# Bartender's Hand Balm



## DeeAnna (Nov 7, 2013)

A few weeks ago, I was experimenting with a simple recipe to make a wax for bow strings (meaning the kind of bow you hunt with). I ended up with a spur-of-the-moment recipe of 3 parts beeswax, 2 parts cocoa butter, and 1 part sweet almond oil. I made a little experimental batch and poured four small patties of the stuff about the size of a peppermint patty, if you're familiar with that candy.

This balm would be fine for waxing bowstrings if the bow owner likes a firm wax that is a bit softer than beeswax. In playing around with the cooled patty, I realized it was also kinda nice on the hands, even though all that beeswax and cocoa butter doesn't melt easily at body temperature. You really can't "slather it on" like a lotion or salve with a softer consistency, and it's not really soft enough to be applied to tender lips. Once it's on the hands, however, this balm is nicely dry and waxy feeling -- not goopy or greasy -- and it sticks really well to the skin for some time after application. 

My day job is working with leather and light manufacturing. My hands are in water and solvents frequently, so I often get really bad hangnails and in winter the skin on the tips of my fingers sometimes crack. This balm feels like it might help with that problem, but I haven't used the stuff long enough for me to see a lot of benefit.

Which brings me to the next part of the story in which this odd little experiment took on an unintended life of its own....

My twentysomething stepson asked me for a patty to give to a friend who has ugly-looking dermatitis on his hands. The skin of this guy's hands is always so irritated and dry that it will crack and bleed if he just flattens his hands out. He normally sleeps with his hands slathered with petroleum jelly. The friend told Dear Stepson that the balm I made is the only product he's found that lets him sleep through the night without waking up from the itching and pain. 

But that's not all....

This guy let some bartender friends try out the balm ... and they loved it too, according to DS. I did a little reading about "bartender rot" -- the dermatitis and infection that is triggered by working with citrus, having wet hands, and frequently getting small nicks and cuts. Bartenders apparently want a product that sticks to the skin, is food safe, has little or no odor or taste, and doesn't make the hands overly slick so the bartender can grip knives and wet barware securely.

So, um, I'm really rather bemused and amused to find that this guy and his friends are clamoring for me to make more of this stuff. I don't sell, but it seems as if people are eager to buy. I told DS to pass on the information that I am looking for guinea pigs who will give me feedback on recipes, not money.

Has anyone else ventured into making products for bartenders and folks like that? If you do, what general types of products seem to be popular with this kind of clientele in your area? Are your observations similar to mind about the kind of products they need? If not, what are the differences? I'm very curious to know more about this niche area of B&B products.


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## Saswede (Nov 7, 2013)

I've no idea about what bartenders need, DeeAnna, but found your story fascinating!  They always say that some of the best developments happen through serendipity ..... and it sounds like you may be onto something here.  So I'm really interested to see whether anyone else has any similar experience.


Sent from my iPad using Soap Making


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## greenmountainwife (Nov 7, 2013)

Your stepson's friend's hands sound just like mine. I'm going to try out your recipe tonight, I'm always looking for new things to try. Thanks for sharing. 


Sent from my iPad using Soap Making


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## DeeAnna (Nov 7, 2013)

Thanks for the encouragement, Saswede. I like the idea of being open to an opportunity when it finds me. And I was also hoping y'all would enjoy the story -- it certainly has taken on a life of its own!

Hey, Greenmountainwife -- If you do try the recipe, remember to let the patty warm up for a minute or so in your hands, then it will get warm enough so a thin layer will rub off on your skin.

The beeswax is occlusive, meaning it forms a barrier to moisture loss, and increases the resistance to the product being rubbed or washed off. The cocoa butter is also occlusive, but it also promotes healing and reduces itchiness. The sweet almond is soothing and increases the flexibility of the skin.

More unintended consequences -- I found out this afternoon after I wrote my original post, that the balm is just waxy enough to make it easy to flip through sheets of paper. It works like those gum rubber finger-cover thingies the people in the post office use.  ;-)


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## paillo (Nov 7, 2013)

I think it's a great reminder of the untapped markets in which people really would want/need our products. Fantastic story, love it!


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## My Mountain Soaps (Nov 7, 2013)

Might i suggest that you add essential oils to your product for skin issues? there are a ton out there that will add that much more healing power to what you have created. But dont use it on the bar.... the bar tender may not be happy with you  good job coming to other peoples aid!


