A Solid Lotion Bar Recipe With Beeswax

Last Updated:
Updated:
diy solid moisturizer bar
diy solid moisturizer bar
diy solid moisturizer bar

This site is reader-supported. If you buy via the links here I may earn a small commission at no cost to you - my affiliate disclosure

This solid lotion bar is another great example of my incredibly simple DIY lotion bar recipes. These are very easy to make and once you have the basic recipe you can then tweak it till your heart’s content. This is quite different from my homemade lotion recipe with shea butter or my a creamy homemade body lotion.

Apart from the obvious all over lotion bar, you can also create lip balms and muscle rubs with this versatile recipe. There are no preservatives needed in these moisturizers which are great for anyone with sensitive skin.

Finished Homemade lotion bars

These make excellent gifts when packaged in foil, cellophane, lip balm pots, deodorant tubes or pretty tins. They are also very handy in the summer, on the beach, camping or flying.

A nice solid “mini” moisture bar in a small pot in the back pocket is perfect!

Ingredients

For A Basic 3oz Lotion Bar:

Optional Extra (drop the liquid oil to 33% if adding this):

Method

Step 1. Weigh out the beeswax, butter and oil

DIY Lotion Bar Recipe, Step 1

Step 2. Place into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted, or place a small can (an empty tuna can is perfect) at the bottom of a pan, fill the pan with water and place a heat-proof jug with the ingredients inside on top of the can. Bring to the boil and simmer until melted.

DIY Lotion Bar Recipe, Step 2
Step 2

Step 3. Remove the bowl (jug) from the heat and cool slightly (watch it, as it can start to solidify very quickly you only want to cool it enough so as not to destroy the fragrance. Mix in the Vitamin E or fragrance if using and pour into molds or containers.

Step 3

Step 4. Allow it to set then transfer to the refrigerator or freezer until solid. If you are using a balm or deodorant stick as a container, make sure it’s twisted all the way down and don’t try to move it until its set or you may end up with a dent in the middle of the tube from splashing it around (no need to ask me how I know this)

Step 4

Lotion bars are almost impossible to get wrong. If for some reason you don’t like the way they look, feel or smell, you can melt them down again. Add a bit more oil or butter if the bars are too hard or a bit more beeswax if they are too soft.

Not enough scent? Melt it down and add a little more, although you do need to be a bit careful with fragrance and essential oils as they can be heat-sensitive, so melt them lightly.

As I may have mentioned earlier these solid lotion bars refrigerate and freeze extremely well, so if you make a few too many you can store them in a container or freezer bag until needed.

homemade lotion bars

Generally, if you are making this solid moisturizer in a lip balm tube or tin, the 3oz batch will make about 9 or 10 of them.

You may also have noticed that one of my bars has a slight pink tone to it, you can achieve this by adding 1 or 2 drops of food coloring (I used red) as soon as the oils were removed from the heat.

Gifting

Teaming these up with the homemade bath salts makes a great gift.

Homemade Bath Salts & Body Butter Gift
Homemade Bath Salts & Body Butter Gift

Or add some layered melt and pour soap for a wonderful gift!

Bath Salts, Body Butter & Soap Gift
Bath Salts, Body Butter & Soap Gift

How To Make A Solid Body Butter Bar

I’ve recently been making a body butter bar that seems to be going down well with everyone who’s tried it, and it’s a good place to start if you think you would like to have a go at making your own body creams.

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. First you need to melt all your solid ingredients. You can do this by gently heating in the microwave or on the stove top.
  2. Once it’s all melted you can stir in the liquid oil, if you want to you can also add a little fragrance or essential oil to make some really nice perfumed bars. Although the cocoa butter and the bees wax does have lovely natural scent of its own, so it’s not essential.
  3. Pour the melted oils into molds (I use soap or flexi cup cake molds) then allow to cool and harden.
  4. All you need to do now is gently remove the harden bars from their molds and your homemade solid body butter bars are now ready for use.

I’ve been making my own diy skin care recipes now for about five years and my skin has never felt so good. I honestly don’t think that I could go back to using the processed store creams anymore.

