Blister-healing ingredients?

[Zing]

Cera bellina is a neat ingredient, it makes the finished product very silky and I think reduces the tackiness that beeswax can get when a lotion bar is used over and over. I've not tried other waxes, though soy wax might suit. When making candles I frequently rub the little drips onto the back of my hand and it absorbs quickly without being tacky or sticky.

For a few months, I did a trial of a much simpler recipe, focusing on either mango, shea or kokum butters. Men vastly preferred kokum, it feels very dry and doesn't make your skin shiny - which seems to be a turnoff for men. Women preferred shea because it was so rich and it did make your skin look freshly oiled, at least for a moment. Mango was kind of the odd one out because it fell in the middle.

I wanted to see if I could get the deep moisturizing of shea but the quick absorption of kokum. It turned out for me blending all 3 seems to work. And I would put Argan oil on my salad if I could, I love that stuff.

Working off of @Zing's proportions initially, I finally settled on 22% wax, 42% hard butters, 36% oils. I use deodorized cocoa butter, and refined shea, which *I think* is harder, but that's just me. I use a VERY small amount of seabuckthorn, just enough to turn the oils a light orange color, and the bars become a lovely golden.

I dry them for about 10 days or so until they can be picked up without leaving a fingerprint.

View attachment 74305

Wow!! That golden color!! And what mold did you use?! I've never seen such a cool shape!! Lord knows I loves me some kokum!! Thanks for sharing all these details.

 

[Ephemerella]

Seabuckthorn is amazing, lovely on the skin, and that color is just to die for. Just have to go REALLY easy, a few drops, it can be staining.

Its BB's organic mold — unfortunately, they discontinued it. Luckily I snagged a few when they were dumping them.
https://webcache.googleusercontent....quantity-set=1%2E00&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
I've been working hard on a lotion bar, trying to rival The Body Stone and stay away from SAO for those with nut allergies.

I bought a few of hers and they are really lovely, but hard to hold onto as it warms in your hand, as soon as it catches on your skin, it pops out of your hand. The grove in this mold is just right.

Kokum really is a winner, just love it!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I've been working hard on a lotion bar, trying to rival The Body Stone and stay away from SAO for those with nut allergies.

Kate McLeod - Best Seller
Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Lavender EO, Chamomile Oil.

This is just me, but I think it's a mistake to formulate for a very small segment of the population. Especially leaving out SAO that is one of the most beneficial oils for hair, skin and nails. It is said that Jackie Kennedy slathered herself with SAO nightly, and wore socks and gloves to bed. While I applaud Kate's selection of lovely oils and fragrance, you could use just cocoa butter and SAO and be done with it.

SAO and Avocado are the two oils I use in almost all of my leave-on products like lotion, lip balm, cuticle balm, scrubs and healing salves. Apricot and FCO are just icing on the cake. To my mind at least.

PS: Says one who has never made lotion bars.

 

[TheGecko]

This is just me, but I think it's a mistake to formulate for a very small segment of the population.

I was told during my first year of soap making to not fall into that trap. With that said I do have a crafting friend that I do a custom soap for because of her allergies to Cocoa and Shea Butters; she buys several loaves at a time so it's not a big deal to make up a 40-bar Master Batch an pour her soap. And it's a great way to get rid of the many 2oz bottles of FOs I have collected.

But my general rule of thumb is to create products that the majority of folks can use, including myself because at the end of the day, if the bottom falls out, I'm going to be the one using my products.

 

[Ephemerella]

This is just me, but I think it's a mistake to formulate for a very small segment of the population. Especially leaving out SAO that is one of the most beneficial oils for hair, skin and nails.

I have friends and family members who are part of that small segment. I don't mind not being able to use a handful of ingredients.

As far as keeping things simple... that's taking all the fun out if you ask me!

 

[Savage Daughter]

It is said that Jackie Kennedy slathered herself with SAO nightly, and wore socks and gloves to bed.

I also thought long & hard regarding how I was going to formulate my soaps, whether I was going to do 'vegan' / non-vegan versions & so on.

If I happen to do something / anything that's 'vegan', it will be because it's what will produce the best product, not under pressure from one portion of the market. And I won't label it with a 'vegan' symbol either. People can go about their business & read labels if this is an important issue to them, just as I need to do for myself.

Funnily, I initially made my lip balm 'vegan', although not intentionally. I just thought it might be an interesting texture. Ended up the formulation sucked....hard You know what fixed it? BEESWAX. That's all it took.

A 'no nut products' line, however....something I am going to think through, for several reasons....

