By Debra Maslowski
Using kokum butter instead of beeswax allows us to make lotion bars harder and vegan. And this solid lotion bar recipe won’t clog your pores!
I love lotion bars in the winter. Heated air, low humidity, and cold can all lead to dry skin. The soap you use can make a big difference, but so can the lotion. Liquid lotions consist mainly of water or some other liquid, easily absorbed by the skin, but there’s nothing to hold it in your skin. That’s where solid lotion bars come in.
What is a Solid Lotion Bar?
It is simply a hard lotion bar moisturizer rather than a liquid lotion.
No Beeswax in These Solid Lotion Bars!
It has become harder and harder to find good beeswax lately. And with more people going vegan, animal products are less desirable. So what do you do to keep your solid lotion bars solid? It’s all in the butter. Normally, the basic recipe for lotion bars is beeswax, shea butter (or mango butter), and some kind of carrier oil. In this application, you need to find a substitute for beeswax. Soy wax could work, but it tends to be very soft. Olive wax or sunflower wax could work, but they are extremely expensive. In experimenting with several types of wax, I found that it’s not the wax so much, but the butter. I tried cocoa butter, but it still wasn’t solid enough.
Enter kokum butter.
What is Kokum Butter?
Kokum butter is the hard oil extracted from the fruit of the Garcinia indica tree. It’s high in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and has a higher melting point. Kokum butter can be anti-inflammatory, which makes it great for sensitive skin. And although kokum butter is hard, much like beeswax, it is non-comedogenic, meaning that it won’t clog your pores. So it can be used as a great nighttime facial lotion. And it seems to be free of allergens, which is excellent for people who have allergies to chocolate and can’t use cocoa butter.
Hard Lotion Bars Recipe
Here’s the basic recipe for solid lotion bars without beeswax:
Ingredients
- 1.25 oz of kokum butter
- 1.25 ounces shea butter
- 1.25 ounces carrier oil like sunflower or safflower
- 5-6 drops of essential oil of your choice (see ideas below)
Instructions
- In a double boiler, melt all the ingredients together except for the essential oil. You can also use a microwave in short bursts, like 30 seconds each time.
- When it is all melted, take it off of the heat and stir the essential oil into the mixture. You can use more or less depending on what scent or fragrance you want. You can also leave it “blank” or unscented.
- Pour into a silicone mold, tins, or squat 4-ounce canning jars and allow to cool all the way before capping. Putting the cap on while it is still warm can lead to condensation, and moisture can lead to mold. If you use canning jars the bars in their solid form shrink a little and should fall right out.
Essential Oil and Fragrance Ideas
I made my solid lotion bar with lavender and frankincense essential oils. These two oils are very healing and soothing for the skin. You could also use tea tree, ylang ylang or rose essential oils. Whatever you like will be fine in the bar.
Here are a few other ideas for which essential oils to use:
Shelf Life, Preservative, and Oil Choice
This solid lotion bar has a shelf life of a year or two if not stored in direct sunlight. The kokum butter can actually help to extend the shelf life due to its antioxidant properties in it. Because there is no water in this recipe, you don’t need to use a preservative. Suppose you should wish to use one anyway, something like VegeCide and a few drops of Rosemary Oil Extract (ROE) can help keep oils from going rancid. You can store them in the freezer for an even longer shelf life.
I use sunflower or safflower oil because of the high vitamin E content. They are both relatively cheap and are not prone to rancidity. You could also use coconut oil or olive oil. This may take a bit of experimenting to see if the lotion bar is hard enough for you. You can always melt it down and add more oil to make it softer or more kokum butter to make it harder. This recipe is very forgiving and can be melted a few times without any adverse effects.
Buy a Solid Lotion Bar
If you don’t have the time or energy to make your own, you can purchase a great one here.
Are you ready to make this solid lotion bar recipe without beeswax? Let’s go!
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