Recently, I made my first batch of lotion bars. I’ve been using essential oils for years. They help me on so many levels. But I wanted to try making lotion bars. I’d been seeing so many cool pictures of these trendy creations, and I wanted some of my own.

Lotion bars have a distinct advantage over lotion in a bottle. For one, they’re all natural. You make them yourself. So you know exactly what’s being added. No parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances or other toxins. Also, lotion bars are more portable than a bottle of lotion. You can slip one in a little container, and tuck it in your purse. It won’t spill. Nor will it melt, if you add enough beeswax.

Typically, lotion bars are made with essential oils. This means they smell wonderful. You can also make therapeutic lotion bars, such as the stress relieving version I made, using a special essential oil blend. You can make bars to soothe and heal dry cracked hands. Or, you can make bars designed to keep the bugs away.

How Much Essential Oil to Add to Lotion Bars

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People who’ve just started using essential oils may not realize their strength. They’re highly concentrated, so only a little bit is needed. I was amazed when I learned just how strong they are, which is why we can usually operate on the principle that less is more. Personally, I like to use the minimum amount needed. Just to give you an example, one widely cited comparison is that one drop of peppermint essential oil is the herbal equivalent of anywhere from 15 to 70 cups of peppermint tea.

Essential oils are incredibly strong. So you can’t put them directly on your skin. First, you need to mix them with a carrier oil. One of the most popular carriers is fractionated coconut oil. Unlike regular coconut oil, this glides smoothly and easily on your skin. The standard dilution for using essential oils in a carrier oil is 2 percent. This means you add 3 drops of essential oil to every teaspoon of carrier.

Adding Essential Oils to Lotion Bars

Even though the standard dilution is 2 percent, unless you’ll be using the essential oil/carrier oil mixture on a large part of your body (then it’s 1 percent), I decided to drop this ratio even lower when making my lotion bars. I think that’s a good idea, because then it’s possible to use them throughout the day.

My bars were designed for keeping my hands moist, as well as relaxation. One option would be to use  lavender essential oil, which is considered soothing to the skin. Certain other oils, such as ylang ylang and patchouli, are also noted for their calming actions. These are included in Plant Therapy Meditation Synergy Blend. This is what I added to my lotion bars. The result was a heavenly smelling bar that I could use on my hands.

Mediation Synergy Blend is sold by Plant Therapy, one of my very favorite essential oil companies. It sells a wide range of 100 percent pure single oils and blends. I trust this company, and I know its oils are thoroughly tested. So I don’t feel as if I have to go the MLM route in order to get a good oil.

Plant Therapy Lavender OilPlant Therapy Meditation Blend

How To Make Your Own Solid Lotion Bar

I found various lotion bar recipes on the Internet. Pretty much all of them called for coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax. These are the three ingredients I used to make my lotion bars, in equal amounts. I used 1/2 cup of each of these three ingredients. Then I added just 8 drops of Meditation Synergy Blend. This is far less than a 2 percent dilution. But the scent was still strong enough. If you need coconut oil, shea butter or natural beeswax, and you can’t find them locally, they’re available online.

Organic Shea ButterWhite Beeswax PelletsOrganic Coconut Oil

Easy to Make Lotion Bars

Making DIY lotion bars is incredibly easy. All you need to do is gently heat the three main ingredients in a solid stainless steel pan over very low heat. You need to watch it closely, so it doesn’t smoke. You may also want to add the beeswax a minute or two before the coconut oil and shea butter, since it takes a little longer to melt. Next, you put the pan aside to cool for a few minutes, before adding your essential oils. Then your pour this still liquid mixture into a silicone mold and wait until it hardens.

Disclaimer

These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.