Thanks. I just found that odd since sunflower isn't a long shelf life type of oil.
Help me make my first lotion
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Very good point! See, you are already thinking like a lotion formulator!
. You could add a small amount of the tocopherols if you aren't going to use up the batch pretty quickly.
You might do this already, but every time I open up a new bottle of liquid oil, I add ROE (rosemary oleoresin) as an antioxidant. That will help extend the shelf life (not indefinitely, but longer than without it).
If “someone” decided to try this, could you add a FO? If so, what amount would that “someone” try?
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Yes, you could add FO in the cool down phase. Check the FO supplier's recommendations for each FO.
Assuming the specific usage rate for an EO or FO will allow it, I typically use 1% for a light scent.
You can definitely add tocopherol if you want to; it's usually used at about 1%. To balance the formula, you can take that 1% from the oils.
Question: How much aloe gel (I make and freeze my own in cubes) would I use in place of aloe juice? I see many recipes that use aloe juice in the water phase, but I'm not sure what the ratio of distilled water to aloe gel would be.
Personally, I wouldn't use aloe gel in my lotions; it's too difficult to preserve. The aloe juice I use is a distilled aloe juice.
Wow, I didn't even know this existed! The one I just looked up (Swanson's) says it's fractionated and distilled. Does it have the same skin benefits? Every aloe liquid I knew of until now had preservatives and citric acid in it which is why I started making my own gel for soapmaking.
Soapmaking is different. The lye monster ensures that there's no "bug food" remaining. I use "George's", which is also fractionally distilled. I'm not sure about the properties; I have a feeling most things in creams and lotions (apart from the oil and water) are for label appeal more than anything.
If 3% hydrolyzed oat protein is in a recipe, would panthenol in the heated water phase work instead? I'd likely only use it at 2% and add 1% to....?
Panthenol, in creams and lotions, can be used up to 3% so, yes, you can sub it. If you're using hydrolyzed oat protein, I would use it in the cool down phase. If you want to use 2% of the panthenol, up the water by 1%.
I thought that's how to do it, but wanted to confirm. Do you think this sub will still have similar end results? I haven't seen panthenol listed in any of the recipes I've been looking at, but I happen to have some on hand and I do not have any oat hydrolyzed protein.
I've used it in lotions many times.
I know I am a little late to the party here, but can I make a suggestion? Oh well, I will anyway. Before adding in and playing with additives please make a simple lotion and learn the process. I spent over a year before I ever took a lotion to market or gave it away and this was after we had been selling and making lotions for a few years. My daughter had been making our lotions which we had lab tested, but I was unsure of the process.
This is a wonderful kit to start with and many here will know this is not my favorite supplier so I do not recommend her products lightly. Our first lotion was based on this kit many years ago, although she has tweaked the fragrance of the kit. It is a very easy recipe to tweak which we did and became our go-to lotion recipe and top-selling lotion. Her original kit and recipe included Phenonip I see she changed. Personally, I use a 2 preservative system, but that is my choice. The only way you can get this recipe is to buy the kit. Peaceful Lavender Lotion Kit | BrambleBerry
You can watch the video but cannot get the percentages of the ingredients and of course, the transcript does not show the recipe. I will add in my year of testing lotion formulas I had more failures than successes. Lotion does have a learning curve. But through it all, I came up with some really nice lotions.
This is a wonderful kit to start with and many here will know this is not my favorite supplier so I do not recommend her products lightly. Our first lotion was based on this kit many years ago, although she has tweaked the fragrance of the kit. It is a very easy recipe to tweak which we did and became our go-to lotion recipe and top-selling lotion. Her original kit and recipe included Phenonip I see she changed. Personally, I use a 2 preservative system, but that is my choice. The only way you can get this recipe is to buy the kit. Peaceful Lavender Lotion Kit | BrambleBerry
You can watch the video but cannot get the percentages of the ingredients and of course, the transcript does not show the recipe. I will add in my year of testing lotion formulas I had more failures than successes. Lotion does have a learning curve. But through it all, I came up with some really nice lotions.
@AliOop and @Misschief Ok, so shea and coconut don't play well together in lotion. Got it. What would you recommend to sub for coconut (other than sweet almond) if I keep the shea? I've read sunflower is a good candidate but I can't tell if that's regular or high oleic sunflower.
I don't think it matters as much in lotion as it does in soap. Another nice sub for coconut oil is babassu, if you have it. I would recommend trying a small batch of lotion with shea and coconut; I've never had lotions with both butters go grainy.
I actually gave away my babassu to a friend to try in her soap because I just wasn't using it. Lol.
I guess I could try coconut and shea in a small batch and see. We're talking about regular coconut oil, right? Not fractionated?
Correct
