Lotion bar recipe question

[Carly B]

Thanks, Dawni! I'm real big on "winging it." Measure and weigh for lye soap and baking, but mostly I'm an experimenter. My neighbor is vegan, and I made her a lotion bar with candelilla wax, mango butter, and sunflower oil, with a touch of arrowroot, and that turned out really nice. I wanted to try one with tallow for me, so I used 1/3 beeswax, and the remaining 2/3 into equal parts tallow, shea butter, and sweet almond oil. I forgot to add the arrowroot. It firmed up nicely and glides on easily. It's not that greasy feeling--it would probably feel even less greasy if I remembered the starch.

The fun is coming up with new blends. I want to try and create a recipe I really like so I can add a lotion bar to Christmas baskets and stuff.

 

[KiwiMoose]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

 

[linne1gi]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

Looking forward to @Zing’s input, for me, Coconut Oil is a liquid (I live in South Florida). I would need a harder butter to have it stay firm. I have a body butter I made last winter with SoyWax and Sweet Almond Oil, and Vitamin E. It’s still great!

 

[Zing]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

Woot woot! Welcome aboard! All the cool kids are doin' it!

CO is strange -- is it a liquid or a solid? I kinda count it as a liquid. I've also had success with using one-third of liquids (some combinations of 1 or more of the following, meadowfoam seed oil (mmm), apricot kernel, sweet almond, and jojoba). The 1/3 beeswax and 1/3 shea (or cocoa) butter keep it solidified. I do make lots of lotion bars with 1/3 coconut oil but it is slow to absorb. When I have money to splurge I'll buy meadowfoam seed oil (mmm), jojoba, etc. because they absorb quicker and are less greasy.

But, hey, with lotion bars, it's sooo easy to experiment so just jump in, re-melt, tweak as needed!
Are you doing unscented or scented?

 

[KiwiMoose]

Woot woot! Welcome aboard! All the cool kids are doin' it!

CO is strange -- is it a liquid or a solid? I kinda count it as a liquid. I've also had success with using one-third of liquids (some combinations of 1 or more of the following, meadowfoam seed oil (mmm), apricot kernel, sweet almond, and jojoba). The 1/3 beeswax and 1/3 shea (or cocoa) butter keep it solidified. I do make lots of lotion bars with 1/3 coconut oil but it is slow to absorb. When I have money to splurge I'll buy meadowfoam seed oil (mmm), jojoba, etc. because they absorb quicker and are less greasy.

But, hey, with lotion bars, it's sooo easy to experiment so just jump in, re-melt, tweak as needed!
Are you doing unscented or scented?

Scented with either orange blossom or rose geranium. Or some bars of each?

 

[KiwiMoose]

Looking forward to @Zing’s input, for me, Coconut Oil is a liquid (I live in South Florida). I would need a harder butter to have it stay firm. I have a body butter I made last winter with SoyWax and Sweet Almond Oil, and Vitamin E. It’s still great!

So do you think the 70% of shea and soy wax combined would be enough to keep it solid at room temp?
Our CO is also liquid here at room temp in the summertime.

 

[Zing]

So do you think the 70% of shea and soy wax combined would be enough to keep it solid at room temp?
Our CO is also liquid here at room temp in the summertime.

My geography is horrible but I think Hawaii is closer to the equator than New Zealand. For what it's worth, my friends in Hawaii love my lotion bars that are 1/3 each of beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil, that they arrive in the mail as solid bars and stay solid. And they're constantly begging me for more.... So....

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

let us know how you like it.

 

[Complexions]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

That's a good place to start. If you find it a bit to soft or melty, try these tweaks: 15% shea with 15% cocoa butter to firm it up some.

If it seems too greasy, reduce CO to 5% and add that 5% to the soy wax (also helps it firm up too).

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

I’ve tried the WSP Recipe for lotion bars with the hemp seed oil and it was a very heavy. I’ve come to realize I don’t like hemp oil at all from the smell to the texture after feel. No one who tried my bars liked them either.

My regular recipe has shea butter, coconut, cocoa butter, and beeswax. I’ve got lots of soy wax from a candle project that I think I’m going to try! @KiwiMoose i love hearing about your soy wax adventures.

 

[Zing]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

Ahem!! Any update??!!

 

[Quanta]

OK - I'm about to get on this bandwagon. I'm going to try soy wax in mine. I've ordered apricot kernel oil, shea butter, and meadowfoam oil to go in. Is it true @Zing that it will take up to 1/3 liquid oil? Do I need CO 76 degrees to help it stay firm?
I'm going to try:
40% Soy wax
30% Shea Butter
10% CO
15% Apricot Kernel Oil
4% Meadowfoam Oil
1% ROE
How does that sound?

Be careful with the ROE. Too much will accelerate rancidity, and 1% is really a lot. DeeAnna has suggested usage rates on her website. I would go with the amount she recommends adding to oils for storage.
https://classicbells.com/soap/ROE.asp

 

[KiwiMoose]

Ahem!! Any update??!!

