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Made with an infused dandelion oil to soothe irritated skin, these homemade lotion bars are a convenient, non-messy way to moisturize your skin.
Over the years, I have generally stuck to showing you more complex recipes like how to make lotion or how to make a facial moisturizer recipe for acne-prone skin. While those recipes aren’t difficult, they do need emulsifiers and natural preservatives.
Some people, especially beginner cosmetic formulators, are intimidated by those ingredients. Luckily, there are several options without them.
To avoid the need to use emulsifiers and preservatives, we can only use oils and waxes and should avoid all water-based ingredients. Whipped body butter is one popular option, but another simple solution is to make lotion bars!
What is a lotion bar?
A lotion bar is a type of solid lotion that is formed into bars for easy handling. The idea is to make something that almost resembles a small bar of soap, but it’s really a nice, solid lotion that melts into your skin.
Lotion bars are quite convenient and sustainable. You don’t have to worry about dealing with plastics and have several options for storing them, allowing you to avoid plastics. For easy transporting, make your lotions bars in a size that its directly into small tins.
Another option is to pour the melted ingredients directly into solid deodorant-type containers for push-up or twist-up lotion bars that are even easier to apply. (I recommend using smaller 15ml push-up containers like these for easy transporting.)
Lotion bars are easy to apply, making them a great option for people who don’t have a lot of dexterity. They’re easy to use for kids who might otherwise make a mess when applying a lotion. It’s still a good idea to help your kids apply the lotion bars (and you shouldn’t let young kids play with them without supervision).
How do you use one?
Lotion bars are formulated so that they are solid at room temperature but will melt when warmed with body heat. They can be used at any time, but an ideal time is right after showering when your skin is normally warmer and ready to absorb the oils.
Because they don’t have any water-based ingredients, they won’t add extra moisture to pull into your skin. That’s another reason why it’s a good idea to apply them right after showering. The wax and butter will help form a barrier that prevents the moisture from escaping and your skin from drying.
You can first warm the bar in your hands a bit, and then rub the melting bar over your dry skin. It should absorb into your skin to help soothe and protect it.
Lotion bars are especially great for applying to rough skin patches (such as those often found on heels and elbows).
Ingredients
Like a salve, lotion bars bars combine liquid oils with wax to help solidify them. To give the bars a creamier feel, a butter is also incorporated. If using cocoa butter, as I did in my basic lotion bars, you can generally use equal parts of wax, oil, and cocoa butter because the cocoa butter also adds hardness to the bar. In this case, we’re using a softer butter, shea butter, and also incorporating some dandelion oil, so these lotion bars need more wax to achieve the proper consistency.
Customizing the ingredients
- For the wax, I used beeswax, but you can use candelilla wax as a vegan substitute.
- If you’d prefer to avoid shea butter, mango butter can be used instead.
- Instead of coconut oil, you can use another liquid oil. Sweet almond oil is a popular choice. You could also use more of your homemade dandelion oil.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can be added to the recipe to help prolong the shelf life (and impart its beneficial properties to the skin). Ideally, it should be added at around 0.5% of the recipe by weight. Cari provided volume measurements, but I’ve calculated an approximate total weight of 187grams for the recipe. So, adding around 0.9-1 grams of vitamin E is ideal.
Essential oils can also be added to provide a pleasant fragrance to your lotion bars. Add up to 2-3 grams for this recipe.
Incorporating botanicals
While I have already shown you how to make basic solid lotion bars, today we’re going to concentrate on incorporating botanicals. In this case, we’ll be making dandelion lotion bars, but you can do something similar with dried calendula petals or other dried plant material.
Dandelion flower benefits
Not just a weed, dandelions are a wonderful plant for dry or cracked skin, including eczema. The flowers are high in vitamins A, C, D, B, and E. They are also one of the richest sources of beta carotene and contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus to help nourish the skin. By infusing the dandelion flowers with a carrier oil, you get the benefits of dandelions without actually using the plant material. This allows you to obtain a clean, smooth lotion bar.
