Here's what my research looked like:
Hard Lotion Bars by Simple. Healthy. Tasty.
How do you make lotion? None of your beeswax! by Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity
Ditch the Jar...Pick up the Bar! by OneGoodThing by Jillee
Homemade Sunscreen Bars by Wellness Mama
How to Make Lotion Bars by Crunchy Betty
Here's what I did:
I melted equal parts beeswax, coconut oil, and a combination of shea and cocoa butter in a double boiler.
Then I poured that mixture into mini muffin pans. I don't have any of those new fangled, fancy molds. I had a little bit extra, so I made one big muffin bar.
I got it everywhere!
Seriously, how do people do this without spilling? All those links above show perfectly filled molds.
What I lack in cleanliness, I make up for in
And rolled it into a little ball. See?
I made this as simple as I could, and it turned out great! Many of the recipes I have linked to use a few other ingredients, like almond oil, essential oils, or vitamin E.
I also didn't worry about preservation - I just popped my extras into a plastic storage container, surrounded by wax paper, and put them in the freezer. We use a lot of lotion here in the desert. If you're worried about preserving your lotion, you can use rosemary extract, cinnamon, potassium sorbate, or citric acid. Read this wiki article for more information.
My lotion bars melt at just the right temperature - the minute they touch the skin, the soothing ingredients take effect. I'm keeping one by both the kitchen and bathroom sinks.
I may never buy lotion again!
Neat idea!
ReplyDeleteSo, you really just rub that on your hands and it's lotion? It's not like a soap that has to be washed off? So cool!
ReplyDeleteNope, no washing it off. It melts right as it touches the body, and just seeps into your skin like buttah! The beeswax then makes a water resistant barrier on top of your skin, sealing in moisture.
DeleteDo the lotion bars smell good? I want to make them but don't know if I want to add essential oils or not.
ReplyDeleteWell, it depends on whether or not you think chocolate smells good. These particular bars definitely smell like cocoa butter, which I love. But some found it a little over-powering. If you made them just using shea butter, they would have a more nutty smell. I don't think the shea scent is as powerful as the cocoa butter scent, personally. If you don't want to smell nutty or chocolate-y, then definitely add some of your favorite EO! :)
DeleteYou could always pour out half the batch, then add some eo to the rest, and then see which ones you like better.
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