How to make lotion bars…

These little lotion bars are just absolutely heaven. They slide over your skin in a delicate way that leaves your skin feeling soft and decadent. Lotion bars can take some time to get used to. Most of us put lotion from a container on our skin and the light weight of it can feel nice at first but can leave your skin feeling like it needs more to drink.

And the best part about making these yourself is that you can add whatever herbs you want to meet the needs of your skin. In this recipe I used three different types of dried herbs chamomile, lavender and calendula. And as an added bonus, I added some skin healing essential oils too.

There are a few things to take into consideration when making these little beauties. First consideration is oil. You can use any type of carrier oil that, again, fits your skin needs. You may need to play around with your lotion bar recipe to see what makes your skin happy. One thing I do not suggest removing from this recipe is the shea butter. This is going to give your bars some depth to its moisturizing abilities.

Second consideration is adding in essential oils. There are so many beneficial essential oils for the skin. This can really tailor your lotion bars to the very needs of what you are looking for.

And third consideration is your herbs. You can used fresh or dried. When using fresh be sure to rinse off your herbs of any bugs or dirt AND allow to dry for a bit before infusing in your oil.

Here are some suggestions on carrier oils

Jojoba oil:

This oil is a light weight delicate oil. It is a wonderful choice for sensitive skin. It goes on silky smooth and soaks into the skin evenly without leaving a sticky residue behind.

Almond oil:

Almond oil is a more thicker oil that can really moisturize the skin. It is high in vitamin E. It also has been known to protect cells in the body from free radicals.

Coconut oil:

This oil is a great option when deciding on oils. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is a light weight oil that goes on very nicely.

Argon oil:

Argon oil is one of the most heavenly oils I have come across. The feel of this oil is just absolutely incredible. It goes on smoothly without leaving your skin feeling heavy. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Hemp oil:

This oil has an incredible healing properties to it. It is known to help support eczema, psoriasis and even lichen planus. This oil provides the skin with tons of moisture however, tends to be a bit heavy on the skin.

While there are so many other carrier oils out there and you possibly have your own favorite, these are the oils that we use on a regular basis for one reason or another. I’d love to hear your favorite carrier oil and why in the comments down below! 😉

Here are some suggestions on herbs to use

A quick side note: when using any ingredients, be sure to use high quality products. Your carrier oil should be organic, cold-pressed and raw (depending on the oil) if possible. I put links of the carrier oils that we personally use in the descriptions above. Your herbs should be humanly sourced, definitely organic and non-gmo. If we cannot grow it in our own garden, I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. This company won me over a long time ago because of their standards and high quality products.

And lastly, your essential oils. This topic pains me because the level at which I try to stress just how important it is to purchase high quality oils never really translates. The deal with essential oils is that the FDA does not regulate them. Actually there are a lot of herbal medicines that the FDA does not regulate because herbal medicine cannot be patented. So they don’t waste their time running adequate tests.

I only use doTERRA brand. I did a ton of research and it is the only brand that I trust to use on me and my family. You can read more about why we choose this company over here.

Back to my main point! 😉

Lavender:

This is just a given in our household. Lavender is one of those herbs that I can not get enough of. Especially if you have it available for most of the year in your garden. Lavender is a skin herb. It helps heal burns, wounds, scraps, irritation and so much more. Plus the smell is positively elegant.

Chamomile:

Chamomile is a soothing herb. It helps soothe the skin of irritation with eczema, psoriasis, acne and other irritations. It is also another wonderful smelling herb that brings comfort to ones soul.

Calendula:

This herbs is known to be a skin herb. It helps support cuts rashes, wounds burns and skin irritations. It also has anti-aging and collagen producing properties to it, making this a wonderful choice for your lotion bar.

Rose:

Rose is a beautiful herb that is known to promote circulation. It has wonderful antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. Rose is also high in vitamins A, B-3 D and E.

These are to just name a few. If you happen to have your favorite herb throw it in your lotion bar and see how you like it.

Here are some suggestions on which essential oils to use:

I used three oils in my bars, all these oils support the skin in one way or another:

Cedarwood:

Helps support psoriasis, eczema and acne. Its main constituents are Alpha-cedrene and Cedrol. It has a beautiful wood smell that promotes a calming effect on the central nervous system.

Lavender:

Lavender helps support sunburns, scars, burns, wounds and blisters. Its main constituents are Linalool, a-terpineol, Linalyl acetate and b-ocimene. This oils has a tranquil relaxing smell.

Frankincense:

This oil is made from a resin, it helps support wrinkles, wounds, scars, stretch marks and overall skin balance. Its main constituents are a-phellandrenes, a-thujene and Alpha pinene. Frankincense has a grounding earthy aroma.

If you would like to add oils and you don’t know how to get your hands on high quality oils, you can click on each oil if you would like to purchase it individually. Or you can click this link here if you would like to purchase all three oils at once. I do want to note that there is a $35 yearly membership fee attached, this one time fee allows you to purchase these oils plus more at a 25% discount. And there is no monthly obligation to purchase more oils. Just enjoy your discounted oils as often as you wish.

Ok now that we covered all the basics, let’s get to making these lotion bars.

How to make lotion bars:

What you need:

1/2 cup bees wax

1/2 cup shea butter

3 tbs of unrefined coconut oil

1/4 cup carrier oil of your choice

1 cup total of herbs (if you are using multiple herbs just throw enough in to fill up a cup, this is not a hard rule either. If you find yourself with a bit more, it’s all good.)

Essential oils of your choice

muffin tin or silicon mold 

double broiler or a glass bowl and pot

Directions:

1. Start by adding your shea butter, carrier oil and coconut oil in a pot. Heat oil gently.
2. Add your herbs. Keep your heat at the lowest temperature. You do not want to boil anything. Gently heat your oils and herbs on low for 30-60 minutes. Stirring often. If you don’t stir often, you chance your herbs cooking and burning and that smell will then be transfer to your bars, no bueno!
3. As your oils get close to being done infusing, start your double broiler and heat your bees wax.
4. While your bees wax is melting, strain your herb infused oil into a glass jar or bowl. Be sure to press your herb mass to release all the oil it absorbed while heating.
5. Get your mold ready.
6. Add your bees wax to your oil mixture. At this point if using essential oils, go ahead and add those in. I used about 10 drops of each oil.
7. Now pour your mixture into your molds. Allow to dry on your counter top for about 1-2 hours. Once done drying, just use a knife to pry them out.
8. Place in a mason jar or glass container to store. These lotion bars will store for 2-3 months.

To use:

Simply hold the lotion bar in your hand to generate some heat, this will warm the bar and allow it to easily rub into your skin. Then simply rub it gently over your skin.

It couldn’t be easier.

I actually found that since using these bars, I kind of slowed down while getting ready for the day. Before I would just pump some lotion in my hands, rub it on as fast as I could and move on. But lotion bars require a little more attention which, allowed me to connect with my body and prepare mentally for my day.

I hope you find some spiritual connection with your bars! I’d love to hear how your bars turned out, leave me a comment or send me a picture.

Happy lotion bar making!