Homemade Lotion Bars

With the bitter weather outside, continuously running heating system, and my growing baby belly, I find myself constantly slathering on lotion. I go through so much of it that I need to have it available all over my house, my car, my bags. That’s why having these homemade lotion bars on hand is so convenient – I have plenty, they work great, and I know every ingredient that went into it because I put them there. My toddlers call these lotion bars ‘chocolate stars’, and request to use them after their baths, and we all use them as lip balm.

This is a perfect project if you are a DIY beginner, all you need to do is mix the ingredients, melt them, then pour them into a mold. It is very easy to get the bars out of the mold after they harden. I’ve heard people complaining about the clean up, but mostly unwarranted if you ask me. I just wipe the glass bowl and mixing spoon with a paper towel, run it under hot water and throw it into the dish washer. Done.

I use this mold that I got at Joann Fabrics, you can use a 40 or 50% off  coupon any given day, which makes it a great deal. They have tons of different kinds that are so adorable. I like the size I use because the bars are small enough to fit perfectly into 1 oz tins that I love because I can toss them into my jeans pockets. I guess you can even pour the hot mixture into those tins as well, but I prefer using this lotion in a bar form.

COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil benefits, both internal and external, are hard to dispute with all the studies that have been performed in the recent years. When it comes it skin – coconut oil was shown to effectively heal dry skin by increasing the its lipid (fat) content (source). It has antibacterial properties, and is helpful to protect dry skin from inflammation due to pathogens, which can enter your body through the excessive scratching while your skin’s moisture barrier is disrupted (source).

GHEE

Ghee, or clarified butter, is one of my favorite things for cooking and skin care. In fact, I have used it exclusively on my face for the past several months and feel that my skin is better than it has been in a long time, even during pregnancy. Ayurvedic medicine has used ghee for thousands of years to treat a variety of skin conditions, from eczema to severe burns. I think that it’s an incredible moisturizer on its own but it becomes even better when combined with beeswax, which envelops the skin to keep the moisture in longer.

CACAO BUTTER

Cacao butter is rich in vitamin E, which is one of the strongest antioxidants available, and is a significant source of polyphenols and minerals, all of which help nourish skin and keep it supple. This study shows that cocoa butter is effective at toning and strengthening skin.

I personally prefer it to any other plant butter because of how it makes my skin feel, but find it difficult to use it on its own because of its hard rock consistency. That’s why it’s perfect in these homemade lotion bars combined with softer fats. A thing to remember is that unrefined cocoa butter has a strong chocolate smell to it, so if you think that smell might get old – try using the refined kind, it’s odorless and spreads easier. It is rumored to be helpful in preventing stretch marks but there are studies that disprove that claim.

BEESWAX

Beeswax is used to give lotions and deodorants solid consistency, and even though it doesn’t carry any therapeutic value per se, it compliments the active ingredients (oils and butters) beautifully because it helps to lock in moisture. This study shows that using beeswax along with oils is more effective at preventing post burn itch than regular water based creams. According to this, an equal part mixture of honey, beeswax and olive oil is very effective at treating diaper dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis, by inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, which are strong pathogens.

HOW TO MAKE LOTION BARS 

Homemade Lotion Bars