I love lotion bars! These have been wonderful for my winter dry skin. I used to coat my hands at night with petroleum jelly (before I knew what was in it), because it was the only thing that helped with the dryness. Normal lotion didn’t help much at all, plus I don’t like the fragrance of most lotions, and many have questionable ingredients. Since I do a lot of dishes and wash my hands frequently, these bars have been a godsend. No more dry skin for me! My only regret is that I didn’t try them sooner, since they are so easy to make. The smell is light and pleasant, and they absorb fairly quickly. (Note: I did change my diet a little, too, which can also help with dry skin.)
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What is a Hard Lotion Bar?
A hard lotion bar is lotion that is solid at room temperature. They are a wonderful skin care option to heal and protect extremely dry skin, such as hands and heels.
Most start with three ingredients:
- Wax – typically bees wax
- Butters – my favorite is cocoa butter
- Oil – I prefer coconut oil
To this base, you can also add vitamin E for longer shelf and/or essential oils for fragrance and healing properties. If you enjoy working with herbs, you can infuse herbs into oil and then make the lotion bar with the infused oil.
How Do You Use a Lotion Bar?
Using a homemade lotion bar is easy. Simply hold the bar in your hands to allow your body heat to warm and soften the bar. (If your hands are cold, you may need to rub enough to create a little friction.) Rub the bar directly on the desired area, or rub the bar on your hands and use your hands to apply the lotion to other parts of your body.
In the video below, I demonstrate how to make the lotion bars and how to use them. (If you don’t see a video, make sure you have ad blockers turned off.)
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Easy Lotion Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter (Buy Cocoa Butter or Buy Shea Butter)
- Oil, such as Coconut Oil or Olive Oil (Buy Coconut Oil)
- Beeswax (Buy Natural Beeswax)
For instance, 2 ounces of each ingredient. If using liquid oil, you can measure by volume. For instance, 2 ounces of olive oil to 2 ounces by weight each of cocoa butter and beeswax.
If you don’t have a scale, you can measure by volume, such as one cup cocoa butter, one cup coconut oil and one cup beeswax. This will make a softer bar. For a firmer bar, use one cup butter, a half cup oil and a cup of wax (or similar proportions).
Instructions
- Place butter, oil and wax in a heavy bottom pot or double boiler. You may also use an Instant Pot on the “keep warm” setting. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by placing a glass bowl or wide mouth Mason jar in a small saucepan of water.
- Heat gently, stirring regularly, until ingredients are melted.
- Pour into molds.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from molds. You can chill the bars in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to speed up the process. The finished bars do not require refrigeration.
Options:
Add 1 teaspoon vitamin E per 12 ounces of bar for increased shelf life.
Add essential oils of choice after lotion bar mix is removed from heat, before pouring into molds.
Start with around 10 drops per 12 ounces of bar. Remember, with essential oils, a small amount goes a long way. If you’re using cocoa butter, keep in mind how the EO you choose will pair with the scent of chocolate. Mint and orange essential oils are popular pairings with cocoa butter.
You may also make your bars with herb infused oils, such as plantain oil, which is great for skin issues, or dandelion oil, which is wonderful for muscle aches.
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How to Make Lotion Bars – Step by Step
It’s helpful to start with small pieces or shavings of solid ingredients so they melt quicker.
Here’s a shot of all the ingredients as they begin to melt. In this batch, I used two ounces by weight or volume of each ingredient. I weighed the beeswax and cocoa butter, and used a liquid measure for the oil.
When everything has melted completely, pour the liquid into molds of your choice. If you have lip balm tubes, pour the tubes half full and allow the hard lotion to set up slightly, and then finishing filling the tubes.
I like to set my molds on a baking sheet to keep them level and easy to move around.
12 ounces of product fills one of the pink rectangular bar molds, making six bars. In the photo below I also filled small containers with lids to use as lip balms.
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After several hours, the lotion will be firm and hard and should release easily from the mold.
What kind of beeswax do you use for lotion bars?
I like to use unrefined beeswax for my lotion bars and other homemade beauty products. This wax is yellow in color. We buy ours in bulk from a local apiary, and then chop off bits as needed for projects. An easier option to use is beeswax pellets or pastilles. You can also use refined beeswax, which is white in color, but I enjoy the fragrance of the unrefined wax.
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Lotion Bar Molds
I prefer the basic oval bars or rectangular bars, but the boys liked other shapes when they were little. I bought these years ago at a local craft store, but there are some super cute molds available now like this animal shapes mold.
You can also use shaped ice cube trays (like hearts or stars), muffin tins or candy molds. Just stick to the basic recipe if you’re using any containers that you plan to reuse for food. (Essential oils can leave a lingering scent and/or flavor in the molds.)
