# Lotion bars...who knew?



## CTAnton (Nov 28, 2015)

Just wanted to say how amazed I am with how my hands feel after making and using lotion bars! I'm giving them away to people I know that work outside  and EVERYONE is flipping out!
I'm thinking of giving away about 24 for the holidays but the packaging is challenging...supposedly in tin containers rust will form and most of the plastic containers are very limited in their height...I saw some beautiful things on alibaba ,but a 5000 count minimum order seems excessive!I picked up some gift card metal containers on sale at Michael's yesterday and plan on lining them but even with the mold I have that closely mimics that size it comes up just shy in length. 
Any suggestions, gang?
On an aside, yesterday at the Dollar Store I saw my first commercially produced  soap with tallow as the primary ingredient. The usual for me, regardless of origin has always been palm and palm kernel oils.It was Yardley brand with lavender...


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## IrishLass (Nov 28, 2015)

I pour my lotion bars into these: https://www.thesage.com/catalog/products/Lotion-Bar-Tubes.html


IrishLass


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## Deedles (Nov 29, 2015)

I recently saw this lotion bar recipe that used the neatest recycled paper tubes. http://soapdelinews.com/2015/11/cranberry-chutney-homemade-solid-lotion-bar-recipe.html. You can get the tubes at SKS... https://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin8w.html

I've heard such good things about lotion bars they are on my short list to try.


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## golden_seal (Nov 29, 2015)

I really need to experiment with the lotion bars. I need to come up with something that isn't greasy


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## Weety (Oct 9, 2019)

Hi everyone!  Just joined your forum. Iwas wondering if anyone had ideas fro packaging lotion bars? can you carefully shrink wrap them?


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## Carly B (Oct 9, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> I pour my lotion bars into these: https://www.thesage.com/catalog/products/Lotion-Bar-Tubes.html
> 
> 
> IrishLass



I've used those.  I also like the ones that are shaped like deodorant tubes.  It's a bigger surface area to swipe against your skin.


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## Marilyn Norgart (Oct 9, 2019)

I use brown paper bags that are coated with wax on the inside.  fold them over and place the label to close them


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## melinda48 (Oct 9, 2019)

I use aluminum tins. They won’t rust and make it convenient to carry the bars with you.


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## Marilyn Norgart (Oct 9, 2019)

melinda48 said:


> I use aluminum tins. They won’t rust and make it convenient to carry the bars with you.



where do you get these.  are they spendy?  I like to keep costs down for both me and customers


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## lsg (Oct 10, 2019)

Natures Garden has flat 4 oz tins (10 for $8.95).  The shipping will be extra.


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## lucycat (Oct 10, 2019)

I use tins as well;  honestly, I don't know the material.   I like the small size in my purse and they work in a pocket.  I want them used up in a year so I really don't want to make a large size.


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## cmzaha (Oct 10, 2019)

Marilyn Norgart said:


> where do you get these.  are they spendy?  I like to keep costs down for both me and customers


I will warn you, some FO's and EO's can eat through the coating on the tins and cause rust. I make solid lotion but put it in 2 oz jars. This way if they melt it stays in the jar as long as the jar stays upright.


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## Marilyn Norgart (Oct 10, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I will warn you, some FO's and EO's can eat through the coating on the tins and cause rust



good to know, does that take awhile though or can it happen right away?  I also bought some smaller heart molds yesterday that I think will work much better for a lotion bar.


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## true blue (Oct 10, 2019)

I was wondering why rust would form from a no-water product. I wanted to package some in tins also but was going to wrap them lightly in glassine paper first. Keeping the bar from contact with the tin should keep rust from forming then.


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## lsg (Oct 10, 2019)

Perhaps the lotion bars could be shrink wrapped before putting them in tins.


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## Weety (Oct 10, 2019)

lsg said:


> Perhaps the lotion bars could be shrink wrapped before putting them in tins.


That is what i wondered. I'm also looking for a good way to store lotion bars.

BTW, we are kind of neighbors. i live north of Columbia


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## lsg (Oct 11, 2019)

Hi, I live near St. Joseph, MO


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## Sharon Patterson (Oct 11, 2019)

Deedles said:


> I recently saw this lotion bar recipe that used the neatest recycled paper tubes. http://soapdelinews.com/2015/11/cranberry-chutney-homemade-solid-lotion-bar-recipe.html. You can get the tubes at SKS... https://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin8w.html
> 
> I've heard such good things about lotion bars they are on my short list to try.


I also use kraft paper push up tubes.  People seem to appreciate the more eco choice than plastic.  I also make larger bars and put two in an 8 oz craft paper soup cup that comes with a lid.


