# My NEW Solid Lotion Bar



## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

I have a new lotion bar that I am still testing. I LOVE IT! It has done wonders for my skin.

I have a small problem - not for me but if I sell it. It is lovely & silky when it is first made & glides on. I put them in deodorant tubes.

After about 2 weeks they feel grainy & look like there is sand in them.

I can't figure out what is causing this except I keep my house cold.

Here are my ingredients:

Mango Butter
Candelilla Wax (half the amount of beeswax)
Coconut Oil
Jojoba Oil
fragrance
Vitamin E

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Lily


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## Earthen_Step (Dec 17, 2014)

Does it go through temp changes, warming up and cooling down often?  If it is always staying very solid then I have no idea.  But my guess is that the mango butter is the problem oil and it's getting warm and then cooling off giving it time to curdle up some.

*I have noticed this with Mango and Shea butter when warmed and cooled.


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

I keep my house around 60 degrees & it goes to maybe 55 at night.

The solid lotion has never melted.

I was thinking maybe it had something to do with the Candelilla Wax.

I have made 2 recipes of this.

I ONLY changed one thing in the second recipe. The first batch didn't get grainy. The second batch did.

The change was in the first batch I used clear jojoba oil.

In the second (grainy) batch I used the yellow jojoba.

Could the jojoba have anything to do with it?


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## Seawolfe (Dec 17, 2014)

It sounds like your mango butter or shea butter (or both) need to be tempered first.
This page talks about tempering mango butter: http://www.thesoapdish.com/oils.htm
This talks about tempering both mango and shea butter: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2011/10/question-heating-and-holding-butters.html

Edit to add - I'm not sure why I thought you were also using Shea butter. No matter - both links talk about the need for tempering mango butter to eliminate graniness.


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## Obsidian (Dec 17, 2014)

I have a coco butter based solid lotion that also gets grainy after awhile, I use beeswax. The small bar I've kept in a zip lock bag has stayed smooth though, it only the lotion I poured into push tubs or lip balm tubes that has the issue.


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## coffeetime (Dec 17, 2014)

Hmm, I've used mango butter in my lotion bars and it regularly freezes and thaws but no graininess. I use beeswax and no jojoba. And I've never tempered it.


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

WOW! Interesting & strange! I used the same Mango butter in both batches!

"Tempering: To prevent graininess in mango butter, it should be tempered. Slowly bring the temperature of the mango butter up to approximately 100°F, being careful not to overheat. Hold at that temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, before cooling."

So why does some mango butter need tempering & some mango butter does not?

You guys are the BEST! I don't know what I would do without all of you!


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

I just read:
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.co...g-butters.html
This is very interesting but starts getting confusing.

I didn't cool either batch in the fridge.

After the mango butter is tempered then it has to be cooled quickly? 

Then do I remelt it again every time I use it? Does it only need to be tempered the first time?

Can I melt my lotion bars down & temper them now?

Thank you, Obsidian.


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## coffeetime (Dec 17, 2014)

Perhaps mine gets inadvertently tempered when I melt it with the beeswax. I put all the hard oils in with the beeswax, melt them, then add the soft oils. As you know, beeswax takes a long time to melt. And then it gets immediately poured into silicon cavity molds. They have solidified and are cool to the touch within 15 minutes or so.


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## Earthen_Step (Dec 17, 2014)

lillybella said:


> I just read:
> http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.co...g-butters.html
> This is very interesting but starts getting confusing.
> 
> ...





lillybella said:


> I keep my house around 60 degrees & it goes to maybe 55 at night.
> 
> The solid lotion has never melted.
> 
> ...



I have used yellow jojoba oil and Candelilla wax.  I don't think those two things are the issue, I'd bet its the mango butter.  When I'm making lotion bars, balms, butters I have found this works best

Very slowly raise the temperature till it's all melted or just before the final solids are melted.  Let it sit till the remaining chunks are melted and then do a quick mix.  After I mix it I put it in the fridge or freezer depending on what I'm making (if it's lotion bars it goes in the mold before the freezer).  I think the SLOW heat and the QUICK cooling helps a lot to not have any graininess.  

After it's done the next grainy problems I have are just from leaving things in the sun, or if there was not enough solids/wax and it melts at room temp.  If it continues to melt, even a little, and solidify I get grains.

Hope that helps some.  This forum is great, awesome feedback going on in here.


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

Thank you so much :smile:

I'm going to try melting the ones I have done down & see if the graininess
goes away!


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## cmzaha (Dec 17, 2014)

I quit using mango butter and kokum butter a long time ago in solid lotions. There is a product called Butter EZ from Lotion Crafters that will help deter the graininess. Kokum butter likes to bloom which I find extremely annoying


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

Carolyn, what is blooming?


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

I just read about EZ Butter.

Does this count as part of the butter used?

You just use it alone?


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## hud (Dec 17, 2014)

[FONT=&quot]Hi guys, I didn’t do any hard lotion bars yet; I am planning on making this recipe, [/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]33% Shea butter, 33% tallow, 33% beeswax and essential oils. [/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]My [FONT=&quot]Shea[/FONT] butter is new I got it from Essential Depot recently; I use it in my bar soap.[/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]I would be appreciated for any feedback regarding the [FONT=&quot]Shea[/FONT] butter or any advice [FONT=&quot]about[/FONT] the recipe.[/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]Thank you.[/FONT]


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## lillybella (Dec 17, 2014)

I just used my lotion bars that I re-melted & sat in a double boiler for an hour at 100 degrees.

They seem perfect - no graininess!


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## cmzaha (Dec 18, 2014)

lillybella said:


> Carolyn, what is blooming?


It actually grows and reminds me of a head of cauliflower. I actually do not use shea, or very little in my lotion bars, I just do not like the greasy feeling of shea


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Dec 18, 2014)

hud said:


> [FONT=&quot]Hi guys, I didn’t do any hard lotion bars; I am planning on making this recipe, [/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]33% Shea butter, 33% tallow, 33% beeswax and essential oils. [/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]My shea butter is new I got it from Essential Depot recently; I use it in my soap.[/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]I would be appreciated for any feedback regarding the shea butter or any advice in the recipe.[/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]Thank you.[/FONT]




Hi hud. If you haven't already, can you start a new thread for your question please?


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## hud (Dec 18, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Hi hud. If you haven't already, can you start a new thread for your question please?



  Thank you for the advice; I may get help with new thread.
These guys are too advanced for me, I need to go to my baby level:sad:.
Anyway, thanks.


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