Category: DIY Lotion Bars

vanilla lotion bar recipe
Posted in DIY Lotion Bars

Vanilla Lotion Bar Recipe

Posted on by Lyn

This vanilla lotion bar recipe is inspired by the winter! As a native Texan, I fell in love with the snow after living in an area that saw substantial amounts of snow each year. It was completely mesmerizing to watch these little or not so little cotton balls fall from the sky. Coming from an area that typically experienced loud weather events like heavy rains and high winds that the tornados and hurricanes typically generate, this silent white beauty would often be a complete surprise as I happened to peer out a window.

So, this snowflake shaped vanilla lotion bar recipe is to celebrate the cool air arriving in Texas. Who knows, we might get to see some snow this year! Being a vanilla lotion bar recipe, the vanilla fragrance will go well with the DIY coffee soap, DIY oatmeal soap, or DIY lavender soap.

vanilla lotion bar recipe
Vanilla Lotion Bar Recipe

You can skip ahead to the easy DIY vanilla lotion bar recipe shared below. But for now, I will give you a brief blurb about each ingredient in case you need it.

Refined Cocoa Butter

While there are many butters that can be used to make any lotion bar recipe, refined cocoa butter is my current choice. Keep in mind that each butter will behave a little different than the next. After some years of experimenting with waxes, butters, and oils, for one reason or another, I currently prefer the unscented cocoa butter for the vanilla lotion bar recipe. My second choice would be mango butter. It too is pretty easy to work with. Thus far, I have heard only good things about the unscented kokum butter, but I have not personally worked with this butter before. The unscented shea butter is a very popular option for many experienced skin care product makers. It contains many benefits for the skin and the hair, but, for a complete newbie, it can be a bit tricky to work with.

Avocado Oil

There are many different oils that you can add to this vanilla lotion bar recipe. However, you will want to consider the original scent of the oil and how it will interact with the vanilla fragrance you are adding. One of my favorite oils to use is fractionated liquid coconut oil because it can help you stay warm in the really frigid winter months. It is also a highly penetrating oil, so by itself, it will not leave your skin with a sticky residue at all. However, for dry winter skin, a heavier moisturizing avocado oil is my preference for making DIY lotions bars. It too will penetrate the skin, but will leave you with a slightly thicker protective barrier.

Beeswax

Beeswax also provides a protective barrier for the skin while keeping moisture in. It is an all natural wax that comes from bees. It is safe enough to chew and eat, so it is definitely safe to use in this vanilla lotion bar recipe and other DIY skincare products. White beeswax and yellow beeswax work in exactly the same way. The only difference is that one is white and one has the natural golden color of beeswax. The white beeswax will allow you to add color to your lotion bar recipes or some of your other DIY skincare products.

Vitamin E Oil

This oil is typically added to preserve skincare products and even some food products. However, vitamin e oil is actually very good for the skin as well. Therefore, using the vitamin E oil in your vanilla lotion bar recipe provides multiple benefits..

Vanilla Essential Oil

You can use a vanilla essential oil or a vanilla fragrance oil. I recommend the all natural vanilla essential oil because it smells pretty great without any other chemicals being added. Keep in mind that vanilla will turn some of your skin products brown. This does not mean that the product is old or rancid in anyway – vanilla beans are brown! Even fragrance oils with a little vanilla added to the secret formula will turn brown.

Mold

I recommend getting a large silicone rubber snowflake mold and just fill the mold until it is about 1/4 of the way full. I actually used a shallow plastic snowflake mold similar to these. The vanilla lotion bar recipe turned out well because the mold I used is shallow and very easy to unmold. The ones now available online are 3-4 times deeper than the shallow (1/2-inch deep) snowflake mold that I used. In my experience, the deep plastic molds are extremely difficult to unmold. So, I rarely recommend them. In some cases, they may even crack or break after your first frustrating attempt to unmold something.

