Help with lotion recipe from DIY Bath & Body

[AliOop]

Help! I just made the lotion base from the DIY Bath & Body concentrate recipe. When it was mostly cooled, I made a 600g batch of the lotion.

The good news: the bit I scooped out with a spoon and put on my skin feels LOVELY.

The bad news: my "lotion" is very, very runny, even at 52C. In double-checking my ingredients, I see that I grabbed the GUAR gum instead of the xanthan gum. They are right next to each other and look identical.

Any suggestions? I'm going to wait a bit to see if it thickens, but if it doesn't, should I make a thick slurry of xanthan and add that now? Thanks for any help you can provide!

PS - I did use sweet almond oil instead of CO in the base, but that was a recommended/allowable substitution despite the differences in room temp consistency.

 

[cmzaha]

I am sorry I cannot help you out with your question since I never used such thickness in my lotions. I am just curious what recipe that is? Maybe you can use it as a spray lotion if it is thin enough. I always liked a nice thin sprayable lotion.

 

[Misschief]

If it doesn't thicken up, you can warm it up and incorporate the xanthan gum. It shouldn't be a major issue. Or put it into a pump bottle. Keep in mind that it can take up to a couple of days to come to full thickness. Also keep in mind that depending on the temperature you heat it up to, you may need to add more preservative.

@cmzaha, this is the Lotion Concentrate recipe from DIY Bath & Body on Etsy. It's one of my favourite recipes.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I think I remember reading in the booklet that a cream or lotion could take 2 days to set up. I think I would let it sit for 24 hours.

eta: posting before reading @Misschief post!

 

[justjacqui]

I think trying to add xanthan gum after emulsification would most likely be a disaster (lumps, etc. ). Guar is also a thickener.

52C is still very warm so take a small bit out of the batch and put it in the fridge to cool it down quickly so you can get an idea of what it will be like when it is cool.

 

[Tara_H]

Agree with the others about waiting a bit longer. If it's still not thick enough I think it would be worth adding xanthan gum to a test sample. What I would do is take just a pinch and sprinkle it over the surface, leave for 15 mins and then mix in thoroughly. It doesn't need to be reheated for the xanthan gum to work.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

STOP! Mix gums only when you know what you're doing!

They mention locust bean gum + xanthan (but locust and guar gums are quite similar). I can only recommend everyone to try this for themselves! You add the two separately to two water batches, to achieve a (in soap speak) thick trace. When you combine them (hot), they turn into something of the consistency of M&P base!

First make a test batch with the original concentration of guar gum in plain water, and then add xanthan. Judge if you like the results, before you're even thinking of adding it to the lotion.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

STOP! Mix gums only when you know what you're doing!

They mention locust bean gum + xanthan (but locust and guar gums are quite similar). I can only recommend everyone to try this for themselves! You add the two separately to two water batches, to achieve a (in soap speak) thick trace. When you combine them (hot), they turn into something of the consistency of M&P base!

First make a test batch with the original concentration of guar gum in plain water, and then add xanthan. Judge if you like the results, before you're even thinking of adding it to the lotion.

I always hoped soapmaking was going to help me with my cake baking skills, but never expected to reap the rewards when making pies.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks everyone, I sure appreciate all the input!

It is slightly thicker this morning. I decanted into a pump bottle, and it is not so thin that it shoots out of the pump (like over-diluted liquid soap). But it’s still a little too thin in my palm; it would run a bit if I didn't apply it carefully.

Once applied, it is definitely usable and feels great on the skin, although it doesn’t soak in as fast as I’d like. Probably that has more to do my additives, which can be adjusted for future batches after this one is used up.

I’ll probably also try another batch with a lot less water, closer to her recipe for the cream consistency. I just don’t want to make too much lotion at one time until I see how a particular recipe does long-term, and how long it takes me to go through it.

I’ve been using body butter for so long that it is a fun experiment to work with something new.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Glad it worked out for you. yay . Bath & Body items are a whole new dimension for me' sorry I couldn't add any info that was helpful advise.

 

[AliOop]

Glad it worked out for you. yay . Bath & Body items are a whole new dimension for me' sorry I couldn't add any info that was helpful advise.

Thanks, Peachy! FWIW, I’ve made lotions before, but my results were so inconsistent that I switched to body butters some years ago.

Now I feel more comfortable that the recipes I’m using are more appropriate, and that I have support here if I need it. And I probably have to accept that I’ll have some failed batches. That’s tough when the ingredients are not cheap!

 

[Misschief]

Thanks, Peachy! FWIW, I’ve made lotions before,but my results were so inconsistent that I switched to body butters some years ago.

Now I feel more comfortable that the recipes I’m using are more appropriate, and that I have support here if I need it. And I probably have to accept that I’ll have some failed batches. That’s tough when the ingredients are not cheap!

I've been making the cream for more than a year now and haven't had a single failed batch yet. There were some I wasn't as happy with but they weren't failed batches, more like fragrances or ingredients I didn't like.

 

[AliOop]

Great to know, @Misschief, thank you! I have a feeling my legs and arms are going so be very, very soft as I keep up my testing. Anything for science, right?

 

[Misschief]

Great to know, @Misschief, thank you! I have a feeling my legs and arms are going so be very, very soft as I keep up my testing. Anything for science, right?

We do what we need to do!

 

[cmzaha]

I also did not mention, I never liked to reheat lotions or add in more additives but if you ever find it necessary remember to very closely watch temperatures and stay well within the temp restrictions of your preservative in the lotion.

 

[AliOop]

I also did not mention, I never liked to reheat lotions or add in more additives but if you ever find it necessary remember to very closely watch temperatures and stay well within the temp restrictions of your preservative in the lotion.

Very good to know, thank you, Carolyn @cmzaha! If I run into any more issues, I may be PMing you and @Misschief, since you are the lotion queens.

 

[AliOop]

Circling back to let everyone know that the lotion did firm up by the next day, and it has turned out to be quite nice for an unscented, uncolored lotion. Because it is easier than body butter to dispense and apply, I've been using it more frequently than before, and my skin isn't looking quite so... alligator-ish.

So apparently guar gum instead of xanthan was not a fatal error - at least, not for this recipe.

 

[Misschief]

Circling back to let everyone know that the lotion did firm up by the next day, and it has turned out to be quite nice for an unscented, uncolored lotion. Because it is easier than body butter to dispense and apply, I've been using it more frequently than before, and my skin isn't looking quite so... alligator-ish.

So apparently guar gum instead of xanthan was not a fatal error - at least, not for this recipe.

So happy to hear it turned out. I've found that this recipe is quite forgiving. That's another reason I love it!

 

[violets2217]

So happy to hear it turned out. I've found that this recipe is quite forgiving. That's another reason I love it!

I’ve found it is even easy to add stuff to the finished lotion. I had a couple little 2 oz containers of my face cream and wanted to try and add some color to it for a tinted face cream. I just warmed it up a wee bit and slowly added my colors and stick blended. I was quite happy it worked! Still the soft, thick and fluffy face cream I love with little bit of color!

 

[Misschief]

I’ve found it is even easy to add stuff to the finished lotion. I had a couple little 2 oz containers of my face cream and wanted to try and add some color to it for a tinted face cream. I just warmed it up a wee bit and slowly added my colors and stick blended. I was quite happy it worked! Still the soft, thick and fluffy face cream I love with little bit of color!

Thank you for the reminder. I was just thinking about that earlier this morning. I made a healing cream last week for a minor surgical scar and wanted to add one more ingredient after doing some reading.