How to Make Lotion Bars

I made these this winter, and I LOVE them.  The hardest part for me was waiting for the beeswax to melt (took forever, it seemed) and then finding something to pour them into.  I love the way this feels on my skin… 

I most definately will make these.  A great idea for that little gift you want to give to someone when you have no money !!!!   

In a pinch you can pour them into a cardboard box lined with wax paper and then just cut when they are done

LOVE this! I can’t wait to try it… where do you buy pure shea butter & pure cocoa butter? Thanks!

THANK YOU!  I am so excited to make these.  I have a question: while I use tropical traditions coconut oil to cook with/internally, would it be ok to use less expensive (expeller pressed) oil for things like lotion? 

I love lotion bars!  I order my handmade toiletries from LUSH online, but it can be spendy, and since my income is limited, I cannot order as often as I like, so- I believe I will give it a go once I have all of the ingredients.  Where would one go to get the beeswax pastilles??  I live in St. George, UT.  It is a small and “narrow” town.  Though it is not as “narrow” as it once was…
It is good to know I can make these now all on my own!  Thank you!  Sugar scrub recipe?

So excited to make these and can’t wait to hear how you make the deodorant and neosporin bar!

What an awesome idea.  I use straight coconut oil right now, which is similarly solid that turns to liquid on skin, but I might try this in order to encorporate scents.

And I can’t wait to hear about the cosmetics.  I’ve been wanting to make lipgloss.

Oh, and I made them in our silicone muffin tin…they popped out really easily after hardening.

May I ask where you were able to purchase the ingredients? 

with this lotion, can you use it on your face as a moisturiser before putting on makeup?
thanks 

I want to hear about your all natural make up! I’ve been looking everywhere! I don’t wear alot of make up, just mainly eyeshadow and mascara and want something more natural to replace it with!

Hello,  
I could not find beeswax pastilles, if I melted beeswax pucks down would that work instead?

giving only hand made gifts this year and i made a batch for mom for mother’s day.  so easy and so quick!  thank you for sharing

Just made these last night.  Awesome project with my four year old niece (who ended up just playing in the coconut oil, but that was to be expected.)  In the end, not sure if I like the final product or not.  Next time I will probably add more beeswax just because I’d like them to be harder. Great recipe and lots of fun though ! Thanks. (:

You can use almond, avocado or even olive oil, just reduce the oil by 1/2 and up the beeswax by 1/3

4 ounces should be about a cup of each, I think. I haven’t weighed, but I think I’ve been getting about 4 cups per pound.

All the ingredients are shelf stable so they should last at least several months

Are these good to use on the face? 

I have been looking for natural recipes for lotion, shampoo, conditioner, etc. I am so excited to find your blog! I do have one question: I am allergic to Mango, do you have any recommendations for a substitute?
Thanks!

I make a quick and.. well, not dirty… but quick and easy, if a bit sloppy, moisturizer with just coconut oil and a bit of MCT Oil. (or jojoba oil).  (Warm it for 4-5 seconds in the microwave to mix, then let reharden, if it will.) It doesn’t solidify at all when it’s at all warm in the house, but I keep a towel specifically for wiping off excess oil. I spread oil on my face, and esp. neck and chest, then brush my teeth, the wipe off the excess oil and go get dressed. My skin is great!  Thanks for the idea of beeswax — it would be nice to NOT have it be almost-liquid!

LOVE the idea of making my own lotion! I have severe excema and have a really hard time finding something that is natural but gives enough moisture to my face.
If I wanted to gift these, how would I package them? What is the shelf life?
Thanks!

Do you have a body butter recipe? This one sounds great but I’m looking for something with a softer consistancy–yet non-greasy? Also, my baby has eczema and I was told I could add Calendula or Chamomille and I currently have tons on dried Chamomille flowers. Do I as for too much? Thanks in advance!

Do you have any information on the approximate cost per bar? I am wanting to make a big batch of these to put in goody bags for a retreat, but I am on a strict budget.

I’m not familiar with that preservative, but if it is approved for cosmetic use, I would think you could. Depending on where you live, they should still be fine outside of the fridge, they just don’t handle the beach very well!

