These home-made lotion bars are very popular. They do not need any cans or bottles to protect them. A nice silk-paper wrap is enough. Ingredients are very simple and there is no need to use any preservatives or emulsifying substance. The lotion bars suit best for cold climate to protect skin and lips. You can protect small children as well using this bar, but you cannot use essential oils.
Basic ingredient is shea butter. There are two types of shea butter. Most common is hard shea butter which has plenty of hard fatty acids. These hard-fatty acids offer very effective protection for skin. There is also another type of shea butter, shea niotica, which is softer and contains oil acids. You can use it as it is for leg treatment but for making these blocks it is not suitable. I have used solid, raw shea butter for this recipe. In case you do not like the odor of raw butter you can use purified as well.
You need:
- 80 mg raw shea butter
- 15 – 20 ml cold pressed sunflower oil
- 10 gr beeswax
- Approx. 20 drops of essential oil (optional)
- Mica-colors in case you want toned lotion bars
- Silicone or other molds. You can use paper mold as well, but you must support them well.
How to do:
- Measure all ingredients except essential oils to a double pot or double boiler
- Mix until everything is melted
- Let the mixture cool down a short while and add essential oils and/or mica colors in case you want to use them
- Poor the warm, soft mass to molds and let them cool down and solidify
Use the lotion bars outdoors for skin protection. They are easy to carry with. In room temperature the lotion bars will last usable at least 6 months after cooking; most cases you can use them still after a year.