And I want a show of hands so I can see how many forum members even KNOW who Jackie Kennedy is / was

My own hand LOL

 

[Zany_in_CO]

And I want a show of hands so I can see how many forum members even KNOW who Jackie Kennedy is / was

🖐 As a woman of "a certain age" I'm running into that problem a lot these days. So few others out there that can relate. My going-away outfit (honeymoon) in November 1974 was influenced by Jackie, including matching black pillbox hat, leather purse, shoes, and gloves!!! Oh, those were the days, the likes of which will never be seen again.

ETA: Almost forgot -- Black & white (salt & pepper) wool suit with fur collar; black fur muff too.

 

[Savage Daughter]

🖐 As a woman of "a certain age" I'm running into that problem a lot these days.

A 'certain age'? You're breathing! Any day you wake up breathing & can make soap is a good day....a GREAT day! Bugger the age

So few others out there that can relate. My going-away outfit (honeymoon) in November 1974 was influenced by Jackie, including matching black pillbox hat, leather purse, shoes, and gloves!!! Oh, those were the days, the likes of which will never be seen again.

Wow, I would have loved to seen that! I agree, I doubt very much we will ever live in an energy like that again....kinda sad

ETA: Almost forgot -- Black & white (salt & pepper) wool suit with fur collar; black fur muff too.
View attachment 74365

My grandmother was well obsessed with Jackie Kennedy AND Princess Diana, neither of which did anything for me as I was a teenager at the time & too busy worried about things that were supposedly 'cool'.....ironically, little did I know that only those who are NOT 'cool' are those worried about what IS 'cool'

Yes, I was a bit of a derp myself at that age LOL Weren't we all?

EDIT: I'm still a derp from time to time

 

[Zing]

PS: Says one who has never made lotion bars.

Wait, what?! Zany! Friend, c'mon, all the cool kids are doing it!

 

[Misschief]

Wait, what?! Zany! Friend, c'mon, all the cool kids are doing it!

Not all of them, or maybe I'm just not one of the cool kids. I tried them at my markets and they did not sell... at all. I, personally, don't really like them. Blasphemous, I know, but.....

 

[Savage Daughter]

Not all of them, or maybe I'm just not one of the cool kids. I tried them at my markets and they did not sell... at all. I, personally, don't really like them. Blasphemous, I know, but.....

That's one of the reasons why I too don't make them, although I have made test batches, and although I did consider it, AND although I make another product which functions similarly. My packaging is totally different, marketing is totally different, and my product is loaded with plant infused oils made from the plants I wild harvest & cultivate. Nothing I have seen comes close.

Kinda related as this reminded me of terms I see on people's labels at markets and a word I detest: WILDCRAFTED Double-speak, misleading, rubbish.

Y'all didn't craft anything, and y'all apparently don't understand how nature works. And y'all don't have the to simply say you respectfully harvested with gratitude....if you actually did harvest in such a manner as opposed to going out pillaging & plundering.

No, I am not referring to Y'ALL here on this forum / in this thread. I'm speaking of misleading phrases I see on various companies' labels at markets.

Anyways....yeah....lotion bars get a from me

 

[Zing]

Not all of them, or maybe I'm just not one of the cool kids. I tried them at my markets and they did not sell... at all. I, personally, don't really like them. Blasphemous, I know, but.....

You are one of the coolest kids I know. And I'm going to stop reading this thread! I don't want to know these things, LOL!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

WILDCRAFTED

"Wildcrafted" is actually a part of the lexicon of those (like you) who harvest plants from the wild. Perfectly acceptable, to my mind at least.

Wikipedia… Wildcrafting (also known as foraging) is the practice of harvesting plants from their natural, or 'wild' habitat, primarily for food or medicinal purposes. It applies to uncultivated plants wherever they may be found, and is not necessarily limited to wilderness areas.

 

[AliOop]

You are one of the coolest kids I know. And I'm going to stop reading this thread! I don't want to know these things, LOL!

@Zing my friend still raves about your lotion bars - the only thing that saved her cracked fingers last winter. So there's that.

 

[Blufuz]

@Misschief you may just be missing your target audience: climbers. Like @Zing ’s original inspiration, these lotion bars sell for crazy prices in sports stores, but they’re just your standard lotion bar. You may be able to sell them directly to climbing gyms; at least here in Switzerland they have a little shop for chalk, protein bars and hand lotions at the entrance. You’d have to walk a fine line with “medicinal” claims, but generally even just moisturizing skin after climbing with chalk is known to keep skin from cracking next time.

I plan to make them for Christmas for my climbing friends

 

[Shelley D]

I also thought long & hard regarding how I was going to formulate my soaps, whether I was going to do 'vegan' / non-vegan versions & so on.

If I happen to do something / anything that's 'vegan', it will be because it's what will produce the best product, not under pressure from one portion of the market. And I won't label it with a 'vegan' symbol either. People can go about their business & read labels if this is an important issue to them, just as I need to do for myself.

