Hard Lotion in skull form to "kill the rash"

This week I heard from Thomas who used the lotion bar recipe to try out on his pityriasis rosea (a.k.a. "rash"). 

Along with the photo, he wrote:

 I brought some to work and already some people want me to make some for them.  The doctor said there is no cure for my rash, but when it goes away I should not get it back.  I think your recipe, possibly with the essential oil I used is a cure.  Today my rash looks almost gone, and it's the first time in three months I haven't had to slather myself with hydrocortisone cream.  

I love that he used some silicone molds from Halloween as his own reminder that he's killing the rash.

That's awesome, Thomas. 

How to Clean Up After Making Sunscreen

Hi Renee, I made your recipe for homemade suntan lotion and how

do I clean up bowls, spoons used in mixing after having zinc oxide in it?

I can't seem to get items clean, everything is greasy and white and its

like I can't break through and get my mixer paddles clean???

Please advise, thank you!

Answer:

Everything you used to make it needs to get hot to the point of remelting

the mixture. You could use a hair dryer or put it in the oven on a

foil-lined cookie sheet. Once it's hot and melted, use paper towels to

thoroughly wipe off any lotion. You'll then be able to wash your utensils

in very hot, soapy water. Use something like Dawn and a scrub brush to cut

through the wax/oils. If you make it again in the future, as soon as

you've finished blending it, immediately wipe everything with paper towels

to get rid of as much residue as you can before washing by hand.

A Customer's Photo Gallery of Making Hard Lotion and Sunscreen

Jessica from MN made hard lotion, lip balm and sunscreen using one DIY kit:

Melting lotion ingredientslotion mold 

lip balms      hard lotion melting sunscreen ingredientsfinished sunscreenfinished products 

 Thank you, Jessica (L, with sister Danielle, R)

How to Make Your Own Homemade Sunscreen

Homemade Sunscreen

Three reasons you should make your own:

1. Control your ingredients: zinc oxide offers the best sun protection with a low hazard rating (per EWG). You can create a high or low SPF when you make it yourself.
2. Four ingredients and 30 minutes is all you need.
3. No need to worry about expired sunscreen in the cupboard. Make fresh sunscreen that lasts all summer long (plan for a year shelf life).

Instructions: Melt ½ oz beeswax, 2 oz shea butter, and 2 oz coconut oil using the double boiler method (Pyrex or glass container with ingredients, sitting in a pot of  boiling water until mixture is melted).

Remove from heat. Add 1 oz (2 TBS) zinc oxide to melted mixture and using a stick blender, blend until all zinc oxide is well-blended. Pour into a glass or plastic container. Sunscreen is ready when solidified.

Important: clean your equipment while it's still hot. Immediately wipe everything with paper towels to get rid of the residue as much as possible. Then wash in hot, soapy water with a scrub brush.

This is approximately 30 spf – I wouldn’t add more zinc oxide than the recipe calls for unless you can handle the extra “whiteness” which might be difficult to rub into the skin. Use less zinc oxide for a lower spf. 

For a video and more summer skin care recipes, see the My Buttered Life ebook. 

How to Recycle Lipstick into Tinted Lip Balm

Let's say you have a few unused lipstick tubes laying around. They are likely too bright, too brown, too red, too pink, or just too-not-you. 

Recycle them!

Here's how:

If you've seen my video "how to make lip balms" on YouTube, you'll be happy to know that throwing lipstick into the pot of melted lip balm (equal amounts of coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax, with a tad more coconut oil if outside temps are cooler than 70 degrees) is all you have to do:

For a stronger color, add at least as much lipstick as lip balm liquid. I could have (should have) added more lipstick in my mixture for a more colorful tint. 

Melt everything. At this point, add drops of a favorite essential oil (I chose peppermint) to flavor your lip balm.

Use a dropper to drop into lip balm tubes AND into your empty lipstick container.

And you have a nourishing lip balm with added color and scent. 

Summary:

How do you color lip balm and can you color hard lotion bars?

Question via email:

 
I found your site from a Pinterest board. Just wondering how you colour
the lip balm and bars if you didn't want a natural look.  My daughter
loves pink! Will colouring it change the consistency?

Answer: I've colored the lip balm with something called carmine (it's insect
material but you might not have wanted to know that!). Here's a video I did on that:


You could also go to fromnaturewithlove:
http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/?affiliate=34177 (it's my affiliate link
- I highly recommend the products and I also get a cut if you purchase
through the link)  and look for their mica powders. Some are safe for the
lips and some are not. Just make sure whatever colorant that you use, that
it's not a water based colorant because there is no water in the lotion - it's all oils/wax.

BUT, I would only tint a lip balm and not a lotion bar, or your body
will become that color!

Here's my carmine-tinted lip balm mixture:

What's the best way to keep hard lotion long term?

  Question via email:

I was wondering, after I've made lotion bars, what's the best
way to keep them?  Should I freeze them if I don't intend on using them
right away?  Are they ok just at room temp?  I made some with shae
butter, beeswax and grapeseed oil.  Any advice is appreciated!

Answer:

No need to store them other than in parchment paper, and if it's an indefinite period of time, 

stored in a dark place. 

If you don't plan to use them for several months, you could simply refrigerate

them (wrapped), although I'd only do that if it's really warm in your area.

Can expeller-pressed coconut oil from Tropical Tradition be used to make hard lotion?

photo source

Question via email:

First let me say that this is the absolute BEST lotion I've ever used!  I have very dry heels and eczema on my hands.  I cannot believe what one use of your hard lotion has done for my skin.  THANK YOU!!!

Now I'm thinking I'll make my own and had a question about the coconut oil.  I buy expeller-pressed coconut oil from Tropical Traditions and wondered if you thought I could use it in making hard lotion.  I can't wait to make this for Christmas gifts next year!!  I also am highly anticipating the bug lotion.

Answer: You can certainly use any type of 76 degree coconut oil with the same great results. I've personally used Tropical Traditions' coconut oil; it makes a wonderful lotion bar with the scent of coconut oil coming out even stronger in this high-quality coconut oil.

How to Make Lotion Bars for Gift Giving

How to Make Beeswax Tea Light Candles

You only need a few ingredients, and you'll have fantastic handcrafted gifts for Christmas.