# Lotion making and stick blending



## Deborah Long (Mar 30, 2019)

So, I've only made lotion once before today.  That was a small batch (4 oz) and I used a coffee frother to blend.  Today, I quadrupled the batch, so still not a large batch, but bigger.  The first time I 'frothed' until it was lotiony.  I LOVED it.

Today, I'm using my stick blender and the dang stuff is not getting quite thick enough!  My stick blender is HOT!

My question is:  do I have to stick blend for 30 minutes?  This seems excessive to me!  Can I just let it cool down after everything is well blended together?  I don't want to burn out my stick blender making lotion, but I so totally loved the way it felt!

So, what's the secret?  My temps were right, I was careful measuring, etc. etc.  Just wait for cool down and then do a final add-the-preservative-and-FO?

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## Cellador (Mar 30, 2019)

You don't have to stick-blend that much- the thickening has more to do with temperature,  I think.
I usually mix my oil & water phase a stick-blend for maybe 30 seconds. I then hand- stir every once in awhile until I'm ready to add the cool down ingredients.  After adding the cool down phase, I stick blend again for maybe 30 seconds to a minute. You should see the lotion get thicker as it cools.
I hope this helps!


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## SeattleMartin (Mar 30, 2019)

My first guess (knowing little about lotion making) is that the difference lies between whisking (or frothing) and blending.
Maybe, now that is it blended, try splitting it up into 4-8 oz batches and using the frother again to "froth" it into the more desired consistency? Or maybe try whisking it?


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## Deborah Long (Mar 30, 2019)

Actually, as it cooled it got thicker, thanks @Cellador  and @SeattleMartin .

It looks fine now, but I was worried about the stick blender!  Nice to know that I don't have to break it to have nice lotion!  Thanks!


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## bohunk (Mar 30, 2019)

It can take up to 24 hours for a lotion to "thicken" as it cools down.  You can speed up the process by using an ice bath when you stick blend your lotion.


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## Deborah Long (Mar 30, 2019)

@bohunk - Thanks!  I thought about that!  No clue that it could take that long (I'm assuming amount of liquid that you use...)  Good to know!  Thanks!


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## Dahila (Mar 30, 2019)

I stick blend for like 50 seconds then take a break like one minute again stick blend for 50 sceonds till light emulsion starts to form, then I switch to my KA mixer.   I had never hear about someone stick blending for 30 min,  Every lotion needs high gear on the beginning .  I use many different emulsifiers


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## atiz (Mar 30, 2019)

Agree with @Cellador et al.. I usually stick blend for a minute or so then let it cool for ten, stick blend again for a minute, let it cool for ten, and repeat this until just very slightly warm so the preservative etc. can be mixed in. Then give it another quick burst, bottle it up, and then let it cool completely. I don’t make big batches (8oz max), but the bigger the batch the slower it cools and thickens. For me it takes usually about 20-30 minutes (which only means 2-3 minutes of stick blending).
But, I completely remember my very first batch, when I mixed them together and panicked that it will never ever thicken! It always does though.


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## Deborah Long (Mar 31, 2019)

Dahila said:


> I switch to my KA mixer



What is a KA mixer, please?


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## earlene (Mar 31, 2019)

Kitchen Aid, I would guess.


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## cmzaha (Mar 31, 2019)

I would not use a frother for making lotion. If it is going to thicken on it's own during cooldown if it was a good emulsification. I usually give my lotions a burst or two while it is cooling in an ice batch, but I make a gallon at a time. My other trick is to freeze part of my water requirement or at least have it really cold to add in after I stick blend until it is emulsified, then I add in the icy cold water and blast with the SB. This really helps with cool down but again I am making a larger batch and want it cooled down as quick as possible to add in my preservatives.


