Lotion Help Needed

[calimmm]

I'm fairly new to lotion making and I'm running into a challenge... I've tried different combinations of oils and butters and run into the same problem with each combo. The lotion consistency & glide feel great, most of it soaks in but, it leaves a sheen of oil behind and as it soaks in makes my hands feel like they're drying out... obviously the goal of lotion is to leave you feel moisturized so I need to fix this...

Whatever combo of oils & butters I've tried (to see if it was a particular oil or butter) I've stuck to 15% oils & 5% butters

Do I have my percentages wrong or am I missing something? I'll post my most recent recipe to give an idea...

70% water
7.5% apricot kernel oil
7.5% avocado oil
2.5% cocoa butter
2.5% shea butter
5% e-wax
3% cetyl alcohol
.5% vitamin e
.5% preservative
1% fragrance (i've been leaving this out until I come up with a good recipe)

thanks in advance for the help!

 

[BakingNana]

I'm definitely not a liquid lotion expert, but in one of my lotion bar custom orders I use Isopropyl Myristate and it seems to help cut the greasy feel and help the penetration of the oils/butters. Would that help? Can someone with more liquid lotion experience comment on IM and whether it would help in this situation?

 

[calimmm]

hmm, I haven't used Isopropyl Myristate but I did see it mentioned while researching possible solutions.

I'm wondering if it could possibly be the shea butter? I realized last night that It's actually the one ingredient I've used in all the combos I tried...

 

[AZ Soaper]

I swear by IPM. I use it in my coconut milk lotion and it absorbs very nicely and the after feel is great. Now in my Olive oil lotion I do not use it and I ave that really greasy heavy feel. Both are big sellers. The one with IPM is a big seller with my nursing friends because they need dry hands but my olive oil is a big seller with people who live in winter climates.

 

[ToniD]

I know the kind of emulsifier I use changes the feel of the lotion. I made lotion with BTMS and liked it so much I made another of the same recipe except I used a different emulsifier--and it was not near as nice. Leaves my hands with a drier less conditioned feeling.

 

[Catmehndi]

Wouldn't alcohol be the drying culprit here? Is it necessary for your formula?

 

[ToniD]

Wouldn't alcohol be the drying culprit here? Is it necessary for your formula?

cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol--not drying. It adds glide and spread-ability to a formula. The name makes you think it would be drying though. :?

 

[calimmm]

I think the problem was the Shea Butter, apparently it's drying to my skin. I switched it out for Mango Butter and it's much better...

 

[chowsr]

Lotion

Weird shea, mango, and cocoa butter have basically the same chemical structure, though I agree adding mango seems to make the preps nicer. I would have added glycerin to the mixture, because it is a humecant (attracts moisture) to skin. I should try the Isopropyl Myristate though. I have some hanging around the house.

c

 

[bathscentsations]

I would think it would be

the shea and cocoa butter that may be the trick. I never put those in a lotion before. I have used those in a balms and butters recipes. The butters seem to be more greasy than the balms.