Handmade lotion can be very fulfilling.  It creates a non-greasy lotion, while being able to incorporate natural oils with fantastic skincare qualities.  People find these lotions to be very healing, even with just the basic ingredients.

Getting Started

You will need:

-A glass bowl

-A hand mixer

-A microwave (if you choose to make this on a stovetop, use a metal bowl)

-Emulsifying Wax (combines oil and water)

-Stearic Acid (helps emulsify and thicken)

-Oils 

-Distilled Water (I like to buy the big jugs that go in a water dispenser)

-Aloe Juice or Floral Waters (if you choose to use these)

-Vegetable Glycerin (humectant - draws moisture from the air to the skin; optional)

-Extracts (if you choose to use these)

-Guar Gum (you could also use Xanthan Gum - helps to emulsify and thicken)

-Essential Oils (if you choose to use these)

-A Preservative (I use Liquid Germall Plus - very important, as bacteria growth can cause illness, blindness, and even death)

-Bottles with lids to package your lotion (It is important to use pumps or disc caps to prevent people from putting their fingers in your lotion, which introduces bacteria)


The Ingredients

I like to use the following concentrations (I measure by volume):

-5% Emulsifying Wax (recommended usage: 2-10%)

-5% Stearic Acid

-20% Oils

-70% Water or other liquids (you can substitute aloe juice, floral waters, vegetable glycerin)

-Pinch of Extracts (optional)

-Guar Gum (about 1 dash/500mL of lotion - you can buy little measuring spoons at Canadian Tire that measure a smidgen, pinch, & dash)

-Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils (This must be added when the lotion has cooled or the essential oils will evaporate)

-Preservative (the amount depends on the preservative used.  I use Liquid Germall Plus at 0.25% (recommendation of 0.1% - 0.5%)  This must be added when the lotion has cooled or the heat will inactivate it)

The Recipe

  1. Measure the Emulsifying Wax and Stearic Acid into a glass or stainless steel bowl.  Melt in the microwave or on a stovetop until liquid.
  2. Measure and add the oils to the mixture.  You may need to melt a little further to bring to a liquid state again.  Blend with a hand mixer.
  3. Measure and add distilled water (must be boiling hot), while mixing with hand mixer.  I often heat 1/5 of my liquid, then add the rest at room temperature and even cold for floral waters and aloe.  This makes the cooling process shorter.  The first 1/5 must be hot or the mixture will clump.
  4. Add Vegetable Glycerin and Extracts (if you choose to).  Mix with hand mixer.
  5. Pinch in guar gum.  There is an important trick to this.  Your hand mixer must be running.  You want to either pinch a thin layer on top of your mixture and mix immediately, or I tap my measuring spoon against the mixer and the vibrations from it evenly distributes the guar gum over top.  Again, mix immediately.  If you don't add guar gum in this fashion, you will have gummy clumps in your lotion.  Note that guar gum takes quite some time to fully thicken.  You will have a good idea of the thickness after about 1/2 an hour, but it will still thicken slightly further with more time.  Just be patient, let your lotion sit and mix it every once in awhile (about every 10 minutes).  If you are not satisfied with the thickness after 30 minutes, add a bit more.
  6. Let your lotion cool completely (while you wait for this, you can put plastic wrap over top to keep any dust or dirt out of your lotion).
  7. Once your lotion has completely cooled, add your essential oils, preservative, and fragrance oils.  You can separate your lotion after adding the preservative and mixing well in order to make various scents.
  8. Bottle your lotion and label.  A great labelling program is Avery Design Pro.  When purchasing labels, it's best to use a durable, waterproof label.




If you have any questions, please contact natures-comforts@live.com

 
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