How to make dandelion oil
Infusing the dandelions is easy, but it does take some time.
Collect about two cups of dandelion flowers. Rinse them thoroughly to remove dirt and bugs and then let them dry completely. Place the dried dandelion petals in a canning jar and completely cover them with a carrier oil. Let them sit in a warm place for two weeks. Shake the jar every day to help the flowers infuse in the oil, but make sure that the flowers are always covered in the oil so mold doesn’t grow.
After two weeks, strain the oil through a cheesecloth. Discard the flowers. You are left with a beautiful golden-colored carrier oil that can be used in many different DIY recipes.
What carrier oil should you use?
You can use any liquid carrier oil. Avoid using coconut oil if making this in the winter because it is solid at room temperature when temperatures are below 76ºC/24ºC. I used avocado oil because it’s great for dry skin. Jojoba oil is another stable oil that would be a great choice. You can also use a combination of oils if you want the benefits of each oil.
Making the lotion bars
Once you have the dandelion oil ready, you’re ready to make your lotion bars.
Mix together the oils, butter, and wax in a double boiler insert or a heat-safe bowl or glass jar that can be placed over a pan of simmering water. Heat gently until the wax and butter melt. Once melted, remove them from the heat source.
Stir in optional ingredients like vitamin E and/or essential oils. Then, pour the mixture into molds or small deodorant applicators. I love using silicone molds made for candy or soaps.
Once cool, gently remove the bars from the molds. If you’re having difficulty removing them cleanly, freeze them for a little while before removing them.
Storage
Finished lotion bars can be stored in airtight containers to help keep them soft and dust-free. For traveling or carrying in your purse, they can be stored in small soap dishes, metal tins, or even small Tupperware-type containers.
Watch me make regular lotion bars
Homemade Dandelion Lotion Bars
Materials
- ½ cup beeswax
- ¼ cup shea butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons dandelion infused oil
Instructions
- Combine the beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and dandelion-infused oil in a double boiler. (Double boiler inserts are perfect for this sort of recipe.)
- Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until everything is completely melted.
- Once melted, carefully remove the mixture from the heat source.
- Stir in any optional ingredients (such as vitamin E or essential oils for fragrance).
- Pour the mixture into molds and allow it to rest until completely cool. Depending on the size of your mold, this could take anywhere from half an hour to a few hours.
- The lotion bars should pop right out of the mold. If they don’t, put the mold back into the freezer for a few minutes and try again.
Notes
Making dandelion oil
- Collect about two cups of dandelion flowers.
- Rinse them thoroughly to remove dirt and bugs and then let them dry completely.
- Place the dried dandelion petals in a canning jar and completely cover them with a carrier oil.
- Let them sit in a warm place for two weeks. Shake the jar every day to help the flowers infuse in the oil, but make sure that the flowers are always covered in the oil so mold doesn’t grow.
- After two weeks, strain the oil through a cheesecloth. Discard the flowers. You are left with a beautiful golden-colored carrier oil that can be used in many different DIY recipes.
Optional ingredients
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can be added to the recipe to help prolong the shelf life (and impart its beneficial properties to the skin). Ideally, it should be added at around 0.5% of the recipe by weight. Cari provided volume measurements, but I’ve calculated an approximate total weight of 187grams for the recipe. So, adding around 0.9-1 grams of vitamin E is ideal. Essential oils can also be added to provide a pleasant fragrance to your lotion bars. Add up to 2-3 grams for this recipe.This post was originally published on February 23, 2018. It was rewritten in 2021 to add clearer instructions, photo and video of how to make lotion bars.
Easy Lotion Bars
Tanja Rouintree
I am allergic to coconut, is there another oil you could recommend to replace it in this recipe?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Tanja,
Yes, you can use other oils without any problem. Coconut is a very stable oil for infusing plant material.
If you sub it for a liquid oil, you may need to add slightly less to keep the consistency the same.
Emma
Hello! Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it!