Funnily, I initially made my lip balm 'vegan', although not intentionally. I just thought it might be an interesting texture. Ended up the formulation sucked....hard You know what fixed it? BEESWAX. That's all it took.

A 'no nut products' line, however....something I am going to think through, for several reasons....

And I want a show of hands so I can see how many forum members even KNOW who Jackie Kennedy is / was

My own hand LOL

🖐 I know who she was! As a kid I thought she was the coolest thing on the planet, so sophisticated. Later, I loved her fashion sense as I had dreams of pursuing art and fashion. Ah, the good old days

 

[Shelley D]

Funny thing ~ I do love oils on my skin, especially after a shower. It feels like my skin just soaks in all the goodness. I gave my mom a bottle to try because she was curious and she didn't care for it, too oily for her liking. She asked if Icould make something she could just rub on and I had a flashback to years ago, when we went a crafter's market and bought some hard lotion in tubes. At the time, I didn't care for it but my mom did so I gave her mine and never gave it another thought . . . until now. So I made some mostly with her in mind. She loves it ~ it's easy to use, doesn't get her hands all greasy, and she can rub it on wherever she needs moisturizing. I do occasionally use some too, since the beeswax does lock in the moisture, so I rub on a little oil, then swipe a bit of the hard lotion and rub it in real good ~ it's a great combo! It's got me thinking if I should add a small amount of beeswax to my oil blend ~ will it do the same thing or will it gum up my oils?

 

[Misschief]

@Misschief you may just be missing your target audience: climbers. Like @Zing ’s original inspiration, these lotion bars sell for crazy prices in sports stores, but they’re just your standard lotion bar. You may be able to sell them directly to climbing gyms; at least here in Switzerland they have a little shop for chalk, protein bars and hand lotions at the entrance. You’d have to walk a fine line with “medicinal” claims, but generally even just moisturizing skin after climbing with chalk is known to keep skin from cracking next time.

I plan to make them for Christmas for my climbing friends

I don't think there are a lot of climbers here. We live in a skiing and boating kind of place. I think there's one climbing gym here in town but that's about it.

 

[BWt]

Regarding ingredients, to summarize advice from this thread…

Waxes
- ewax may be better than beeswax at locking in moisture, so maybe good for overnight lotion
- cera bellina

Solid butters
- mango butter, less greasy (good in thirds with wax and liquid oil)

Liquid oils
- rosehip oil (fast absorbing, maybe good against scarring)
- macadamia (inflammation)

Active ingredients
- helichrysum eo (maybe anti-inflammatory and analgesic)
- Arnica (NOT for blisters, maybe bruising?)
- calendula (infused oil; soothing)
- marshmallow
- aloe
- seabuckthorn
- comfrey (infused oil; with arnica?)
- cannabis (once it’s legal )
- plantain (?)


Fragrances:
- lavender
- rosemary (antibacterial?)

I recommend reading about the cannabinoid system that our bodies have. This system seems to be able to take in and move terpines to wherever our body most needs them. Cannabis plants contain many terpines which offer not only scent but multiple healing properties. In very general terms the THC in cannabis is mood altering and not legal in every state. Cannabis also contains terpines known as CBD which many find to relieve pain among many other benefits. CBD is legal in most US states. Cannabis also contains terpenes that contain negligible levels of THC or CBD. This is the cannabis essential oil that I use in products I make for myself or family members. I purchase mine from edenbotanicals.com

 

[Savage Daughter]

I recommend reading about the cannabinoid system that our bodies have. This system seems to be able to take in and move terpines to wherever our body most needs them. Cannabis plants contain many terpines which offer not only scent but multiple healing properties. In very general terms the THC in cannabis is mood altering and not legal in every state. Cannabis also contains terpines known as CBD which many find to relieve pain among many other benefits. CBD is legal in most US states. Cannabis also contains terpenes that contain negligible levels of THC or CBD. This is the cannabis essential oil that I use in products I make for myself or family members. I purchase mine from edenbotanicals.com

I wanted to clarify here that THC & CBD are NOT terpenes.

https://cannacon.org/15-terpenes-cannabis-explained/
Image attached.

Yes, our brains do naturally have cannabinoid receptors. Topically applied cannabis does not affect the brain in the way that ingested or inhaled cannabis does. Not at all. The healing compounds of cannabis, when applied topically, go directly to the area applied to, the nerve endings, the muscles, the skin, the organs in the immediate vicinity of the application site etc via the capillaries. THC / CBD / CBN / CBG & all sorts of other extracted parts of cannabis are anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial etc etc etc. There is a great deal more to cannabis than just THC and CBD, and a great deal more to this plant than getting high.

As with all plant-derived healing compounds, cannabis compounds of all sorts function optimally & synergistically when combined with other plants. Which is one of the many reasons why researching plant medicine & traditional usage in depth & self-experimentation is very much a worthwhile pursuit.