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## Dahila (Mar 31, 2019)

Yeah frother is a bad idea, we do want to have smooth lotion without air,  Czmaha you must have commericial stick blender to be able to move a gallon of lotion


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## eden (Mar 31, 2019)

Like many others said - I only stick blend briefly ...I  do it in pulses rather than steady on, for maybe 60 seconds tops then switch to hand stirring ...otherwise you end up with a lot of air in your product that might not ever settle.  Lotion & creams are such fun!


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## cmzaha (Mar 31, 2019)

Dahila said:


> Yeah frother is a bad idea, we do want to have smooth lotion without air,  Czmaha you must have commercial stick blender to be able to move a gallon of lotion


I have a light commercial waring stick blender which I love


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## QueenJ (Apr 7, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I would not use a frother for making lotion. If it is going to thicken on it's own during cooldown if it was a good emulsification. I usually give my lotions a burst or two while it is cooling in an ice batch, but I make a gallon at a time. My other trick is to freeze part of my water requirement or at least have it really cold to add in after I stick blend until it is emulsified, then I add in the icy cold water and blast with the SB. This really helps with cool down but again I am making a larger batch and want it cooled down as quick as possible to add in my preservatives.


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## QueenJ (Apr 7, 2019)

So My very first  batch of lotions at a smaller scale was great. However as i went up to a larger scale it didn’t go so well. 
I notice you mention you (cooling phase) you give it an ice bath? 
Im wondering if my mistake is warming /heating my distilled water and adding to my oil/ wax/ emulsified mixture is a no no?! So one time i believe i poured my lotions into the bottles way too early so that created condensation but i fixed the problem by waiting till it cooled down to 105-100 degrees. I’ve also made a mistake by over blending it that it created tiny air bubbles. I’ve also made a mistake adding mica solution and it didn’t break down as i thought it would so that batch was considered “bad batch”. Is there anybody here that can share their technique so i won’t come across these mistakes again please and thank you!


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## atiz (Apr 7, 2019)

QueenJ said:


> So My very first  batch of lotions at a smaller scale was great. However as i went up to a larger scale it didn’t go so well.
> I notice you mention you (cooling phase) you give it an ice bath?
> Im wondering if my mistake is warming /heating my distilled water and adding to my oil/ wax/ emulsified mixture is a no no?! So one time i believe i poured my lotions into the bottles way too early so that created condensation but i fixed the problem by waiting till it cooled down to 105-100 degrees. I’ve also made a mistake by over blending it that it created tiny air bubbles. I’ve also made a mistake adding mica solution and it didn’t break down as i thought it would so that batch was considered “bad batch”. Is there anybody here that can share their technique so i won’t come across these mistakes again please and thank you!


I'm by far not an expert so hopefully someone more experienced will come along to help.

I usually have both my water phase (incl. the distilled water) and oil phase heated in a water bath for a good 15 minutes or so, more for a bigger batch (until everything melts and dissolves). Then I slowly transfer one into the other and blend the whole thing -- blend for a minute, wait, blend again, wait, etc., until the whole thing cools to lukewarm and thickens. Then I add the cooldown ingredients and then bottle it up. I don't use an ice bath, but I could see that for huge batches that would help. I just wait for the cooling and do something else meanwhile.

Re: coloring. I don't color often, but have found that lake dyes are the best -- they give great uniform color. I mix it to the water phase before heating, or even to the done batch if I forget. (You would never believe what a teeny amount of lake dye you need to give some color. And of course you can always go wild with it .)


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## cmzaha (Apr 7, 2019)

The reason I always have frozen or slushy water from my water requirement is so I can hurry cool down time and my gallon + stainless steel bowl is sitting in an ice bath. Emulsifying wax has and water have to be hot enough to create emulsion, although there is at least one cold emulsifier. I only add in the ice or ice water after a good emulsification is acquired. Bacteria can start growing if it takes to long to cool down. I want my lotion cool enough to at least add it my preservative that tolerates the highest temp then I relax until cool enough to add my other preservative. I do still heat and hold my water and oil if for no other reason to know the oil and water are ready to accept each other