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## DeeAnna (Nov 7, 2013)

I do use essential oils in my other products and think they might be good in this type of thing too. Tea tree obviously comes to mind, especially coupled with a medicinal lavender (meaning a lavender that has strong healing properties vs. one chosen purely for its scent). Helichrysum would be another possibility, and it would have less odor than tea tree or lavender. Thyme is another antimicrobial EO, but it does have a distinct scent.

Using infused oils -- calendula comes to mind with its healing, anti-itch properties (and low odor) -- would also be an option. I have been studying the healing properties of carrier oils themselves -- I think the healing aspect of these oils tends to be under-rated. For DS's friend, the EOs and infused botanicals might be good, but for the bartenders, maybe not so much. Perhaps carefully chosen carrier oils are the key for them.

Even without the EOs, it sounds like the balm is doing a surprising job of soothing and protecting -- especially considering it was supposed to be a bow string wax, not a B&B product.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 9, 2013)

...bump... 

I hate to sound plaintive, but I'm bumping this thread with the hope of gaining some insights from others: 

"...Has anyone else ventured into making products for bartenders and folks like that? If you do, what general types of products seem to be popular with this kind of clientele in your area? Are your observations similar to mine about the kind of products they need? If not, what are the differences?..."


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## Yooper (Nov 9, 2013)

This is probably quite a bit different than you're describing, but your friends with chapped hands (and heels, and feet, etc) would probably love this one that I make!

I call it "my salve" and I've used it on minor scars, chapped hands, even my face, but it started out as a rich cuticle cream.  

First, I picked rosemary and lavender from my garden and infused that in my olive oil.  

Then, the recipe:
1/2 cup of the infused (strained) olive oil
.35 ounce cocoa butter
1.25 oz beeswax
7 vit E capsules (pricked and squeezed out)

I used teatree oil, rosemary EO, lavendar EO, and just enough rosewood EO to create a more favorable aroma (teatree oil sort of stinks).  I used approximately .16 oz of tea tree EO and the same amount of lavendar, and then just added the rosemary EO and rosewood EO "to smell" (ie "to taste, in cooking!).  

I melted the beeswax and cocoa butter, added the olive oil and then cooled it a bit and added the EOs.  

I love it! It may be a little less occlusive than your friends would want, and if that's the case more beeswax would fit well.  But this salve is something that you can store in a little jar and just scoop out with a finger or q-tip, and it spreads nicely.  It's a little oily but not like a body butter and it's not really greasy.  I put it on my chapped face in the winter, and it's very soothing and rich.


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## Jencat (Nov 18, 2013)

I don't know anything about the bartender market, but I wonder if this would also be good for people in other professions where they have to wash their hands a lot - doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinarians.


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## judymoody (Nov 19, 2013)

I made something similar for a friend of mine who is a hairdresser - similar problem, lots of time with hands spent in water and strong cleaning solutions.  Bad hangnails, cuticles, and red scaly patches.  Kind of a liability for a hairdresser to have nasty looking hands.

It had a consistency somewhere between a firm lotion bar and a salve, maybe like a lip balm?  I used calendula infused OO for my liquid oil.  It really helped clear up her problem.


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## neeners (Nov 19, 2013)

what a great idea!  my mom is a hairdresser, and she often gets cracked hands.  I was going to make a lotion bar for her hands for Christmas when she visits, but maybe now i'll up the beeswax content and add some healing EOs for her.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 19, 2013)

I work in a hospital and sell a lot of my lotion bars.  I make them softer than a typical lotion bar but hard enough to keep in their pockets.  They've been a huge hit.  I make them in tubes and tins.


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## ShayShay (Nov 19, 2013)

My husband is a bartender. His hands are constantly getting wet and drying them while working and his hands get extremely chapped and dry, especially in winter. He gets little cracks at the nail bed that can be extremely painful and annoying at times. His knuckles also get very rough too. Holding his hand in the winter isn't always pleasant. :sad: 
I have only made one batch of balm/salve that was okay for him but not great. It's on my list of things to do, but I haven't really experimented any more as I mostly only make soap with what little time I do have make anything. In the mean time he uses either O'Keefes Working Hands or Aquafor to help relieve his hands. But after this thread, I will probably move it up in priority.
Thanks!


