How to Make a Lotion Bar

Last Updated on May 6, 2023 by Ellen Christian

Lotion bars are a healthy, natural way to moisturize your skin. But they can be expensive to buy. Learn how to make a lotion bar at home.

This guide will walk you through the steps of making a lotion bar from scratch. I’ll show you how easy it is and give you tips for creating your own unique scents and recipes!

How to Make a Lotion Bar

With this simple lotion bar recipe, detailed instructions, and step-by-step photos, I’ll show you exactly how to make an orange-vanilla body bar in just a few minutes – without any special equipment or ingredients! You can use this technique with any essential oil scent you like.

Tell me the best way to use lotion bars

Hold the bar on your hands so your body warms the bar. When your hand is cold you can easily rub it to get started. Then, rub a bar over the area you want to be moisturized.

What are homemade lotion bars?

Body bars are basically small wax bars that you use to moisturize dry skin. They can be used on your body, hands, feet… anywhere you have dry skin.

How do body bars work?

The bar is a solid base made from beeswax and other oils. When the bar is exposed to your warm skin, it softens. The oils in the bar are then released and absorbed into your skin, making it moist and smooth.

This is my favorite way to keep my skin soft. It works great for my sensitive skin and leaves a nice healthy glow. It works much the same way that lip balms do.

What ingredients should I use to make lotion bars?

All you need for this recipe is coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, and essential oil. You can also add different kinds of butter (such as cocoa butter) if you want.

If you like, you can also add a few drops of Vitamin E oil but this is optional. If you have dry flaky skin, it’s a great way to nurture chapped skin.

What type of essential oils should I use?

These body bars are made with sweet orange and vanilla scents. It’s a fresh, light scent that I really enjoy.

But, you can definitely try one of these instead of sweet orange essential oil. Remember you only need a few drops when you add essential oils.

• Peppermint essential oil
• Tea tree oil
• Lavender or other floral essential oils

Can I use another type of oil besides coconut?

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature. You want the lotion bar to stay solid until it is warmed by your hands.

Because of this, you need to avoid liquid oil like sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or sesame oil. Liquid oils will not solidify like straight coconut oil does.

To the coconut oil, I have added other natural oils including pure beeswax and shea butter. You could experiment with cocoa butter, mango butter, or soy wax if you like.

How do you harden a bar of lotion?

Keep the bar lotion warm. Depending on the climate you have you can place the bars in the refrigerator. The cold hardens the bars so they hold their shape.

What do I need to make lotion bars?

• Kitchen scale
• Microwave and microwave-safe measuring cup or
• Double boiler and sauce pan
• Silicone soap mold
• Wax paper to wrap them in

If you don’t have a soap mold, you can try making these in an old deodorant container for lotion sticks.

If you don’t have any other type of container, a Mason jar or small metal tins will work as well but it may be harder to scoop the solid lotion bar out of it.

You can find bar molds to make solid lotion bars at your local craft store. Or, I really like these from Amazon. If you’re going to make your own lotion bars, I really recommend you buy a mold.

What is the shelf life?

The bars should keep for up to a year if you use quality ingredients and store them properly.

Keep your body bars in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Also, avoid exposing your homemade lotion bar to warm air or it will melt!

Coconut oil will melt at warm temperatures. So, you can also try keeping your coconut oil lotion bars in a cold refrigerator to keep them firm.

Basic recipe for DIY lotion bars

• 3 ounces Unrefined African Shea Butter
• 3 ounces coconut oil
• 15 drops of orange essential oil (or other essential oils)
• 3 ounces Beeswax Pellets
• 7 drops of vanilla fragrance oil
• ⅛ tsp orange mica powder

How to make hard lotion bars

Measure the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax by weight, using the kitchen scale. Layer the ingredients into the measuring cup.

Place the ingredient-filled measuring cup into the microwave and heat on high for one minute. Remove and stir. Repeat until everything is fully melted.

Once melted, add the essential oil and mica powder. Stir well.

Pour into mold, filling each cavity about ¾ of the way.

Allow body bars about 40 minutes to cool completely, before unmolding.

This works so well for cracked skin! It’s one of my favorite homemade beauty products. It’s so difficult to find lotion bars at the store, but you can make this shea butter lotion bar in just a few minutes.

Tips and tricks to make DIY lotion bars

Coconut oil solidifies at 76 degrees. When you make these bars, it will be very difficult to mix in your essential oils and other ingredients if your kitchen is too hot or humid.

Try mixing up these body bars on a cooler day or at night so they have plenty of time to harden before you unmold them. Otherwise, you may need to put them in the refrigerator.

You won’t have to worry about the heat from your hands softening or melting these mild as they contain a nice amount of beeswax.

Shake the lotion bar molds before you fill the lotion bars for more even distribution and smooth edges on each solid bar.

If you find that your essential oils are evaporating, try adding a few more drops to the recipe.

More beauty and lotion bar recipes

• Lavender lotion bar
• Pumpkin spice soap recipe
• Strawberry heart sugar scrub bars
• Free diffuser blend recipes
• Homemade soap for eczema
• Coconut oil body butter
• Paraffin wax treatments
• Sugar scrub cubes