I store in ziplock bags in the fridge…

Made this this morning I agree with an above poster that the shea butter doesn’t exactly have a pleasant smell, lol. Anyway I wasn’t sure how practical bars would be  for me so I poured it into a mason jar instead. A little definitely goes a looooong way! I think I like it in the jar, even for gifting..you could tie a little cute spoon to the lid for scooping.. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
 

Sorry… should have specified this. You use them as you would a bar soap, but on dry skin after showering. The heat of the skin melts a tiny bit of the bar and it transfers to the skin when you smooth over your skin. Basically, a less messy and much more moisturizing way to use lotion…

Emulsifying wax would also work

Hi is there any way to not use beeswax ? I myself do not have beeswax or the other subsitutes that I know of candelilla wax and the other one. I would love to make this it looks really cool. I really hope that there is a way that I don’t have to buy beeswax but may use something more common?

I actually just make it in a glass jar that I use only for this. That way, all the oils and beeswax are in there and don’t touch the pan. I just put some water in a small pan, set the jar in there and keep over medium heat until everything in the jar melts, stirring the whole time. Easy clean up…

Can you use raw unrefined Shea butter?

Re cleanup, I’ve had a lot of luck using baking soda to clean up from any of my recipes using beeswax. I put all of my implements (spoons, wisk, beaters) in the bowl and wait until the mixture has cooled but is still just a bit soft. I sprinkle baking soda over everything and use a paper towel to scrub everything with the baking soda. The baking soda will absorb and contain the mixture. You may need to add more baking soda as you go, but eventually I end up with something with the consistency of wet sand that I can shake out into the garbage. Everything can then be washed normally without fear of causing a huge kitchen sink clog. This is one of the few times I use paper towels, since I also don’t want to have to clean wax out of my kitchen towels, but usually only end up using one or two.  I use them to cover the counter and as spoon rests during the process and then use the same ones for the cleanup.

I was wondering how you store these after they are made? 

I followed your link to order beeswax, but it is sold by weight, not volume, so idea how much to buy. What would you suggest in order to make a batch or two of lotion bars? Also for the assorted butters?

I made these for the first time last spring. My family and friends all love them! My grandson’s feet get terrible cracks in them from wearing flip flops and this is like miracle lotion on them! Thanks for such useful and easy recipes!

First off, Id like to say thank you for the recipe! I could not be more excited to try.
I just bought all the ingredients that I could on Amazon, but I couldn’t find a good bottle of the Vitamin E oil to add…I know it says that it is optional, but it also says that it is the preservative. Is the vitamin E oil truly optional, or will my lotion bars go bad in a week without it? Thank you for your help

excellent! thank you

I have coconut oil, lots of beeswax but no Shea, cocoa butter or mango butter. I do have lanolin. Thoughts?

Do you know if substituting palm wax for the beeswax would work? I have palm wax pellets on hand already and am looking for a good way to use them up. Excited to try out your recipe!

How many bars does are made in the one cup of each batch. Bars the size of a bar of soap. Thanks

Just made these, and they smell wonderful! My question is, how soft should they be?
I can easily dent them by pushing my finger against the bar, and find that I don’t need to “warm it up in my hands” it’s quite oily right away. I used equal 1/2 c. measurements. Thanks!
- Jenny

Woot! I just ordered some mango & shea butter, pellets, baking soda, and some almond oil. Super stoked to make some lotion bars for my deployment!

I just made a batch and I’m finding my creations to be pretty greasy, any suggestions? I chose to use just shea butter–should I try a combination? I’ve read and heard that jojoba oil is the best for your skin (similar qualities)–should I try to reduce the amount of coconut oil I use and substitute some of that with jojoba oil? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks for the tip! I’m having a nightmare cleaning my kitchen utensils…

Just dip the bottom of the muffin tins in hot water and they should pop out…

Thank you! Sorry my typing/grammar was off.. was kinda recovering from surgery, so I blame some pain meds for making my thinking a little cloudy. I put my muffin pan in the freezer (because I was impatient and wanted to make sure they hardened before the morning…) and they popped right out!

I made them about half the size of a muffin tin cup. (They look the same size as yours)

I made these today (finally!). I used mango and cocoa butter and omitted the shea butter to avoid the smell some people found unappealing. These came out just wonderfully. It was so easy to make and they smell awesome, and the consistency of the bars is just perfect! I let mine cool in the fridge. They were just firm enough, but still smoothed onto the skin very nicely. I live in an extremely dry climate and these lotion bars are the best! By far the most moisturizing and skin softening product I have ever used, and I feel so good knowing they are all natural and made from simple, good ingredients. Sorry for the long review, but I cannot recommend these highly enough. Thank you SO much for this recipe!!

