Lotion Bar 101

[SuperPhat]

I tried making my first lotion bar yesterday. It was 1 oz. beeswax, 1 oz. castor oil and 1 oz. shea butter with a teaspoon of eo. It is so hard and waxy I could melt it down and use it to wax my legs...as far as using it as a lotion, not happening.

Every lotion bar recipe I find online has at least or almost 1/3rd beeswax. Does anyone have anything different? I'm going to melt mine back down and start adding more oils, but I'm wondering what percentages I should do.

This was my first attempt at anything besides cp soap. I'd appreciate any information you guys can give me.

Thanks, Heidi

 

[Tabitha]

I have done 1 oz. beeswax, 1 oz. assorted oil and 1 oz. shea butter & thought the bars were fine.

You just have to play w/ the recipe untill you like the texture. I would suggest you melt it back down & add oil just like you mentioned untill it is the texture, hardness you like. It's just a personal preferance issue.

 

[CPSoaper]

If you want a softer lotion bar, decrease the bw just a bit and up your oils a bit. It might take a few batches for you get down your percentages. I'd also suggest playing with other oils and butters since they can make a difference to the texture you get. I like cocoa butter and sweet almond oil in mine. I don't care for other waxes from bw either.

 

[chksdtr]

I have a recipe I made on my own... Here is what I do:

25% Beeswax
16.5% Cocoa Butter
25% Shea Butter
33% Sweet Almond Oil
.5% Vitamin E

I am with you, I like them a little softer, a little more "lotion" like. This is my favorite recipe!

 

[NeosoulSister]

I don't know the exact proportions of my lotion bar, but I also tried the 1:1:1 mix and I felt the bar was way too waxy.

What you might do is use a higher ratio of hard butters like cocoa or mango, that might give your bar firmness but still be melty on the skin.

 

[Zenobiah]

I hate beeswax. My skin rejects it. I hope that I might be able to experimentate to a lotionbar without wax but with cocoa butter.

 

[gallerygirl]

when you all are talking about lotion bars...are we talking as in a "bar" of lotion that perhaps you roll around in your hands and it melts??? I think I have seen these before. How do you package something like this? AND, did I ask this before somewhere else here?? Perhaps a little bad with memory...okay, a lot bad with memory. These sound awesome, just can't think of what you would sell them in, I guess a twist lid jar, but that doens't seem right to me. k

 

[CPSoaper]

I hate beeswax. My skin rejects it. I hope that I might be able to experimentate to a lotionbar without wax but with cocoa butter.

Try carnuba wax then. I've used it and found it to be a bit grainy feeling. but I must admit that I only used it once so I am sure that the grainy issues could be worked out.

when you all are talking about lotion bars...are we talking as in a "bar" of lotion that perhaps you roll around in your hands and it melts??? I think I have seen these before. How do you package something like this? AND, did I ask this before somewhere else here?? Laughing Perhaps a little bad with memory...okay, a lot bad with memory. These sound awesome, just can't think of what you would sell them in, I guess a twist lid jar, but that doens't seem right to me. k

They are also referred to as butter bars. Essentially it is butter in a stick. It isn't really a lotion since lotion is usually made with water and this is just made with equal parts bees wax, an oil, a butter and a body safe scent. You can tweek those amounts to get the consistency you like. I pour mine in roll up tubes kind of like lip balm tubes but larger.

 

[Tabitha]

gallerygirl,

A lotion bar is solid lotion. many people (myself included) use the exact same recipe for a lotion bar as they do for a lip balm. The only difference is that most lip balms have a flavor or candy oil added while most lotionbars have an EO or fo added.

Most commonly they are sold 1 of 2 ways, either they are made in a soap mold & then places in a tin so they are removed & rubbed on the skin & then replaced in the tin for storage, or in a twits up or push up tube very similar to a deodorant tube.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Like this gallerygirl;

These are nice tubes for this purpose.

Paul

 

[CPSoaper]

gallerygirl,

A lotion bar is solid lotion. many people (myself included) use the exact same recipe for a lotion bar as they do for a lip balm. The only difference is that most lip balms have a flavor or candy oil added while most lotionbars have an EO or fo added.

Most commonly they are sold 1 of 2 ways, either they are made in a soap mold & then places in a tin so they are removed & rubbed on the skin & then replaced in the tin for storage, or in a twits up or push up tube very similar to a deodorant tube.

Twits up? roflmao.. that was a funny typo. Sorry, I couldn't help it and had to razz you in fun.

Your explanation was a better than mine.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Those are twits up tubes I pictured Cp, what in the world are you talking about; typo?

 

[Tabitha]

Alright you twits ups, that is enough with the smark aleck remarks- LOL!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Alright you twits ups, that is enough with the smark-aleck remarks- LOL!

That is too funny Tab! LOL

 

[gallerygirl]

Hey, if it wasn't you Tabitha to make the typo, it would have been me. My morning has been less than desirable - so I needed a good laugh!

Thanks everyone for the information. Could I add a bit of cornstarch?? k

 

[dragonfly princess]

Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!! You said "TUBES"

hahahahahahahahahaha

that is what the teenager calls breasts

 

[dragonfly princess]

Ok here is what my lotion bar looks like:

 

[pepperi27]

My lotion bars are in 1oz tubes from bramberry.

 

[gallerygirl]

I will check tubes out. Thanks

 

[itsmeroro]

Its strange - I have been going through the same packaging issue -- I had a good friend demo the twist up LB tube tonight, and she said it reminded her too much of anti persperant (sp)... and she did not like that...

I also am going to try my bars without any wax - and use a hard butter instead. I did make a test batch with BW and do NOT like the feel... Maybe I can get it down with the new recipe...

roro