Vanilla Lotion Bar Recipe

Yields: 2 Snowflake Lotion Bars (1/2 inch thick)

Supplies:

Instructions

  1. Measure and then place the cocoa butter, avocado oil, and beeswax in a small glass microwave safe cup with a handle.
  2. Microwave the ingredients in 20 – 30 second intervals. Stir at each interval until the wax, oil, and butter are melts. This combination holds a lot of heat! So, the cup may be much hotter than you might think it to be. If possible, use an oven mitt to grab the handle to remove the hot oils from the microwave.
  3. Now you can add the vitamin E oil and the vanilla essential oil. Stir well
  4. Now pour the hot oil mixture into the silicone molds. Remember to only partially fill the two snowflake cavities.
  5. Once this vanilla lotion bar recipe hardens, you can unmold the vanilla scented snowflakes and use them right away.

Conclusion

That is all there is to making this DIY vanilla lotion bar recipe! You know where to find more DIY lotion bars. If you like the sweet smell of this lotion bar, you may also like the DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe or perhaps even the DIY lavender lotion bar recipe. Enjoy making and using your DIY vanilla lotion bar recipe!

massage lotion bar recipe
Posted in DIY Lotion Bars

Massage Lotion Bar Recipe

Posted on by Lyn

This DIY massage lotion bar recipe is easy to make and can be used therapeutically. Most everyone loves getting a good massage. While a massage makes us feel relaxed, it actually comes with a variety of other therapeutic benefits especially when combined with the right massage oils and essential oils. Therefore, you will see that this DIY massage lotion bar recipe can be customized to fit your needs!

The recipe and instructions are down below. You can skip ahead but you may miss some important details when it comes to the oil and essential oils. So, let’s briefly discuss this DIY massage lotion bar recipe.

massage lotion bar recipe

Cocoa Butter

There are a variety of butters that can be used to make this massage lotion bar recipe. It just all depends on what you want. Keep in mind that all butters do smell the same and do not respond the same when heated. Other options for this massage lotion bar recipe includes unscented shea butter, unscented kokum butter, or mango butter if you intend to add a therapeutic essential oil to your massage bar. If not adding any fragrance, the natural aroma of unrefined butters will work. Each butter will have its own unique pros and cons. Therefore, after years of experimenting, I still prefer the unscented cocoa butter for making this massage lotion bar recipe.

The Oil

There are many different oils that can be used to make this massage lotion bar recipe. In this case, I recommend using fractionated liquid coconut oil because the oil will deeply penetrate the skin along with whatever therapeutic essential oil or essential oil blend that you use in this massage lotion bar recipe.

Beeswax

Beeswax is the all natural wax provided by bees. Both white beeswax and yellow beeswax are available with both working the same. The only difference is the color of the wax. White beeswax is ideal if you intend to add color to one of your DIY Lotion Bars. Otherwise, the naturally yellow colored beeswax works just as well. A white beeswax is used in the massage bar shown.

Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E oil is a very good oil to add to a massage lotion bar recipe because this oil is good for the skin. However, this simple oil also doubles as an effective all natural preservative. Therefore, it is commonly added to DIY skincare products as well as professional skincare products.

Therapeutic Oil

Any therapeutic essential oil that you decide to use can be based on your purpose for making and using a massage lotion bar recipe. Besides being highly relaxing when someone gives you a massage. Using a massage bar can help improve blood flow, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and help eliminate toxins.

Keep in mind that these oil will have a natural therapeutic effect on the body. Women that are pregnant cannot use certain essential oils. Therefore, pregnant women should consult a physician before using any essential oils. Some essential oils are naturally stronger in scent and therapeutic benefits. Therefore, if you have serious health conditions, seek the advice of a physician before use. And remember that less is sometime more when you are just getting started with making a DIY massage lotion bar recipe. You can always add more essential oil as needed/wanted.

Mold

Any silicone massage bar mold can be used to make this DIY massage lotion bar recipe. A silicone mold is highly recommended because it is reusable and makes it super easy to unmold your lotion bar recipe. The hard plastic molds are very difficult to unmold and the mold may crack after your very first attempt to unmold the massage lotion bar.