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## QueenJ (Apr 8, 2019)

atiz said:


> I'm by far not an expert so hopefully someone more experienced will come along to help.
> 
> I usually have both my water phase (incl. the distilled water) and oil phase heated in a water bath for a good 15 minutes or so, more for a bigger batch (until everything melts and dissolves). Then I slowly transfer one into the other and blend the whole thing -- blend for a minute, wait, blend again, wait, etc., until the whole thing cools to lukewarm and thickens. Then I add the cooldown ingredients and then bottle it up. I don't use an ice bath, but I could see that for huge batches that would help. I just wait for the cooling and do something else meanwhile.
> 
> Re: coloring. I don't color often, but have found that lake dyes are the best -- they give great uniform color. I mix it to the water phase before heating, or even to the done batch if I forget. (You would never believe what a teeny amount of lake dye you need to give some color. And of course you can always go wild with it .)


Awesome! Okie thanks for the tips


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## QueenJ (Apr 8, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> The reason I always have frozen or slushy water from my water requirement is so I can hurry cool down time and my gallon + stainless steel bowl is sitting in an ice bath. Emulsifying wax has and water have to be hot enough to create emulsion, although there is at least one cold emulsifier. I only add in the ice or ice water after a good emulsification is acquired. Bacteria can start growing if it takes to long to cool down. I want my lotion cool enough to at least add it my preservative that tolerates the highest temp then I relax until cool enough to add my other preservative. I do still heat and hold my water and oil if for no other reason to know the oil and water are ready to accept each other


Ok thank you! Which preservative do you prefer and at about what temperature do you add it to the mixture?


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## atiz (Apr 8, 2019)

QueenJ said:


> Ok thank you! Which preservative do you prefer and at about what temperature do you add it to the mixture?


I guess your question is a bit OT so you may want to move it to a new thread, but here is what I do. 
I use liquid germall plus mostly because it seems less finicky (in terms of pH) than some of the other broad spectrum preservatives. I add it to the mixture when it is lukewarm (it has to be below 50C, about 120F, but I like going below that). As I understand it, you want to check (1) that it be a broad spectrum preservative (if you are using only 1 -- you want it to cover bacteria and fungus); (2) the recommended pH range; and (3) the recommended temperature range. You should be able to find all this info on the label / product description. There is also a pinned post on this forum for comparing preservatives.
I know some people use multiple preservatives at the same time; I have not had problems with LGP so it just isn't really worth the hassle for me. But also, LGP is not recommended for sprays so YMMV depending on what you want to use it for.

Cmzaha's point is a good one, if it would take too long for large batches to cool before adding the preservative, that might introduce some extra risk of bacteria. I only make small batches for personal use so that hasn't been an issue for me.


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## cmzaha (Apr 8, 2019)

QueenJ said:


> Ok thank you! Which preservative do you prefer and at about what temperature do you add it to the mixture?


I am sorry about not answering this question, but I have spent a lot of time and money for testing to come up with my go to system, but it still does not work for all my formulas. In my opinion there is not always an all inclusive answer.


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## QueenJ (Apr 8, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I am sorry about not answering this question, but I have spent a lot of time and money for testing to come up with my go to system, but it still does not work for all my formulas. In my opinion there is not always an all inclusive answer.


No worries. I understand. I also have spend a lot of time and research. So i totally get it.   I’m using   optiphen and i like the paraben free but i heard it can be tricky.


