Sometimes we wonder why there are so many product options available at stores. Why so many shampoo names, deodorant, lotions, chapsticks, everything from hair care to basic skin care. The problem I see in America is that capitalism has allowed we the people to become somewhat spoiled in nature to never worry about why so many.
What does that mean? It means we tend to rely on others to do things for us and then commonly complain why it is “All Wrong”. That is what we call entitlement.
Americans in general are entitled capitalistic global asssholes. Yes I said it. We don’t often appreciate the basic skills anymore. I came to this realization while I was engaged in a home DIY looking at the ingredients and realizing how easy it actually was both in skill and in time, but it does take patience and accuracy.
Not everyone can make shampoo. Not everyone can make lotion or chapstick.
Well now I can honestly say that I can now do it because the need for a product in stores that worked and was tailored to needs became my mission.
There is always something I don’t like about products- the fact that most of the ingredients people can’t normally even pronounce. Usually that means it may be a chemical derived from something, usually parabens and sulfates. But let’s get real here. Why was my mission about lotion?
Something all natural, absorption to not leave a greasy residue, something that I actually know all the ingredients to know what goes into the product and I control how it is made.
It has been pretty hot here in California the past couple weeks so I take it pretty serious when someone that I provide care for asks if I would be able to find something that would help their skin to not feel so dry to the point of aching in addition to other things going on. Okay, well there is my mission.
Mental questions began churning. What would be the ingredients? What would it look like or smell like? Would it be creamy or like a body butter? Then I remembered this little Antique Shop in Illinois I went to years ago on a cross country journey that sold the cutest little “Bee Bars” which smelled great and lasted a really long time. I remembered what it smelled like and what I both liked and didn’t like about it.
There was my inspiration- only one problem. I am horribly allergic to anything Shea Butter in it. Well how do I get around that? Then I remembered an old trick my grandma told me. If a product had Aloe Vera in it, then it will never have Shea Butter in it too. Why? Because she would say that in her day, they always knew it wouldn’t bind or mix properly and would then have an odd smell. Nope nope and nope. So then l tell myself, “Thanks Grandma!”. Little things she would teach I started to remember.
She always said Rule #1 was try to avoid anything with "Palm Oil". So I did some homework and research. Palm oil is a marketing team's dream ingredient. Great for absorption but horrible for creating a skin environment that will dry again requiring reapplication. Can we say Face palm!? Why are we buying things if the whole point is not to resolve the problem but to drag it out just to buy a product again because you like how it feels?
Dermatologists will tell you to find a product that will aid your condition when it flares up because you can't cure them. So why buy a product that makes it prolong in symptoms? This made no sense to me. Again, I then hear my grandmother's words saying when all else fails, try it yourself- It doesn't hurt to try.
So here is where I say Dive In because you won’t regret it. My general recipe here was just a test sample to see how the various ingredients I chose would fair with the final products.
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My List of Materials:
-Silicone Mold
-Glass Measuring Cup (Purex brand is great)
-A plastic chopstick or something simple to swirl around the materials and stir. I dont recommend a spoon or whisk because the product will cool set quickly if not careful, making it a bit annoying to cleanup.
A Glass Bowl to set on top of a smaller rimmed pot (stack on top) unless you have a stainless steel pot without any special coatings (no teflon). Those with metal allergies, avoid copper and Cast Iron.
-Beeswax (pick yellow natural or white) or Wax Emulsifer (I like pure beeswax). Wax emulsifier is better in high humidity regions. I bought in pellets versus solid blocks for easier melting process.
-Aloe- anti-inflammatory, wound healing, promotes new cell growth, may assist to aid skin/sun burns, boosts the immune system, helps calm the discomfort from insect bites,
Skin detoxifier, and moisture retention
-coconut oil- anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, moisturizer
**You may substitute the coconut oil and Aloe Vera for premade Aloe Butter which already has both
-Avocado Oil- infuses moisture and nutrients like Vitamin E, potassium, lecithin and more
-Essential Oils- I picked lavender, peppermint and Eucalyptus
-Elemental Magnesium Oil- aids to relieve nerve pain/damage and muscle tensions. Adds magnesium for core cell absorption. Helps to use if suffering from arthritis, joint pain or other pain ailments. May aid in the absorption of Vitamin D3 for improved bone absorption
-Raw Honey- anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, may decrease appearance of scars or blemishes, promotes healing and cell regeneration
-Cocoa Butter- prevents dry skin, helps to heal skin ailments and chapped lips, works to help with eczema, psoriasis and rashes; antioxidant
-Essential Oils. Here are what I picked and why for this project test:
-Lavender Oil- calm and soothe, promotes healing and circulation. Very Mild natural sedative. May aid to relax the body and mind for sleep
-Peppermint Oil- respiratory aid, pain reliever, muscle spasm relief, bug repellent (great for summer)
-Eucalyptus Oil- respiratory aid, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, pain relief
-Tea Tree Oil- antiseptic and skin improvement-
I also found that many people complained of their homemade products developing mildew, mold or bacteria so I found some more safe options at preservatives. So in working on a list of various choices I found a product called “OPTIPHEN” whicch is formaldehyde and paraben free and great for ensuring any moisture (near bathrooms, kitchens or in high humid regions) would be protected against. This Optiphen Product is known to preserve a homemade product for one year and possibly longer varying on the recipe.
