I am new here! I've been reading around the website, but can't find a good answer to my question so here goes. I made my first lotion last night, I used 70% water, 22% oil, 6% stearic acid and 2% E wax. I just used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer because I dont have a hand mixer. I did something wrong though. My lotion is super whipped and it's not thick at all. And the smell is a little weird. I'm not sure where thats coming from. I put it in the fridge and this morning it was a little thicker..but I'm sure if I left it out it would turn into a thin thin lotion. Do I need more stearic acid or something totally different! Can't wait to hear what you think and how I can make it better! I'm going to try and order some Shea and Cocoa butters and try to make a cream after I get this lotion thing figured out!!
Newbie with Lotion
- Thread starter crafty86
- Start date
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the basic recipe I use has 15% oil and 5% butter, which would thicken it a bit.
Also 5% emulsifier.
You did not mention if you used a preservative, but lotion will spoil without one and that could be the weird smell.
I will recommend you read swiftcraftymonkey site. Just google it, She has tons of helpful information on the various ingredients in lotions and what characteristics they add to a formula. I bought her ebook on lotion making 101 and it is soooo worth it.
Also 5% emulsifier.
You did not mention if you used a preservative, but lotion will spoil without one and that could be the weird smell.
I will recommend you read swiftcraftymonkey site. Just google it, She has tons of helpful information on the various ingredients in lotions and what characteristics they add to a formula. I bought her ebook on lotion making 101 and it is soooo worth it.
so maybe i should use less oil more water? or more wax? i dont have any butters. i need to get some. i thought the butters made more of a butter? i want a slighty creamy lotion haha. And i didnt use preservatives...they are exspensive and I wanted to make sure I could make lotion before spendin the money to preserve it. and the smell started when I mixed the oil and water together. It was kind of a weird smell. And what preservers do you recomend? Thanks again in advance!
kelleyaynn
Well-Known Member
70% water sounds like that might be too much. I've made a butter with 60% water that were relatively thick. Also, what type of oil did you use? I made another butter with 60% water, but it also had some liquid oil in it, and that never got thick. The one that thickened up had only mango, shea, cocoa butters, and coconut oil.
So I'd try using less water, especially if you are using any liquid oils. How much, I can't help you with, but you could play around with it.
So I'd try using less water, especially if you are using any liquid oils. How much, I can't help you with, but you could play around with it.
soapbuddy
Well-Known Member
I would increase the e-wax and leave out the stearic acid. I would also reformulate with less water. Don't forget to add your preservative. Some of them are temp sensitive.
Ok. I tried it again I used more stearic acid and e-wax. It still came out runny but it wasn't as "air-y" as the other was. I also ordered some preservative I got Liquid Germall Plus. I dont know much about it but they said it was a stronger one for water-oil mixtures. Hopefully I got the right thing! I'm going to try and make some lip balm...hopefully it'll be easier and I can ease my way into lotion and soap making 
thanks for all your help!! Hopefully I'll come here and say I got my lotion right!! Haha!
thanks for all your help!! Hopefully I'll come here and say I got my lotion right!! Haha!Lotions and creams can be very testy. We make them in workshops and some batches are great, others, not so much. The temperature of the oils and water phases are really important. We also noticed that some groups who were in draftier areas didn't get the same results...don't you just love all these variables? :shock:
I agree with what you are being told already.
Personally I would drop the stearic entirely and use 5% ewax. Liquid Germall Plus is the right way to go. If you are wanting a "creamy" lotion, reduce your water to 65% - your recipe should look like this:
* Soft Oils - 29.5%
* Ewax - 5%
* Water - 65%
* LPG - .5%
That should give you a nice lotion.....
Good luck and have fun!
Personally I would drop the stearic entirely and use 5% ewax. Liquid Germall Plus is the right way to go. If you are wanting a "creamy" lotion, reduce your water to 65% - your recipe should look like this:
* Soft Oils - 29.5%
* Ewax - 5%
* Water - 65%
* LPG - .5%
That should give you a nice lotion.....
Good luck and have fun!
OK. I made some again last night 65% water 5% butter 24.5% oil 5% ewax and .5% Preser. It looked great this morning when i woke up i touched the top and it was very fluffy cream! Til I started to mess with it more and theres a layer of water on the bottom :? I don't understand it. What am i doing wrong? On top it's perfect..but it's like sitting on a water cloud. HELP! please!!
I made some again last night 65% water 5% butter 24.5% oil 5% ewax and .5% Preser. It looked great this morning when i woke up i touched the top and it was very fluffy cream! Til I started to mess with it more and theres a layer of water on the bottom :? I don't understand it. What am i doing wrong? On top it's perfect..but it's like sitting on a water cloud. HELP! please!!
soapbuddy
Well-Known Member
If you used a Kitchen Aid, that won't give you enough shear power to emulsify the lotion. Get yourself a nice stick blender.
First off I want to thank everyone again!!
I went and bought a stick blender and waaa laaa! I have lotion! Very thick creamy lotion at that!! It worked almost immediatly. So I guess my problem all along was my mixing!!
Now I'm off to mess and see if I can get a thinner lotion.
Also, what does the greasiness come from? I used a little shea and cocoa butter. Along with avocado and sunflower oil. I know some people like greasy...but some don't!
I went and bought a stick blender and waaa laaa! I have lotion! Very thick creamy lotion at that!! It worked almost immediatly. So I guess my problem all along was my mixing!!
Now I'm off to mess and see if I can get a thinner lotion.
Also, what does the greasiness come from? I used a little shea and cocoa butter. Along with avocado and sunflower oil. I know some people like greasy...but some don't!