Patience grasshopper - my supplies won't be here until Tuesday.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Be careful with the ROE. Too much will accelerate rancidity, and 1% is really a lot. DeeAnna has suggested usage rates on her website. I would go with the amount she recommends adding to oils for storage.
https://classicbells.com/soap/ROE.asp

Yes I see that now, it should be 0.1%, thanks for the warning.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I’ve tried the WSP Recipe for lotion bars with the hemp seed oil and it was a very heavy. I’ve come to realize I don’t like hemp oil at all from the smell to the texture after feel. No one who tried my bars liked them either.

My regular recipe has shea butter, coconut, cocoa butter, and beeswax. I’ve got lots of soy wax from a candle project that I think I’m going to try! @KiwiMoose i love hearing about your soy wax adventures.

I'm not a fan of hemp seed oil either. I'm currently using a conditioner with hemp in it, and it's a bit stinky.

 

[Juggsy]

@kiwi soy wax you should get away with at 40% depending on are you north or south Island. Does your Shea butter stay solid? Or even semi solid. Most lotion bars go on 33% wax (can reduce if using carnauba or candelilla wax) 33% butters 33% liquid oil. 1% fragrance.
You can play greatly with recipes. I don't use arrowroot etc in mine - defeating purpose in my opinion, but some like it. Exfoliating lotion bars are my favourite.

Someone above (must admit to just skimming) said you would have to use a gummy mould for single uee lb. This is not true. 20g bars are very doable - sell to massage therapist and she started with 20g bars to start. On dry skin, full body massage she's using 40g.
Lotion bars are very popular but a b**tch to post. Especially in Queensland I hate posting them. I wrap them in that weird foil stuff... but still prefer not to send.

 

[KiwiMoose]

@kiwi soy wax you should get away with at 40% depending on are you north or south Island. Does your Shea butter stay solid? Or even semi solid. Most lotion bars go on 33% wax (can reduce if using carnauba or candelilla wax) 33% butters 33% liquid oil. 1% fragrance.
You can play greatly with recipes. I don't use arrowroot etc in mine - defeating purpose in my opinion, but some like it. Exfoliating lotion bars are my favourite.

Someone above (must admit to just skimming) said you would have to use a gummy mould for single uee lb. This is not true. 20g bars are very doable - sell to massage therapist and she started with 20g bars to start. On dry skin, full body massage she's using 40g.
Lotion bars are very popular but a b**tch to post. Especially in Queensland I hate posting them. I wrap them in that weird foil stuff... but still prefer not to send.

Do they melt in the post? I've bought some little tins for mine to go in - I was planning on making approx 40-50g bars.
We get hot and humid weather where I live - nothing like Queensland of course - but in latter years it's been creeping up to 33 degrees some days, with high-ish humidity. Our CO is liquid in the summer, but my shea butter stays solid. Would you class the CO as a liquid oil? I think I would in my case.

I think the difference with the USA is that they pretty much all have air-con in their homes so they don't 'feel' the outside temp. Air conditioning has only become a thing there in the last 10-15 years and it's usually just in one room. We are lucky to have it in both our living area and the master bedroom, but most people just have it in their living area. So if people are storing their lotion bars in a bathroom it's still likely to be exposed to a high heat/humidity environment.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Juggsy]

Do they melt in the post? I've bought some little tins for mine to go in - I was planning on making approx 40-50g bars.
We get hot and humid weather where I live - nothing like Queensland of course - but in latter years it's been creeping up to 33 degrees some days, with high-ish humidity. Our CO is liquid in the summer, but my shea butter stays solid. Would you class the CO as a liquid oil? I think I would in my case.

I think the difference with the USA is that they pretty much all have air-con in their homes so they don't 'feel' the outside temp. Air conditioning has only become a thing there in the last 10-15 years and it's usually just in one room. We are lucky to have it in both our living area and the master bedroom, but most people just have it in their living area. So if people are storing their lotion bars in a bathroom it's still likely to be exposed to a high heat/humidity environment.

Thanks for the tips!

Yeah, they can sometimes. Mine go in tin too first then foil - I tell people if it's a really hot day, just to not open the tin until it's cooled down.

So outside might be 35° but package is being delivered likely to be over 45° sitting inside an AP van then gets zoomed around.

I've found they will stay in shape rather then completely liquefy. So if you touched it likely to collapse.

I would class CO as a liquid oil. My Shea butter looks like slush already.

I don't have Aircon. Well there's a unit in the lounge right above the stairs to down stairs. So I don't use it. I did try and even using an industrial fan (I don't have ceiling fans. I have big Cat fans) it didn't cool the house down. Too many places for the air to escape to. The rent is cheap, I can see the ocean and a forest (watching it get divided for housing ) and I don't plan on moving until youngest is older.

Aircon I believe is mandatory in new housing in QLD. I could be wrong but I think they followed suit from the territory.

My wicked (good) step mother hasn't been home since before covid but she said that a couple of years ago that Aircon is getting traction back home (NZ) and my niece was in shock when she moved to Wellington (we all cut that she didn't go north - it's a pride thing but she fell in love with a Southie) look at me babbling again. Constant today....

 

[KiwiMoose]

Ahem!! Any update??!!

A little bit greasy - should I wait a few days before using?

 

[Zing]

A little bit greasy - should I wait a few days before using?

Interesting. I thought they'd be hard cuz of all your wax. And meadowfoam, rice bran, and apricot kernel usually absorb quickly into the skin.

I'm not 100% scientifically sure about this but I don't think time does anything to lotion bars.