Lotion Bar Recipe {Handcrafted Gifts}
This three-ingredient Lotion Bar Recipe is the best non-greasy formula for dry to normal skin. They are easy to make and can be prepared in only 10 minutes!
I cook a lot. And with cooking mostly from scratch comes approximately 4,398 hours worth of dishes per week. (I’m not good at math…let’s call that an approximate.) My hands are looking busted of late, and I’ve actually contemplated getting dishwashing gloves to prevent further knuckle crackage.
This homemade lotion bar recipe is a godsend. It totally heals my hands after just a few applications. I wake up feeling like someone has rubbed tiny baby butts all over my mitts.
What Are Hard Lotion Bars?
Ohhh, my friend, you haven’t lived until you have used a hard lotion bar. It looks like a bar of soap but contains ingredients that are nourishing and moisturizing to your skin.
It is not soap so you wouldn’t bring it into the shower or bath, but you can put it on right after showering.
How Do You Use a Hard Lotion Bar?
The best part is how easy they are to use and store! You simply rub the lotion bar between your hands (or on other places on your skin) until the heat from your skin warms the bar up and releases the moisturizer into your skin.
Another wonderful thing about these lotion bars is that they have pretty much healed a few little patches of eczema that my son Jack had near his mouth and behind ears.
How Do You Store Lotion Bars?
Anything air-tight will work. Old mint tins, squat mason jars, or even a ziploc bag will work. Coconut oil is liquid at 76 degrees F or above, so keep them out of direct sunlight and in a cool dry place for best results.
How Long Do Lotion Bars Last?
If stored properly (see above) they should last for five-plus years. The lotion bar may develop a harder coating from the wax but they are still perfectly safe to use.
Helpful Lotion Bar Recipe Supply List
- Coconut oil
- Double-boiler
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Cosmetics-grade beeswax
- Silicone baking mold
- Or a cutesy soap mold like this or this.
How to Make This Lotion Bar Recipe – Step by Step
- Place 2 cups of water in a medium-sized pan fitted with a double boiler. Place beeswax in the double boiler and allow it to fully melt,
- Add the coconut oil and sweet almond oil, and stir gently (with a spoon dedicated solely to beeswax crafts) until the coconut oil is melted.
- Using an oven mitt, remove the double boiler from the pan and wipe the water off of the bottom of the boiler. Pour the melted mixture into your molds, and allow to set for a few hours, or overnight.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Having a double-boiled dedicated to just wax crafts means you don’t have to spend a ton of time cleaning it in-between recipes. You could also use a mason jar in a pot of simmering water.
- Vegans can use carnauba wax in lieu of beeswax.
- If you have a coconut allergy you can sub in shea butter.
- If you have a nut allergy you can sub in olive or avocado oil for the sweet almond.
- Using an empty deodorant tube makes it super easy to apply this lotion bar recipe and makes it kid-friendly for them to apply themselves.
Variations
Want a scented lotion bar? Add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils in step 2 with the sweet almond oil. Please note, I don’t sell essential oils or anything but I do use them myself around the house.
- Lavender is a calming scent that many people love.
- Bergamot is great for when you want to chill out.
- A mixture of peppermint and eucalyptus smells clean and can be very energizing.
- You could even add a sleepy blend of oils (this is the one I use) for a night-time lotion bar recipe.
- Want something that smells like the holidays? Try a holiday seasonal blend.
These bars smell so clean and natural even without essential oils, and they work amazingly well. They have become one of my most requested holiday gifts from friends and family.
Apparently, everyone wants skin that feels like baby butts. I just make lotion bars. I’m not here to judge.
More Recipes Like This
- How to Make Chapstick {Natural Lip Balm}
- Natural Homemade Deodorant Recipe
- Homemade Vicks Shower Soothers
Save this Lotion Bar Recipe post to your “Homemade Holidays” Pinterest board.
Let’s be friends on Pinterest. I’ll help you find loads of other recipes like this one!
Making this recipe or others?
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This three-ingredient Lotion Bar Recipe is the best non-greasy formula for dry to normal skin. They are easy to make and can be prepared in only 10 minutes!
