Handmade Lotion Bars

Coconut Oil is one of my favourite ingredients as it is so versatile and super good for you. I use it not only for soap but lip balm, body scrubs, moisturising lotion and in smoothies. It is super hydrating and my skin always feels amazing after using it. I find that store bought soaps usually leave your skin feeling dried out and they lather so much that you find yourself restocking frequently. Instead, why not make your own 100% natural and good for you lotion bars. As this recipe does not lather and is super hydrating it doesn't exactly fit the label of soap.

One of the key ingredients to keep the bar in a solid form is coconut oil. Or you can use any oil that is solid in its natural state. Such as shea or cocoa butters. But be sure you purchase the raw natural product and not the manufactured end product with all the additives. Coconut Oil I find is always the easiest to find as you can pick it up at your local supermarket. I picked up my jar of Melrose Coconut Oil from Coles at just $5. Or The Chemist Warehouse is another great place you can purchase Coconut Oil at a discounted price.

The other key ingredient in keeping this bar solid is beeswax. This is probably a little more difficult to source. Local markets are always a great place to find honey farmers who will always stock natural beeswax. Though if you can't find a local market then Bunnings Hardware Stores actually stock 100% Beeswax Bar as it is also used to maintain the integrity of wooden furniture. As there is no additives this is completely fine to use. It was around $10 for 100g which will do the job if you are only making a few lotion bars.

Lastly you will need oil that is liquid in its natural state. So you can basically use anything you desire here such as Olive, Sunflower, Grapeseed, Almond, Apricot, Jojoba etc I have used Almond Oil as I already had it in my kitchen pantry. I picked this up from The Chemist Warehouse, Garden Oil Aromatherapy range for approximately $13. This is 100% and not mixed with any inferior carrier oil so if you go to the dollar store be sure to read the bottle.

To give your lotion bar a beautiful aroma just add your favourite essential oils. Again be sure that you purchase 100% essential oils. The Garden Oil Aromatherapy range is what I used. Both the lemongrass for one batch and orange for the other batch.

If you would like to add an exfoliant to your soap why not try using poppyseeds, oats, salt or anything with a rough texture that won't melt into your mixture. I created an orange and poppyseed lotion bar which works a treat.

What you will need:

- 1 part Beeswax

- 1 part Solid Oil

- 1 part Liquid Oil

- Essential Oils to scent

1/ Prepare your moulds ready and grease them to prevent sticking. I used small snack sized tuppaware containers that I had in the kitchen cupboard. Though you can use any container even if its large. Just only part fill the container to your desired size. Or muffin tins make an easy to use mould.

2/ In a microwave safe bowl add your beeswax, solid and liquid oils, essential oils to preference. I used 1/3 cup for each with about 20 drops of essence. This made about 3 bars.

3/ Now to melt all your ingredients until the mixture becomes translucid. Be sure that you don't burn or overcook your mixture as this loses the goodness in the oils and can actually backfire and make them bad for you. So if you are using the stove top use the double bowl technique or in the microwave only melt for 20 seconds at a time stirring each time. I found 2 minutes in the microwave was the most I needed.

4/ Then quickly transfer your mixture into your prepared containers. Allow to set in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes or until hard.