Trying lotions again

[FlybyStardancer]

So, I wasn't really happy with my one lotion attempt last year, but I feel I'm ready to try again! (My skin could also really use some lotion-love right now, and I don't want to buy any, ha!)

Here's what I'm thinking for a recipe:

500g total.

15% HO Sunflower oil
5% Mango butter
5% WSP conditioning emulsifier (comparable to BTMS-50)
73% DI water
1% FO
.5% Liquid Germall Plus
.5% Vit E

Does that look about right to more experienced folks? I based it off of SwiftCraftyMonkey's lotion tutorial.

Another plus for this attempt--I finally have a smaller scale that can measure to .1g! (My previous attempt was done with the only scale I had, whose smallest increment is 1g.)

 

[DeeAnna]

Overall, I think it should make a decent lotion. I don't know what you didn't like about your first lotion, so I have some questions for you to think about:

What is your goal for the lotion? Do you want a light lotion or a heavy lotion? Do you like an oily or dry skin feel?

Will you use this as a general body lotion or do you want a special purpose lotion to use on your hands or face or feet or ???

If you make a tiny test blend of your fats -- 3 drops of the sunflower to 1 "drop" of mango butter -- how does that feel on your skin?

Some thoughts:
The conditioning emulsifier will tend to give a slightly drier skin feel than the two oils together, so if the oil+butter feel just a little too greasy, it's likely the conditioning emulsifier will tone that down.

You don't list a thickener such as cetyl alcohol or stearic acid, so I would definitely keep the emulsifier % at the 25% level, since there's no separate thickener to help stabilize the emulsion. The mango butter will do some thickening, however, so that may be plenty good. I truly don't think this recipe is wrong without a thickener ... just pointing out why you might not want to go below the usual starting point of the emulsifier being 25% of the oil phase ingredients.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

The first one ended up a lot thicker than I wanted (I was trying to make something that could be used in a spritz bottle), and I could get the emulsion to stabilize. My goal then was a leave - in hair conditioner/detangler. This time I'm just going for a general-purpose body lotion. I don't put lotion on my face (too sensetive), and I've never used anything different/special for feet. I'd prefer it on the drier side, since my goal is to have something I can put on right after the shower, and it won't have a lot of time to sink in before clothes go on.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I've also been going back and forth on including zinc oxide... I've been meaning to use some I'd purchased, but I'm also trying to rein myself in and not go TOO crazy here. lol I can always make lotion bars with the zinc (which I had a little more success with).

 

[Chefmom]

The first one ended up a lot thicker than I wanted (I was trying to make something that could be used in a spritz bottle), and I could get the emulsion to stabilize. My goal then was a leave - in hair conditioner/detangler. This time I'm just going for a general-purpose body lotion. I don't put lotion on my face (too sensetive), and I've never used anything different/special for feet. I'd prefer it on the drier side, since my goal is to have something I can put on right after the shower, and it won't have a lot of time to sink in before clothes go on.

if you want something that you can spray on, it's light, leaves your skin lovely and silky, you can add your own fragrances to it....maybe try Essentials of Catalina's Botanical Body Mist. It isn't heavy or greasy, I have been using it for about a year now, I just towel off, spritz, spritz, a quick rub with my hands and it absorbs quickly. My skin feels LOVELY as well.

google the company, they sell it in a 4 ounce sample size, and it's under body spray bases.....the botanical extract one.

 

[Lindy]

It is a misconception that you need your emulsifier at 25% - that would make a cream not a lotion. Yes Stearic thickens which is why, unless you are like the skin feel, I don't recommend stearic acid. Try making your lotion with 5% ewax and then move it up from there. My lotions are usually 69% water, 5% Stearic, 1% Preservative, 2% fragrance and the balance oils & butters. Adjust your recipe and try it at those levels.

