Lotion Bar - coconut NOT greasy??

[LynetteO]

I made lotion bars for Christmas 1/4 CO, 1/8 cocoa butter, 1/8 Shea butter, 1/4 grape seed oil & 1/4 beeswax. I liked them but felt a skosh too greasy. Made another batch. Omitted CO & shea & left everything else in them. (= parts Beeswax, CO, grape seed oil) These lotion bars are hard but melt much quicker & take longer to absorb. I’m so surprised! Really surprised actually. Remelted, adding back Shea & CO. Less greasy now. Thoughts?

 

[lsg]

Susan Swift recommends the use of mango butter, babassu oil, fractionated coconut oil, dimethicone and cyclomethicone as ingredients to decrease greasiness and increase glide in lotion bars.

 

[squarepancakes]

My climate is hot and humid year round, so greasiness is really icky. My first attempt was with the trinity of 1:1:1 beeswax, coconut oil and cocoa butter. It was too sticky and greasy for me, so I went to check out oils that were fast absorbing and adjusted with grapeseed oil.

My best attempt so far is a combination of 2 parts coconut oil, 2 parts beeswax, 2 parts grapeseed oil and 1 part cocoa butter, 1 part shea butter then just a tiny splash of FO. I would like to cut the beeswax further but honestly dont think my weather will be kind to it, this bar absorbs rather quickly to a "moist but not greasy" state. Once I'm done with the current batch I might toss in some cornflour (I have some at home) to help further reduce the initial greasiness.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Remelted, adding back Shea & CO. Less greasy now. Thoughts?

I have zero experience with lotion bars, but I do have experience with what happens during solidification of cocoa & shea butter. tl;dr: It's complicated. You can't add coconut oil to chocolate because CO is an “incompatible” oil to CB, i. e. it will make CB crystallise in ways it shouldn't (grainy, greasy, crumbly). Then there is the “crystal seeding” thingie, i. e. when you have melted up your half-recipe bars just barely liquid, there are still tiny crystals floating around that “memorise” that the solid fat should be firm and snappy, rather than greasy and oily. When you stir in the CO, they might remember the former crystal state, and give you a nice feel again.

If you're happy with the results, take most pedantic possible notes (maximum temperature during remelting, CO temperature etc.), try to replicate it, and when it succeeds, be happy that you have improved your process!

 

[TheGecko]

You can also add arrowroot powder or tapioca starch.

 

[AliOop]

I can’t stand CO in my lotion bars at all - it adds a greasiness that never absorbs into my skin.

Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege to try some made by @Zing that are CO-free and amazing! Hopefully the King of Lotion Bars will pop in to give you some tips.

 

[Zing]

Ooh ooh ooh, @AliOop 's got my number! And what was that you called me again? King?
I love to evangelize and expound on lotion bars!

@LynetteO , it seems like the question you were asking is that you used the same ingredients and the same ratios -- but one batch you melted all together, and one batch you did in two meltings. I do not have an explanation for you on the reason for a change in greasiness. But isn't it super cool that if you don't like a batch, you can just re-melt and re-work your ratios? Love the immediate gratification.

My basic recipe is 1/3 each of beeswax, butter, liquid oil. I have used various butters and liquid oils -- but only recently found an amazing combination. Truly, I feel like all the lotion bars made previous were inferior products. I recently switched to mango butter and it's like night and day! It is not greasy at all and absorbs very quickly. The liquid oils I've used include jojoba, meadowfoam seed (another favorite!), sweet almond.

I don't know the science or specifics but I heard that using vitamin E oil at 1% prevents rancidity -- and grapeseed oil has a relatively short shelf-life. I also check eocalc for usage rates on essential oils but they're generally at 1%.

Here's a good article on oils and their properties, Learn to Make: Whipped Body Butter - Wholesale Supplies Plus

 

[LynetteO]

I can’t stand CO in my lotion bars at all - it adds a greasiness that never absorbs into my skin.

Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege to try some made by @Zing that are CO-free and amazing! …

I felt the same way about the lotion bars made with 1/4 ea: beeswax, CO, butter (Shea/cocoa) & liquid oil (grape seed). So when a gift recipient asked to pay for some MORE I wanted to make a better bar. I decided to omit the CO as I felt it was greasy & too long to absorb, but when the CO was omitted, bar was still greasy. I did omit Shea too, sooo

@ResolvableOwl said: ”If you're happy with the results, take most pedantic possible notes (maximum temperature during remelting, CO temperature etc.), try to replicate it, and when it succeeds, be happy that you have improved your process!”

I couldn’t agree more! Tried subbing GW415 soy wax for beeswax in second ever batch & finished bars too soft. Pretty sure you posted said wax was basically “2/3 oil 1/3 wax” as far as soap qualities anyway. So I melted bars again & added a “skosh” beeswax & they are best yet. I took zero notes & thus agree with your advice !
Still having fun however!

 

[squarepancakes]

Tried subbing GW415 soy wax for beeswax in second ever batch & finished bars too soft.

Never tried using soy wax for lotion bars myself but I make candles with them. 415 is a softer wax meant for container candles. In my place it's actually rather mushy. You could probably try some soy wax meant for pillar candles if you would like to explore that approach.

 

[Hope Ann]

Never tried using soy wax for lotion bars myself but I make candles with them. 415 is a softer wax meant for container candles. In my place it's actually rather mushy. You could probably try some soy wax meant for pillar candles if you would like to explore that approach.

415 is pure soy wax, no additives. The others have them and may not be skin safe. Lots of other vegan waxes to try.

Hope

 

[LynetteO]

Never tried using soy wax for lotion bars myself but I make candles with them. 415 is a softer wax meant for container candles. In my place it's actually rather mushy. You could probably try some soy wax meant for pillar candles if you would like to explore that approach.

I purchased GW415 to use in soap because it’s cosmetic grace, additive free & safe for skin. I really love it in !

 

[lucycat]

I agree that Susan Swifts recommendations are spot on. Cutting part of the shea for mango really to reduce greasiness.

 

[AliOop]

@LynetteO try the formula that @Zing posted above: ⅓ each beeswax, mango butter, and a soft oil that absorbs easily. This could be jojoba, argan, meadowfoam seed, almond, grapeseed, etc.

His bars are not greasy at all and have the perfect texture for melting on skin. Kukui nut butter works in place of mango, too. Of course, I live in a fairly dry northern climate, so you may have to adjust ratios for your climate.

 

[squarepancakes]

415 is pure soy wax, no additives. The others have them and may not be skin safe. Lots of other vegan waxes to try.

Hope

I purchased GW415 to use in soap because it’s cosmetic grace, additive free & safe for skin. I really love it in !

Interesting, never really noticed this since I pour 464 or 415 blended with beeswax for my containers. Good to know!

 

[LynetteO]

@LynetteO try the formula that @Zing posted above: ⅓ each beeswax, mango butter, and a soft oil that absorbs easily. This could be jojoba, argan, meadowfoam seed, almond, grapeseed, etc.

His bars are not greasy at all and have the perfect texture for melting on skin. Kukui nut butter works in place of mango, too. Of course, I live in a fairly dry northern climate, so you may have to adjust ratios for your climate.

I will try the @Zing recipe! I too live in dry northern area!