Lotions, balms and potions

[applescrap]

I saw the question come up on the soapmaking thread so I thought I would start a thread for discussing these. Sry, if it already exists. Hoping Yooper will post her great recipes. I think I'm going to make these for Christmas so I am looking for good tips and recipes. I whipped up a quick batch today of lip balm. I have never used this recipe but it seems a lot of recipes are similar to this one.

1 part beeswax
1 part coconut oil
1 part shea butter
Essential oil

The recipe I use has almond oil and vitamin e oil as well. So today I tried

1 Tbls shea butter
1 Tbls coconut oil
1 Tbls beeswax
10 drops almond oil
5 drops vitamin e oil
15 drops panway from young living

I combine everything, melt in a clean sterelized (from dishwasher) pyrex. I use a chopstick and heat quickly in microwave. Took 90 seconds then 30 more. Not traditional way to heat it I know but very effective.

 

[imasickboy]

I make lip balm, also. But I use these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T6KGYEQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and a rack to hold them while filling:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z4QWIK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

My recipe is similar. Coconut oil, beeswax, cocoa butter, vitamin E oil, and peppermint oil.

 

[Yooper]

Funny you should post this- I just now finished making a couple of lotion bars. I saved a couple of empty Altoid tins and made two lotion bars.

You have everything you need for one or two, or ten. For the liquid oils, you can sub any nice oil of your choice- olive oil is great, so is the sweet almond oil even without the jojoba.

Just think- 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 "hard" (solid) oils/butters, 1/3 soft oils and you can make your own recipe easily.

Each tin held:
.5 ounce Beeswax
.5 ounce cocoa butter (.5 ounce shea butter subbed in the other one)
.25 ounce sweet almond oil
.25 ounce jojoba

Melt wax and add cocoa butter to melt, add liquid oils, then fragrance or essential oils and pour into lined tin. When firm, take off the lining and place in the tin.
I do this all in a pyrex measuring cup, so I can pour it right from the microwave until the molds.

It's great for being in a purse or a drawer. It's firm, but melts on contact with skin so it's not messy like lotion.

 

[Yooper]

My family loves bath fizzies/bath bombs. They are really really expensive to buy from Lush, but you can make your own easily.

8 ounces baking soda
4 ounces citric acid
4 ounces corn start
4 ounces salt (think Dead sea Salts, pink himalayan salts, even epsom salts)
Optional- 1/2 tsp borax as a water softener (but you know, it's borax so......)

.75 tsp water
2.5 tablespoons of your favorite liquid oil (olive oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil)
Essential oils or fragrance oils to your "smell" preference
Color (micas especially) if desired- BUT can leave a colored tub ring

Blend the dry ingredients well, getting out all of the lumps.

Mix your wet ingredients together. Whisk while adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. If you goo to fast, it will fizz. Once you've added it, check for texture- it should feel like damp sand and hold together when you put some in your fist. Put quickly into molds. Overfill the once that are round or will be put together to make one large mold.

Let dry on a rack in a dry (not humid) place then store as desired.

These are nice wrapped with ribbon and put in a pretty decorative jar.

The large ones are great for a large bath. I like the "easter egg" size for myself and grandkids. My grandsons love to make these. We make them in plastic Easter eggs, and then they run to take a bath before they even dry out.

My oldest grandson has been giving these to his mom for Christmas for years.

 

[Yooper]

I posted a thread ages ago about this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/making-soaps-and-lotions.219832/ but it's rather incomplete and I'm so glad you thought of this today!

With Christmas coming, a girlfriend and I made gifts just today and I'm planning on more. I'm eager to see what others do!

 

[applescrap]

Awesome recipes. Love the bath bombs. I think I am going to make a basket of goodies for Christmas. The lotion bars sound great. I wonder what I have that I could use or maybe find some tins. Is using parchment in the tins difficult?

 

[Yooper]

Awesome recipes. Love the bath bombs. I think I am going to make a basket of goodies for Christmas. The lotion bars sound great. I wonder what I have that I could use or maybe find some tins. Is using parchment in the tins difficult?