I want to make this lotion bar to use for both face and body, but I heard that coconut oil is comedogenic. Is it possible to use a different oil in place of the coconut oil?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Emma,
While you can switch out the oils, using a different oil from the coconut oil may change the consistency. Coconut oil is solid at certain temperatures. That, of course, also means that these lotion bars may slightly change in consistency from season to season.
I doubt that it would be a big enough difference to matter, but I’m mentioning it just in case. You can always add a bit more shea butter if it needs more consistency. Shea is surprisingly non-comedogenic.
If you have issues with acne, you may also want to take a look at the wax. It can be comedogenic for some people.
I also have issues, which is why I prefer a water based lotion for my face. This is my moisturizer for acne prone skin. Maybe take a look. At least it can give you some info about oils you can try. 😉
Khristin Paisley
Hi! I was curious if you have a recipe version of this where I could make it into a liquid lotion. I’ve only ever made solid lotion but want to try making a body butter or emulsified liquid lotion.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Khristin,
I have a basic lotion recipe up on the blog. You can definitely use an infused oil when making it.
While I prefer lotions, I also have a body butter recipe up. You can sub out regular liquid oil for infused oil.
I’m a lotion kind of girl, but I like to share recipes for butter and bars for those who are still afraid to use preservatives or emulsifiers.
Lynn Elliot
Hi, I had 2 good sized jars of dandelions soaking in oil and I had to go away for 2 weeks. On my return I found there was mold on the tops of the jars, could you please advise if I can scoop it off and still use it for balm, or should I just throw it away?
Thanks Lynn
Tracy Ariza
Hi Lynn,
That’s a tricky question. I tend to be of the type that does just scoop it off and use the underneath part, but it depends on the oil and the appearance of the mold. I’m not sure how sound it is to recommend others do the same, though.
I often use coconut oil, so it’s solid and pretty easy to separate. With liquid oils, it’s not so easy to know.
What does your mold look like?
I tend to toss anything that has black mold, especially if it’s “hairy.” I’m a lot more laid back with fluffy white molds, for example.
(After a lot of reading about how to make chorizo, I’m more accepting of certain types of mold.)
Lyla
Thank you for the amazing recipeee!
Tracy Ariza
Thank you! 🙂
Lyla
Hi! I wanted to share this recipe with my class(for our yearly science thing) and I can’t find dandelion oil where I live in. I also don’t have time to make it. Is it possible to use sunflower seed oil instead? And if so, how much should i put?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Lyla,
Yes, of course. You don’t need to use dandelion infused oil. You can use any liquid oil that you like. The dandelion oil just gives the healing properties of dandelion. You could choose aloe oil or calendula oil, or even just a plain, non-infused oil instead. 😉
Diane
Is olive oil a good carrier oil? After the 2 week dandelion immersion period, should the flowers be ground before pouring the oil through the cheesecloth?
Also, after the 2 weeks, can the dandelion oil be refrigerated for a few days if necessary before cooking the lotion bar ingredients?
Any suggestions on what to use as molds other than ice cube trays?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Diane,
Yes, olive oil should be fine to use!
There is really no need to grind the flowers before straining the oil nor should you need to refrigerate it. Just make sure that no fresh plant material is above the surface of the oil when they are infusing into the oil. That will prevent mold from forming.
You can use all sorts of silicone molds- like muffin tins or chocolate molds, etc. Plastic kitchen containers may also work (but I’m not sure if the bars would stick to the plastic). You could freeze before unmolding to make the process easier.
Denise Freitas
Hi Tracy and Merry Christmas from Leesburg, GA! I made these lotion bars for my granddaughter. She had requested some shea butter to battle her eczema on her hands so I wanted to do something a little nicer than just shea butter melted and poured into a jar. I was delighted with the end results. I didn’t have time to infuse some avacado oil with dandelions because it’s very cool here in south GA so all the dandelions are gone until next summer. I substituted some lovely grapefruit and orange essential oil giving them a pleasant citrus scent to match the yellow from the shea butter. I used a square silicone treat mold so the cubes are a perfect 2-inch square. They popped right out of the mold with no problem. I packaged them in a nice little tin with a personalized label. Thanks for posting the recipe! I’m sure she will enjoy them.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Denise,
Merry Christmas!
