I've been wanting to make lotion bars for about a year. I finally got around to it this week. My first attempt at a very SIMPLE recipe was successful. There are literally millions (okay, hundreds) of recipes out there if you care to search around. I wanted to start with something simple. I wanted to make something all natural as well. If you're not familiar with lotion bars, you SHOULD be! This is a hardened lotion that warms in your hands and melts so that you can rub it into your skin. They look sort of like a bar of soap. (I use a one-cup recipe. However, you can make as much or as little with this recipe. Just use one-part of oil and one-part of wax.)
Here is my simple recipe:
One cup organic coconut oil
One cup natural beeswax
Essential oil (only if you want a scented lotion)
Soap molds or silicone muffin tins*
*I've heard you can also pour this into empty Altoids tins if you want to carry it that way.
Instructions:
If you have a real double boiler, you can use it. I do not have one and have never used one. I used a pan filled 1/4 full of water, and a glass bowl on top of it as a "make shift" double boiler. It's best if you can grate or chop the beeswax. (Better yet, if you can find it in pellets, or already chopped, buy that! This stuff is a little difficult to chop up.) Let the water come to a boil, and then turn it down some. You don't really need it fully boiling to melt the wax and you do NOT want the water to get into the wax.
Put the beeswax into the bowl above the water. As it begins to melt, stir a bit. Once beeswax is about 1/2 way melted, add in the coconut oil. Allow it to melt together stirring only a few times. When it is melted into a complete liquid, add in your essential oils, if desired. I used 10 drops of lavender oil, and 10 drops of vanilla oil. (Note: You can use any essential oils that you personally like. You can add more or less depending on how strong of a scent that you want. But start small - too much really is too much.)
Immediately pour the mixture into your molds or muffin cups. (I used a silicone muffin pan for mine.) Now, here is the HARD part! Walk away! You'll be tempted to touch it and smell it and use it! Do not touch it until it is fully hardened. It needs about 2-3 hours to set up completely, or you can pop it into the freezer to hurry it along. I just let mine sit there for hours. Once it is set up, these bars just pop right out of the molds.
How to USE lotion bars:
These bars are lotion and not soap. They are not to be used with water or in the shower. Simply hold the bar in your hands. The heat of your hands will begin to slightly melt the outer portion of the lotion bar. Then rub the bar between your hands a bit. Next you can simply rub the lotion onto your skin. It's that simple!
You can use this anywhere you would normally use a moisturizing lotion or oil. I also use this as a lip balm. Next time I will pour a small amount into a very small tin or container JUST to use as lip balm. Also, I've wrapped mine in plastic for storage and carrying. Coconut oil melts at 76-80 degrees so you DO NOT want to take these out in any real heat or set them out in the sun. Store in a cool, dry place....or for some extra refreshment, pop them into the fridge and use them cold!
