Want to try Lotion bars

[JuLeeRenee]

I want to try to make myself lotion bars. Is anyone familiar with any of the recipes from Wholesale Supplies Plus?

 

[violets2217]

I was just looking through their recipe library and there are quite a few lotion bar recipes. Which one are you wanting to make?

ETA: Found this and it seems pretty informative: Learn to Make: Lotion Bars

 

[JuLeeRenee]

These were the ones I was looking at
Winter Wonder
Man in the Moon
Sand Dollar
I will bookmark and read the information you sent to me. Thank you very much for that.

 

[violets2217]

These were the ones I was looking at
Winter Wonder
Man in the Moon
Sand Dollar
I will bookmark and read the information you sent to me. Thank you very much for that.

They all sound pretty cool to me! I love Babassu Oil... It's just so expensive and doesn't seem to have a long shelf life for me. And see note about shea butter in the lesson link. It is a grainy butter. I use it in my lotion bars and have not used the "Smooth & Creamy Lotion Bar Additive" before & don't mind the graininess, but maybe someone here knows more about it.
The sand dollar recipe is one I'd like to try... Aloe butter and aloe powder seems like it would make a pretty creamy and moisturizing lotion bar.

I love WSP's kits... its a way to try something out without spending more than necessary on supplies. Also I never make the full amount of items provided...so I have left over supplies. Plus, they are super fun to unbox!

ETA: I'm going to make the Sand Dollar recipe tommorrow ...I'll let you know how it turns out! The only thing I don't have is the murumuru butter, never heard of it before. So I'll use either cocoa, shea or kokum butter. Can't decide! I read the description of murumuru and I'm not sure I'd like it in a lotion. it adds shine and they compare it to lanolin which I think would make a sticky lotion?

 

[JuLeeRenee]

Thank you for the information Violets. I love their kits too. I never have seem to have much leftovers that I have to find a spot to put them and hope I can use them before they go bad.

Can't wait to see how your try turns out. Now just to decide if I wanna try formulating one myself or splurging on a kit.

 

[violets2217]

So.. ends up I didn’t have aloe butter or avocado oil so I just formulated my own I guess! I did add the aloe powder and love the nice creamy color it gives the bars! Here’s my recipe:

32% Beeswax
32% Sweet Almond Oil
18% Cocoa Butter
14.5% Kokum Butter
2% FO (Twilight Woods)
1% Vitamin E Oil
.5% Aloe Vera Extract Powder

It hardened up quick, so definitely keep your double boiler hot water going to remelt for a smother pour. (I did not, hence the 7th bar scraped and smooshed into the cavity! It was extra anyways.)
It’s definitely going to be a medium weight lotion. What I tried from scraping the bowl was thick and creamy... not too greasy! And stuck through cleanup! I’m hopeful! Lotion bars are so fun to make!

 

[JuLeeRenee]

Looks really good. Love your mold for it. I have yet to order anything to make it yet. Hopefully in the next week or 2.

 

[Quanta]

I used to use shea butter in mine but it's just too greasy. I have found that mango butter and babassu oil are nice, and if you really want it to be even less greasy, add cornstarch at about 15%. I also use isopropyl myristate in mine to help the oils and butters absorb into the skin instead of sitting on the surface.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

I used to use shea butter in mine but it's just too greasy. I have found that mango butter and babassu oil are nice, and if you really want it to be even less greasy, add cornstarch at about 15%. I also use isopropyl myristate in mine to help the oils and butters absorb into the skin instead of sitting on the surface.

Do you know if there is a difference between cornstarch and arrowroot powder?

 

[Quanta]

Do you know if there is a difference between cornstarch and arrowroot powder?

I bought arrowroot powder to compare but haven't done anything with it yet. I will report back when I have. They are supposed to be very similar though.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

So.. ends up I didn’t have aloe butter or avocado oil so I just formulated my own I guess! I did add the aloe powder and love the nice creamy color it gives the bars! Here’s my recipe:

32% Beeswax
32% Sweet Almond Oil
18% Cocoa Butter
14.5% Kokum Butter
2% FO (Twilight Woods)
1% Vitamin E Oil
.5% Aloe Vera Extract Powder

It hardened up quick, so definitely keep your double boiler hot water going to remelt for a smother pour. (I did not, hence the 7th bar scraped and smooshed into the cavity! It was extra anyways.)
It’s definitely going to be a medium weight lotion. What I tried from scraping the bowl was thick and creamy... not too greasy! And stuck through cleanup! I’m hopeful! Lotion bars are so fun to make!


View attachment 57800

Wow' looks amazing' Sound like you created a great formula. Thx for sharing

 

[The_Phoenix]

I used to use shea butter in mine but it's just too greasy. I have found that mango butter and babassu oil are nice, and if you really want it to be even less greasy, add cornstarch at about 15%. I also use isopropyl myristate in mine to help the oils and butters absorb into the skin instead of sitting on the surface.

Interesting, What % of isopropyl myristate do you use in your lotion bars?

 

[JuLeeRenee]

I bought arrowroot powder to compare but haven't done anything with it yet. I will report back when I have. They are supposed to be very similar though.

I will be patiently waiting.

 

[Quanta]

Interesting, What % of isopropyl myristate do you use in your lotion bars?

Between 3 and 5%.

 

[Quanta]

I will be patiently waiting.

OK. I just made two small lotion sticks, and the only difference between them is one has cornstarch, and the other has arrowroot. I gave them to my mother to try and I did not tell her what the difference is, only that I wanted her to tell me if she can tell the difference between them. So we will see.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

OK. I just made two small lotion sticks, and the only difference between them is one has cornstarch, and the other has arrowroot. I gave them to my mother to try and I did not tell her what the difference is, only that I wanted her to tell me if she can tell the difference between them. So we will see.

Thank you

 

[Quanta]

OK. I just made two small lotion sticks, and the only difference between them is one has cornstarch, and the other has arrowroot. I gave them to my mother to try and I did not tell her what the difference is, only that I wanted her to tell me if she can tell the difference between them. So we will see.

OK, @JuLeeRenee
I heard back from my mother. She liked the one with cornstarch better, because it was more dry feeling than the arrowroot powder. I kept a smidge of each and tried them both myself, and I liked the arrowroot better because it felt smoother and silkier. It was also easier to measure because it clumps less than cornstarch.
So, I would say that one isn't "better" than the other, it just depends on what you like.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

OK, @JuLeeRenee
I heard back from my mother. She liked the one with cornstarch better, because it was more dry feeling than the arrowroot powder. I kept a smidge of each and tried them both myself, and I liked the arrowroot better because it felt smoother and silkier. It was also easier to measure because it clumps less than cornstarch.
So, I would say that one isn't "better" than the other, it just depends on what you like.

Thank you so very much for the information.

 

[DebbieA]

Hi everyone. I have made some great lotion bars, it was hard to get just the right consistency. That is done. BUT, I just can't get any color to work properly. I've tried several micas, even just a little. I've mixed the mica with sunflower oil first to make it liquid also, but each time, they come out great looking but within days they get mottled looking and crackly. They still feel good but look terrible. All the tutorials make it look so easy and beautiful. Thanks for any help.

 

[kaygrrl]

Hi everyone. I have made some great lotion bars, it was hard to get just the right consistency. That is done. BUT, I just can't get any color to work properly. I've tried several micas, even just a little. I've mixed the mica with sunflower oil first to make it liquid also, but each time, they come out great looking but within days they get mottled looking and crackly. They still feel good but look terrible. All the tutorials make it look so easy and beautiful. Thanks for any help.

You must try infusing your oils with a (natural) colorant! I got beautiful pink with alkanet infused oil.