I really want to make these – but, of course, I have a question. I seem to be sensitive to coconut oil (it stings my skin) – so, could I make them without using the coconut oil?

Yep, just use 1/2 shea butter and 1/2 liquid oil like almond oil in place of the coconut oil

Can I use Aloe Butter?

Either one will work. I use unrefined…

Thanks, just making sure!

I haven’t actually used it so I don’t know for sure, but if it has the same texture and is meltable, it should work.

Thanks

Goodness. I just had this problem last night. I used 1/2 cup as well- so disapointed that it didn’t work!! They’re like goo in the silicone cups this am and I bought all the stuff from Mountain Rose Herbs- will remelt and add more beeswax for sure! Thanks.

I have a quick question. I’ve tried making a batch of these with Shea butter and another batch with cocoa butter but both smelled kind of weird. I’m wondering if it’s the beeswax that has the weird scent? I am using a big block of yellow beeswax that I cut up, is there a different kind of beeswax?

The essential oils definitely didn’t cover it I haven’t tried mango butter yet but maybe I should try a different brand of beeswax first. The kind I got was from Jo-Ann I think and they had yellow or white but I don’t know what the difference is.

Do you know another place I could purchase beeswax, other than online? Thanks for your help! I’m almost glad to hear I’m not the only one who grabbed stinky beeswax

How do you store your lotion bars to keep them clean? (i.e. pet hair, etc)

Thankyou for this recipe. Tried a test just using a tablespoon each of coconut oil, Shea butter and beeswax (which I grated) but forgot the vitamin E (even though it was sat right there… I get too excited…lol) and it worked a treat – made 1 small bar and its worked perfectly. I have sensitive skin and am worried about using essential oils so went with clementine food flavouring for this one… Will have to experiment with the oils now as I love these bars.

Am thinking that the next one might have some green tea in it and a few of the tea leaves on the top… Should look nice

Since it is all oil based, I think this would ruin the recipe…

Yes you can remelt no problem…

What kind of vitamin E oil do you use and where can it be purchased? I have just been using the oil from some vitamin E capsules I have, but I don’t think they are organic or all natural.

Gulf wax wouldn’t work, would it?

It was just next to an herbal tea that spilled in my cabinet, so there are little flecks of peppermint on the outside…

So I make soap and have a wood soap mold that I stupidly thought would work for this so I could have perfect bars….I’m such an idiot! As soon as I poured the concoction into the lined mold, it started leaking! Duh! Anyway I quickly lined a baking pan. I’ll melt and try again later…but aside from the fiasco I think it’s going to be nice!

Do you use these lotion bars in place of soap? I have very dry skin and my daughter has eczema terribly bad. I am looking for something to help. Thanks

You should weigh the ingredients for something like this. Or melt all before measuring. That is the only way to get ‘equal parts’. Those beeswax pellets have a lot of air in between them.

Hi,

First off, love your blog. Quick question; do you have to cool these in silicon cups, or can you use muffin tins? Or would they stick? I like the shape of yours, but don’t have silicon bake ware. As option b, I can just use parchment and a cookie sheet, but I prefer a round shape.

Thanks.

Thank u for sharing your recipe. Im sorry if sounds silly but im new to this and Im worried if there is an alergic reaction to a essential oil if sun exposure?

Made these last night and I am in love! Fantastic lotion for the whole family. My kids find them amusing too and keep asking to put on more lotion. Well done!

Note that you can buy cocoa butter that has been deodorized if the mild cocoa smell is not a trait you want in your bar.

To make them actually harden so they are bars, but still melt to go on skin..

Thanks for sharing. I made mine last night and this morning they were hard to get out of my cupcake tins. I used a spoon and was able to scoop them up, but they are a little soft. Do you think I may have added a little too much shea and cocoa butter? I used up all the beeswax I had and plan on ordering more today. Do you think I can melt them again when my beeswax arrives to firm them up a bit? Thanks!

You can definitely re-melt and add more to firm them up…

Coconut Oil?

Add more coconut oil or a liquid oil like almond… did you measure the ingredients dry or melted and what measurement did you use?

Are these lotion bars to be used in the shower like a bar of soap OR just to rub on body as you would lotion?

Yes, I added coconut oil to the lotion bars and they turned out wonderfully!