I’m so happy you liked them.
Yes, there is no need to use the dandelion. It’s just an idea. You can infuse all sorts of different plants or you can just use essential oils. Just note, be careful with the citrus oils when you put on your skin before going in the sun- especially in the summer there in Georgia!
😉
Citrus oils can increase photosensitivity. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them, but just be aware of that so you can be careful. 🙂
Hope you’re having a wonderful Christmas!
Laurie Poulsen
Instead of using dandelion infused oil, could I use rosewood essential oil or peppermint? If so, how much would you recommend? Also, would it be beneficial to add vitamin e oil? If so how much?
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes!
Tracy Ariza
Hi Laurie,
Yes, you can use the oil without infusing the dandelions in them. You can then add some essential oils to the final mixture to add a scent and other properties. I normally add the essential oils at up to 2% of a recipe. In this case, it’s a bit harder to calculate because this was a guest post and wasn’t written out in weight measurements. Honestly, I’d probably just go by scent- add a few drops at a time without going too crazy with it so as to not irritate your skin. (Peppermint can be a bit irritating to some people with sensitive skin.)
As for adding Vitamin E- it has antioxidant properties, and it’s a great addition to products with oils in them because it helps keep the oils from going rancid quickly. Normally you’d add vitamin E at around 0.5% of the recipe. Again, in this case, it’s a bit tricky to calculate. I’d probably just add a couple of drops. You don’t want to go overboard because too much Vitamin E can actually work against you- and instead of protecting the oils, it can make them oxidize more quickly. I hope that helps!
Laurie Poulsen
Tracy, Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly. I didn’t know that too much Vitamin E can oxidize oils more quickly! I’ve learned so much useful information from reading your blog. You are such a blessing!
monica Strzok
Hello, thanks for the recipe. In the picture it looks like they have flowers in the bar as well. I really like the look. Do they have the flowers and if yes how did you add them? I would be afraid they would get moldy? Thanks
Tracy Ariza
Hi Monica,
This was a guest post, so I didn’t make these myself, but I’ll try my best to answer with my personal thoughts.
I think the bits you see in the lotion bars aren’t actually flowers, but just the little bits of flower material that weren’t completely removed when the macerated oil was strained.
Because this is an oil based product, if you are using these in a dry environment, the tiny bits left over probably won’t be a problem, especially if you make sure the flowers are fully dried before you start the maceration process. That’s why Cari didn’t use fresh flowers, but completely dried them before infusing the oil with them.
If you use these in the shower, and have large enough petals left over that get wet during use, then, yes, I could see it being a problem between uses. It’s all about how well the flowers were dried to begin with and the way you use your lotion bars. If there is any plant material left over, I’d be careful about not getting it wet when you use the lotion bars and you should be fine.
monica strzok
Tracy, thanks so much for then information/reply. I put my flowers in oil today after drying them 1 day. They seemed dry so fingers crossed it turns out 🙂 Cannot wait to try it. I made the lotion bars in little Dole fruit cup containers yesterday without the flowers added and they are awesome. I did add the 2 teaspoons of avocado oil plain without the flowers oil. The look like little flowers because of the fruit cup container. So cute! Thanks for posting.
Tracy Ariza
Sounds great!
You can do the maceration (infusion) with wet plant material by making sure it stays submerged underneath the surface of the oil(s), but I think it’s a lot safer to use dry products instead. There are some exceptions, like with St. John’s Wort, where you want to use fresh flowers to get a red oil, but in most cases, I think you’re best to use fully dried flowers. I wait until they get brittle to determine if they are pretty completely dried. I’ve never had any issues doing things that way. (It’s also how I make aloe oil.)
I’m glad they worked out well for you. I still need to try these out. I’ve been making a lot of products lately that I need to use up, but it’s on my list of things I want to try very soon. 😉
Suzanna
I didn’t know about lotion bars, thanks Tracy, learned something new today!