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## misskat22 (Nov 19, 2013)

I'm a SAHM, doing dishes all the time, washing hands after diaper changes, making soaps/candles/b&b products my hands are in water A LOT! My hands have been getting SO chapped and dried out, and I don't like the feel of lotion on them, I think I'll give this a shot and see how it goes, thanks so much for sharing!


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## DeeAnna (Nov 19, 2013)

I've been trying out various percentages of beeswax, cocoa butter, and oils. I'm up to recipe #7 as of yesterday. My husband thinks I'm crazy (but he's being a willing tester and a good sport about it!)   

What I'm looking for is a balm that sticks tenaciously to the hands so it creates a long lasting barrier to repeated wetting and drying and irritants. This seems to be a recipe with a high percentage of beeswax and cocoa butter. The downside is a balm like this is more difficult to apply than a typical "lotion bar" with a higher % of soft butters and oils. I have to warm the balm a bit in the hands first to soften the product, then I can gently rub on a thin layer. If my hands are cool, the balm doesn't warm up and soften as much, so it can take a bit of patience to apply. 

The skin feel after application is waxy and relatively dry. This type of balm, once it's on the skin, is pleasant and long lasting. It's too hard and "dry" for general skin use or as a lip balm, however. It's a special purpose product, definitely. If I increase the oil percentage, I get a balm that is nicer to apply and works better as an all purpose product ... but it tends to feel greasier or oilier and rubs off quicker. I'm trying to find the proportions of ingredients that produce a balm that is tenacious and not overly greasy, yet is reasonably easy to apply. Finding that fine line is harder than I first thought it would be, but the journey has been fun so far.

Another interesting thing I've found is that I need to wait before I evaluate each recipe. It seems as if a product like this should be ready for testing/use right after it cools to room temperature, but I'm finding that it takes at least a day for the product to harden fully. Go figure!


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## misskat22 (Nov 23, 2013)

I wonder if using a softer wax would still give you the result you're looking for but would be easier to apply? I'm not really sure about the different melt point of waxes but I'd imagine like oils they're all slightly different. So something with a lower melt point might apply easier..?


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## DeeAnna (Nov 23, 2013)

You make some good points, Krystal. I agree -- a balm/salve with lower melt-point ingredients will apply easier. 

When I test various blends when I'm working at my day job, I'm finding the softer product has a greasier skin feel, and it washes off and wears away easier. One of the goals of my quest is to find a formulation that is tenacious, so one doesn't have to apply it quite as often and still get some protection. 

Also bartenders need a good grip and can't be leaving oily smears on the glassware, so a non-greasy "dry feeling" concoction seems to be best. I work with scary sharp tools a lot, so I appreciate a non-slip grippy quality as well.

This is going to be a rather specialized product that won't fit everyone's needs. I think a softer non-industrial-strength version would be a nice addition, and I'm working on that too. A few of my softer product that didn't make the grade are good candidates for developing an easier to use hand balm.


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## apalmy417 (Nov 24, 2013)

DeeAnna I'm working on a simikar product  I take pole fitness so I'm looking for a sticky product that moisturizes in the end.  Ive found a lotion bar made out of 5 parts beeswax, 2 part shea butter1 part coconu oil to be pretty good.  Its still a little too oily for my purpose.   So I'm trying to add isotropy alcohol to make it drier.  What o you think.


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## Spicey477 (Nov 24, 2013)

As a former bartender myself, you are so right with the constant washing, drying, dishsoap, opening beer bottles, and other wear and tear on your hands! I had to take my wedding ring off because under my ring would stay wet and I would get a little rash...not good! I think that that balm sounds fantastic for bartenders and other food service workers as well.  You spend a lot of time washing hands or wearing drying rubber gloves. I was thinking plumbers or electricians too, especially if they are exposed to the weather elements.  You could drop off your balm at a couple of bars within a restaurant to a bartender and ask them to keep it behind the bar for everyone even when they finish their shift. You never know they just may get addicted and need lots more!


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## soap_rat (Nov 24, 2013)

Sorry I can't answer your main questions, as I'm just about to start selling, myself.  I'm going to try your recipe on me, though, as I find my own balms to be too greasy for applying on-the-go.  I don't have sweet almond oil, do you think avocado oil is a decent substitute?  Or should I just suck it up and buy some SAO?  Thanks for sharing version 1 of your recipe!

