Tried to make a lotion bar

[greasyspoon42]

I just learned lotion bars exist a few days ago. Thought I would make one for my wife since she flys a lot for her job and this could be TSA friendly. I have never seen one before so I do not know how soft they are. But mine was way too soft to travel. About as firm as a slushy snowball. Made one in a cup cake mold as a test with what I had handy. It was
34% soy wax
33% unrefined shea butter
33% avocado oil
3-4 drops of lavender EO

I just melted them all together and poured in to a cup cake mold.

How firm are lotion bars? I was thinking about swapping coco butter for avocado oil so may be that would firm it up. Any suggestions on how to firm them up? Or are they just firm enough for travel?

Thanks

 

[bookworm42]

My bars use beeswax instead of soy and are hard like an ice cube. They should very slowly melt when applied to warm skin.
I will page the wonderful resident expert @Zing to the front desk as well as the lovely soy wax loving @KiwiMoose. For their advice on this.

 

[Zing]

Good for you! Lotion bars are easy and inexpensive to make.

I use these molds for my lotion bars. I think they are for cake pops. https://www.michaels.com/product/pops-mold-by-celebrate-it-10103269 .

My bars are hard and melt when they touch the skin. Harder than chap stick. Even my bud in Hawaii loves it and says it doesn't melt in their heat.

I do not have experience with soy wax so I can't give you feedback on your recipe. @KiwiMoose just posted her recipe in reply to a recent post so you might do a search on her and get proportions that way. I can personally testify that she has fantastic lotion bars.

I use 1/3 each of beeswax, a butter, an oil + 1% vitamin E oil and 1% essential oil. I have used both shea and cocoa and like those. However, I mostly use mango butter now because it absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn't leave a greasy feeling. I have not used avocado oil in my lotion bars (but it's a staple in my soaps). I like rice bran oil, jojoba, meadowfoam seed, apricot kernel.

Keep us posted.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I second the mango butter ^ it absorbs so much better than shea. So does apricot kernel and meadow foam.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

What kind of soy wax did you use? GW 415 “soy wax” is actually partially hydrogenated soybean oil rather than a true wax. It melts at 125 F, compared with beeswax, which melts at 140 F or higher. I’m sure you could make a lotion bar with soy wax + a butter + a liquid oil, but you would need to play around with the proportions in order to end up with a bar that stays solid until it melts at body temperature.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Here you go:

Mine were soft when I started out with 1/3 wax, 1/3 butter and 1/3 oils. I adapted the recipe to add 5% carnauba wax which is very firm, and then replaced the Shea butter with mango to make it less greasy, plus a bit of either cocoa OR kokum butter, they act similarly. You can see from the recipe that it is 35% waxes, 37% butters and 28% liquid oils (which includes fragrance and vitamin E oils).

 

[greasyspoon42]

The wax I used was a freedom soy wax. Said it melts at 160 degrees.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07WRDQ373?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I will pick up some bees wax. The bar has firmed up some sitting out. I may also pick up some mango butter so I will play and see what works.

Thanks for the help.

 

[AliOop]

@greasyspoon42 Glad to hear that yours did firm up a bit. I also find that my lotion bars are firmer and less greasy if I put them in the freezer for an hour or so, and then let them "cure" in open air for at least a few days after that.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

The wax I used was a freedom soy wax. Said it melts at 160 degrees.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07WRDQ373?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I will pick up some bees wax. The bar has firmed up some sitting out. I may also pick up some mango butter so I will play and see what works.

Thanks for the help.

I've looked at that wax before and was surprised by the melt temp being so high. I checked at the link and it looks like 160 F is the recommended pouring temp (for candles). Down at the bottom of the description the melting point is given as 115-121°F." If you decide to try the soy wax again, I think you will need to cut the liquid oil. I'm guessing on ratios, but I would probably start with 40% soy wax, 40% butter and 20% liquid oil