Well it’s almost Valentine’s Day and I keep thinking about lotion bars. Yeah, I know, that’s a weird connection but hear me out. It just so happens that V-day is in the wintertime, I live in the high desert and it is especially dry this time of year. It’s a drought everywhere including on my skin. I usually make heart shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day but this year I decided to make heart shaped lotion bars instead. My stomach may be sad but my skin is very happy.
I’ve read a lot about lotion bars and the ingredients are the same as most of my other skin concoctions except you need to add a lot more beeswax. That will make it solid at room temperature. I added shea butter which is great for your skin and essential oils for both their fragrance and their skin-boosting benefits. Lavender and geranium EOs are good choices for dry skin and cypress revitalizes skin but you can mix it up with other options like roman chamomile, helichrysum, sandalwood, lemon, frankincense, juniper berry or thyme. I only use therapeutic grade essential oils because they are of the highest purity you can buy. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and what you put on you, you put in you, so whatever brand you use make sure it is pure enough to take internally.
Put the coconut oil, EVOO, shea butter and beeswax in a glass jar (I used a wide-mouth pint mason jar) and place jar in a pan about half-full of water. Heat up water, stirring mixture frequently until everything completely melts. The beeswax will seem like it’s never going to and just when you’re about to give up, Bam!, it’s gone. Carefully lift the jar out of the pan (use oven mitts please, it’s hot!) and place it on a dish towel on your counter.
Immediately add arrowroot powder, by slowly sprinkling it into the oil, stirring vigorously at the same time to prevent clumping. Now you need to let the mixture cool for a few minutes because essential oils lose their medicinal properties in high heat. My rule of thumb is if I can hold my fingers against the jar for ten seconds without screaming, it’s ready to add the vitamin E and the EO’s. Not very scientific I know, but it works. To add the vitamin E, snip the ends of the capsules and squeeze into oil mixture. Add the essential oils and mix thoroughly.
Immediately pour the mixture into molds. You can use muffin tins or ice cube trays or soap molds but my favorite is a silicone baking pan. They come in lots of shapes and sizes so you can really customize your lotion bars. I was so excited that Valentine’s day finally gave me an excuse to use the heart shaped pan that I bought ages ago. Just wrap it up in some cellophane and what a great gift idea for someone special. Did you notice the one on the top left that got messed up? That will make a great gift for me. Mess-ups are a good thing in my world.
I’ve been using my messed up lotion bar (see above) for several days now and I love it. I mostly use it on my hands and feet and have noticed a big difference in how soft my skin is. And when it comes to soft, smooth skin there is nothing messed up about that!
1/4 cup extra-virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup beeswax
1/4 cup shea butter
1/2 tsp. vitamin E (or two 1,000 IU capsules)
1/8 tsp. arrowroot powder
15 drops lavender EO
10 drops geranium
10 drops cypress EOInstructions: Combine first 4 ingredients in a glass jar and place in a pot half-filled with water. Bring water to a boil and stir frequently until ingredients are completely melted. Remove jar from pan and place on a dish towel covered counter. Slowly add arrowroot powder, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once fully incorporated allow mixture to cool enough that you can touch the jar comfortably for at least 10 seconds. Add vitamin E and essential oils and stir to combine. Immediately pour into desired molds and cover with a piece of paper towel so nothing weird gets in there. Do not disturb for several hours and preferably overnight. Once completely cooled, remove from molds, wrap in wax paper or cellophane and store in a cool dry place.
Those look awesome! I think I’ll try it!
Thanks Annette and yes they are awesome. Come back soon!
–Leah
These are so cute!
Thanks Julie. They actually turned out cute enough to give as gifts which made me very happy. Stop by anytime!
–Leah
You had me at Luxurious Lotion Bars! Love this idea!
Hi Michelle–thanks for stopping by. I think every girl needs a little more luxury in her life and lotion bars are an easy way to get some. Good quality chocolate works too. Better yet–both:)
–Leah
Now..Leah, CHOCOLATE Luxurious Bars? There’s an idea! Those bars you made look good enough to eat! I LOVE your website…but what if a girl is too lazy to make said bars, and only wants to purchase some from you?? I can smell the Lavender now….
These would make great neighbor/friend gifts for Valentine’s Day ❤❤
Yes Rena, I totally agree. Your friends/neighbors are going to love you if you give them such a thoughtful (and useful) gift. Just make sure you mess one up so you can keep it for yourself 😉
–Leah
these look awesome. can’t wait to try!
Thanks Aimee. Your skin will thank you!