Do you think that if you recommend keeping the balm in a pocket, it will be ready to apply without being warmed up?

Someone above mentioned Okeefe's Working Hands, and I wanted to mention them too, that product is still my go-to for preventing bleeding cracks.  I found it after trying a million things back when I was a welder and got cracked hands; metalworking involves getting the hands wet surprisingly often (washing greased steel, and the cold saw pumps a cooling solution onto everything).  So while your product is helping out people you know, you may wish to mention this product too.  If I'd had any idea that it would actually work I would have taken "before" pictures.  (I figured I was throwing my money away again).  But 11 days after I started using it, my hands looked normal again.  (my hands were not as bad as your son's friend's hands, though)


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## DeeAnna (Nov 25, 2013)

"... So I'm trying to add isotropy alcohol to make it drier. What o you think. ..."

I regret I don't have any words of wisdom for you. I have never heard of isotropy alcohol. Since this is an alcohol of some sort, I wonder if it is soluble in oil? If it is not, you might have a tough time making this work.

Soap Rat -- I'd try the avocado if I were you. There's no magic in the sweet almond oil, really. Avocado is going to be heavier than the almond, but you're using it in a relatively small amount, and it might end up being even nicer than the almond. I didn't evaluate all the oils I have in my stash -- just grabbed the sweet almond because it's cheap and handy. In fact, in my latest recipes, I switched to rice bran oil instead of the sweet almond, and RBO has a heavier consistency than almond. I like the suggestion to keep the balm in a pocket or warmish place so it's warm enough to apply easily.

I'm not remotely thinking my balm is some kind of miracle stuff, so nothing else can compare. I've sure heard good things about Okeefe's working hands lotion and others, and I don't want to poo-poo or downplay the success of others' products at all. I'm just having fun creating a product that is helpful to others, even if I'm reinventing the wheel to some extent.

An update on my experiments: I sent 8 full-size tester bars with my stepson tonight. He will give them to his various bartender acquaintances and the one guy with the ugly dermatitis on his hands. I'm not asking them for money, just honest feedback. (Although the little tins I put some of the bars in are $0.80 apiece, on top of the ingredient costs, so this testing thing could get a little expensive over time!)


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 12, 2014)

bumping for follow up .. how's this turning out DeeAnna? and how well did it work on your bow strings?  I have a bow hunting brother so would like to try this for him to use on hands AND bow if it's working well for you.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 13, 2014)

Also interested in the outcomes.  Will make some of the original recipe but with a different oil, I think.  

Would Castor be an idea instead of the Sweet Almond, or too oily?


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## DeeAnna (Feb 13, 2014)

Since I'm a hobbyist, I don't feel much pressure to spend a lot of time on product development, but I haven't forgotten about this balm either. Here's what I have learned so far:

The response from the bartender testers has continued to be positive, but my sole information source is my stepson. He's a sweet person and a wonderful son, but it's clear he's a politely disinterested middle man when it comes to my balm. (I don't blame him!) So ... I have not been able to talk to my testers directly to wring them dry of the details (!!!) and I feel rather frustrated about that. I have been using it this winter with good results, for what that's worth.

I know a nurse in the local clinic and a local owner of a "steak house" with a very busy bar. Karen and Josh seem like people who would be open to trying this balm too. I need to work up the courage to talk to them and offer samples.

Here's the last recipe I made and sent to Devin's friends in November. I poured the balm into little honeybee "guest soap" molds and packaged the balm in 2 ounce screw-top metal tins.

In my first impromptu recipe I used sweet almond oil rather than the rice bran. I went with rice bran in this last version because it is lighter and silkier and absorbs into the skin a bit faster than almond. But there's no magic about the liquid oil nor about the babassu -- at only 6% each, they are not major players. I could easily sub coconut oil for the babassu, for example, and pretty much any liquid oil for the rice bran. It's the beeswax and the cocoa butter that would be hard to find substitutes.