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Now I chose the items I did because of sensitivities or general dislikes of products. I am allergic to Shea so no shea, but if you like you can substitute the Aloe Vera Oil for Shea Butter instead. If you use Aloe Butter, I do not recommend mixing in Shea Butter.
I also didn’t use palm oil. It tends to be a little drying and deceptive in nature. My thought is Why make something to add moisture only to deprive yourself by a single ingredient after application drying out which would call for reapplication. Additionally, I learned that The industry cultivating Palm Oil is surrounded by controversy for what happens to indigenous animals like orangutans into nearing extinction through deforestation and collection of these palm fruits. If orangutans fear and near extinction because of this process, I certainly won’t support the industry in general. It also affects other animals of the regions such as elephants, tigers and rhinos. I just can’t support that if I can help t. So for something homemade, I select to opt out of palm oil.
The best tips I learned are the following:
For lotion bars ONLY- use a 1:1 ration on beeswax and coconut oil and 1/2 share of aloe vera oil (or a 1:1 on beeswax and aloe butter).
If you use a perfect aloe vera oil in the same 1:1 just remember to add more beeswax little by little in 1/4 c increments because the solution product when melted will be thinner, but when cured it won’t set properly.
To melt and mix the ingredients, start with your oil bases first. I found they mix better to start with. When complete, then add your hard butters such as Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter or Mango Butter solids. One by one, add any other smaller oils such as grapeseed, olive oil, avocado oil, vitamin e, etc in very small amounts. 1 teaspoon should suffice for these to add just enough. I don’t see it necessary to do more than that.
Following the melting oil process mixture of butters and oils, continue by adding your essential oils (including Magnesium last as an optional) In my recipe, I added the following in order:
1 c coconut oil
1/2 c Aloe Vera Oil
1/2 c Cocoa Butter
1tsp avocado oil
1 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp Magnesium oil
10 drops peppermint oil
10 drops eucalyptus oil
15 drops lavender oil
Optiphen (total mixture for 6 bars is approximately 7.5 mLs but may vary on your ingredients. Follow instructions for percentages.)
1-1/4 c beeswax pellets
Once all ingredients are mixed well, drop in beeswax or emulsifier to melt thoroughly so when cured in your silicone molds, the bars will be solid. If you want a more whipped balm or chapstick use 3/4 recipe of beeswax to thin out and allow the oils to infuse and mix well before curing.
When your mixture is ready, pour the hot mix into the silicone molds of your choice. I put mine on a baking tray for easy mobility. Allow to room temperature set them which should take 12-24 hours at most.
In my experiment I did find one preference decision I will change in the future. I will reserve the honey for the balms and chapsticks because it can cause the honey to set at the bottom of the cure set like a big goopy mess. I won’t do that again. But for the balm and chapstick I made using a similar recipe, the honey smelled wonderful and cured perfectly.
I don’t want to dissuade anyone from choosing other preservatives. There are different products available that are also naturally derived. Examples are Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol (derived from coconut oil),Sodium Lactate, amongst others that have different qualities and purposes but can also work well. It really is about your intent, what your goal is and your preference on how the final products work. I find that in making homemade bar soaps with glycerin styles, Sodium Lactate helps to prevent that icky wearaway in the shower that we are often used to from standard body bars.
You have lots of options including changing up which essential oils you use. Just make sure you are getting Essential Oils and not the artificial fragrance “infuser aromatherapy” ones. You can also add fresh dried herbs and dry oatmeal to your recipe.
Every item I acquired I found primarily on Amazon.com or at the local walmart (oils were on clearance)
While this was generally a success for the family on having these readily available now, even my two year old loves them and how wonderful they smell. So far so good and no allergic rashing from any of the ingredients.
All I have to say is this DIY was well worth the time and effort. Lotion Bar making has proven to be a necessary skill for those with skin problems. I really was amazed at how simple this process is and had that moment where I told myself, “This is really a lost talent and art”.
This made me respect the arts of crafting conducted by the one and only Iyanla by carrying on her deceased daughter’s life dream skincare line. It is not only amazing for the skin, but there are many other positive properties about homemade lotion and balms that I think everyone should try it even just one time. It’s inspiring, motivational and the possibilities of options really are limitless. My mind has already started gearing up for what flavor or oils will I use next time.
This is one DIY I can appreciate for time to come.
Happy Bar Making and let me know how this recipe type worked for you if you are brave like I was to even try.
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