Massage Lotion Bar Recipe

Yields: 1 Massage Bar

Supplies:

Instructions:

  1. Start by adding the needed cocoa butter, coconut oil, and beeswax to a small glass microwave safe cup with a handle.
  2. Microwave the ingredients in 20 – 30 seconds intervals while stirring at each interval. The cup containing the ingredients may be hotter than you think. So, use care when handling the cup of hot wax, oils, and butters.
  3. Once the ingredients melt, add the vitamin E oil and whatever essential oil(s) you intend to use.
  4. Stir the mixture well and then pour into the silicone massage bar mold.
  5. Once the massage bar hardens, you can unmold this massage lotion bar recipe and use it right away.
lavender lotion bar recipe
Posted in DIY Lotion Bars

Lavender Lotion Bar Recipe

Posted on by Lyn

This lavender lotion bar recipe has such a delightful aroma! With the wonderful smell of lavender, this lavender lotion bar recipe is relaxing and fun to make. Filled with naturally fragrant lavender buds and essential oils, this is naturally scented lavender lotion bar recipe has a very elegant scent.

The oils and butters used to make this lavender lotion bar recipe are an excellent combination for dry skin. This lotion bar recipe will moisturize the outer and inner layers of the skin. It does so without leaving a sticky residue behind.

Refined Cocoa Butter

There are many butters that can be used to make this lavender lotion bar recipe. You could also use an unscented shea butter, unscented kokum butter, or mango butter. Each butter will have its unique pros and cons. After some years of experimenting, for one reason or another, I currently prefer the unscented cocoa butter for this lavender lotion bar recipe and other lotion bars as well.

Avocado Oil

There are also many different oils that could be added to this lavender lotion bar recipe. One of my favorite oils to use is fractionated liquid coconut oil in some of my winter skin care products. However, this oil too has its pros and cons. Therefore, my preference for making DIY lotions bars for dry skin is use a heavier moisturizing avocado oil. It too penetrates the skin while leaving a thin coat of oil on the skin without leaving a greasy sticky residue.

Beeswax

Beeswax is an all natural wax from bees. You can use white beeswax or a naturally color yellow beeswax. They both work exactly the same with the only difference being the color. The white beeswax is more versatile because you can add your own color. If you want your lotion bar to have a natural color for this lavender lotion bar recipe, use the natural yellow colored beeswax. It will provide a really nice natural contrast with the purple lavender buds. A white beeswax is used in the images shown.

Vitamin E Oil

This oil is typically added to preserve skincare products. However, it is actually quite beneficial for the skin too. Therefore, the vitamin E oil is a win-win in this lavender lotion bar recipe.

Lavender

Lavender essential oil can be used to add fragrance to this lavender lotion bar recipe. It is a wonderful smelling soothing therapeutic essential oil. You can also sprinkle a few dried lavender buds just to make the lotion bars look all natural. The lavender essential oil and lavender buds can also be used to make the wonderful smelling DIY lavender soap. Instead of using lavender buds in the lotion bar recipe, you can add a light lavender color to make the lotion bar a light shade of purple. This will work if you are using the white beeswax.

Lavender Colorant

Mold

A simple round silicone mold is used to make the lotion bars. However, the mold used is much deeper than you would want your lotion bars. Therefore, you can just partially fill the molds to keep these DIY lotion bars small enough to grip and use well.

lotion bar recipe

Lavender Lotion Bar Recipe

Yields: 2 Small Round Bars (Only partially fill a couple of the molds.)

Supplies:

lavender lotion bar recipe
8-Cavity Silicone Mold

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle some of the dried lavender buds in the cavities you intend to pour the oil into.
  2. Then place the needed cocoa butter, avocado oil, and beeswax in a small glass microwave safe measuring cup.
  3. Microwave the ingredients for 20 – 30 seconds. Stir and microwave in intervals until the wax, oils, and butters are melted. This mixture holds a lot of heat. Therefore, the cup may be much hotter than you think. If possible, use an oven mitt to remove the hot oils from the microwave using the handle.
  4. Next, add the vitamin E oil and the lavender essential oil.
  5. Stir well and then pour the hot oil mixture into the silicone molds with the lavender buds remembering to only partially fill the two cavities.
  6. When the ingredients used to make this lavender lotion bar recipe hardens, you can unmold the lotion bars and use them right away.
Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar Recipe
Posted in DIY Lotion Bars

Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar Recipe

Posted on by Lyn

This DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe is incredibly fun to make and use! It naturally starts out with the great aroma of cocoa butter. You can then enhance the smell with a complimentary essential oil or fragrance oil to make this a really good lotion bar recipe. This two-toned cocoa butter lotion bar recipe can be made as a treat to pamper yourself or made to give as a gift to some of your friends or family any time of year.

Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar Recipe

The recipe and instructions are at the bottom. You can jump ahead if you want. Otherwise, let’s talk about the ingredients used to make this cute heart shaped DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe.

Cocoa Butter

The cocoa butter used to make this DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe happens to be a food grade cocoa butter. However, food grade cocoa butter is not necessary for skin care products. This wonderful smelling and skin moisturizing cocoa butter smells a lot like chocolate. This is because the cocoa butter lotion bar recipe is made with the raw cocoa butter that surrounds the seeds of chocolate cacao fruit. So, the aroma of this lotion bar recipe is already primed for a rich, sweet smelling lotion bar.

Avocado Oil

Since cocoa butter is a really firm butter, you will also need a soft oil added to your DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe. Adding a soft oil will help the lotion bar recipe turn out just right for using on your skin. While the cocoa butter provides moisture for the outer layers of skin, the avocado oil penetrates the deeper layers of skin. I like avocado oil because it is thick and nourishing like an olive oil. However, unlike olive oil, it is mostly fragrance free and therefore easy to work with. Then too, another huge plus is that it does not go rancid quickly. Therefore, your cocoa butter lotion bar recipe will maintain its freshness for a longer period of time.

Beeswax

Beeswax is just what you need to bring and keep your DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe together. This wax helps you achieve the perfect texture between your hard oil and liquid oils added. It also helps to seal the moisture into your skin once you have rubbed the DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe all over your skin. You can also use this ingredient to make DIY Lip Balms.

Vitamin E Oil

This oil is mostly added as a preservative to things like lotion bars and lip balms. So, its main job is to help keep the cocoa butter lotion bar fresh. However, vitamin e oil is good for the skin and lips as well.

Fragrance

Since this is a chocolatey smelling cocoa butter lotion bar recipe, you can add sweet fragrances that would go well with the smell of chocolate. My first choice is vanilla essential oil because you likely already know what that smells like. However, if you are feeling adventurous, something like an authentic cocoa fragrance oil, cashmere glow fragrance oil, or cashmere moon glow fragrance oil may be a good match for this DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe. The smell of the cocoa butter lotion bar recipe should go well with the wonderful smelling DIY coffee soap!

Cacao Powder

The center of this DIY cocoa butter lotion bar is colored with a raw cacao powder which is a raw chocolate. However, since you are not eating this to capture the health benefits of chocolate, any cacao powder will be good enough to color the small heart in the center of the soap. Even when used in edible recipes, the store brand cacao powder that I have used tasted pretty good too.

Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar Recipe

Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar Recipe

Yields: 1-2 Small Bars (I did not fill the rubber mold up completely!)

Supplies:

Instructions:

  1. Start by measuring and placing the cocoa butter, avocado oil, and beeswax in a small glass measuring cup.
  2. Place it in the microwave for 20 – 30 seconds and then stir. The wax, oils, and butters hold a lot of heat. Therefore, the cup may be much hotter than you might think. If possible, use an oven mitt to remove the hot oils from the microwave using the handle.
  3. Heat again until all the wax, oil, and butter melts. Then add the vitamin E oil and whatever fragrance oil that you intend to use.
  4. Stir well and then pour the liquid oil to into the silicone mold partially filling one or two cavities. Keep some of the oil in the cup to make the small center heart(s).
  5. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of cacao powder to the hot oil. Stir until blended well.
  6. Then fold the mold in half and fill the outside smaller heart with the dark brown cocoa butter mixture.
  7. When the ingredients used to make this lotion bar recipe set, unmold the large and small heart(s).
  8. Add a drop of hot oil in the cavity located on the large heart mold and then place the small chocolate heart in the center.
  9. Alternatively, you can just fill the cavity of the larger heart with warm chocolate colored cocoa butter after you unmold the larger heart(s).

Conclusion

That is all for now! Please like, comment, share, and subscribe – it is appreciated! You can find more DIY Lotion Bars to make. I hope enjoy making and using this DIY cocoa butter lotion bar recipe.