Beeswax 49% Properties: occlusive, water resistant
Cocoa Btr 39% Properties: occlusive, anti-itch
Babassu 6% Properties: anti-inflammatory, skin softening
Rice Bran 6% Properties: anti-inflammatory, skin softening
Total 100%

I have not used any essential oil in this product so far, but if I did, I would use EOs known for their low toxicity, mild odor, and soothing, anti-itch, anti-inflammatory action. I'd stick to a light to moderate EO dosage of 1% to 2% of the weight of the main ingredients on the theory that this product is meant for long-term frequent use; it's not a medicine to treat a short-term problem.

To my dear Gentleman -- I'd think any oil would work fine, including castor, but you may need to adjust the proportion of wax-to-oil to find the sweet spot where the balm is soft enough to rub off but firm enough to leave a tenacious film. Castor is much thicker and somewhat more oily feeling than most other liquid oils, so I'd imagine some tweaking might be in order.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 13, 2014)

You are always delighting me, *Dear*Anna!

I will play and see what comes - although I've been trying to find a good supplier for the metal tins (about the size of shoe polish) for this and also for the boot oil (which is not unsimilar, but don't tell anyone) but so far no joy.  Until then I will struggle to package it too well


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## mel z (Feb 13, 2014)

DeeAnna I used to bartend and wait tables a long time ago.

As far as scenting with an EO, be very light handed. When touching the glass for a cocktail, a powerful EO may make the drink seem to smell or taste odd to the customer. Just a thought, I'm sure you already know.

Meadowfoam oil is also very light on the "greasy, print leaving" oils, but too expensive for your experiment I would think.

Your recipe sounds wonderful, and, as soon as I get get some beeswax here, I am going to try it for my ever dry skin. I like the idea of hard and in a tin. I don't really see a sub for beeswax and cocoa butter as they both melt easily enough in the hand and not the pocket tin. I thought of kokum butter, but then you would have to remove the beeswaz I think, as it is so very hard you would still need the cocoa butter. Beeswax is excellent for the skin and the honey aroma with the cocoa butter would be pleasant and not overpowering.

I think it is a brilliant idea, best wishes and keep us posted on updates! I can't wait to try myself. Off to order beeswax now....


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## DeeAnna (Feb 13, 2014)

Yep, I totally agree on the scent issue, Mel. Food service, bartending, health care, hairdressers, anyone who works closely with people or with food, etc. -- strong scent is a super no-no. 

edit: And, now that you mention it, I have a friend who is VERY PARTICULAR about her cocktails and will return one immediately if it is not done properly ... and complain at the table if the drink is even a tiny bit not quite to her liking. I will have to keep Ann's standards in mind if I ever do use EOs in this balm. In fact, just thinking about it makes me shudder a bit and seriously re-think the idea of using any EOs at all. :end edit.

I recently splurged on a whole gallon of meadowfoam, and I agree it would be an excellent choice for this product. I love it in lotions and facial oil, so thanks for the reminder about trying it in this balm. If I was making this balm for the masses, yes, meadowfoam is expensive and I probably couldn't justify the cost of including it in this product.

If you try it, please let me know what you think of the recipe and how you tweaked it to meet your preferences.


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 13, 2014)

Thank you DeeAnna .. for sharing your experiment's results with us.  I'm going to try some of this for myself because I'm a neurotic hand washer and end up with dry, red, cracking hands.  I'm going to send samples off to my bow hunting brother to play with.

Gent?  If I may ask .. are you limited to where you can shop for tins?  I have found many available for sale on Ebay and other places on the internet but perhaps you're looking for a local supplier.


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## mel z (Feb 13, 2014)

Oh no, still use some EO, just a little. And maybe avoid Patch or Clove, 2 things people love or hate with no in between. Lol.

I'll let you know, ordered some beeswax today. But, I will make it and try for a while before I report back. 

Yep, people COMPLAIN about everything in restaurants and bars. I just had to roll with it 'cause I have to work, some younger people and with parental funding were not as nice.

I really do think this recipe is great and will provide protection from the constant water use, and that horrible chemical some bars put in the sink to "wash" the glassware for the next use. Eek! It was terribly harsh on hands. Another selling point, it would be good in harsh weather as skin protection too!


