How to Make Shea Butter and Lavender Lotion Bars

Want to make an easy and versatile, almost do- it - all - lotion?  Look no further than these lotion bars, made with shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil!

I first discovered lotion bars a few years ago, just after I had started making soaps and was looking to make more of our own skincare products.  I was quite intrigued by how a product could be so versatile, both in form and in use.  I first made it purely out of curiosity, never expecting it to 'work' or for me to love it!  It has now become one of the sought-after products in our range. 

By definition, a lotion bar/massage bar/body oil bar is really a solid oil bar, made of a good ratio of hard oils (think shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax) and liquid oils, that melts in contact with your body heat!  As the names suggest, it can be used as a daily lotion or a massage bar, offering good pressure to those sore muscles. 

FORMULATION

A well-formulated lotion bar should be hard enough not to easily melt in room temp, but have enough give to melt quickly once rubbed between warm hands.  It should be more glidy and not too draggy on your skin.  It also should absorb and penetrate into the skin fairly quickly and not feel too heavy, while leaving a protective barrier againsts dryness, without feeling greasy.  It's a lot to ask from one product, but it's possible.  It will all be  a function of the particular oils and butters chosen.  Different oils bring different characteristics depending on their fatty acid profiles.  It is important to balance these very well in a lotion-bar to get that "just right" consistency. 

VERSATILE

Lotion bars are more versatile by nature, you can use them at home, or pop them into your handbag, due to their size.  Use them as a daily moistureriser, a lipbalm, footbalm, undereye balm, a quick smear on the hair to seal in the moisture.  They are easy to use.  Just a quick rub between the hands should leave you with enough melted oils in your hands to rub anywhere on your body.  This is one product you won't leave home with out once you start making some. 

The best news is that they are absolutely easy to make, and you can choose to scent them or leave them unscented. So now you can go right ahead and make your own.

Here is what you need to make your own:

• Molds- cupcake silicone mold work great, or chocolate molds. 
• (Makes approx 10 bars)
• 80g Shea oil (can substitute for coconut oil)
• 100g Coconut Oil
• 136g Beeswax
• 68g Cocoa Butter
• 68g Shea Butter
• 4.5g  Lavender essential oil (optional)
• Lavender flowers (optional)

Instructions

1.  Melt beeswwax on the stove using the double boiler method.
2. Melt the cocoa butter in a serperate pot, once melted add the shea butter.  Stir until it melts and the add the coconut oil and the shea oil.  
3. Mix the melted beeswax and the melted oils together
4. Add the Lavender essential oil and stir thoroughly.
5. If using flowers, mix a small amount of the oil mixture with the flowers and spoon into molds.
6. Pour the oil mixture into molds (50g is a good weight to pour) and quckly put into a freezer for about an hour
7. Remove from the freezer and let it come to room temprature before enjoying it!

 Enjoy

Yours in natural skincare

Zikhona