Beeswax Bar Lotion to Make Yourself

Green Living, Environment
Beeswax Bar Lotion to Make Yourself
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When searching for the perfect hand lotion, retail stores may offer you a generous selection of thick creams with a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, including preservatives, fragrances and dyes, which may or may not help your skin condition. In fact, many of the products that manufacturers put in their lotions may irritate your skin and make it worse. By making your own natural lotion, you can control what goes on your skin and, essentially, what goes in your body. Bar lotion is one of the most effective lotions for your skin because it often contains beeswax along with other highly concentrated ingredients that will coat and soothe your skin for hours. When using this type of lotion, the warmth of your skin softens the bar and then you can use it for softening hands, body and problem areas. A little goes a long way and your skin will feel moisturized, soft and protected all day.

Benefits of Beeswax

Beeswax is an all natural wax that is made by honey bees in the hive. While being produced, beeswax is a transparent colorless liquid. As the wax comes into the contact with air, it become semi-solid and is useable as a product in many cosmetics. Can you use beeswax for softening hands? You bet! Beeswax helps your skin retain moisture through its emollient, softening and soothing properties, and is also used as thickening agent and emulsifier. Beeswax is high in vitamin A, which can help reduce the signs of skin aging. It also contains propolis, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. When using beeswax lotion, it effectively seals in these active ingredients for long lasting moisturization..

Although most beeswax is gold or yellow in color, it can also be found in different shades of brown and orange. The color of the wax is generally determined by what type of plants the honey bees collected their nectar from. Most people find the scent of beeswax to be light and flowery with a hint of the sweetness of honey. Throughout history, beeswax was used as a natural antiseptic for healing wounds, and is now commonly used in lotions, soaps, creams, lip balms and salves. It is especially effective when used to make beeswax solid hand lotion due to its thick and creamy consistency that leaves a protective coating on your skin.

Making Bar Lotion

Bar lotion is one of the easiest lotions you can make at home, It requires no special equipment and the lotion contains only three main ingredients; oil, butter and beeswax. Beeswax is the key ingredient that makes lotion hard rather then soft because it has a high melting temperature. When mixed with an oil and a butter, the beeswax emulsifies these ingredients and creates a smooth, fragrant and skin softening lotion.

A basic recipe contains equal parts oil, butter and beeswax; however, by changing the amount of beeswax, you can create a harder or softer bar. In general, increasing the percentage of beeswax in your lotion recipe will result in a harder bar and decreasing the wax will make your bar softer. Different types of butter can also change the feel of your bar. For example, cocoa butter is a harder butter and you may need to use only 25% beeswax to achieve your desired result. The time of year should also be considered when making beeswax solid lotion and you may need to slightly increase the amount of beeswax in your recipes during the summer months.

Overall, what is most important is how the lotion feels to you during application. The following recipes are a great way to get started.

Beeswax Lotion Recipes

Basic Lotion

  • 1 part beeswax
  • 1 part butter (cocoa, mango, shea)
  • 1 part oil (almond, olive, sunflower)
  • fragrance or essential oil (if desired)

On low heat, slowly melt the beeswax. Once melted add the butter and stir until just melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the oil. Then add the fragrance or essential oil and continue stirring until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into your molds and allow to cool.

Cocoa Butter Lotion

  • 1 part beeswax
  • 1 part cocoa butter
  • 1 part coconut oil
  • 1 part sweet almond oil
  • Jasmine essential oil

On low heat, slowly melt the beeswax. Once melted add the cocoa butter and stir until just melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the coconut and almond oils. Then add the jasmine essential oil and continue stirring until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into your molds and allow to cool.

Pretty Shea Butter Lotion

  • 1 part beeswax
  • 1 part shea butter
  • 1 part olive oil
  • Dried rose petals

On low heat, slowly melt the beeswax. Once melted add the shea butter and stir until just melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the olive oil. Then add the dried rose petals and continue stirring until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into your molds and allow to cool.

Eucalyptus Lotion

  • 1 part beeswax
  • 1 part cocoa butter
  • 1 part jojoba oil
  • Eucalyptus essential oil

On low heat, slowly melt the beeswax. Once melted add the cocoa butter and stir until just melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the jojoba oil. Then add the eucalyptus essential oil and continue stirring until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into your molds and allow to cool.

Cold and Flu Lotion

  • 1 tbs. beeswax
  • 1 tbs. cocoa butter
  • 1 tbs. coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp. of Vicks Vapor rub
  • 5 drops of sage oil

On low heat, slowly melt the beeswax. Once melted add the cocoa butter and stir until just melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the coconut oil. Then add the Vicks Vapor rub and sage oil and continue stirring until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into your molds and allow to cool.

References

CosmteticsInfo.org: Beeswax - https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_details.php?ingredient_id=472

EnviroCitizen.org: Beauty from the Bees: Beeswax Cosmetics -

https://www.envirocitizen.org/article/beauty-from-the-bees:-beeswax-cosmetics/4012.html

Image Courtesy of: WikiMedia Commons - Emmanuel Boutet