During the winter, many people need lotion to survive. It’s a necessity if you want to hydrate your skin and provide it with essential nutrients. Nowadays, lotion bars are more popular than ever, primarily because they are concentrated bars of skin-enhancing goodness. Unlike most bottled lotions that contain alcohol or water, these lotion bars aren’t diluted.
When lotion is free of water, it means that preservatives aren’t necessary. Most liquid lotions are quite complex to make because they go through three phases: the aqueous phase, the oil phase, and the cool-down phase. This takes time and requires the use of emulsifiers, thickeners, and preservatives. Lotion bars don’t call for any of those, making them a better solution for your skin.
What Is A Lotion Bar?
Resembling a bar of soap, a lotion bar is essentially a solid block of lotion that remains solid at room temperature. Unless otherwise stated, you can freely use a lotion bar anywhere on the body. The heat of the body will slightly melt the bar, making it glide easily on the skin. Often times, lotion bars contain cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax, jojoba oil, avocado butter, almond oil, and essential oils. In the case of the recipe in this article, it contains coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and essential oils.
The Benefits Of Lotion Bars
As mentioned earlier, it’s much easier to make your own lotion bars, as they require fewer ingredients. Their concentrated nature means that you’ll use less lotion, and there’s less packaging involved. It’s beneficial to keep them in a soap dish or metal tin, just how you’d store a bar of soap. As far as why they are superior to regular lotion, continue reading.
No Fillers
There are reputable lotions on the beauty market, but many popular brands contain ingredients that can harm the skin. Many lotions contain phthalates, formaldehyde, enthanolamines, petroleum, parabens, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). Lotion bars are free of these potentially hazardous chemicals, making them better for your skin and your overall health.
Very Moisturizing
The high concentration of oils and butters that the body can easily absorb helps the lotion bars lock moisture into the skin. The combination of essential oils, butters, beeswax, and oils helps seal in moisture and doesn’t let it escape, also known as trans-dermal water loss. Think of lotion bars like lip balm for your skin. They provide intense protection, helping to fill in the cracks that may not be visible to you.
They Last A Long Time
Once you start using lotion bars, you’ll find that a little goes a long way. It may take you a few uses to realize how little you need to apply. Although everyone requires a different amount of usage, it isn’t necessary to use them as much or as often as regular lotion. And the best time to use them is right after you get out of the shower or bath. When your pores are open, the ingredients in the lotion bar can easily penetrate the skin and seal in moisture.
Homemade Lotion Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup cocoa butter
- 1 cup beeswax pellets
- 15-30 drops essential oils of your choice
- Silicone molds or metal tins
Instructions:
- Fill the bottom of a double boiler one-third of the way with water and place over medium-low heat.
- Add the coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax pellets to the top of the double boiler and melt, stirring occasionally.
- Once the ingredients are melted and fully combined, remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Stir in the essential oils of your choice and then pour the mixture into silicone molds or metal tins.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely until firm. You should be able to pop the bars out of the molds when they’re ready.
- Store in an airtight container for up to one year.