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## AnnaMarie (Feb 13, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> A few weeks ago, I was experimenting with a simple recipe to make a wax for bow strings (meaning the kind of bow you hunt with). I ended up with a spur-of-the-moment recipe of 3 parts beeswax, 2 parts cocoa butter, and 1 part sweet almond oil. I made a little experimental batch and poured four small patties of the stuff about the size of a peppermint patty, if you're familiar with that candy.
> 
> This balm would be fine for waxing bowstrings if the bow owner likes a firm wax that is a bit softer than beeswax. In playing around with the cooled patty, I realized it was also kinda nice on the hands, even though all that beeswax and cocoa butter doesn't melt easily at body temperature. You really can't "slather it on" like a lotion or salve with a softer consistency, and it's not really soft enough to be applied to tender lips. Once it's on the hands, however, this balm is nicely dry and waxy feeling -- not goopy or greasy -- and it sticks really well to the skin for some time after application.
> 
> ...



I got started making lotion bars because of a similar experience.  People who use their hands a lot(my construction worker friend loves these and bought 10 at once) or have skin issues (another friend bought 6 at once recently for her mother who insists mine are the best for her psoriasis  ) really like these, and they seem to really help skin issues although I can't advertise that.  I am a person who uses my hands A LOT. I garden, I can food, I am a seamstress, I cook, I make soap and lotion, I decorate, I knit, etc. etc.  Because of this my hands have cracked and bled for years until one night a few years ago I made a simple lotion bar that I got the recipe for out of the paper.  Never again have I had cracked and dry hands.  My theory on this: the absence of water.  The product doesn't wash off easily like water based lotions.  My hands never had a chance to heal with regular lotion. I have developed my own brand of lotion bar with super ingredients which really have a chance to work their magic because they aren't being washed off every few minutes. Another friend called it "Chapstick for the hands" which IMO is a great description.  Some of us needs something stronger than a traditional lotion.  Sounds like you have a potential niche, and I would milk it.
Cheers!
Anna Marie
Ps: FYI shea butter is really super in lotion bars!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 14, 2014)

MzMolly65 said:


> ..............Gent? If I may ask .. are you limited to where you can shop for tins? I have found many available for sale on Ebay and other places on the internet but perhaps you're looking for a local supplier.


 
Hello!  Not overly concerned about local, but the delivery to Austria can be expensive at times.  Many Amazon.de suppliers won't do it at all roblem:


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 14, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> delivery to Austria can be expensive at times.



Oh you weren't kidding.  Just for info sake I checked an ebay sale for a bundle of plastic pots with lids (for lipbalm type) and a $6 lot ends up costing over $40 in shipping.  Gosh you're the same as living in some parts of the North West Territories.  I sent a small $9 tin of hand balm up there and it cost me close to $30


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 14, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> I'd think any oil would work fine, including castor, but you may need to adjust the proportion of wax-to-oil to find the sweet spot where the balm is soft enough to rub off but firm enough to leave a tenacious film.



I'm thinking Neem oil???


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## Lin (Feb 14, 2014)

MzMolly65 said:


> I'm thinking Neem oil???


Oh man, without reading what you were replying to I first thought you were SUGGESTING neem oil for the balm. Whew.


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 14, 2014)

Lin said:


> Oh man, without reading what you were replying to I first thought you were SUGGESTING neem oil for the balm. Whew.



Technically I was, since the balm is a mix of oils but I did mean as a replacement for one of the oils.  Are you suggesting it would not be a good oil to use in this balm?


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## Lin (Feb 14, 2014)

Oh... Guess my second thought was the mistake! Yes, I would think neem oil would be a perfect example of an oil to NOT use in this preparation, due to the scent. Same reasons as why to avoid strongly scenting with EOs.


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 14, 2014)

Lin said:


> Yes, I would think neem oil would be a perfect example of an oil to NOT use in this preparation, due to the scent.



ah ok .. thanks.  I read that Neem oil was so antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and that it smelled strong (every comment from earthy to garlicky to nasty), but I'm going off reviews since I've never actually smelled it before.

Some people say that when mixed with butters it smells nutty or earthy, so I thought it would be perfect for this application.


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## DeeAnna (Feb 15, 2014)

I use neem and water spray on my roses as an antifungal and insecticide. Neem may smell nutty or earthy to some people, but my nose strongly disagrees, unfortunately. :-o


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## crey15 (Feb 15, 2014)

The only thing I souls worry about is the almond oil. Touching glasses and food with ur bare hands and then giving it to someone with a nut allergy could be a big problem. Other than that I think it's a great idea. 