- 1 part beeswax (melted)
- 1 part sweet almond oil
- 1 part coconut oil (melted)
Note: by "equal parts" for the ingredients, it would mean you use the same measurements of all the ingredients. Let's say you want to use 1/3 cup of beeswax, you'd then want to use 1/3 cup of the almond oil and the coconut oil. This allows you to use scale the recipe up to your preferred amount for your molds.
Place 2 cups of water in a medium-sized pan fitted with a double boiler. Place beeswax in the double boiler and allow it to fully melt.
Add the coconut oil and sweet almond oil, and stir gently (with a spoon dedicated solely to beeswax crafts) until the coconut oil is melted.
Using an oven mitt, remove the double boiler from the pan and wipe the water off of the bottom of the boiler. Pour the melted mixture into your molds, and allow to set for a few hours, or overnight.
Vegans can use carnauba wax in lieu of beeswax.
If you have a coconut allergy you can sub in shea butter.
Using an empty deodorant tube makes it super easy to apply this lotion bar recipe and makes it kid-friendly for them to apply themselves.
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My 1st attempt at making these, I poured it into plastic (not silcone) molds. I moved them around after they setup (maybe 15 min), they r cracking. Is it because I moved them around too soon? or do I need to get silcone molds? Thanks for any suggestion.
I’ve only used my silicone mold, so I can’t speak to how they’d do it other molds. I know I moved mine a little after pouring them, and they didn’t crack. I’ve found silicone molds at Goodwill for $1, so it might be worth the investment to try those.
I have made several batches of the lotion bars, and they have turned out great! I used a kitchen scale and measured 4 ounces of each ingredient. This worked well and was the perfect amount for the mold I used, which was the same one Sarah used. These are going to be wonderful gifts for friends!
Hi Michele, it sounds like your beeswax ratio to oil was a bit high. You might want to try remelting them, and adding a bit more oil. I’ve done that before and added a splash of olive oil and they turned out great.
Hey Sarah I can not wait to make them but I was wondering if you add any scents? Do beeswax candles work the same as beeswax?!
I know others have, but I have not. Essential oils seem to be really drying on my sensitive skin.
Thanks for sharing this, I love how easy and simple it is! 🙂
Made these yesterday and they worked great. I love the way they make my hands feel. They did not really have a smell so I re-melted them today and added some spearmint essential oil. Now they have just a hint of spearmint which is perfect. Thanks for a great idea! love it!
I’ve made these, but I used a microwave safe bowl and the microwave instead of a double boiler. I don’t nuke it but for 15 seconds or so at a time. And just until melted and stir, stir, stir!
I just made these with my kids and plan to give some as stocking stuffers. Well, maybe! I love them. Your recipe and directions were so easy to follow. Thank you so much. I did change and used grapeseed oil but only to cut the cost about $10. I just need to find somewhere to purchase more molds. I could only find one, its a gingerbread. Although it fits the occasion I would still like to make different ones for the rest of the seasons. Next batch I am going to try some essential oils just to spice things up a little. Even with all the oil it doesn’t make my skin greasy and my daughter absolutely love them. I think this will be our new obssesion! Lol! Thank you for sharing!
i made mine in mini muffin tins- worked great
I love this idea and really want to make some. My son seems to get eczema behind his ears and while I found a great all-natural lotion for it, making my own would be way cheaper. I love the idea of pouring the mixture into an old deodorant or glue stick container, but wouldn’t the hot liquid affect the plastic? I’m trying to reduce the amount of plastic in my house so while reusing the containers is great, I don’t want phthalates or anything to leech into the lotion bars. Any idea if that would happen?
Hey sorry but can you confirm what weight of beeswax and coconut oil you would use per ml of almond oil? Im not familiar with cup.measurements (maybe it’s a British thing?!) but I’d LOVE to make these- what an awesome post!
Oh goodness, I’m sorry but I’m not familiar enough with ML to give you a conversion for this. Honestly, I just eyeball it too.
Abour how many pounds of Beeswax makes one batch? (one of your pans?)
Hmmm, I would say I use a scant cup of (hard) beeswax (I eyeball it), so maybe 1/3-1/2 lb?
could soy wax be substituted for beeswax?
