How Many of You "Heat and Hold" For Your Lotion Recipes?

[dblbubble]

I've been loving SwiftCraftMonkey's e-book, "Lotion Making 101" these past few months. Made my first, true body butter cream the other day and I'm in love!

Her recipe technique uses a true water phase, oil phase, and cool down phase, which includes a 20 minute "heat and hold" process to help eliminate what she calls potential "ickies" (bacteria) in the water and oil. Her recipes do include a preservative as well.

I've done this and wondered how many other people use the "heat and hold" method? I've seen other recipes (especially WSP's recipe index) where they give instructions to just heat both the water and oil to a certain temperature and then combine/blend them without "holding" them. Is there a reason why they don't do this?

Thoughts on this? What method do you use for your lotions/butters that contain water?

 

[osso]

I do heat and hold, but my lotions are just small personal batches. I have read arguments for and against and decided to heat and hold. I also just microwaved both phases once and mixed, just to see if I could (I think Soap Queen has a video with that method). I just feel better using heat and hold, GMP and sterilizing as much as possible, especially if I was ever going to sell lotion.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I also heat and hold. It's not difficult as such, but obviously adds time to the process. Gives me time to get the oil and water phase going and then get everything else sorted during the hold part

 

[dblbubble]

Okay, so another question...

What are you using to heat and hold both your oil & water phase? SCM uses two crockpots as double-boilers. I am leaning towards that, as it's kind of a pain to babysit two double-boilers on the stove, but I'm not sure this would work if I eventually want to make larger batches.

 

[jcandleattic]

I do the heat and hold method because that's how I've always done it. I do mine in one of those 3x crock pot buffet style thing (will attach pic) I also don't do a double boiler method with this- just add my oils and water directly in the pot and heat it up. (I make sure the pots and my entire environment is as sanitized as it can be also)
I also make my lotions is large batches, and don't add scent until I'm ready to bottle and bottle once it's completely cool. (Sometimes days/weeks/months later) I just make sure it's tightly sealed and covered.
I've had my lotion/process lab tested 3 times, and it's always passed.

 

[Saranac]

I heat and hold every batch. Every time I have not (which was only twice), my lotion has failed (either the emulsion breaks or the lotion doesn't thicken adequately). I don't know why it happens, but I figure I can find enough to keep me busy in that 20 minutes.

 

[dixiedragon]

I don't heat and hold. I wipe down all of my containers and utensils with alcohol at the beginning of the process.

 

[dblbubble]

I do the heat and hold method because that's how I've always done it. I do mine in one of those 3x crock pot buffet style thing (will attach pic) I also don't do a double boiler method with this- just add my oils and water directly in the pot and heat it up. (I make sure the pots and my entire environment is as sanitized as it can be also)
I also make my lotions is large batches, and don't add scent until I'm ready to bottle and bottle once it's completely cool. (Sometimes days/weeks/months later) I just make sure it's tightly sealed and covered.
I've had my lotion/process lab tested 3 times, and it's always passed.

Jcandleattic, that's awesome to know! Thanks for the tips.

 

[jcandleattic]

Jcandleattic, that's awesome to know! Thanks for the tips.

You're welcome.
Hopefully Carolyn will come by, she is very knowledgeable in lotion making.
I don't know if she knows this or not, but she is the one, years ago, that made me less 'scared' of the process of making lotion, and also to help me venture out in making batches bigger than 1lb at a time. (I now do at the very least 5lbs at a time, usually 10-15lbs at a time)

 

[Seawolfe]

I make small batches for my friends and I. I also heat and hold - I use a small electric hot plate - this one in fact: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B2WOW
However my cheat is that I heat the water and oils together. I know that's not ideal for the emulsion, but it works for me.

 

[jcandleattic]

However my cheat is that I heat the water and oils together. I know that's not ideal for the emulsion, but it works for me.

When I did small batches I would use a dual hot plate (one for oils and one for water) -(I couldn't get your link to work - said page not found)

So you put your oils and water in the same pot and heat them?
I have heard of people doing this, but I've never done it. As long as it works, and it doesn't break your lotion, I think it's fine.
I'm in such a habit of doing things, I have a hard time changing.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I use the stove. It's induction, so things heat up really REALLY fast if you want them to, great for water, not so good for oils. But then it's easy to keep them at a steady temperature once there that I can just leave it going without too much thought once they are at the right temperature.

 

[Saponificarian]

I also heat and hold. Can't be too careful of the buggies and I make lotion for my children too so I heat and hold, use lots of alcohol to wipe down equipment and tools and use liquid germal plus as my preservative of choice.