Could you suggest some essential oils that work well in this recipe? Thank you!

Just tried this and it worked great! However, I realize I HATE the smell of coconut oil. Do you have any suggestions for substitutes? Or ways to mask the coconut smell? Thanks!

How do I replace the beeswax please? Thank you!

I haven’t experimented with other waxes but there are some other options…

When I made these, they left my hands feeling greasy! How can I make these bars so they don’t do this?

Making these now! I am SO excited!! Going to add lavender and vanilla and call them “Sleepy Princess Lotion Bars” for my 5 year old niece

I use silicon when I can, but if using metal, just turn upside down and heat lightly with a hair dryer to get them to pop out…

EVERYTHING is made of chemicals… every ingredient you listed is a sort of chemical.

Is there an alternative to beeswax for this recipe for vegans?

Hi,
I tried the above lotion bars loved it so much and I can see my kids skin is so smooth and lovely.. But I have only one question, the bar are a little hard and I have to really rub a lot of times between my palm before I can get any amount of it on the skin..I live in Washington, northwest..How can I make them a little softer but yet retain their soap like consistency..Thanks and looking forward to trying the others as well.

Natural body scrubs are a combination of organic ingredients
which require massaging your body once in a week or two. This greatly
helps to remove dead cells, energize your skin and offer slow aging of
your skin.

I made these last night and they are AMAZING. I will definitely make them again. Followed your recipe exactly and the texture is perfect. I had purchased lotion bars before in the past for much more than it cost me to make a dozen bars. Thanks! I will definitely be making these as presents.

They sell coconut oil in a liquid and solid form, just curious if youve used both? Or are you referring to the solid form in this recipie?

You can definitely do that

I use a similar recipe for my face moisturizer, except that I leave out the beeswax. The last time I made it, I think I overheated the shea butter and coconut oil while I was melting them together–I heard a popping sound in the pan, and when they cooled, the texture was different–softer.
I am concerned that I’ve damaged some of the nutrients in the shea butter, and maybe shouldn’t even use this batch. What do you think?
Next time I won’t heat them on the stove, but in a jar like you recommend.

My daughter in law made the lotion bars & they are awesome. I was wondering if it could be made also with coconut butter along with Shea or the other butters?

DO I have to put the lid on the mason jar as it is all melting??? Oops…making now…..but without the lid… :{

I just made my first batch of lotion and it has set…I used a bit of it, and its feeling just a bit sticky. I used equal parts (weighed) of my butters, the coconut oil and beeswax. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to alleviate this?

I have added spices before, but only to make it look interesting. The ammount you would need to make it have a strong smell might make the bar a little gritty.

You definitely could and you could also remelt with more beeswax to make them firmer

Agree on the scent, will reduce the amt of Shea and cocoa butter

I found this site/recipe via pinterest and I wanted to share some thoughts. I made this recipe with equal parts of 1/4 c. bee’s wax, emulsifying wax, coconut oil & shea butter. I also added a few drops of Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil & Lavender Essential Oil and even a few freshly ground lavender buds. I heated the oils and added the essential oil, etc–then I poured them into a tiny, individually lined muffin pan and put them into the fridge for approximately an hour or so. It was a huge success! It produced 8 bars, and I have them in a large mouth jar on my bathroom counter. These are amazing. Thank you so much for posting this recipe, and thanks to the commenters and Wellness Mama for answering all of their questions- it was very instructive.

The ingredients in the post above are linked to the ones I get…

I love the peanut butter cup look…I would use that shape for the sunscreen bars and a regular shape for the lotion bars. I wonder if that was an actual mold?

Hello Katie,

I stumbled on your blog a few days ago and made the lotion bars today. Oh gosh, they are terrific to use, a little richer than expected (perhaps the weather is partly to be blamed, it’s a little hot and humid today). I added rose geranium essential oil it. Very lovely indeed!

May I ask what I ought to reduce to make it less rich (fatty) – I am new to making homemade lotions. Appreciate your advice and thank you for sharing your ideas!! Love your blog!!

probably the butters are doing that… adding more beeswax will make it thicker but less oily…

Would carnauba wax work as a substitute for beeswax? I am vegan would love to try this recipe but do not use beeswax.

I was going to try to make these today, but I, unfortunately, bought some unfiltered beeswax. I already opened the bag it came in, so can’t take it back. Any suggestions?