Lotion disaster!

[Mooicle]

Just finished second lotion attempt. First attempt made a nice lotion but was very thick...although it worked ok in my pump. So instead of adding more water on this one, I proceeded to add more cocoa butter. I know..stupid but hey. Well of course it thickened WAY too quick for me to get even inside my containers...except 1.5 of them....THEN I see that the alcohol I sprayed inside for disinfecting the containers hadn't fully evaporated!
So now there are little puddles of alcohol at the bottom of my lotion bottles...with lotion sitting on top

HELP!!!

Is this a throw away project now?

 

[dixiedragon]

I suppose you could empty the lotion back into a container and let it sit it (cover with a paper towel or clean dishtowel to keep stuff out of it) and let the alcohol evaporate out. Give it a good stir every now and then.

Not sure why you added cocoa butter if your lotion was already too thick?

I like this tutorial:
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/gift-series-lotion-tutorial-from-scratch-2/

When I want a lotion to package in a squeeze bottle, I use no solid oils and i up the water to 80% or so. I also drop the stearic acid to 2 or 3%.
Lotion in a jar - I use a little bit of shea and virgin coconut - IMO cocoa butter is too thick.

 

[Mooicle]

@dixiedragon
I have not yet seen that specific tutorial...I will take a look at that.

And thank you for the pointers...lotion seems to be stumping me like soap never did.

I don't have a solid reason why I decided to add more cocoa butter. I really liked my original recipe even though it was thick...and I was happy that it still came out of the pumps so well. The only thing my original recipe seemed to lack is that to me it wasn't providing me with the soft silky skin I wanted (aging skin and all). So I went back to the drawing board...added some glycerin and increased the cocoa butter, although what I was ORIGINALLY going to do was add water. Did the complete opposite, and I excuse myself from that because we are going to be empty nesters as of next week and my mind is going haywire.

I must say, though, that this batch is AWESOME as far as how it makes my skin feel.

Not sure if I will be able to dump out the contents of the containers with alcohol because it is THICK!!!

Do you think the lotion is usable with the alcohol at the bottom, or will it just dry out my skin?...OR what about using it until it gets to the bottom and then tossing it instead of shaking the heck out of it to empty out the container?

 

[dixiedragon]

If it's for your personal use, then I personally would use it until I hit the alcohol at the bottom. Not sure how much you made, lol.

 

[Mooicle]

If it's for your personal use, then I personally would use it until I hit the alcohol at the bottom. Not sure how much you made, lol.

It's for my personal use, although I had wanted to give some to my girls. The amount I hadn't somehow tried to shove into the containers I put in a tupperware container (sprayed with alcohol and fully dried first) and I have been using it and LOVING IT like you wouldn't believe. Exactly what I have been wanting so at least now I know NEXT time what not to do. Good thing is I made just a small amount. I think I went for a 12 oz batch so.....

 

[runnerchicki]

@dixiedragon

I must say, though, that this batch is AWESOME as far as how it makes my skin feel.

Not sure if I will be able to dump out the contents of the containers with alcohol because it is THICK!!!

Do you think the lotion is usable with the alcohol at the bottom, or will it just dry out my skin?...OR what about using it until it gets to the bottom and then tossing it instead of shaking the heck out of it to empty out the container?

Put it in jars and call it a cream.

 

[cmzaha]

I do have a lotion I use cocoa butter in and my other lotion contains shea butter. Both are in pump bottles with the larger diameter dip tubes. I use butters in the 6% range with water around 67%.