 

[jewels621]

I heat and hold every batch, as well. I do mine in a double boiler on the stovetop. My cooktop has been very cooperative in holding temps when I need it to. I should say, though, that I only make it for personal use, so 32oz is usually my max batch size.

 

[Cellador]

I am a newbie lotion maker, and I heat and hold (double boiler, on the stove). I figure there's no cons to doing so besides the time investment.
I have also tried heating in the oven, in a water filled lasagna pan. It seemed to take much longer to heat the water to the appropriate temperature that way.

 

[IrishLass]

I only make lotion for myself, but I always heat and hold. I highly respect Swiftcraftymonkey's advice, and since she recommends heat & hold, that's good enough for me. And since the method I use is easy and I've never yet had a failure with any my lotions, I'm perfectly happy with sticking with it.

I use the canning jar method. I learned it from someone over at the Dish forum some years back, but I forget who it was now, unfortunately:

-I put all my water-phase ingredients into one sanitized* canning jar, all my oil-phase ingredients into another sanitized canning jar, and I fill a 3rd sanitized canning jar with distilled water (in case I need to add back any extra water later). *My jars and all my lotion-making utensils are sanitized with StarSan, a sanitizer used by many in the home-brewing community.

-I cover each canning jar tightly with foil and then poke a sanitized, water-proof probe thermometer through the foil into the oil-based jar only, making sure things are flush (i.e., that there are no gaps where the probe pokes through the foil). Then I set all 3 jars into a tall-sided soup pot (or water-bath canner) with a rack placed on the bottom to keep the jars from coming into contact with the bottom.

-Next, I fill the pot up with only enough water until it reaches about 1" above my jar contents and bring it to a simmer.

-Once the thermometer in my oil-phase jar hits the proper temp, I set my timer and then fiddle around with the stove knob every once in a while (if needed) in order to keep the temp on the thermometer as steady as possible for 20 minutes.

I used to put a thermometer in the water-phase jar, too, but learned it was unnecessary. The temp of the water-phase ingredients always surpasses that of the oil-phase jar, so even if the temps are not even, I know from the thermometer in the oil-phase jar that all as been heated plenty enough for as long as needed.


IrishLass

 

[jcandleattic]

I fill a 3rd sanitized canning jar with distilled water (in case I need to add back any extra water later).

I do similar with the water, but my extra for any evaporation that might happen in the liquid phase, is in my 3rd buffet pot, not a canning jar.
It's perfect, and a pretty good size, so I can heat and hold all of it for my 10lbs of finished product, without anything bubbling over the top. 15lbs is as much as I can make at one time though, and that's pushing it in these pots. If I ever want to go bigger than that, i'll have to either do it in separate batches or find a different method, but for me right now it's the perfect size for me to only have to make lotion once or twice a year, for my shows, gifts and myself (I use about 1-4oz bottle every 6-8 weeks just myself - but usually have 3 bottles going because I get tired of the same scent all the time! LOL)

 

[Seawolfe]

Sorry, the link was just to a simple hot plate on Amazon. I cant edit that original post so try this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B2WOWE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I only use the hot plate because my old gas stove either did very hot or nothing.

And yes, oils and water in the same pot and heat them. I understand that it might increase the risk of separation, but I've never had an issue. Irish Lass's method makes a lot of sense too.

When I did small batches I would use a dual hot plate (one for oils and one for water) -(I couldn't get your link to work - said page not found)

So you put your oils and water in the same pot and heat them?
I have heard of people doing this, but I've never done it. As long as it works, and it doesn't break your lotion, I think it's fine.
I'm in such a habit of doing things, I have a hard time changing.

 

[cmzaha]

I heat and hold and use a dual preservative in any lotions with hydrosols and/or infused oils. My 2 main lotions which have been challenged tested have never failed which I make by the gallon.

A couple of lotions with hydrosols and infused oils decided to grow mold in 6-8 months.Those lotions will not go out to challenge testing until I get them to stop showing mold with these kits. http://www.lotioncrafter.com/microbial-test-kit-4_pack-lotioncrafter.html. These lotions did not contain my 2 preservatives, and will be making some test batches with the 2 preservatives. It is such a lovely lotion I am determined to get it! None show bacteria, but grow mold over time. Lotions can be sneaky little devils but just as fun and addicting as soap to make. I highly recommend spending a few months testing.

I soak all containers and utensils in a bleach solution then follow up with my bactericide. I also recommend using distilled water only for liquid and using no proteins unless you want to spend months testing. My 2 failing recipes contain infused OO, hydrosol and wheat and or silk proteins. I will be making little batches adding in one additive at a time, to determine the culprit.

I forgot to mention it is the Germall Plus that cannot seem to hold against mold in 2 above formulas. So I will also be testing them with my dual system.