My skin gets really dry in the winter months: dry enough to crack, bleed and hurt. I do my best to keep my hands moisturized and one of the ways I do that is using a lotion bar I make myself.
A couple years ago I didn’t even know lotion bars existed. But then, a kind girlfriend gifted me one and I was hooked! Of course, I had to look up some easy homemade lotion bars recipes and learned that making lotion bars is not hard at all.
Easy Homemade Lotion Bar Recipe
There are many lotion bar recipes, but they are basically all made of 3 ingredients. And for my recipe I use equal parts of these (1/3 cup of each):
- beeswax pellets (I used these)
- unrefined shea butter (this is the one I like)
- oil (I used this sweet apricot oil)
Of course, I added essential oils (20 to 25 drops of each), because I want to enjoy the extra moisturizing and calming benefits of essential oils. I added frankincense oil for its healing properties and lavender oil for its relaxing effect.
If you want to get fancy, you can add a bit of color or glitter, but I like mine just plain.
Tools You Need To Make Lotion Bars
- glass measuring cup (I made mine in one of these measuring cups so I can pour it easily)
- mixing spoon
- a pot with simmering water
- silicone molds
Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Glass Measuring Cup with LidFreshware SM-110RD 12-Cavity Silicone Mini Valentine Heart Muffin, Brownie, Cornbread, Cheesecake, Pudding, Jello Shot and Soap Mold
Longzang 12-Flower Silicone Cake Chocolate Craft Candy Baking Mold
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How To Make Lotion Bars
I started out by measuring the beeswax and shea butter and adding them to my glass measuring cup. I then placed the measuring cup into a pot with simmering water (a makeshift double boiler), and stirred it every couple minutes until they melted.
Be careful to to overheat these: they’ll lose some of their healing properties and might become grainy. As soon as the beeswax and shea butter melted, I added the sweet almond oil, and let them all in the hot water for another couple minutes, until it was all melted (adding the cool sweet almond oil clouded the already melted mixture, and it just needed a couple more minutes to go back to liquid).
As soon as my mixture was liquid, I took it out of the hot water and let it sit for a few minutes to cool just a bit before adding the essential oils. I added 20 drops of frankincense oi and 25 drops of lavender oil. Them, stirred to mix in the essential oils and then poured my mixture in a heart shaped silicone mold.
After letting it cool for about an hour, I popped them out of the molds: BEAUTIFUL!
Of course I had to try one right away: it felt just slightly greasy for a minute or two, but after that my hands were silky and soft: just what I was looking for!
That was so much fun! Hope you give it a try!
This recipe sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing.
This recipe sounds great. This may be the recipe for the 1st ever soap I make. Thank you for sharing this.
I’m glad you like it Sandy. this recipe is for lotion bars, not soap. Just wanted to make sure you understood that.
What would you use to add Color? Haven’t had good luck with food coloring.
Joanne, you could use chlorophyll for green, cocoa powder for brown, beetroot powder for pink, etc. Just be aware that some of them might make it a bit more grainier than normal. Some people also use food coloring.
If I poured this in a metal mold and put in freezer for a bit, do you think they would pop out, Or stick? I have a tea cake pan that would make lovely bars but worried about them getting stuck in there. Also, is there a way to get a printable version of this recipe? I’m trying to make a notebook.
I’m sorry: I have a feeling it will stick. But there are so many silicone molds that are very pretty!!! I’ll see if I can create a printable version over the weekend.
How much of each ingredient? Shea butter, bees wax, and oil. I see how much essential oil. Thank you! Anxious to try. Need something gluten free and this is perfect.
Melinda, I updated my recipe: I can’t believe no one asked before. I used 1/3 cup of each.
Thank you so much! I just eyeballed it last night. I am happy with the results but they are a little greasy. Also, for some reason the fragrance of the essential oils did not come through, probably because I used to much of each. I did like 3/4 of cup of shea butter and 1/2 cup of bees wax.
I battle dry skin every day that is so bad I have scratching fits almost to the point of actual scratches on my legs, arms and hands! It’s horrible!
I would like to make a healing lotion that I can use throughout the day…I would also like for it to smell exactly like suntan oil…any suggestions?! Please help and thank you very much in advance!
Donita, for healing, I suggest a mixture of frankincense and lavender oils. But I have no idea how you’d get suntan oil scent.
You could use coconut oil instead of the almond oil, Donita. That would help with the suntan oil scent. Also if you’re using a raw, organic cocoa butter, you want it filtered so it doesn’t smell so chocolate unless that’s the scent you’re going for. Just speaking from experience. I also find that grapeseed oil works well.