# Lotion bars



## Carolyne Thrasher (Nov 26, 2018)

I’ve had a big hunk of beeswax for a few months now. Don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered it. Anyway thought I would try some lotion bars for my heels and elbows. But the cleanup Ha ha. I hate cleaning up. Guess you don’t know until you try something. And now my kitchen smells like Brambleberry’s Rose Quartz Fragrance so that’s awesome.

Anyone have some interesting beeswax stories. I probably have 3/4 of a pound brick left.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 26, 2018)

Cleaning beeswax off stuff is actually pretty easy. Warm heat resistant utensils and containers over your stove (or use a heat gun) until the wax melts. Quickly wipe off the residue with a paper towel or even newsprint. Repeat as needed until the wax residue is gone. 

Un-petroleum Jelly 
Batch size:  100 grams
Beeswax 15 g 
Meadowfoam 40 g (or other light, absorbent oil)
Rice bran oil 42 g (or other medium weight, not overly greasy oil)
EO blend 3 g
Melt all heat tolerant ingredients in a hot water bath until the beeswax is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir CONSTANTLY until the salve cools to 140 deg F or below. The product will go from transparent to opaque as it cools. If any large bits appear, reheat until all chunks melt, and repeat the cool/stir step. Add essential oils and other heat-sensitive ingredients when the product cools below the maximum safe temp for the ingredients -- and no hotter than 120 deg F. Pour into tottles, jars, tins, etc. This is a soft salve, so it won't work in lip balm tubes.


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## SoaperForLife (Nov 27, 2018)

I discovered that if you melt 5% beeswax and add 95% castor, you'll get something like petroleum jelly.


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## SaltedFig (Nov 27, 2018)

I saw my (the?) first un-petroleum jelly on the old dish forum and it's an excellent use for beeswax! Soaping 101 has a video on how to make a version that includes a dandelion infusion (the ingredients are listed as 33% light oil, 5% beeswax, 62% castor oil), but you can vary it to suit yourself (mine variously has butters, infusions, other waxes and oils, depending on use, but they all have the same occlusive properties from the beeswax). @dibbles posted a couple of hair balm recipes in this thread.

Cotton cloth wax "wraps" are easy to make and use - a little beeswax melted into the cloth, enough to soak but not enough to be thick and stiff, and they can be moulded using just your hand warmth. If the wax is still too stiff, it can be slightly diluted by melting it with a little oil first. I've seen these made using a couple of sheets of greaseproof paper and an iron ... a few shavings of beeswax on the cotton, place it between two pieces of the paper, and it can be melted in with the iron (you wouldn't want to do this directly - cleaning an iron that has beeswax on it is annoying ). If you make them by dipping the cloth into the molten wax, it needs a good squeeze/scrape as you lift the waxed cloth out, to remove excess wax.

A word of caution - don't tell your friends you have a large amount of beeswax ... it's amazing how many uses they'll come up with, and the requests for "just a little bit" might make your 3/4 pound chunk disappear pretty quickly .


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## madison (Nov 27, 2018)

SoaperForLife said:


> I discovered that if you melt 5% beeswax and add 95% castor, you'll get something like petroleum jelly.


I found out that using high % of castor oil on the skin grows hair, which might be a problem for some ladies if it was to be used on arms or legs. It will be great to be used on the scalp.


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## SoaperForLife (Nov 29, 2018)

madison said:


> I found out that using high % of castor oil on the skin grows hair, which might be a problem for some ladies if it was to be used on arms or legs. It will be great to be used on the scalp.


Are you speaking from experience?


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## Lin19687 (Nov 29, 2018)

Castor oil on a Band-aid over a Planters Wart every night for 3-4 weeks (YMMV) will remove them   Worked on my DD when she was little.  I was shocked that it worked, and we were not good at doing it Every night


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## dixiedragon (Nov 29, 2018)

When I make lip balm (which uses beeswax), I melt my beeswax + oils in a glass measuring cup. When I'm done, I put water and some vegetable oil (cheap stuff like canola or soybean, not a good olive oil), and microwave it. The heat will melt the beeswax and the oil will help dissolve it. Pour the water in the trash (not down the sink) and wipe the measuring cup with a paper towel. 

If you are melting down the beeswax by itself, save a metal can and use that as your melting pot. When not in use, keep it in a ziplock bag so it doesn't accumulate dust and hair. Or just throw it away.


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## kaygrrl (Nov 29, 2018)

I like to use beeswax at 1-2% in CP. In my experience it eliminated soda ash from forming!


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## shunt2011 (Nov 29, 2018)

madison said:


> I found out that using high % of castor oil on the skin grows hair, which might be a problem for some ladies if it was to be used on arms or legs. It will be great to be used on the scalp.



Would you please share the link/site where this has been proven/studied.  I'd be interested to see the research proof on this.


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## SoaperForLife (Nov 29, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Would you please share the link/site where this has been proven/studied. I'd be interested to see the research proof on this.


