils with a neutral scent, such as:

• Jojoba oil
• Almond oil
• Fractionated coconut oil

I made my macerate with jojoba oil. Jojoba oil not only has excellent skincare properties but is also highly stable. (Macerates tend to oxidize faster than pure oils, which can be disappointing when the base oil goes rancid after weeks of maceration. To learn more about macerating oils with different raw materials, you can check out my detailed post here).

Vanilla Macerate:

• 100 ml jojoba oil
• 2 vanilla pods

Fresh vanilla pods are best as they are flexible, contain syrup inside when cut open (a brown, viscous liquid), and have a pronounced aroma. A fresh pod has more aromatic compounds than an old, dried one (usually found in cheaper options), and a macerate created with it will have a strong vanilla fragrance.

Macerate the oil for at least 2-3 weeks (or even months). The longer you let it sit, the more intense the aroma of your macerate will be. After the infusion, strain the oil and transfer it to a clean, dry, dark glass container with a tight-fitting lid.

Vanilla Body Yogurt Recipe #1 (good for newbies)

If you’ve never made skincare products from scratch, it’s advisable to watch a video tutorial for making emulsions before attempting this yogurt. You can find all the necessary ingredients for making skincare products on various online websites specializing in cosmetics DIY supplies. You can find a comprehensive list of these sites for different countries here.

This version is suitable for beginners as it has fewer components, and the formula’s star is our vanilla macerate. This macerate not only provides a warm, soothing aroma but also offers skin benefits, including irritation relief, wound healing, and forming a hydrating film on the skin’s surface.

Ingredients:

• Oils: vanilla macerate, shea butter, and buriti oil (buriti oil gives the yogurt a bright “yogurt-like” color and is rich in antioxidants; you can also use sea buckthorn oil, carrot macerate, or any other oil with a bright orange color)
• Actives: panthenol (a moisturizing and soothing component)
• Preservative and antioxidant: I use Preservative Eco (you can use any broad-spectrum preservative following the recommended dosage) and vitamin E (tocopherol) as antioxidants to protect our oils from oxidation.
• Xanthan gum + glycerin: these components help moisturize the skin and make our emulsion more stable.
• Beeswax: it thickens our yogurt and creates a protective, breathable film on the skin’s surface. You can exclude the beeswax from the recipe for a more liquid texture.

Method:

1. Weigh the water in a disinfected container.
2. In a separate container, weigh xanthan gum and glycerin, blend them until homogeneous, and incorporate them into the water.
3. In another container, weigh the oils, beeswax, and emulsifier.
4. Place the water and the oil phases in a water bath. Heat both liquids to 70 degrees Celsius.
5. Remove both phases from the water bath and start pouring the oil phase into the water phase while continuously mixing with a handheld blender.
6. Cool the emulsion to room temperature and mix in the preservative, antioxidant (vitamin E), and panthenol.
7. Measure and adjust the pH if necessary (I’ve already explained this in detail in this video).

This simplified recipe creates a wonderfully aromatic vanilla body yogurt that feels delightful on your skin. Enjoy the process and the results!

I show the process of making this lotion in my video tutorial:

Vanilla Body Yogurt, Version #2 (for advanced formulators)

In this version, I’m using different emulsifiers, combining oils and natural emollients for a better sensory profile. Instead of beeswax, I’m introducing lanolin (I use certified pesticide-free lanolin ). Instead of panthenol, I’m using an active ingredient called “Ceramides Complex” – a mix of ceramides and phospholipids that restores the damaged skin barrier.

This emulsion is non-tacky, has no soapiness, and spreads well on the skin, creating a comfortable protective layer without feeling heavy. The ceramide complex gradually restores the skin’s natural protective functions, so the skin becomes noticeably less dry within a few days.

Methode:

1. Combine phase A1 and until homogenous.
2. Combine phase A2 and stir to make a slurry.
3. Add phase A1 to phase A2 and mix well (low shear) until homogenous.
4. In a separate beaker, combine components of phase B. Heat both phases in a water bath to 70 degrees Celsius.
5. Pour phase B into the heated phase A, stirring continuously (high shear), until you obtain a smooth, glossy emulsion.
6. Cool to room temperature while constantly stirring.
7. Incorporate phase C and mix until homogenous.
8. Measure and adjust the pH if necessary. The pH of the final product should be around 5.3-5.8.