# Lotion Bar Size



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 4, 2014)

Hello everyone.

When you make a lotion bar, what sort of weight do you go for?


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## shunt2011 (Mar 4, 2014)

Mine are generally 2 ounces.  I put them in roll up tubes and make individual ones in silicone molds and put them into a tin.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks, Shunty.  I was looking at 50 to 60 grams, so that is pretty much 2 ounces 

Also, will make 10 gram testers in my new mini moulds.  Oddly enough, no one wants to use the lotion bar from their friends..................


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## shunt2011 (Mar 4, 2014)

Yeah, that's kind of a personal item not to be shared.   I've debated putting in a preservative just to keep grimy hands from spreading anything icky or growing it.   I keep one next to the bed and use it on my feet every night.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 4, 2014)

The Admirable Lady uses hers, it's kept in a wee Tupper pot and is fine.  I'm sure your feet aren't hot beds for nasties!


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## shunt2011 (Mar 4, 2014)

I'm sure mine aren't but don't know what others do with them... I've got several in my rotation and they are over a year old and still working fine.   I love them for extra dry spots.


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## green soap (Mar 4, 2014)

Just wanted to chime in that mine are also 2 oz (57 g).  They last a very long time, and this is our observation as well as our customers.  

I also make mini ones, in heart shaped bonbon molds, they are about 0.2 oz. I either sell them for those that want just a little bit, or I gift them to folks that make substantial purchases.


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## jadelilly (Mar 4, 2014)

What size tins are you getting your 2 oz ones in? I have 2 oz tins and the weight of the bar I'm getting in there is around 1 oz. thanks!


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## green soap (Mar 4, 2014)

I use the flat 4 oz tins.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 4, 2014)

I use the flat 4 oz tins as well.


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## AnnaMarie (Mar 4, 2014)

I pour 2 oz bars using a muffin pan (as many others do  ) and store in 4 oz tins from Specialty Bottle. Using a preservative is an interesting thought...I'll have to think on that one. Right now it's just rosemary oleoresin and vitamin-e for back up.
Cheers!
Anna Marie


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## DeeAnna (Mar 4, 2014)

I've been making about 1 to 1 1/2 oz bars and putting them in 2 oz tins with a screw-on lid (not as fond of tins with lift-off lids). The bars I've packaged this way are a "bartenders balm" recipe that is firmer and drier than a typical lotion bar. It's a bit of a specialized product that's pretty much limited to hands and thick callouses. A smallish bar of this stuff will last so long it will go off before you can use it up. I like how the 2 oz tins are small enough to slip into a pocket or small purse. Here's what I got: https://www.thesage.com/catalog/products/Screw-Top-Tin-2-oz.html


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## Spicey477 (Mar 27, 2014)

I made a sample batch of lotion bars last night and poured it into a 9×9 silicone pan. I went to cut a small corner today and it started splitting at the cut into the other pieces. I will admit that it is quite thin,  maybe 1/4" tall. Is my problem the thinness (is that a word? or having it in the pan where I have to cut it?


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## green soap (Mar 27, 2014)

Spicey477 said:


> I made a sample batch of lotion bars last night and poured it into a 9×9 silicone pan. I went to cut a small corner today and it started splitting at the cut into the other pieces. I will admit that it is quite thin,  maybe 1/4" tall. Is my problem the thinness (is that a word? or having it in the pan where I have to cut it?



 You can always remelt and re pour on single cavity molds.  Even cup cake molds will work.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 28, 2014)

Your problem is the nature of the lotion bar itself. It's too brittle to cut with a knife. If you had a wire cutter, you might be able to cut it without shattering. You could try warming the product until it becomes slightly pliable, but warming will increase the stickiness and that might cause other problems. Best answer is to use individual molds like Green Soap suggested.


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## hmlove1218 (Apr 17, 2014)

I'm just curious.  For those of you that use the tins, do you pour the melted lotion into the tin or into a different mold first?


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## AnnaMarie (Apr 17, 2014)

I pour directly into my muffin tins after melting combined oils/butters and let cool. Works beautifully every time, and the bars are the perfect size.
Cheers!
Anna Marie


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## AnnaMarie (Apr 17, 2014)

Sorry! I thought you meant muffin tins as opposed to the portable tins . I prefer not to do that because the bar is easier to apply if it can be removed. I think I tried pouring directly into the container one time and dispensed with that idea. However, someone else may have a different view. 
Cheers!
Anna Marie


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## hmlove1218 (Apr 17, 2014)

That's was kind of my thought as well.  I figured it would be better to pour into a mold and then into a tin.  Can you use a non-stick cupcake pan to mold it?


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## AnnaMarie (Apr 17, 2014)

Yes. I've been making and selling lotion bars for a couple of years now. I just use a nice, non-stick muffin tin.


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## hmlove1218 (Apr 17, 2014)

Thank you!  Just wanted to make sure it wouldn't do something funky like it would with soap.