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## cmzaha (Oct 11, 2019)

true blue said:


> I was wondering why rust would form from a no-water product. I wanted to package some in tins also but was going to wrap them lightly in glassine paper first. Keeping the bar from contact with the tin should keep rust from forming then.


It is the fragrance/ essentials oils that eat through the coating and cause the rusting usually on the lid or rim. I know no water is in the product but believe me it can happen. Customers will not always rewrap the bar and it is just messy at best since oil if it even melts slightly will seep everywhere. Paper tubes become greasy after time goes on.


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## Nostalgicgranny (Oct 12, 2019)

Marilyn Norgart said:


> where do you get these.  are they spendy?  I like to keep costs down for both me and customers


Fillmore containers or Specialty Bottles carries all sorts of tins and bottles.


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## cerelife (Oct 19, 2019)

lsg said:


> Natures Garden has flat 4 oz tins (10 for $8.95).  The shipping will be extra.


These are the same ones that I use for my lotion bars.
http://www.minoubleu.com/Monkey-Bars.html
I haven't had any issues with rust, but that could be my choices of FOs and EOs. I DID find one recently that had fallen to the back of a drawer and I know from my notes that it's 4 years old and still no rust on the tin!


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## Mobjack Bay (Dec 13, 2019)

cerelife said:


> These are the same ones that I use for my lotion bars.
> http://www.minoubleu.com/Monkey-Bars.html
> I haven't had any issues with rust, but that could be my choices of FOs and EOs. I DID find one recently that had fallen to the back of a drawer and I know from my notes that it's 4 years old and still no rust on the tin!


Those look like the tins I bought recently.  They’re made from aluminum, which does not rust.  I’ve read conflicting information online about storing pure EOs in aluminum.  Some sites suggest that only lined/coated aluminum should be used due to the potential for some leaching and some state that unlined aluminum is fine (found mostly on sites that sell the containers).  Given the low concentrations of EOs in lotion bars and my attempts to limit the use of plastic, I opted to go with the presumably unlined aluminum containers.


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## Zany_in_CO (Dec 13, 2019)

cerelife said:


> These are the same ones that I use for my lotion bars.
> http://www.minoubleu.com/Monkey-Bars.html


@cerelife Those are so cute! How much do the monkeys weigh?


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## Zing (Dec 14, 2019)

I'm late to this party but I use these:
https://www.joann.com/fab-lab-round-aluminum-35ml-containers-6/pkg/15945652.html
I use tins for over a year, never had issues with rust.  The molds I use are for those cake pop things.


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## SideDoorSoaps (Dec 14, 2019)

I use these little containers from the Dollar Tree until I can find something better. The cardboard tubes I’ve used get grimy in my bag and the twist tubes for me are a bit big.


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## Steve Hulsey (Dec 14, 2019)

*Crafters Choice™ 02 oz Natural Twist-up Tube & Top*







These work great for me. No leakage and the twist mechanism works good too!


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## SideDoorSoaps (Dec 14, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> I pour my lotion bars into these: https://www.thesage.com/catalog/products/Lotion-Bar-Tubes.html
> 
> 
> IrishLass



I have some of these! I think I’m gonna try my lotion bar in them. ETA...I have some of the crafters choice ones and those are nice for deodorants.


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## TheGecko (Dec 15, 2019)

CTAnton said:


> supposedly in tin containers rust will form



No reason for them too is you’re only using butters, oils, waxes.  I still have an old lotion bar that I bought many years ago in its original Tim and there is no rust...and I live in the Pacific Northwest.

I currently use small ziplock type bags, but you can also use glassacine (sp) or a cellophane, or wax paper.


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## dndlyon (Dec 21, 2019)

I was really excited to see the paperboard tubes from SKS. However, after a lot of product testing (lip and skin balms), I've found they really don't hold up well. If the product is used regularly, the cardboard will shred a bit at the application edge, and I actually had one grow mold - granted, I purposefully got a bit of water on the rim of the tube as part of my testing - just to see what would happen if they got wet during normal use. To be clear - the balm product didn't grow mold, just the cardboard tube.

I use the 2 oz natural twist-up tubes. I hate to use plastic, but at least you can find some plastic tubes that are made from post-consumer plastic.


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## Steve Hulsey (Dec 21, 2019)

Good to know but sad to hear. Maybe there’s a better tube out there.


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## CatahoulaBubble (Dec 23, 2019)

I use glassine bags for my lotion bars but for the people who want a tin I just cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the tin and then just put the lotion bar on the parchment paper. But since I'm trying to shift to all sustainable packaging I'm trying to use just the glassine bags for my soap and lotion.


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