If you love simple skincare recipes, DIY lotion bars are one of the most satisfying things you can make. They’re solid moisturisers that melt gently on contact with warm skin, leaving behind a nourishing layer of oils and butters.
These natural vegan lotion bars are shaped into small “skin pebbles,” which makes them particularly practical. Instead of handling a large bar each time, you can simply grab one pebble, warm it in your hands, and glide it over the skin. It’s cleaner, easier to portion, and perfect for keeping in a small tin or travel bag.
The recipe combines cocoa butter, mango butter, calendula infused oil, and candelilla wax to create a bar that feels rich but still glides smoothly across the skin. The addition of orange essential oil gives the bars a fresh, uplifting scent that makes them a joy to use.
Spotlight on the Benefits
Making lotion bars in small pebble shapes has a few practical advantages. First, they’re easier to handle and portion, you can simply use one pebble at a time instead of warming up a large bar.
They’re also more hygienic as you’re only touching the piece you are using, rather than the whole batch. Finally, the smaller size makes them perfect for traveling, handbags or gifting, and they look beautiful packaged in small jars or tins!
- Completely vegan lotion bar, made with plant-based waxes, butters and oils.
- Small pebble shapes make them so easy to use individually without mess.
- A rich blend of butters & oils helps soften and nourish your dry skin.
- A solid formula that melts gently on contact with warm skin.
- No water in the recipe, so no preservative is needed.
- Convenient and travel-friendly alternative to bottled lotions.
- Naturally scented with uplifting orange essential oil.
- Long shelf life thanks to the stable oils, butters and vitamin E.
Why We Choose These Ingredients
Candelilla Wax
This is a hard plant based wax that binds the ingredients together to make a solid stable bar. The wax forms a protective barrier on the skin that helps reduce moisture loss, leaveing the skin feeling softer and more protected, particularly on dry areas such as hands, elbows and heels. Although candelilla is a hard wax it’s actually a light wax, meaning it glides across the skin more smoothly than heavier sticky waxes.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is a lovely rich butter that does a wonderful job of softening and nourishing the skin. It’s packed with natural fatty acids that help keep moisture locked in, leaving the skin feeling smooth and comfortable. In our lotion bar it also plays an important role in giving the bar its firmness, while still allowing it to melt gently when it comes into contact with the warmth of your skin so it glides on beautifully.
Mango Butter
Mango butter is a lovely lightweight butter that moisturises the skin without leaving it feeling greasy. It gives the lotion bar a softer, creamier feel and helps it melt quickly when it comes into contact with the warmth of your skin. When paired with cocoa butter it helps balance the texture of the bar. The cocoa butter provides firmness, while the mango butter adds a smoother glide so the bar doesn’t drag on the skin when you apply it.
Calendula Infused Oil
Calendula infused oil is a lovely gentle oil that’s well known for its soothing and calming skin benefits. It’s especially nice for dry, delicate or sensitive skin as it helps comfort irritation while keeping the skin soft and nourished. In this lotion bar it also acts as the main moisturising oil, helping the bar melt into the skin and leaving it feeling smooth, conditioned and well cared for.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E plays two roles in our recipe. Its antioxidants so it helps to stop the oils in lotion bars from going rancid, giving you extra shelf life. Vitamin E also has gentle soothing and healing properties which is great for dry itchy skin.
Orange essential oil
We wanted an uplifting aroma for these fun pebbles and orange essential oil seemed fit perfectly. Always make sure you buy the distilled citrus oil as you don’t need to worry about photosensitivity.
Substitutions
Candelilla Wax, I would go for Carnauba Wax. It’s slightly harder so I would lower it to 15% and increase one of the butters.
Cocoa Butter, kokum butter would be good. You could substitute it with more mango but this could make the bar slightly softer.
Mango Butter, kokum or shea would be great
Calendula Infused Oil, any oil would be suitable. If you choose a heat sensitive one, add it to the waxes/butters after they have been melted.
Vitamin E, this helps preserve the oils. If you are going to use your bars within a couple of months you could leave it out.
Orange essential oil, choose your own blend or fragrance.
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 27 grams Candelilla Wax, 32 grams Cocoa Butter, 30 grams Mango Butter, 58 grams Calendula OilPlace the Candelilla wax, cocoa butter, mango butter and calendula oil into a clean heatproof container.
- To melt the oils, place the beaker into a water bath of ( A shallow saucepan with a couple of inches of simmering water). Give the oils a stir every now and again as they melt. You can also use a microwave on a low heat setting using 30 second bursts, stirring in between blasts. The beaker will be hot so take care when handling it.
- Once melted remove the beaker from the water and stir well. Stir the melted oils until they have cooled to around room temperature.
- (optional) You can quicken the cooling by placing the beaker into a bowl with a small amount of water and ice. If you do choose this method, allow the beaker to adjust in temperature so that you don't shock the glass. Keep popping the beaker in and out of the water so that it doesn't solidify.
- 1.5 grams Vitamin E Oil, 1.5 grams Orange Essential OilWhen the oils are around room temperature it's time to add the vitamin E and the fragrance/essential oil. Stir them in so they are fully combined.
- Pour the oils into the mold. If you find that the oils have started to harden, pop them back into the heat and gently to re-melt them. Once they have started to skin over, transfer to a refrigerator for an hour until fully hardened.
- When they are solid, the lotion bars can be removed from the mold.
New to DIY skincare?
If you’re enjoying making your own products, you might like Radiance, my free email course where I teach the foundations of DIY skincare step by step!
How to store your vegan lotion bars
It’s best to store the lotion bars in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight or heat sources, this will help to keep them fresh and stop butters and waxes from softening. An airtight tin, jar, or small box works well to keep dust and moisture away from the bars.
Because this recipe contains natural oils and butters, the bars are best used within about 6 to12 months.
How to use them
To use them simply hold the lotion bar in your hands for a few seconds, this allows your body heat to soften the surface slightly. Glide the bar over your body, paying extra attention to the dry areas of skin such as hands, elbows, knees, or heels.
As you are using it the warmth of your skin will melt a small amount of the bar, leaving behind a light layer of nourishing oils and butters.
Massage the lotion in with your hands if needed. These bars work especially well after a bath or shower when skin is warm and slightly damp, helping to lock in moisture.
Using A Large Mold For This Recipe
You can also make this recipe in a larger lotion bar mold if you prefer a single bar instead of the small pebbles. Larger molds work well if you like holding one solid bar and gliding it directly over the skin. The formula is exactly the same, simply pour the melted mixture into your chosen mold and allow it to set.
The smaller pebbles are convenient for individual use and travel, while a larger bar can feel a little more traditional, so it really comes down to personal preference.
Final Thoughts
Lotion bars are a wonderful reminder that effective skincare doesn’t need to be complicated. With just a few carefully chosen ingredients you can create a solid moisturiser that feels luxurious, nourishing and practical to use.
These vegan lotion bars strike a lovely balance between firmness and glide. The cocoa butter and candelilla wax give them structure, while the mango butter and calendula oil help them melt smoothly into the skin without feeling heavy.
The small pebble shape also makes them especially convenient. They’re easy to use, perfect for travel, and make thoughtful handmade gifts.
Once you’ve made your first batch, you’ll see how easy it is to experiment, switching oils, adjusting the scent, or trying different molds to create your own unique lotion bars.
