Earl Grey In-Shower Lotion Bars Recipe - Elements Bath & Body Learning Center

How to Make Earl Grey In-Shower Lotion Bars

These in-shower lotion bars are the perfect way to make traveling simpler and reduce plastic waste! These bars are enriched with nourishing avocado oil, mango butter and cocoa butter and hydrating glycerin and sodium lactate to moisturize your skin, leaving it nourished and soft. They are scented with citrusy bergamot essential oil, the ingredient that gives Earl Grey tea its unique taste. The magic ingredient in these lotion bars is emulsifying wax. It allows the water on your skin and the butters and oil in the bars to create an instant lotion that keeps your skin soft all day long! You cannot substitute the emulsifying wax for beeswax.

Using these lotion bars is quite simple. After you shower or bathe, rub the bar all over your damp skin. You don’t need to rinse. Just towel dry.

This recipe makes 300g of lotion bar base. Choose a mold that has rounded edges and fits nicely in the palm of your hand. You can substitute any liquid oil of your choice for the avocado oil and you can substitute shea butter for the mango butter. Do not substitute another butter for the cocoa butter, however; it’s important for hardening the bars.

INFORMATION

Difficulty: Intermediate
Yield: 5 x 2.1 oz / 60 g Bars

TIMING

Prep Time / Clean Up: 15 Minutes
Perform Time: 25 Minutes
Cooling Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes, 40 Minutes Active Time

SUPPLIES

Digital Scale
1-2 qt Saucepan
Wire Rack (to fit in saucepan or skillet)
Spatula or Spoon
Spray Bottle with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol
Funnel Pitcher
Pipettes (for preservative and essential oil)
Stick Blender
Paper Towels
Freezer
Stovetop or Portable Burner
Timer
Silicone or Plastic Mold (with individual cavities) – we used this Rounded Oval Silicone Mold mold in our tutorial

INGREDIENTS

4.9 oz / 138 g Cocoa Butter, cut into chunks (46%)
1.6 oz / 4 5 g Mango Butter (15%)
1.27 oz / 36 g Avocado Oil (12%)
0.32 oz / 9 g Sodium Lactate 60% (3%)
0.74 oz / 21 g Emulsifying Wax, NF (7%)
1.06 oz / 30 g Stearic Acid (10%)
0.35 oz / 12 g Glycerin (4%) (Available at pharmacies)
0.21 oz / 6 g Bergamot Essential Oil (2%)
0.11 oz / 3 g Germaben II Preservative (1%)

DIRECTIONS

Before starting this tutorial please make sure to read all instructions. Spray work surface, utensils and mixing bowl with 70% isopropyl alcohol and wipe with paper towels. Use caution when handling heated oils. Use disposable pipettes when dispensing essential oils. Do not place undiluted essential oils in plastic ware. Carefully weigh all ingredients before you start working.

Place a wire rack in the bottom of the saucepan and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer on stovetop.

Step 1 – Melt the oils and butters

Combine the cocoa butter, mango butter, avocado oil, stearic acid, and glycerin, emulsifying wax, NF and sodium lactate in a funnel pitcher. Place in your saucepan of simmering water.

Heat, stirring occasionally, until fully melted, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.

Step 2 – Emulsify the lotion bar base

Insert the stick blender in the lotion bar mixture. Tap the head of the stick blender to release any trapped air. Stick blend the mixture for 60 seconds. This ensures the glycerin and sodium lactate will not separate from the finished bars.