I’ve never used it, so I don’t really know the answer!
question: have you ever tried to add a scent or fragrence to yours?? if not, do you think you could?
Oh hell yeah! Stuff I can buy in a shop I actually frequent, no silly searching high and low for all kinds of fancy cr@p and a recipe I can follow without consulting the science department of the nearest university. I love you. Think it’d go down well if I used my Halloween skull ice cube moulds for this? Seeing as I just found the perfect stocking fillers for all kinds of people, they should be grateful… right? *cough*
Off to find some more easy recipes, you seem to be just my kinda gal!
Sara,
Can you tell me what the what the consistency is once you rub these on your hands? Mine isnt tacky but seem like a thick coat on my hands. after a while my hands are soft, but i was just curious.
April, it sounds like ours are very similar. Mine take a bit to rub in to my hands, but once it is rubbed in, my hands are very soft.
My boyfriend has had an on/off problem with eczema. What kind of oil and other ingredients can I add in these to help with that? (Thinking this would make kind of a thoughtful side Christmas present :p)
My MIL has had eczema her whole life. Touching cardboard makes her skin peel off.
She started using these as is and they helped so much. I don’t think you need to add any special oils to help him out.
Okay, great! Thanks 🙂
I had to redo them as i added too much oil by mistake. I reordered my coconut oil last week and it came. I got such an awesome deal 54oz for only $20. I had a $10 coupon so it was only $15 Shipped! I think I’m addicited to making these. If your intrested you can use the same $10 coupon using this link:
I had never made anything like this before today. But I found this on pinterest last night and HAD to give it a whirl! I found some molds at a local thrift store and the almond oil and beeswax at a health food store nearby. (already had the coconut oil) I am VERY impatiently waiting to be able to pop the little suckers out and try them!! I was motivated to this for my friend’s birthday..she just moved and her hands took a wicked beating from all the boxes!! I SO hope this worked!!! Thank you for sharing!!! Making this kinda thing could become a new addiction!! Have you had any luck adding an essential oil to give it a different smell? (not that I don’t like the way they smell..I’m just curious?)
You can add essential oils, just wait until the mixed oils have cooled a bit and then add; some essential oils will break down at high heats & you will lose the scent.
I’m sitting at home for the second day because of Hurricane Sandy. Since I have electricity I decided to work on Christmas presents. I made these this morning (already have lip balm and body scrub done). They turned out great. Though they’re are still setting, I did try some and my hands feel great–soft, not greasy. I have been cleaning up water since yesterday afternoon, so my hands were feeling really dry. They feel great now. Thanks!
Aren’t they great? I love them!
I tried using some beeswax candles that someone gave me and it took forever to melt them and they didn;t even melt all the way. They felt very waxy so I’m not sure if they were 100% BW. My concotion was chunky but I hope that It will fuse together nicely. I only made a small amount because I didn’t want to waste the Coconut oil and almond oil
I have a nut allergy, so can’t use the almond oil. Do you think the avocado oil would work (I happen to have some on hand, due to my allergies to other nutty oils)? Or another oil you recommend? Thanks for the great idea!
Almond, avocado, shea butter, coconut butter should all work fine!
Hi,
This might be a dumb question, but it looks like they come out of the mold hard, like a bar of soap, am I supossed to heat/melt each one as I use it?
Rub them all over your hands. The warmth from your hands will make them soft enough to “release” some of the lotion. It’s exactly like rubbing a bar of soap on your hands.
What was the measurements (estimtaed) that you used to fill the cute silicon tray?
My guess is they’re less than 2 oz each.
Is soy wax an equiv. to bees wax?
I haven’t used it, so I can’t know for sure.
Hi, ventured back to this post (found on Pinterest, and have been back everyday!) My daughter and I made these this past Monday. They are awesome. Its like a little mani/pedi when you rub into your cuticles! We used beeswax, coconut oil, and cocoa butter, one lb each and it made ALOT. We filled a silicone gingerbreadman shaped mold 3x! Thats like 68 little men! I also filled 12 1oz twist up containers to gift. Im using one of my little guys as a lip moisturizer also. Thanks for the inspiration!
The gingerbread men sound adorable! So glad you guys liked them! I just got some cocoa butter with my last Azure Standard order just for this purpose!