I used freezer wrap, with the plastic side up. It was super easy, and I didn't even need a piece of tape.

 

[Horseflesh]

I recently started making bath bombs too. My recipe is very similar to Yooper's. For scents I use P&J brand oils from Amazon. 1-2 mL is enough for a batch of 4 bombs. You have to test each scent though, they do not always smell the same in the tub as they do in the bottle!

 

[applescrap]

Made a second batch and not as good. I dont know what it is but the first is more buttery. This one feels more waxy. Which is better on lips. Young living pananway is waay better than this cheap sweet orange.

 

[applescrap]

Third xmas 2017 batch. Went with yoopers recipe:

1 part beeswax
1part coconut oil
1 part soft oil, almond oil
Then added
shea butter
Vitamin e oil
Lemongrass essential oil

Wanted to name it gas, grass, or a..
But swmbo vetoed to
Wintergrass balm.

Here they are still melted, these are nice

 

[Yooper]

With the extra shea butter, they might be softer than some but still very nice. I sub shea butter for other solid oils (like cocoa butter or coconut oil) normally for the same texture.

 

[bob1852]

I use mason jars to melt down the stuff for my lotion bars. Lid them and put them in a heated water bath and give them an occasional swirl until melted. Then stir in the oils and pour into molds.

Just seal up the mason jar until you make them again. No mess to clean up.

 

[applescrap]

Yep, a little softer. I like the addition of 1 part soft oil, almond in this case. Will try the sub technique next time. The cheap essential oils dont come through as well as the young living.

@AZ_IPA do you make a big batch and then just reheat to make a couple bars off it? Not sure I understand. Sounds like a good idea.

 

[applescrap]

Bump! Anyone make anything lately?

 

[jgln]

Who told you to put the balm on? Did I tell you to put the balm on?

 

[Yooper]

Bump! Anyone make anything lately?

I'm still making a lot of soap, and for some reason my friends really like charcoal soap, so I've been doing mostly soaps. I make my own lotion and things, but I really gear up closer to christmas for gifts.

 

[jgln]

I'm still making a lot of soap, and for some reason my friends really like charcoal soap, so I've been doing mostly soaps. I make my own lotion and things, but I really gear up closer to christmas for gifts.

So their face is sooty looking after the wash it with charcoal soap??

 

[applescrap]

Charcoal sounds awesome. I really need to give the soap a try. I am going to use your recipe for the oils the 1/3 soft oils, 1/3 hard oils 1/3 beeswax.

 

[applescrap]

On my way. Like this wax. No scent and looks meltable! And my little stinker helping.

 

[applescrap]

Ok heres my notes and learnings. Had to make two batches to fill 50 tubes, doh! Could pour them in one at a time if you are a jedi knight. After a 9 percent pecan stout, not so much. All is well, dumping and scraping went beautifully. A little soft as warned, but still nice. Cheap caps, bleh. I think oils are getting old, more bleh. Cocoa butter, so nice. God that smell, essential oil almost distracts. Need wraps.

Ok, the obvious question, is this safe for bedroom?


Here are notes and recipes.

 

[applescrap]

Doh!

 

[applescrap]

And poo pouri!

 

[Inkleg]

Ok, the obvious question, is this safe for bedroom?

No. Beeswax melting temperature is 144° way to hot for beginner wax play. Start with soy base wax candles melting point of 105-115° and work up from there. .......oh wait I’m on the wrong forum.

 

[applescrap]

Haha, no I meant as a lubricant, but yeah sure thanks for some quality info!

No. Beeswax melting temperature is 144° way to hot for beginner wax play. Start with soy base wax candles melting point of 105-115° and work up from there. .......oh wait I’m on the wrong forum.

 

[S-Met]

No. Beeswax melting temperature is 144° way to hot for beginner wax play.

Chicken! And given whats in his recipe, I'd guess that melting point is below 105.

But dry, maybe would make a nice rub. Latex friendly too.

 

[applescrap]

Update on poo spray, a pump of hand soap per bottle helps. So its 1 tsp rubbing alcohol, 30 drops essential oil, one full pump hand soap, water to brim. Works fairly well!