# Stearic acid and cetyl alcohol



## Sunny (Nov 6, 2010)

Can you usually find stearic acid at a health food store or locally, or are these things usually just online? 
Or cetyl alcohol...

I'm trying to make a lotion and not even sure if these things are necessary yet, just following a recipe I found (swift's blog).


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## agriffin (Nov 8, 2010)

I'm not sure if they do or not. 

I'm sending you a shampoo bar...want me to throw in some stearic acid and cetyl alcohol so you can try them?  I have plenty.

What's the link so I know how much?


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## carebear (Nov 8, 2010)

I don't think you will be able to find them in health food stores.  Stearic is available at craft stores in the candle making section, but I don't know that it's cosmetic grade (use in skin).  

But seriously - get some.  Because they are components of the BEST.SCRUB.EVER which you will want to make very soon!!!   Get e-wax while you are at it.

Here ya go - my favorite scrub recipe. 

Sugar 61.7% 
Shea Butter 11.4% 
Stearic Acid 5.4% 
Peach or Apricot Kernel Oil 8.0% 
Castor Oil 5.1% 
Jojoba Oil 5.1% 
E-Wax (emulsifying wax) 1.4% 
Preservative 0.6% 
Cetyl Alcohol 0.6% 
FO 0.6% 

(NOTE: in winter I use olive oil instead of peach or apricot at 7% and add 1% IPM or fractionated coconut oil.  Don't be afraid to play with the oils)
The e-wax and cetyl alcohol not only help with the consistency of the stuff, but they also help it rinse off you leaving a lotiony feel on your skin. 

And a preservative is MANDATORY since water will get into the container when you use it, and sugar + water = food fest for microbes 

Edited to Add: the amount of preservative will vary with your selection!!! Don't depend on 0.6% as the right amount for yours!!

ALSO:  when you first mix the sugar into the melted oils, the sugar will sink to the bottom.  give it a good stir and then walk away for a few minutes.  stir every few minutes and you will see that as it cools it thickens and all pulls together.  some whip it in a mixer to make it "fluffy" but I just beat it with a spoon.

AND FURTHERMORE:  add the IPM after you add the sugar (assuming you are using it).  IPM doesn't like high temps.   just don't forget to add it LOL!


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## Sunny (Nov 8, 2010)

I got a little emulsifying wax on ebay (I had a code for $4 free on ebay so yay for some free e-wax). AND WAS AMAZED at how it made a lovely, simple, non-greasy lotion. I've only used beeswax in the past and this was craaaazy better.

yep carebear, I am 100% in favor of preservatives and have a large bottle of Optiphen that I use in everything ... (okay, not large, but probably more than I'll use before it expires.)



Amanda WHAT? I didn't think you were serious about the shampoo bar! I think you're my new best friend. LOL!
I'd love to try them!! ... the recipe says 3% cetyl alcohol or stearic so I guess for a 100 gram batch I'll need 3 grams? hehe.

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2 ... otion.html


I'll be paypaling you some $ if a package unexpectedly arrives at my house, lol...


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## agriffin (Nov 8, 2010)

tasha said:
			
		

> I got a little emulsifying wax on ebay (I had a code for $4 free on ebay so yay for some free e-wax). AND WAS AMAZED at how it made a lovely, simple, non-greasy lotion. I've only used beeswax in the past and this was craaaazy better.
> 
> yep carebear, I am 100% in favor of preservatives and have a large bottle of Optiphen that I use in everything ... (okay, not large, but probably more than I'll use before it expires.)
> 
> ...



Of course I was serious!  lol!

I'll send you some...no paypal'ing.  It's my good deed for the week!  

No really...others have been very generous sending me stuff especially for my blog...so I'm just paying it forward.


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## Sunny (Nov 8, 2010)

well, you are awesome.. I'm excited now 

Is this bar like the shampoo bar you reviewed on your blog from GetLathered?


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## Hazel (Nov 8, 2010)

carebear,

It's very generous of you to share your scrub recipe. It's similar to mine except I use equal parts sugar to the rest of the recipe, different oils and I've never used cetyl alcohol. 

So the cetyl alcohol help make the scrub thicker and more emolliant? Or am I wrong about that?  Hmm if so...I may have to get some.


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## Sunny (Nov 8, 2010)

yeah carebear, that is awesome of you to share! I haven't made an emulsified scrub (just the oily... drippy kind) but I have tried one and really loved it so this will be exciting for me. 8)

peach kernel oil must be similar to apricot in qualities? I'll probably stick with the olive for my first one.. it's getting so cold and dry here in MN already, that's kind of why I'm venturing into lotions!


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## agriffin (Nov 8, 2010)

tasha said:
			
		

> well, you are awesome.. I'm excited now
> 
> Is this bar like the shampoo bar you reviewed on your blog from GetLathered?



Similar...I can't remember what's in hers.  Mine is based on the recipe for a solid shampoo bar on Swift's blog.  I Pretty much used her recipe/% with some subs.

I haven't tried the cetyl alcohol in a scrub....I'll have to try that.


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## carebear (Nov 8, 2010)

Hazel said:
			
		

> So the cetyl alcohol help make the scrub thicker and more emolliant?


yes, it's an emulsifier that is also a thickener and makes it slicker somehow - feels better on my skin.


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## paillo (Nov 11, 2010)

thanks carebear for posting your recipe, very generous. and to all of you who had great ideas for one on the cp forum.

so i finally mixed up my first batch of emulsifying facial scrub, and it's a semi-disaster. i used carebear's recipe (well, sort of, i can't help but tinker, and invariably screw up a first attempt).

i used shea butter cuz it was handy, dr. bronner's liquid soap, tinosan for preservative, brown rice ground in a coffee grinder, and a little tea tree and lavender eos. i threw in some yellow clay and upped the e-wax a bit.

it wasn't scrubby enough to my taste, and felt a little waxy, so i added more base ingredients, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, rosewater, ground oatmeal, ground almond seeds, and rose clay. then i added a lot of sugar.

well, it separated and is a gooey orange-ish mess with oil pockets floating on top. but i'm going to try to save it if it kills me!

but before i end up with an even bigger batch of mess, would you experts suggest adding more stearic and ewax to emulsify it? then beat the heck out of it?

this is only for me, family and friends -- i'm at least a year from trying to sell anything like this


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