 

[Dorymae]

A very basic leave in conditioner is just btms50 in water. Also the water is the predominate part at 97-99 percent. This will spray, now you can add very small amount of oil to that and still have it sprayable. Try something like 2 percent btms50, 1 percent sunflower oil, 1 percent fractionated coconut oil,.5 percent vit E, .5 percent preservative and 95percent distilled water. It should feel quite nice and will be sprayable.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Chefmom, Dorymae-The spritz hair conditioner/detangler was only mentioned as context. I've completely abandoned the idea and it's not what I'm looking to make!

Lindy-So my oil/emulsifier amounts look about right? I have stearic acid (for a shaving soap attempt I swear I'll get to...), but I left it out to avoid having something thick & heavy that would take forever to absorb. (I immediately go from shower to drying off to getting dressed. I'm not good at adding time for anything in the mornings, so leaving myself time for lotion to absorb isn't really doable for me!)

 

[DeeAnna]

"...69% water, 5% Stearic, 1% Preservative, 2% fragrance and the balance oils & butters...."

And if your emulsifier is 5% of the total as you mention, Lindy, then the emulsifier is about 18% of the oil phase (fats + stearic acid), which is within the realm of reason to the 25% rule of thumb.

I definitely think the "25% rule" is just guide, and I often use less emulsifier than that as well. But, hey, it's a reasonable starting point.

FBSD -- Yes, your oils and emulsifier amounts look fine. If you try this version out and it's too heavy, experiment with a tish less emulsifier and make up the difference by adding water. Yes, the emulsion may fail if you use a lot less emulsifier, but as Lindy's and my comments show, a moderate amount less will be fine.

 

[Chefmom]

Chefmom, Dorymae-The spritz hair conditioner/detangler was only mentioned as context. I've completely abandoned the idea and it's not what I'm looking to make!

Lindy-So my oil/emulsifier amounts look about right? I have stearic acid (for a shaving soap attempt I swear I'll get to...), but I left it out to avoid having something thick & heavy that would take forever to absorb. (I immediately go from shower to drying off to getting dressed. I'm not good at adding time for anything in the mornings, so leaving myself time for lotion to absorb isn't really doable for me!)

The product I mentioned above is a body spray, for your skin. It can also be used in your hair, but since you mentioned not wanting to wait for lotion to absorb I immediately though of this product. You spray it on, rub for a second with your hand and it is absorbed and dry and leaves you skin silky and feeling like you have used a very light lotion. In my opinion it fit your description of something quick to use when you are in a hurry and it's made with botanical extracts and isn't oil based. I think it's a lovely product and it takes my favorite scents very well with the help of polysorbate 20, which Essentials of Catalina also sells.

 

[Dahila]

I would add some hydrosols instead of Distilled water. Then cetyl instead of stearic acid, so it is not dry and draggy.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I made it last night! It's so white and creamy-looking, and smells divine. There were a couple moments of controlled panic and "oh no, did I screw up?!", but those passed. Now the test will be in the usage... (And man, I knew it would thicken up as it cooled, but the degree it did surprised me!)

 

[Lindy]

Congrats!

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Thanks!

I went and used a tiiiny bit of it this morning as a leave-in conditioner... and oh man is the ends of my hair soft now! And my hair isn't even dry yet. lol It's making me want to get more of the ewax and make a dedicated conditioner... (Though WSP looks like they may be getting rid of it, sadness.)

 

[DeeAnna]

Oh, you tumbled to that trick too! I also use a tiny dab of my hand/body lotion on the drier parts of my hair -- especially if the lotion has conditioning emulsifier in it. (Cond. emulsifier works better on hair than e-wax.)

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Well, it is conditioning emulsifier... WSP's generic of BTMS-50. I'm absolutely horrible at using just a tiny bit of product in my hair, so I got a glop out and smeared it on my arms until I had just a thin coating on my hands, and then ran it through. I needed to grab a tiny bit more for the tips of my hair, but it otherwise worked very well. I had to try to keep the amount small, since I used 4x the oils/butters that I probably would have used if I was deliberately making a conditioner... lol