Me too!  I did a little looking around on the net and found a bunch of links saying that it did and then some that said it didn't.  I also stumbled across a post from India.  A woman had used a combination of castor and coconut oils on her hair for some ceremony and the oils created a huge mat in her hair.  That made me wonder whether the castor actually creates some sort of "bulk" or allusion of more hair... dunno <shrug>.  If it did actually work I'd be right there cos my hair is rather thin at this point in my life - you just never know what joys are lucking around the corner as you age...


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## Lin19687 (Nov 29, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Would you please share the link/site where this has been proven/studied.  I'd be interested to see the research proof on this.




Well, I can say for a fact that is DOES NOT grow hair on the bottom of a 7 y/o girls toe 

Sorry couldn't resist


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## shunt2011 (Nov 29, 2018)

Lin19687 said:


> Well, I can say for a fact that is DOES NOT grow hair on the bottom of a 7 y/o girls toe
> 
> Sorry couldn't resist



I use it in lip balm and my lips haven't grown any hair......LOL


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## earlene (Nov 30, 2018)

I am not defending the hair growth claim, but I would certainly suppose that hair follicles would already have to be present in the skin in question.  I don't think there are any hair follicles on the bottom of feet of humans or on our lips, mustachioed areas above the lips, yes, but the lips themselves?


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## SoaperForLife (Nov 30, 2018)

Here's the link about the hair felting from castor oil application https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596646/


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## shunt2011 (Nov 30, 2018)

earlene said:


> I am not defending the hair growth claim, but I would certainly suppose that hair follicles would already have to be present in the skin in question.  I don't think there are any hair follicles on the bottom of feet of humans or on our lips, mustachioed areas above the lips, yes, but the lips themselves?


I was obviously kidding....the LOL should have made that obvious.


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## Lin19687 (Nov 30, 2018)

@earlene  me too, was joking.


ok, this is from a RARE disorder and there are only 17 cases.  And this is just 1 Case study.  I links no other 'studies' nor does it even go into how long the other 17 peoples hair was.  No controlled study either.
They also write...
"there are no studies and reports on the uses and benefits of castor oil with regard to hair and hence not proven scientifically."
just a tid bit


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## Shalome Clark (Nov 30, 2018)

Carolyne Thrasher said:


> I’ve had a big hunk of beeswax for a few months now. Don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered it. Anyway thought I would try some lotion bars for my heels and elbows. But the cleanup Ha ha. I hate cleaning up. Guess you don’t know until you try something. And now my kitchen smells like Brambleberry’s Rose Quartz Fragrance so that’s awesome.
> 
> Anyone have some interesting beeswax stories. I probably have 3/4 of a pound brick left.


I made these yesterday and I am in love with them, super easy. 3.5 oz. of olive oil, 3.5 oz. shea butter, 2.5 oz. of beeswax, and 3 ml of fragrance. Melt oils, add fragrance, pour into mold, leave 4-24 hours and unmold.


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## earlene (Nov 30, 2018)

Apparently I should have use an emoji in my above post, as I too was jesting.  Do we have a tongue-in-cheek emoji?  That's what I was going for.  No, I don't see one.  This one would have worked, I suppose:  

Perhaps my ongoing down-in-the-dumps mood is still far too evident.  But just so you all know, it isn't as dark as it was two or three weeks ago, in fact I think I did feel lighter yesterday.  I believe confiding in my brother (the one second born to me) helped with that.  Just having even one person to talk to about what's going on inside myself can make a difference.  Though this is one of those times, that I do wish I had a sister.  I hear sisters can be really good confidants.

Quite interesting that article about hair felting/matting.  Within the past year or two, I saw a woman whose hair was a much more pronounced case of hair matting.  At first I though her hair was in dreads, but it wasn't your typical dreads at all, but a huge solid mass of matted hair, which I would also described as 'bird's nest' when I first described it.  But truly it looked more like felted wool than a bird's nest.  The woman came and went and returned to sit and eat in the same location very near me, giving me enough time to observe her and be sure it was actually her hair and not some strange hat or something.  She was very clean and wore fairly new looking clothes, so did not appear to be someone who had poor hygiene habits or anything like that.  I wondered how her hair got like that and if it was intentional and how she cleaned her hair.  I am sure if that happened to my hair, I would surely just shave it all off.  I'd rather have a crew-cut than matted hair.  I can't even imagine how uncomfortable I would be with hair so tightly matted to my head.


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## madison (Nov 30, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Would you please share the link/site where this has been proven/studied.  I'd be interested to see the research proof on this.


It was a group experiment with some ladies, you can call it personal experiment, no research proof or anything. I used a blend of castor oil and other oils was suggested to grow hair on my scalp but I got very busy then stopped doing that. I need to make time to try it again to see what I get.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 30, 2018)

I use dyes, solvents, and contact cement a fair bit in my day job, and I am constantly making things with heavy leather. Especially in winter, the skin on my fingertips can get very dry and rough from this work. What's worse, I frequently get painful hangnails and sometimes the callouses crack on my thumbs and index fingers. Regular lotions and balms work fine on my hands in the summer, but are not protective enough for winter.