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## Saponista (Apr 17, 2014)

I considered trying the push up or roll up sticks that you can get, but I searched everywhere and couldn't find empty ones in the uk to take metric weights. I could have shipped some over from the us but I didn't want to measure them in ounces.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Apr 18, 2014)

The only thing that I put directly in to the tin is the leather oil that I make - since it is rubbed on with a cloth, it makes a lot of sense to do it that way.  For the lotion bars, being able to hold it in the hand seems to work well.


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## DeeAnna (Apr 27, 2014)

"...couldn't find empty ones in the uk to take metric weights. I could have shipped some over from the us but I didn't want to measure them in ounces. ..."

Maybe I'm missing your point -- please forgive, if so -- but I work exclusively in grams for my recipes and don't find it difficult to convert. For example, 1 ounce weight = 28 grams, so a lip balm tube sized for 0.15 oz will contain about 4.2 grams. I just list the weight as 4 grams.


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## Saponista (Apr 27, 2014)

It wasn't a conversion issue, I wanted tubes that would hold a round 50g or a standard weight rather than an obscure converted from ounces number. I know that makes me a little crazy OCD but I just can't help it!


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## DeeAnna (Apr 27, 2014)

I don't worry about listing an "obscure" number -- I just round it down to the nearest weight in grams that makes sense. Pouring lip balm, salve, or lotion into a tube is never a precise business even under ideal circumstances, so weights are going to vary by a bit anyway. Just like cutting soap.  But hey, YMMV and all that.


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## Saponista (Apr 28, 2014)

I've been having another look and found an eu supplier that makes 30ml ones. I won't be saddled with a huge import duty charge then either so I'm going to give the twist up lotion bars a go. Any tips please Deanna? I am concerned it may all run out of the sides like a badly sealed mold.


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## DeeAnna (Apr 28, 2014)

I haven't had any problems filling twist-up tubes for lotion bar or lip balm products. I've filled typical small lip balm tubes (0.15 oz, 4 g) to medium sized cylinders (0.5 oz, 15 g) to large deodorant ovals (2.65 oz, 75 g). I have heard of people who do have troubles with leaks and the plastic tubes distorting, but I've gathered the most common reason why that happens is they are filling the tubes when their product is smokin' hot. 

I use a hot water bath (bain marie) and keep the water bath just warm enough to melt my ingredients. That amounts to a water bath temp of 170-180 deg F (75-85 C) for a beeswax based recipe. If you use veg wax, you can probably go cooler yet. When I pour the balm/lotion into a tube, the cool plastic causes the product to congeal pretty quickly on the walls of the tube.

I buy the small and medium sized tubes from Majestic Mountain Sage and I use their filling trays to fill these tubes. Works a treat. MMS is based in Utah, USA, so that won't be helpful to you, but they do offer these tips on their website:

"...We have a couple of hints for users.
"1) Pour the lip balm mixture as cool as possible. The tubes can become mis-shapen if the lip balm mix is super hot. Use our quick test to determine if your lip mixture is ready: stir the mixture with a pipette, hold the pipette horizontal after stirring, if the pipette bends downward then the mixture is WAY too hot. If the pipette holds it's rigid form and the mixture is still clear then the mixture is at perfect pouring temperature.
"2) Load the tray with tubes just before filling. Long term storage of tubes held in the tray can cause temporary distortion of the tubes. To return tubes to their original shape, remove them from the tray and allow them to sit without their caps for a few days.
"3) Allow the filled tubes to fully cool before removing from the tray. This may take a hour depending on the temperatures of the lip balm mixture and the room where you are working. Then, when the tubes are cool, give the tube a twist just before pulling straight out. The lip balm mixture at the top of the tube (the glorious crown!) can be damaged if the lip balm is too soft when removed from the tray. Patience is certainly an asset in this case...."

Source: https://www.thesage.com/catalog/LipBalmContainers.html

I hope this helps!


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## paillo (Apr 28, 2014)

Like DeeAnna, I make lotion bars in roughly 1-oz size in a pretty dragonfly mini mold. I wrap them in circles of nonbleeding colored foil, and place them in a 2-oz tin. They're a really popular item, and last a very long time even at the small size. I love being able to keep a small one in my bag.


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## Aline (Apr 28, 2014)

paillo said:


> Like DeeAnna, I make lotion bars in roughly 1-oz size in a pretty dragonfly mini mold. I wrap them in circles of nonbleeding colored foil, and place them in a 2-oz tin. They're a really popular item, and last a very long time even at the small size. I love being able to keep a small one in my bag.



That is an awesome idea Paillo! Is the idea that people pick it up in the foil?


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## DeeAnna (Apr 28, 2014)

Not Paillo, but I could see people doing that -- keep the bar in the foil and use it that way. I like the idea of a brightly colored foil -- a pretty touch!

I wrap my lotion bars in a circle cut from deli wrap paper (an extra heavy waxed paper) and then put the wrapped bar in my tin. I do that to keep the tin clean and keep the bar itself as nice as possible. Just looks nicer that way whether giving or selling the product.


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