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## QueenJ (Apr 8, 2019)

atiz said:


> I guess your question is a bit OT so you may want to move it to a new thread, but here is what I do.
> I use liquid germall plus mostly because it seems less finicky (in terms of pH) than some of the other broad spectrum preservatives. I add it to the mixture when it is lukewarm (it has to be below 50C, about 120F, but I like going below that). As I understand it, you want to check (1) that it be a broad spectrum preservative (if you are using only 1 -- you want it to cover bacteria and fungus); (2) the recommended pH range; and (3) the recommended temperature range. You should be able to find all this info on the label / product description. There is also a pinned post on this forum for comparing preservatives.
> I know some people use multiple preservatives at the same time; I have not had problems with LGP so it just isn't really worth the hassle for me. But also, LGP is not recommended for sprays so YMMV depending on what you want to use it for.
> 
> Cmzaha's point is a good one, if it would take too long for large batches to cool before adding the preservative, that might introduce some extra risk of bacteria. I only make small batches for personal use so that hasn't been an issue for me.


Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate these helpful tips. I’ve been Making bath and body products for almost 4 years but I’m new to  SMF  There’s always room for knowledge


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## atiz (Apr 8, 2019)

QueenJ said:


> Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate these helpful tips. I’ve been Making bath and body products for almost 4 years but I’m new to  SMF  There’s always room for knowledge


Oh then you are much more experienced than I am  I started it just a few months ago. I always liked chemistry so it was kind of exciting (in an "adult playground" kind of way). I heard good things about Optiphen and have been thinking of trying it as well. I think it is more pH sensitive than LGP though (which should not be a problem, I have been just playing it safe).


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## Deborah Long (Apr 10, 2019)

So now that I know not to stick blend into oblivion, I put some lotion in some nice pump bottles that I purchased from Amazon.  Took one to work and can't get it to pump out for the life of me!  LOL  Too thick and luxurious for just a common pump bottle!  So, next time, jars?  Make the lotion thinner?  How do I adjust my recipe to do that, even - just add more water?

Thanks for all the responses!  I appreciate the input/knowledge!


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## DeeAnna (Apr 10, 2019)

Oh, gosh, no -- don't use jars if you want your preservative to have half a chance of working properly. Always, always choose packaging that prevents fingers from touching and contaminating the product in its container.

There are pump tops that are rated for high viscosity products. Majestic Mountain Sage sells tops like this, and I'm sure other suppliers do too. They have a larger tube and nozzle than typical pump tops. Or you can use a Malibu bottle, also called a tottle. Or you could use a flip-top or snap top cap, but you will also need a squeezable type of bottle for these to work well.

edit: Yes, you can also increase the water % in your recipe. For me, a thick lotion is 65-70% water, a medium body lotion is 70-75%, and a light lotion is around 80%. The % depends a bit on the kind of fats used (solid at room temp vs liquid oils). If you have very dry skin, however, a thicker lotion works better than a lighter one, IMO, to add enough protection and soothing.


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## Deborah Long (Apr 10, 2019)

DeeAnna said:


> Or you can use a Malibu bottle, also called a tottle



OOoo....I love tottles!  lol


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## cmzaha (Apr 10, 2019)

My lotion is very thick and I use the high viscosity pumps and sometimes Tottles, both work just fine. I just use disposable piping bags for filling the bottles.


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## atiz (Apr 10, 2019)

Deborah Long said:


> So now that I know not to stick blend into oblivion, I put some lotion in some nice pump bottles that I purchased from Amazon.  Took one to work and can't get it to pump out for the life of me!  LOL  Too thick and luxurious for just a common pump bottle!  So, next time, jars?  Make the lotion thinner?  How do I adjust my recipe to do that, even - just add more water?
> 
> Thanks for all the responses!  I appreciate the input/knowledge!


Sounds like a nice lotion! 
Tottles work good, I also really love the little travel bottles (gotoob), they dispense very nicely. 
As for adjusting thickness, it depends on the recipe -- decrease the oil phase, especially those fats that would make it thick -- like cetyl alcohol and such. The last lotion I made is very light, about 85% water phase, which is great in pump bottles, but still feels good.


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## Deborah Long (Apr 10, 2019)

atiz said:


> Sounds like a nice lotion!



Thanks!  I love it!  I won't need lotion for a minute, but next time, I will try to adjust to make it a tad thinner/lighter (although I love it the way it is!)


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