I am a chef by trade an always have set cracking hands so I talk from experience that something like this would be awesome to have on hand. Just maybe use another oil instead of almond


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## new12soap (Feb 15, 2014)

crey15 said:


> The only thing I souls worry about is the almond oil. Touching glasses and food with ur bare hands and then giving it to someone with a nut allergy could be a big problem. Other than that I think it's a great idea.
> 
> I am a chef by trade an always have set cracking hands so I talk from experience that something like this would be awesome to have on hand. Just maybe use another oil instead of almond


 
If the oils are refined they have been stripped of the proteins that cause allergic reaction. I know that statement may cause an uproar but that's what I was told by a supplier, and I confirmed it with several people that deal with severe allergies and from a doctor.


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## crey15 (Feb 15, 2014)

Good to know. I didn't know that fact. Thanks. We'll then I want to try this too


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## mel z (Feb 24, 2014)

Finally got some made and tried.

I did go ahead and add some Lavender EO, it is nice, not overpowering. Only problem was it cooled the beeswax down quickly. Maybe I had not reached full emulsion at that point though. However, it all seemed to be fine by time to pour, after lots more mixing.

It works very well. I've put it through all the hands in water, hands in harsh cleaning supplies tests, and if hands are too sticky to use keyboard. Didn't have a clear glass to try, but a plastic one. It has passed all the tests. My hands are usually horribly dry, especially after a weekend of constant cleaning, cooking, washing, chemical cleaners. Not now. Even the cuticles look normal again.

As long as it is applied warm, not left in a cold purse or on the back counter of the bar, everyone should love it. They can stash it somewhere warm at the bar if they don't want it in their pocket, but really a tin is not very large. The only reason I mention that is I tried it both warm and cooler room temp. It is a bear to get going when it is at room temp, but eventually softens. When warm there are no issues, just take out the puck, rub it between hands (I rubbed on top of hands too), and rub in like regular lotion. It feels nice on the hands, unlike lotion that I usually want to wipe off if I got too much on. It absorbs in a few seconds. It does protect if applied before sticking hands in water and it does soften and soothe if you have really dry skin.

Thanks DeeAnna!!


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## DeeAnna (Feb 24, 2014)

"As long as it is applied warm, not left in a cold purse or on the back counter of the bar, everyone should love it.... It is a bear to get going when it is at room temp, but eventually softens...."

Totally agree on all counts, but it is great to see someone else's thoughts and reactions.

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this feedback. I really appreciate it -- you made my day!!!


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## Ursula (Apr 8, 2014)

new12soap said:


> If the oils are refined they have been stripped of the proteins that cause allergic reaction. I know that statement may cause an uproar but that's what I was told by a supplier, and I confirmed it with several people that deal with severe allergies and from a doctor.




Just to add in, I am allergic to nuts and have had severe reactions to the refined oils, especially peanut.


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## MzMolly65 (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm not sure if this is allowed or not so I will remove if the moderators request it.

A friend of mine has a large box of new, unused tins that would be perfect for this hand balm.  They are 3" diameter by 1" in height, holding approx. 7oz or around 200ml.  Sadly they have printing on them so are not much good for anyone wanting to sell balm products but for self use they're perfect.  She's asking $0.50/tin (plus shipping), plain tins this size retail for around $1.70 on Ebay.


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## boyago (Apr 28, 2014)

Well now that winter is pretty much over and my hands haven't been nearly as chapped and cracked as they were I got all inspired and finally tried a batch.  I went with 35% Beeswax, 35% Cocoa butter, 15% Shea butter, 8% sunflower and 7% sweet almond.  The feel turned out pretty nice, could maybe be a little waxyer.  Will try more beeswax in the future or remelt these and add more.  I cast them in a paper towel roll at 125F when the mix just started to film over.  Let them cool at room temp.  There was cracking throughout center of the cast.  Anybody know how to eliminate this??


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## DeeAnna (Apr 28, 2014)

Boyago, I'm not sure what to tell you about the cracking. I've not had this problem in my lotion bars, although I do sometimes see this kind of cracking in the beeswax I render from the comb from my beehives. I never spent much thought on why it happens with the beeswax, so hopefully someone will chime in with some good advice for you ... and we'll both learn something! Sorry I can't be of more help....


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