I created a "bartender balm" a few years ago that I use when my hands are in trouble. It's a lotion bar that leaves a definite waxy coating on the skin. Most people probably wouldn't like it for everyday use -- only when your hands need extra protection. I rub it into my cuticles and fingertips before and during work. It also is nice to pack around a painful hangnail, put a band-aid on, and leave it overnight to soften and heal.

Here's a recipe to make 4-6 lotion bars about the size of mini peanut butter cups. I make the bars small so they get used up fast and so it's no great loss if one gets dropped on my dirty shop floor.

Beeswax 25 g
Cocoa butter 20 g (use deodorized if you don't want a chocolate scent in your product)
Liquid oil 5 g (I have used meadowfoam, sweet almond, or rice bran, but any oil will do)
Fragrance 0.5 to 1 g

Hold the bar in your hands for a moment to let it soften with body heat, then rub it over the areas you want to protect including the creases around your nails.

I infuse the liquid oil with calendula for a little extra healing and soothing. I've only used cocoa butter to make this bartender balm, but other butters should work well with some tweaks. Shea melts at a lower temperature than cocoa butter, so if you want to use shea, you may have to alter the proportions to use a bit more wax and less shea. Mango butter melts about the same temp as cocoa butter, so you might be able to sub it directly for the cocoa butter.


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## redhead1226 (Dec 1, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Would you please share the link/site where this has been proven/studied.  I'd be interested to see the research proof on this.



I use it on my eyebrows mixed with a little bit of cocoa powder, which does on fact grow hair.  Also in a empty mascara container it helps to grow lashes. But not too much as you do not want it to get in your eyes.


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## SoaperForLife (Dec 1, 2018)

I haven't been able to track down any scientific proof of castor oil growing hair and every article I've read mentions the same.  Some believe that the benefits come more from massaging the oil into the scalp.  Apparently it's hard to remove the oil once it's on your scalp so perhaps the residual oil gives the impression of fuller hair and it's a process and requires a big chunk of time...


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## Terri E (Dec 1, 2018)

SoaperForLife said:


> I discovered that if you melt 5% beeswax and add 95% castor, you'll get something like petroleum jelly.



Yes, adding a little castor wax works great as well 



Shalome Clark said:


> View attachment 33447
> 
> I made these yesterday and I am in love with them, super easy. 3.5 oz. of olive oil, 3.5 oz. shea butter, 2.5 oz. of beeswax, and 3 ml of fragrance. Melt oils, add fragrance, pour into mold, leave 4-24 hours and unmold.



Very nice! Love lotion bars 
I lived, went to school and worked for a dentist in Panama City, sure miss it!


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## madison (Dec 1, 2018)

SoaperForLife said:


> I haven't been able to track down any scientific proof of castor oil growing hair and every article I've read mentions the same.  Some believe that the benefits come more from massaging the oil into the scalp.  Apparently it's hard to remove the oil once it's on your scalp so perhaps the residual oil gives the impression of fuller hair and it's a process and requires a big chunk of time...



I haven't met anyone who uses only castor oil on the scalp, you are right, it's a hard labor to clean it afterwards. It's much better to mix it with lighter oils like sesame oil, pomegranate oil, Aragon oil,  Nigella sativa oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, avocado oil, olive oil, tea tree oil, rosemary oil. This what I can recall from what I have heard.  As I travelled so much, I got to know a lot of  ladies from around the globe,  it happen to meet so many  with a beautiful thick hair, I always asked what do they do, I found that what they have in common is using oil bath on regular bases for the scalp as a routine, of course there are other factors were mentioned like food, sleeping habits, not using too many medications, and stress level.


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## KimT2au (Dec 6, 2018)

If castor oil helps to grow hair then why aren't bald men the world over smearing it across their heads?  I know my husband would certainly love to grow his hair back.


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## Carolyne Thrasher (Dec 6, 2018)

dixiedragon said:


> When I make lip balm (which uses beeswax), I melt my beeswax + oils in a glass measuring cup. When I'm done, I put water and some vegetable oil (cheap stuff like canola or soybean, not a good olive oil), and microwave it. The heat will melt the beeswax and the oil will help dissolve it. Pour the water in the trash (not down the sink) and wipe the measuring cup with a paper towel.
> 
> If you are melting down the beeswax by itself, save a metal can and use that as your melting pot. When not in use, keep it in a ziplock bag so it doesn't accumulate dust and hair. Or just throw it away.


The metal can idea is GENIUS Dixiedragon. Thanks!



Shalome Clark said:


> View attachment 33447
> 
> I made these yesterday and I am in love with them, super easy. 3.5 oz. of olive oil, 3.5 oz. shea butter, 2.5 oz. of beeswax, and 3 ml of fragrance. Melt oils, add fragrance, pour into mold, leave 4-24 hours and unmold.


Gorgeous Shalome! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Mine turned out too hard but they didn’t have any liquid oils.


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