Making your own lotion bars are a good way to reduce the amount of plastic you use, if you can source the ingredients in plastic free (or minimal plastic packaging). You can also avoid harmful chemicals found in conventional body lotions by making things yourself. Be sure to source fair trade, organic ingredients!
This recipe is made so that the bar stays solid at room temperature but melt at body temperature.
Lotion Bar Recipe
- 1/2 cup cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup Shea butter
- 2 tablespoons hemp seed oil (or your favorite oil)
- Optional essential oil for fragrance. I don’t add scent to my lotion bars. I like to wear a few drops of essential oil for fragrance, so keeping your basics like lotion fragrance free means you can switch up the scents you use more often.
Put all of your ingredients into a heat proof glass container. I use my Pyrex measuring cup as it’s easy to pour from.
Create a “double boiler” by placing the glass container in a sauces pan. Heat and stir until everything is melted. Pour into a silicone mold. Let them cool and harden completely. You’ll want to store them in a cool place. I store mine in a glass jar under the bathroom sink- however, in the summer if it gets too hot you can store them in the fridge. Just pop out a bar when you need a new one. I do bar that I’m currently using in a tiny mason jar, just to keep it clean and dust free.
To use, warm the bar between your palms. This will warm it up enough that you can just rub the bar on your skin, and then massage it in.