–Leah
I love this idea! My little sister LOVES using her essential oils. I will be sending her a pin with your link.
Hi Genevieve–so glad you stopped by. I love my essential oils too! Just make sure your little sister saves a lotion bar for you. That’s the least she can do:) Come back soon.
–Leah
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try to make these!
Thanks for the compliment Courtney! Come back soon.
–Leah
Oh, those sound really nice. It is so dry where I live, all the time, so they would be great to have. I will pin this for when I have a little time to try it out.
Hi Kathleen–thanks for stopping by. I live in the desert so, yeah, it’s dry here year ’round as well. I’m always looking for solutions and these really so the trick. Your skin will thank you:)
–Leah
I love lotion bars! When I made mine, I just threw the ingredients in my crock pot.
Hey Gabby–that’s a great idea, especially if someone were making a big batch. Thanks for stopping by.
–Leah
Great tutorial! I have never made lotion bars, but may just give this a try. My hands have been ever so dry this winter. ~Kelly
unDeniably Domestic
Thanks Kelly! Looks like everyone is suffering from dry skin this year. I actually put one on my desk on a soap dish so it is always within reach. You should definitely give them a try.
–Leah
Sounds great (they look pretty cute to boot)!
Thanks Janice. They are cute enough to give as gifts and who doesn’t love that? Come back soon.
–Leah
This type of thing has been on my list of things to try. Thanks for this…it makes it look easier than I thought. This is probably why it’s still on the list 😉
Hi Christi–thanks for stopping by. I really am surprised at how easy it is to make (some) things yourself even when they seem complicated. Definitely gives you a sense of accomplishment plus you get soft skin. Love that!
–Leah
Hey, Leah! These look like fabulous soap bars- can’t wait to try them! You’re doing good things. Miss laughing with you! (I think your by line should say “Farm Sold Separately!” LOL
Deb
Thanks Deb! Wish we lived closer to each other so we could make stuff together like lotion bars. And bread…lots of bread!
–Leah
I have all these ingredients..including the oils! Yea, I am going to make these today! Thanks so much for sharing on Oil me up Wednesdays at My Lamp is full@
You’re welcome Janine! Love your blog.
–Leah
Stopping by from Sweet Sharing Mon. THIS LOOKS AWESOME!
Thanks so much Carrie! Come back soon:)
–Leah
1/2 cup means how many milliliters?
Hi Zareena–thanks for stopping by. I should know this since I grew up in the Great White North but my metric is a little rusty. According to Google 1/2 cup is 118.294 ml but you could round up to 120 ml if that’s easier. Have a great day!
–Leah
This looks so simple! I really need to try it…maybe for back to school teacher gift? Thanks for sharing! #sitssharefest
Wow, Anne Marie, that is a brilliant idea and I’m going to steal it for teacher Christmas gifts this year. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
I will be making lotion bars this weekend. What is the purpose of the Arrowroot?
Cheers,
izzi~avis
Hi Avis–thanks for your question. The arrowroot powder is there because it cuts greasiness. You could also use cornstarch or leave it out altogether if you want. So glad you’re going to make these so have fun and let me know how they turn out.
–Leah
Hi Leah – Just made my first batch of lotion bars, and while they were easy to make and look beautiful, the shea butter smell is overpowering the essential oils. Should they have an earthy/cocoa-like smell? I bought unrefined, and when it arrived, it said right on the package for external use only. Did I buy the wrong type? Do you have a good source for shea butter that you could share? I’m very hesitant to use these (since what you put on you, you put in you), wondering if I purchased an inferior or product, or one better suited for other uses. Thanks. Kathy
Hi Leah – just wanted to st by and say congrats on getting one of the featured spots on the SITS Sharefest! That’s the big time. And these lotion bars look great!!
Thanks so much Adrian! Are you going to BYB2015? Hope to see ya there. 🙂
–Leah
Silly question, but I’ve never used a lotion bar. Don’t know anything about them. So when my hands are feeling dry, I just rub it between them? How is this different than say, using straight coconut oil or shea butter. Just the cuteness of it? 🙂 Or does the combination of all work better than each individually?
I’m looking forward to trying these. Is a silicon mold needed so I can pop out the final product? Or can I use a metal muffin tin?
Hi Marie–thanks for your question. You just rub a lotion bar between your hands or over any part of your body. The combination of ingredients are very nourishing for your skin. It’s really just a solid version of my Fabulous Skin Salve. So I guess the cuteness or novelty of it is a factor. I’ve only used a silicone mold so I can’t say whether a muffin tin would work. If you try it please let me know how it goes. 🙂
–Leah