When you first start making facials and skin creams at home it does cost a little more to start with, but once your natural ingredients begin to grow they work out at a fraction of the cost of store-bought ones and the rewards are so much greater.

Here are three more solid lotion bars for you to try, and by the way, if you love cocoa butter, take a look at making these wonderful cocoa butter bath treats. Or have a go at making a natural diy body wrap with things you may already have in your kitchen.

Did you make your own solid lotion bar? How did you get on, what ingredients did you use?

Photo of author

Angela Wills

Angela is the founder and driving force behind Savvy Homemade. With over fifteen years experience in DIY home crafts, and a Diploma in skincare formulation, Angela brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to every post she writes. She is fearlessly dedicated to creating tried, tested recipes & products that will work for everyone, and she infuses each DIY product with her passion and expertise.

Download my eBooks >

Discussion (12 Comments)

  1. Thank you for the recipe. i am eager to try it.
    My hands are dry and finger tips cracked from all the hand washing I’ve been doing. When I’m out and about, i’ll use a hand sanitizer which only makes things worse.
    I’ve just finished the last of my “Bee Bar Lotion” made by Honey House Naturals. it seemed to be the only thing that helped my problem. I am convinced it’s got to be the ingredient of bees wax.
    Thank you for your recipe. I’m eager to try it.
    If it works, I will share it with my friends and neighbors who are also complaining about dry, cracked hands.

    Reply
    • Hi Caro,

      I’ve found candelilla wax is a bit stiffer than beeswax and so for that reason, I would recommend using half the amount. So you would use 16.5% candelilla wax, 41.25% hard butter and 42.25% liquid oil to produce the same amount. The optional ingredients remain the same. Nevertheless, this is an estimate. You may need to do some experimentation or tweaking the recipe until you get a lotion bar that is to your liking.

      Hope this helps!

      Reply
  2. Hi!
    I was wondering if this balm leave skin greasy? I want to have a good balm whileim knitting but dont want to affect my fiber. And in summer does this balm melt down or it stay solid? Thanks for this reciepe!!

    Reply
    • Hi Cindy,

      While I wouldn’t say it leaves a greasy residue, you may feel the beeswax on your skin for a little while after using. Its sort of like a ‘waxy’ kind of feel. But it does sink in eventually. As for use during the summer, it really depends on your climate. Beeswax is great at keeping it solid, so provided it’s not left in the hot sun they should be fine. If you do find it melts a bit, try popping it in the fridge.

      Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Hello when do I add the food coloring to the lotion/butter bars? Is it after I melt them and stir? Thanks

      • Hi Jerrika,

        Yes, you should add it right after the oils and butter have melted together. Be sure to remove it from the heat before you add the coloring, though.

        I hope this helps!

  3. Hello! Thanks for sharing your recipes. I’m making lotion bars and some will be sent to my daughter in the Peace Corps in The Gambia. The temperature is often in the 90-100 range during the hot season, and humid. I am wondering if it would work to try more beeswax for a firmer bar? If so, would I decrease the liquid oil or the hard butter…I have shea.

    Oh, and a water bath/pint jars in the crock pot works very well! If I do separate jars, I can make several types and they stay melted while I put in the essential oils and pour!

    Colleen

    Reply
  4. Hi Angela

    It is me, Karen again.
    Could I use ordinary butter, the type we butter sandwiches or does it ha e to be a special butter?
    This is for the lotion bar recipe.
    Kind regards
    Karen

    Reply
    • Hi again Karen, hope you’re well!

      Unfortunately, ordinary/dairy butter isn’t suitable to be used in any cosmetic or skin care products (including soaps, lotions, creams, and moisturizers). It’s important to make use of the cosmetic butters, which you can read all about here in my cosmetic ingredients guide. Usually, they’re extremely hydrating, skin softening and wonderfully nourishing. I definitely recommend you give them a try!

      Hope this helps and good luck with your lotion bars!

      Reply

Join the conversation

Flipboard